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 Clown Prince of Crime himself, the (possibly) one and only Joker!!

Batman #136

There are not a lot of Joker gems from the Silver Age, due in part to the character's significantly less menacing demeanor (more on that later).  This is one of the few Joker books from the era that has actually enjoyed meaningful growth.

Graded Analysis: Stick to 7.0s and above.  Prices are a little erratic, but the line of best fit has an unquestionably upward slope.

Batman #251

Batman #251 has two major things going for it.  First, it has one of the most iconic Batman, Joker, and/or Neal Adams-drawn covers out there.  Second, this book features what many consider to be the first appearance of the modern Joker.  When the character was first created, he was typically depicted as a homicidal maniac.  This depiction gradually faded away, however, especially in the years just after the creation of the Comics Code Authority.

It was in the pages of this issue that the Joker went back to his more menacing characterization, paving the way for many of the Joker's greatest stories, including the next book featured in this article.

Graded Analysis: This book is up all-time in every grade with multiple sales.  If you can get your hands on this book in nearly any grade, buy it.

Batman: The Killing Joke

Printing Photo Distinguishing Feature Number of Sales Census Count 9.8 FMV 9.6 FMV Analysis
1st Print Green text with yellowish cufflink 4177 sales 10,201 Submissions (9513 Graded, 648 Signature, 7 Restored, 33 Qualified) 240 130 In grades 9.2 and above, this book enjoys slow and steady growth with occasional peaks and valleys.  So if you are not interested in the long haul, there may be some opportunities to get out earlier
2nd Print Pink text, colors are a bit washed out 103 Sales 225 Submissions (222 Universal, 3 Signature) 160 120 Pricing on this book has been very erratic, though lately it has been fairly consistently on the rise.  Invest at your own risk here, my personal opinion is that the risk may not be worth the reward
3rd Print Dark Yellow Logo. colors are very washed out 48 Sales 125 Submissions (122 Universal, 1 Signature, 2 Qualified) 250 120 The book has generally been ascendant, but there have been numerous instances of the book selling well below its FMV.  Those looking to invest should hold out for a good deal
4th Print Orange Logo 34 Sales 75 Submissions (75 Universal) 150 150 9.8s have been subpar investments, but 9.6s and 9.4s have enjoyed really solid growth
5th Print Dark Blue Logo 67 Sales 125 Submissions (125 Universal, 2 Signature) 130 90 9.8s and 9.6s have been almost all ebbs and flows, so understand there is a lot of risk there.  9.4s have been model performers
6th Print Dark Orange Logo 46 Sales 137 Submissions (134 Universal, 3 Signature) 100 110 What little consistency there is in value patterns here is not inspiring.  Steer clear.
7th Print Light Yellow Logo, yellow cufflink, colors are a bit washed out 37 Sales 93 Submissions (90 Universal, 1 Signature, 2 Qualified) 180 100 9.6s have occasional spikes, but not by nearly enough to ignore how poorly this printing generally performs
8th Print Light Blue Logo 13 Sales 29 Submissions (28 Universal, 1 Signature) 231 52 The book has a generally upward trajectory in many grades, but the dearth of sales, especially recent sales, should inspire due caution
9th Print Red Logo 23 Sales 65 Submissions (64 Universal, 1 Signature) 1399 300 The concerns for this book are the same as the 8th printing
10th Print Yellow Logo, yellow cufflink 9 Sales 23 Submissions (21 Universal, 2 Qualified) 240 N/A Too little data to comfortably prognosticate
11th Print Dark Yellow Logo, yellow cufflink, colors are a bit washed out 5 Sales 27 Submissions (27 Universal) N/A 51 Too little data to comfortably prognosticate
12th Print Nothing seems to clearly distinguish this printing from the 11th print 4 Sales 13 Submissions (13 Universal) 290 N/A Value keeps going up, but there is not a lot of data
13th Print Yellow logo, white cufflink, green tie, exclamation mark in the word bubble 3 Sales 9 Submissions (8 Universal, 1 Signature) N/A N/A Functionally zero data available
14th Print Green logo, white cufflink, green tie, exclamation mark in the word bubble 11 Sales 54 Submissions (52 Universal, 2 Signature) 60 170 Save one 9.8 sale outlier, this book is up all time in every grade with multiple sales over the lifetime of GoCollect's data

Which do you have in your collection? Let us know in the comments!

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