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crm/ow pgs
Batman uses gun for the 1st time (10/39) COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 7 (CBI)
Highest Graded
Detective Comics #32 boasts one of the earliest appearances of the Batman, and features the infamous panels in which the legendarily anti-gun Caped Crusader brandishes a firearm for the first time.(This is also the first time that a costumed superhero used a gun in an original comic book story.) These classic moments are graced with one of Fred Guardineer's most dramatic and memorable covers.

We'll let ComicConnect Sales Director Frank Cwiklik set the scene: "Our receptionist Brandon made an appointment with a potential consignor, who said he had two Golden Age Batman and Superman comics that were in really nice shape. We hear this sort of thing all the time, so we never really get our hopes up, but you never know. I wasn't even aware he was coming in until I went downstairs around the time he'd shown up, and from all the way across the office, I could see the books sitting out on the conference table in ziploc bags, and I just knew. All the way from across the room, I could tell these were something special." The books in question were a beautiful Action Comics 18 (which is also in this auction, and is tied for highest-graded), and this Detective Comics 32, one of the earliest appearances of the Batman. The seller's uncle had kept these comics since childhood, and, not realizing the potential value in them, innocently dropped by the office to ask if they may be worth a few dollars. After careful examination and consultation, Frank and Consignment Director Rob Reynolds knew they had a rare find on their hands, the kind of out-of-the-blue discovery that just doesn't happen anymore. After sending the books to CGC, suspicions were confirmed: this was indeed the highest-graded copy of one of the scarcest of Batman year one appearances, featuring the infamous panels in which the legendarily-anti-gun Caped Crusader brandishes a firearm for the first time, and is graced with one of Fred Guardineer's most dramatic and best-remembered covers. Word leaked out quickly, and the comics world buzzed about the new discovery. Collectors are salivating, and the world's most serious Batman collectors are already lining up. This is sure to be one of the most exciting lots of this or any auction, and we are delighted to finally unveil this remarkable book.



Overstreet Guide 2013 NM- (9.2) value = $21,000.


If you are a new customer planning to make a first-time purchase over $25,000, please contact us at 212.895.3999 or support@comicconnect.com so that we may approve your account for bidding. (This policy was instituted to protect consignors and bidders against bids from fraudulent accounts, and to ensure the integrity of the bidding process.).




Artists Information

Joseph Shuster was a Canadian-American comic book artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with writer Jerry Siegel, in Action Comics #1.

Moldoff is best known for his early work on DC's Hawkman and Hawkgirl, and was one of Bob Kane's primary "ghost artists" on Batman. He co-created the Batman villains Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, the second Clayface, and Bat-Mite, as well as the original heroes Bat-Girl, Batwoman, and Ace the Bat-Hound.

A celebrity comic artist of the Golden Age, co-created Batman and Robin with Bill Finger, as his brainchild became more in demand he hired an army of ghost artists to illustrate the dearth of Batman features on the market, but all were credited to Kane. His other achievements include the creation of Catwoman, Two-Face and cartoon character Courageous Cat. Kane was the object of some controversy for taking credit for the art and inspiration of others, but he was also undoubtedly an important figure in the history of comics. He published an updated version of his autobiography "Batman and Me: The Saga Continues" shortly before his death in 1998. He got his start at the Eisner/Iger studio and was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame.