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| Slot: |
Action Comics 360 |
| Item: |
Action Comics #360 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.8 |
| Cert #: |
0962503016
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Owner Comments
"The Unknown Supergirl"
Cover Date: March/April, 1968
Published: January 9, 1968
Curt Swan and George Klein cover
80 Page Giant (G 45).
Grade Date: 06/29/2017
Acquired: 11/10/2017 - 1 of 2 in 9.8 when purchased.
This 9.8 from '68 is gorgeous in hand and view, the second of four 80 Page Giants in the Action Comics title during the 1960s, all devoted to Supergirl (see Action Comics #334, 347 and 373). The childlike innocence of this board game themed cover goes straight to my collector's heart. The vibrant colors also please my eye, from the blue and purple background blend to the Supergirl title logo of green and yellow. This piece is structurally solid, very clean, the back cover is still white and the WHITE page edges are just as white. The square bound 'Giant' format is notorious for defects, making this THE crown jewel of my collection. I once had a large CGC collection of 1980s Indiana Jones books from Marvel, I sold that collection on ComicLink in 2018 to make up for purchase of this book. As of this writing (11/16/2019) the other CGC 9.8 copy is the Pacific Cost example.
Table of Contents
"The Unknown Supergirl"
Reprinted from Action Comics #278 (July, 1961)
"Supergirl's Secret Enemy"
Reprinted from Action Comics #279 (August, 1961)
"Trapped in Kandor"
Reprinted from Action Comics #280 (September, 1961)
"The Three Red K Perils"
Reprinted from Action Comics #283 (December, 1961)
"The Super-Mermaid"
Reprinted from Action Comics #284 (January, 1962)
"The World's Mightiest Heroine" (February, 1962)
Reprinted from Action Comics #285
"The Infinite Monster"
Reprinted from Action Comics #285 (February, 1962)
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| Slot: |
Action Comics 371 |
| Item: |
Action Comics #371 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.8 |
| Cert #: |
0065511011
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Owner Comments
"The President of Steel!"
Cover Date: January, 1969
Otto Binder and Leo Dorfman stories
Curt Swan and Kurt Schaffenberger art
Curt Swan and Neal Adams cover
"The Supergirl Best-Seller"
Writer: Leo Dorfman
Pencils/Inks: Kurt Schaffenberger
Grade Date: 02/17/2003
Acquired: 04/06/2015 - 1 of 2 in 9.8 when purchased.
I like the notion of Superman doubling as the President of the United States, I also like the view of the capital building in the background. This issue would have been published and distributed during the last days of Lyndon Johnson's presidency. Neal Admas and Curt Swan did several covers together on Action Comics, usually Swan's style was more prevalent, but it's hard to distinguish between both artists' signature style on this cover. Not only is this a fantastic cover, it's also a solid piece housed in a vintage CGC holder, with the strong possibility that this issue obtained its grade without the benefit of a press.
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| Slot: |
Action Comics 374 |
| Item: |
Action Comics #374 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.8 |
| Cert #: |
0962503020
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Owner Comments
"Alias Super-Thief!"
"No Mercy for Supergirl!"
Cover Date: March, 1969
Published on January 28, 1969
Otto Binder and Leo Dorfman stories
Curt Swan and Kurt Schaffenberger art
Neal Adams cover
Grade Date: 06/29/2017
Acquired: 11/10/2017 - 1 of 3 in 9.8 when purchased.
A 9.8 Neal Adams cover from the Silver Age, it just doesn't get any better! The cover is true to the Silver Age era of comics. This piece also has exceptional cover gloss.
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| Slot: |
Action Comics 375 |
| Item: |
Action Comics #375 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.8 |
| Cert #: |
1213330013
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Owner Comments
"The Big Forget!"
Cover Date: April, 1969
Otto Binder and Leo Dorfman stories
Curt Swan and Kurt Schaffenbergeart
Curt Swan and Carmine Infantino cover
Fact File #4: Sargon the Sorceror.
"The Woman Who Hated Supergirl"
Writer: Leo Dorfman
Pencils: Kurt Schaffenberger
Inks: Kurt Schaffenberger
Grade Date: 08/19/2014
Acquired: 09/09/2014 - Single 9.8 when purchased.
