So much of comic book collecting and investing nowadays is dominated by modern books.  With the endless variants, store exclusives, and first appearances of ultimately insignificant characters, many investors, especially those who prefer older books, often feel ignored and left out of the conversation.  Fortunately, we here at GoCollect are here to help!  Every week, I am going to provide speculation recommendations for silver, bronze, and copper age books for a chosen topic.  This week, we are going to talk about the world's greatest detective, the Dark Knight himself, the one and only Batman!!!

Silver Age

Detective Comics #359

This silver age gem features the very first appearance Barbara Gordon and her alter ego, Batgirl!!  Barbara is a fixture of Batman comics and has been part of some of DC's most iconic stories, perhaps most notably The Killing Joke.  This seminal place in Bat-Family history gives the book an incredibly high floor which all, but ensures long term profitability.  Furthermore, the buzz around the new direction of the DCEU under Gunn and Saffron gives Detective Comics #359 some really interesting, movie-based speculation appeal.  Either way, this book has a lot of upside.

Graded Analysis: In nearly every single grade, the book is up big all-time, even though there are more than 3000 copies in the census.  Prices have been dropping of late, most likely due to inflationary concerns and Warner Brothers' decision to shelve the Batgirl film.  In my opinion, those are both incredibly short-sighted reasons to sell.  It is very unlikely that this inflation will be permanent or that Batgirl will never find her way into a movie or show.  This book has a huge buy-in cost, but there is every reason to think prices will rebound strongly in the long run.

Bronze Age

Batman #232

Batman #232 contains the first appearance of Ra's Al Ghul.  Ra's is one of Batman's most legendary villains and has played a major role in several pivotal storylines.  Two of the best examples are the return of Jason Todd as the Red Hood (Ra's brought him back to life) and his central role in the ongoing story of Damian Wayne.  With Damian already confirmed by James Gunn and the cinematic nature of the Red Hood story, opportunities abound for Ra's to make an appearance.  It will be tough for anyone to match Liam Neeson's incarnation of the character, but certainly not impossible.

Graded Analysis: This book is up well over 100% in the majority of grades over the lifetime of GoCollect's data.  That is wild!!  Batman #232 is an incredibly solid, consistent performer with some strong potential to climb even higher.  Buy with confidence.

Copper Age

Dark Knight Returns #1

There is so much to love about this book, its truly incredible.  First off, the cover is iconic and one of the most frequently homaged covers out there.  Second, the book was written and drawn by Frank Miller, who has legions of devoted fans willing to spend big money on his books.  Third, and perhaps most importantly, The Dark Knight Returns is widely considered one of the greatest Batman and comic book stories of all time.

Good stories make for good investments, especially in an age where film adaptations can seismically affect prices.  Finally, this book was very influential and is often credited with pushing comics into darker, more adult territory, making it a key artifact in comic book history.  That's a LOT of different reasons to buy and a lot of different ways to generate a return.

Graded Analysis: ~85% of this book's CGC submissions are graded at 9.2 or higher, so investors should stay in that range.  The prices for this book can be erratic but have a very clear upward trajectory.  If you can get your hands on a copy, do it.

*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.