100 Hot Comics #39:
Batman 171, 1st Silver Age Riddler

100 Hot Comics: Batman 171, 1st Silver Age Riddler. Click to order a copy

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Why Batman 171 is a Hot Comic

2024 MARKET REPORT: HIGH GRADE BOOKS ARE A PUZZLE

Below CGC 8.0, the market has sold off this book, but in high grades, prices are holding firm near highs.

2023 MARKET REPORT: RIDDLE ME THIS...

I've sensed a change in mood around DC Silver Age key issues.

Long under-valued, books like this one sre starting to gain traction.

2022 MARKET REPORT: NO NEW HIGH GRADE SALES THIS YEAR

But still this book is rising in value, as interest in Riddler's first appearance in Detective Comics #140 continues to grow unabated.

There are a lot of encouraging sales to indicate that the next high-grade copy will smash its own record.

7.0 gained $400 this year, or about 35 percent.

Entry price for a 0.5 is $185!

Recent sales:

8.5 $2,640
8.0 $3,250(!)
7.5 $1,500
7.0 $1,545
6.5 $1,530
6.0 $960
5.5 $1,200(!!!)
5.0 $760
4.5 $810
4.0 $1,000(!!)
3.5 $750
3.0 $530
2.5 $580
2.0 $500
1.0 $250
0.5 $185

2021 MARKET REPORT: HUGE RECORD SALE IN CGC 9.6!

$41,000 for a mid-60s DC comic book is pretty impressive. This is a truly tough book in high grade, and that top sale will take some beating.

Our chosen grade returned 47 percent this year!

Recent sales:

9.6 $41,000
9.4 $11,400
9.2 $3,650
9.0 $3,200
8.5 $2,025
8.0 $1,900
7.5 $1,440
7.0 $1,150
6.5 $800
6.0 $700
5.5 $600
5.0 $490
4.5 $545(!)
4.0 $450
3.5 $305
2.5 $300
2.0 $210

IF YOU BOUGHT MY RECOMMENDED GRADE LAST YEAR:

Here's the bottom line.

CGC 7.0 2020 $779
LAST SALE $1,150
PERCENT CHANGE +47%

This book is bucking a general trend for DC Comics back issues.

Even previously hot books like Batman #121 and Batman #181 have fallen this year, but Riddler is making a comeback, and this book makes its debut on the 100 Hot Comics list.

The comic book market is more and more becoming driven by key issues. While some collectors are still putting runs of titles together, others choose to pick only the most important books from different series.

Silver Age Batman issues are strong sellers, but that is the exception for DC Comics superheroes, which have been less popular for a while -- mostly due to DC's sluggish production of comic book movies.

What to Invest In

Batman #171 is easy to find in low grade, but we recommend a CGC 7.0 or nicer. Click to buy a copy

The deep pink cover of Batman #171 makes it very hard to find a copy above FN (6.0). The slightest crease will break color on the front.

It's hard to recommend this book lower than CGC 7.0 for that reason. There are simply too many average copies around. When you want to sell an investment comic, typically it helps if you are not competing with too many similar issues.

If you can afford it, higher than 7.0 is a good place to put money, but IF is a big word currently! This book has jumped a lot in the last couple of years:

9.4 $8,600
9.2 $3,650
9.0 $3,500(!)
8.5 $1,089
8.0 $1,152(!!)
7.5 $860
7.0 $649
6.5 $415
6.0 $425(!)
5.5 $348
5.0 $400(!!)
4.5 $217
4.0 $180
2.5 $200(!!!)

You can see where the price compression begins. The big jump is from 6.5 to 7.0. Below that, a couple of hundred bucks separates all the other grades.

That tells me there are too many copies of mid-grade books available.

This book has posted 20 percent gains in the past 18 months. Not spectacular, but Riddler is long overdue a movie comeback.