This piece became my first 12-cent cover in 9.8 grade. I'm pleased with the structure of this book; very flat, tight spine, and page edges that are still white, a very fresh piece with tremendous eye appeal. This dark background makes this issue in particular difficult to obtain in high grade. The cover is typical of the Silver Age and right out of the original Star Trek T.V. show of the era.
I had to have this piece, I won it on ComicLink, breaking my personal record then for highest price I'd ever paid for a book. Buying the book was a big risk as I did not have the disposable income out of pocket, just a credit card. Not long after winning this piece, another book came up for sale, Action Comics #399, a piece that belonged to another registry user and one I'd admired for several years, we negotiated a price, then I found myself with two expensive books to pay off. Both books were special opportunities, I decided I was just going to make it work. I sold several books to raise the funds for these pieces, the time and effort paid off, literally, as I was able to pay the off the debt without accumulating interest.
What I Sold - all CGC 9.8 examples, from Marvel Comics
Blade Runner #1 (October, 1982)
Blade Runner #2 (November, 1982)
Red Sonja #4 (July, 1977)
Red Sonja #13 (November, 1978)
Star Trek #18 (February, 1982)
X-Men #125 (September, 1979)
X-Men #135 (July, 1980)
X-Men #136 (August, 1980)
X-Men #138 (October, 1980)
X-Men #140 (December, 1980)
Uncanny X-Men #142 (February, 1981)
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| Slot: |
Action Comics 384 |
| Item: |
Action Comics #384 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.8 |
| Cert #: |
0147801028
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Owner Comments
“The Forbidden Costume!”
Cover Date: January, 1970
Cary Bates and Jim Shooter stories
Curt Swan and Win Mortimer art
Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson cover
Legion of Super-Heroes backup story.
“Lament for a Legionnaire!”
Grade Date: 01/07/2008
Acquired: 03/06/2018 - 1 of 2 in 9.8 when purchased.
This 15-cent cover, from THE Silver Age pedigree brings a smile to my face. I enjoy the details on the cover art, from the look of shock on the uniformed officer's face to the clothing of the detectives. The attire really hits the period this piece was published in, right out of films like Bullitt and Dirty Harry. This book also has the freshness the Pacific Coast examples are known for.
Thou published in the later months of 1969, having this book cover dated January, 1970 turns this piece into a bookend for my collection, as I’d like to have each issue of Action Comics cover dated from January 1970 to December 1979.
From ReeceComics.com
The Pacific Coast Pedigree is widely regarded as the pre-eminent Silver Age collection of comic books in the world. The collection spans the years 1962-1967 and the comic books all share the same look of freshness and uniformity. Aside from the incredible brightness of the books, they are also known for near perfect registration. PC's are among the most coveted pedigrees in the hobby as exemplified by how few copies are on the market at any given time.
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| Slot: |
Action Comics 389 |
| Item: |
Action Comics #389 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.8 |
| Cert #: |
0048585006
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Owner Comments
"The Kid Who Struck Out Superman!"
Cover Date: June, 1970
Cary Bates and Leo Dorfman stories
Curt Swan and Win Mortimer art
Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson cover
Rogues Gallery by Murphy Anderson.
Grade Date: 08/26/2002
Acquired: 04/05/2015 - 1 of 5 in 9.8 when purchased.
"The Mystery Legionnaire!"
Writer: Cary Bates
Penciler: Win Mortimer
Inker: Jack Abel
I've always liked this cover, true Americana, also true Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. This book is very sharp, with vibrant colors - the inks on the title logo look as if they are still drying. This newsstand fresh piece exemplifies everything my Action Comics run is all about: great covers from before my time with superb preservation. I tried for another 9.8 example of this issue on ComicLink prior to finding this piece, unsuccessfully. I got the Oakland copy for a fraction of the final ComicLink bid!
From MySlabbedComics.com
Oakland Pedigree
This collection of 4000+ mostly superhero comics and surfaced at the 1998 Wondercon show. The collection, which spanned roughly 1967 to 1972, was accumulated in Oakland, CA by a collector who had first crack at the new offerings and handled the comics with extreme care.
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| Slot: |
Action Comics 393 |
| Item: |
Action Comics #393 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.8 |
| Cert #: |
1626628001
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Owner Comments
Superman Meets Super-Houdini!
Cover Date: October, 1970
Leo Dorfman story, Curt Swan cover,
Curt Swan, Murphy Anderson,
Ross Andru and Mike Esposito art
1 page "Superman Scrapbook" featurette.
Grade Date: 02/05/2018
Acquired: 01/30/2019 - 1 of 4 in 9.8 when purchased.
Regraded: 08/29/2019
I won this piece form a Pedigree Comics Grand Auction in January, 2019. The book arrived safely but the inner well had several distracting scuffs along with several scratches on the holder. Several months later I decided to send the piece in for a new holder, books from this era in high grade are special and deserve a nice presentation. This became a decision I'd soon regret, I got an email stating the book would not receive the same grade due to damage. The email had a photo of a non color breaking crease, I don't know what happened as I packed the book securely, I opted to have the book pressed by CCS. Four long months later the work was done and the book came back in 9.8 grade, with a new Pedigree Label. I'm glad this piece arrived back safely to me, but I should have left this one alone, the grey label also does not look good to me.
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| Slot: |
Action Comics 395 |
| Item: |
Action Comics #395 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.8 |
| Cert #: |
0966753007
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Owner Comments
"The Secrets of Superman's Fortress"
Cover Date: December, 1970
Leo Dorfman story
Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson art
Curt Swan and Dick Giordano cover
Cover layout by Carmine Infantino.
"The Credit Card of Catastrophe" back-up story.
Writer: Leo Dorfman
Penciler: Curt Swan
Inker: Murphy Anderson
Grade Date: 09/28/2010
Acquired: 12/01/2014 - 1 of 2 in 9.8 when purchased.
When it comes to Silver/Bronze Age pedigrees, the Rocky Mountain collection is my pedigree. This piece was auctioned off on ComicLink in January, 2011. I placed a bid of $400 and lost by $25. This book was picked up by Greg Reece of Reece's Rare Comics, where it was listed on his site for $700. After a few years the book was no longer listed.
Almost four years after the ComicLink auction, this special piece was listed on eBay by Reece. I didn't let anyone stop me and I won the eBay auction for less than the 2011 ComicLink auction result. Whenever I pull the book for viewing, I always think to myself, "finally mine!"
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| Slot: |
Action Comics 397 |
| Item: |
Action Comics #397 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.8 |
| Cert #: |
0915492003
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Owner Comments
“The Secret of the Wheel-Chair Superman!”
Cover Date: February, 1971
Leo Dorfman story
Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson art
Carmine Infantino, Murphy Anderson cover
1971 calendar pin-up.
Robot cover.
"Untold Tales of the Fortress" story - “The Super-Captive of the Sea!”
Grade Date: 09/29/2011
Acquired: 03/11/2018 - 1 of 3 in 9.8 when purchased.
Re-Holder: 11/07/2018
A sad cover published at the twilight of the Silver Age, with many visual elements that have that "vintage" comic book feel, from the defunct robots in the closet to the futuristic cityscape in the background, all true the era’s concept of how the future was visualized. Cover artist Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson are great together, and having the Twin Cites copy of this issue is a plus. Speaking of the Twin Cities collection, this piece does not have the distracting distributor markings on the top cover like so many other examples from the collection. The yellow and red title logo really shine with vibrancy, I also won this book five days after I won the Pacific Coast copy Action Comics #398.
The book was graded in 2011, the inner well of the piece had that distracting dimple in the back, with several distracting scuffs on the front. I sent it for a reholder and it came back free of Newton Rings and now displays much better, well worth the reholder fee.
From MySlabbedComics.com
Twin-Cities Pedigree
The unfortunate death of collector Gary Dalhberg of Minneapolis, MN in a 2010 house fire brought to market his extensive collection that was dubbed the Twin Cities pedigree. The condition conscious Dalhberg had accumulated extensive runs of Marvel, DC and other publishers from the Silver Age and above. The collection of over 6000 comics includes many top census copies of Silber Age comics and the books were consigned through Heritage Auctions
From HA.com
Dahlberg, who passed away in July 2010, was a meticulous collector who also had the advantage of working at a bookstore as a high school student in the early 1960s, with the opportunity to buy new comics from the store owner before they were put out on the stands.
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| Slot: |
Action Comics 398 |
| Item: |
Action Comics #398 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.8 |
| Cert #: |
0147839011
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Owner Comments
“The Pied-Piper of Steel!
Cover Date: March, 1971
Leo Dorfman story
Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson art
Neal Adams and Dick Giordano cover
Supergirl appearance.
"Untold Tales of the Fortress" story - “Spawn of the Unknown”
Grade Date: 01/07/2008
Acquired: 03/06/2018 - 1 of 2 in 9.8 when purchased.
I first noticed this piece on the CGC website gallery in 2008. A terrific Neal Adams cover, from the coveted Pacific Coast pedigree, perfect cover registration, white pages and a 9.8 from 1971, the book was everything I desired! I waited and wondered for years if this book would come to the market, or if it would remain locked away in a private collection, or worse yet, end up lost or destroyed. I added “Action Comics #398 CGC 9.8 Pacific Coast” to several want lists; I even put out a WTB posting on the CGC boards. I didn't just want this book in 9.8 grade, I wanted the Pacific Coast copy. I also searched the high ranking Action Comics sets in the CGC Registry for this piece, no luck.
In December 2017, a ComicLink preview listed three Action Comics examples from the Pacific Coast pedigree to be auctioned in March, 2018. After a decade of dreaming I finally got my chance. In the end, the realized price was much less than I expected, actually a really good price compared to other 9.8 Action Comics examples from the era. Of course the condition of the book is phenomenal, a real treat to reward a decade of patience.
From ReeceComics.com
Pacific Coast Pedigree
The Pacific Coast Pedigree is widely regarded as the pre-eminent Silver Age collection of comic books in the world. The collection spans the years 1962-1967 and the comic books all share the same look of freshness and uniformity. Aside from the incredible brightness of the books, they are also known for near perfect registration. PC's are among the most coveted pedigrees in the hobby as exemplified by how few copies are on the market at any given time.
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| Slot: |
Action Comics 399 |
| Item: |
Action Comics #399 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.8 |
| Cert #: |
0069478009
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Owner Comments
"Superman, You're Dead... Dead... Dead"
Cover Date: April, 1971
Leo Dorfman story
Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson art
Neal Adams and Dick Giordano cover
Superbaby story.
Grade Date: 08/13/2003
Acquired: 09/14/2014 - 1 of 4 in 9.8 when purchased.
"Superbaby's Lost World"
Writer: Leo Dorfman
Pencils: Curt Swan
Inks: Murphy Anderson
Editor: Murray Boltinoff
This piece is beautiful, not only is the cover art fantastic, the condition is striking. The structure is solid, the colors are vibrant and the page edges are very fresh and white. The white area of the front and back cover is also very clean.
This piece was originally listed in another registry users set, where I admired and coveted it for several years. When the piece was finally listed for sale, I did not hesitate to make an offer. Every time I hold this piece in hand, I always think to myself how this book is finally mine! This is not only one of my top pieces, this is also one of my favorite Neal Adams covers for Action Comics.
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| Slot: |
Action Comics 400 |
| Item: |
Action Comics #400 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.8 |
| Cert #: |
1001271002
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Owner Comments
"My Son... Is He Man or Beast?"
Cover Date: May, 1971
Leo Dorfman story
Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson art
Neal Adams and Dick Giordano cover
"Untold Tales of Kandor" story.
Supergirl (Kara Zor-El) and Brainiac appearance.
Grade Date: 02/22/2010
Acquired: 08/28/2012 - 1 of 3 in 9.8 when purchased.
Re-Holder: 11/07/2018
Untold Tales of Kandor: "Duel of Doom!"
Story: Leo Dorfman (credited as Geoff Brown)
Pencils: Curt Swan
Inks: Murphy Anderson
Editor: Murray Boltinoff
Less than two years after Apollo 11 landed on the moon and less than a year before President Nixon went to China - Action Comics reached the milestone of 400 issues! This piece is also a bookend for my goal of having Action Comics #400 to 500 in 9.8 grade.
I first tried for this special piece in the ComicLink April 2010 Featured Auction, at the time there were only 2 copies certified in 9.8 grade. I daydreamed about this piece for weeks, but the final price came to $750 - my bid did not even come close. In the ComicLink August 2012 Featured Auction I got a second chance, and a much lower price, I even got a tear in my right eye when I won.
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| Slot: |
Action Comics 403 |
| Item: |
Action Comics #403 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.8 |
| Cert #: |
2010337020
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Owner Comments
“Attack of the Micro-Murderer”
Cover Date: August, 1971
Published: June 29, 1971
Cary Bates and Leo Dorfman stories
Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson art
Carmine Infantino, Murphy Anderson cover
Grade Date: 04/19/2019
Acquired: 5/28/2019 - 1 of 3 in 9.8 when purchased.
Table of Contents
"The Man with the X-Ray Mind" written by Geoff Brown, penciled by Curt Swan and inked by Murphy Anderson. "A Secret Chapter in the Life of Clark Kent"
"The Impossible Legend"
Reprinted from Action Comics #176 (January, 1953)
"When Krypto was Superboy's Master!"
Reprinted from Adventure Comics #310 (July, 1963)
ComicLink Comments:
The August, 1971 issue of Action Comics is virtually unseen on the market in pristine condition. This CGC 9.8 Near Mint/Mint from the John G. Fantucchio Pedigree collection is the highest graded that CGC has ever certified for Action #403 and is 1 of only 3 ever assigned this coveted top grade. This is the very first 9.8 for this book that we have ever brought to auction. It also has newsstand-fresh White Pages, adding to its desirability.
About the Pedigree:
The John G. Fantucchio collection is a CGC recognized pedigree that includes nearly every comic published by Marvel and DC Comics from the inception of the Marvel era through the mid-70s. Rounding out the collection are many high-grade comic books from other publishers including Charlton, Gold Key, Dell, ACG, Tower, Warren and others. The books were collected by artist John G. Fantucchio and stored in ideal conditions. The result is a collection of beautifully preserved comic books with bright, bold colors and near newsstand-fresh page quality. John Fantucchio was one of the most prominent artists during the early days of comic fandom. He created hundreds of covers and illustrations for fanzines such as Rocket's Blast Comic Collector, Fantastic Fanzine, Comic Crusader, The Buyer's Guide For Comic Fandom, and others.
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| Slot: |
Action Comics 404 |
| Item: |
Action Comics #404 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.8 |
| Cert #: |
0966752015
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Owner Comments
"Kneel to Your Conqueror, Superman!"
September, 1971
Leo Dorfman story
Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson art
Neal Adams and Dick Giordano cover
Bondage cover.
Grade Date: 09/28/2010
Acquired: 11/15/2011
1 of 4 in 9.8 when purchased.
Other stories printed in this 52 page, four color work:
"The Specter of 3000-Moons Lake!"
reprinted from The Atom #5 (Feb.-Mar. 1963)
"The Coward and the Hero"
reprinted from Adventure Comics #220 (Jan. 1956)
"The Day They Killed Clark Kent"
Writer: Leo Dorfman
Pencils: Curt Swan
Inks: Murphy Anderson
Editor: Murray Boltinoff
I first bid on this special piece in the ComicLink January 2011 Featured Auction, I did not win. In the ComicLink November 2011 Featured Auction fate smiled on me! This beautiful book was also my oldest 9.8 for a time. Love those yellow covers!
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| Slot: |
Action Comics 410 |
| Item: |
Action Comics #410 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC 9.8 |
| Cert #: |
0966752010
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Owner Comments
"The Satanic Son of Superman!"
March, 1972
Cary Bates story, Nick Cardy Cover
Curt Swan, John Calnan and Murphy Anderson art
Grade Date: 09/28/2010
Acquired: 01/18/2011
1 of 7 in 9.8 when purchased.
Other stories printed in this 52 page, four color work:
"Healing Hands from Beyond!"
"The Secret Olympic Heroes"
reprinted from Teen Titans #4 (Aug. 1966)
I love the freshness of this piece, with it's bright and clean cover, sharp edges and white page edges. I tried for another 9.8 copy of this issue in 2010, but I was unsuccessful, thankfully I found this piece for a better price. I love the Rocky Mountain collection, I love early '70s books and I love Nick Cardy covers! This piece also held a personal record for me for a time, it once was the the most expensive book in my collection, if only that record had stayed...
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