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Challengers of the Unknown #13 Not Rated Though an FN+ (6.5) in Appearance!
We have listings for Detective Comics 244, 268 thru 315, 382 thru 399. Virtually all of these books are high quality issues (FN to VF-) that are rarely available. As time permits, we will list 316 thru 380. For a wonderful book, much related in spirit to Batman, please see my listings for Challengers of the Unknown (7 thru 15 have been listed). A unique opportunity to obtain multiple issues from a trusted single source.
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Published by DC Comics in 1960. Cover and Interior art by Bob Brown. "The Prisoner of the Tiny Space Ball" and "Creatures from The Past".
An appealing cover despite some minor flaws. In terms of cover appearance this would rate a FN+ (6.5), but there has been water damage, though the book dried very nicely and it did not diminish the comic's appeal in a major way. Here are the facts. The cover is nicely reflective (with 70% or more of original gloss) and has strong coloring with some light general scuffing, and relatively flat. There are some slight color breaking creases and general low level minor non-color breaking creases (see Definition of a Crease below), which detract little from the book's appeal, though the general scuffing which diminishes the colors subtracts more from the cover's impact. The number "26" is inked in above Rocky's head. There is a visible water stain at the bottom of the cover running just below the staple to Red's right hand. A small triangle of the cover at the lower right corner is gone along with a small piece from the upper right corner. Minor soiling on the front cover with a bit more on the back cover. The back cover (see SuperSize Image below) has a brown water stain at the bottom. There are some minor spine stress marks and there are several tears in the paper at the spine with the bottom staple detached from cover. Interior pages are very supple and white to a light tan at the borders; though there is a slight stain in the bottom border due to water, it did not affect the panels and it dried without wrinkling making that area indistinguishable by touch from the rest of the page. The staples are extremely well placed and the cover excellently cut with color extending nearly to the spine. The edges are sharp though there are a few tiny tears and slght wear. The corners are slightly rounded. The book lies relatively flat with 3 of the corners rising 2 to 4 millimeters. The book is complete with all pages securely attached with no interior tears or rips. Overall an appealing book despite its flaws!
Batman is our favorite comic hero. As Challengers of the Unknown resemble Batman broken up into four heroes, it was natural to enjoy their series as well. Like Batman they have no superpowers, leaving them to rely on their wits and cunning to a larger degree than their superhero counterparts. As with Batman of this era the plots are full of Asimov styled devices, aliens, and creatures. One of the charms of the Challenger series was the comradery of the heroes, Ace, Red, Prof, and Rocky. As the series evolved the banter between the boys was priceless. We have nearly every issue and we highly recommend it to others!
Comic Grading - Definition of a Crease.
Crease - A fold which causes ink removal, usually resulting in a white line. This seems to be the sense of what a crease is to Overstreet's Grading Guidelines and most comic graders. We note two categories of creasing in our descriptions, 1) color breaking and 2) non-color breaking.
For a color breaking crease, it must show that white line, though of course the thickness, length, and cover location of the crease are all important factors in how severely the crease actually degrades the cover's impact.
A non-color breaking crease is technically not a crease since it doesn't break color, but to those of us who have spent hours obsessing over our books, it is an interruption in the gloss or how the cover reflects light. Take a smooth unblemished white sheet of paper and press your thumb nail into it several times using varying amounts of pressure. As the paper is white there is no break in color, but depending on lighting and its angle to the paper eventually you would be able to see every point where the nail impressed the paper. Again the noticeability, number, and locations of non-color breaking creases are factors affecting the quality of the cover.
If a cover is generally smooth, this means the non-color breaking creases present are interfering little with the cover's appearance. These kinds of creases range from unnoticeable in normal viewing conditions to very intrusive. A comic must be very carefully handled to avoid leaving these impressions at the edges.
Unfortunately, scans of the covers, even the enlargeable images we employ, do not always fully depict these imperfections. We try to fill in the gaps by offering our estimate of what the Overstreet Grade would likely be, and by giving a detailed written description.
Like most comic buyers and graders we have exchanged thoughts with, we agree that Overstreet Grading Guidelines provide a helpful starting point to access a book's quality, but we all have our own tastes and biases, and sharp disagreements on various books as well as complaints about Overstreet's approach. Different books will impress you differently than they would us, which is why I try to be detailed and factual. We are merely trying to provide our buyers with enough background so the book received satisfies or exceeds the expectations generated by our listing.
See our listings for many high quality DC Comics from 1960 to 1973.
Please note the $4.00 handling fee for this purchase. Fees charged do not fully compensate for labor and materials necessary to process a purchase. Purchases will ship within 5 business days.
As of this listing over 90% of all issues of Detective Comics 270 to 400, Action Comics 282 thru 482, & Worlds Finest 115 to 244, are in stock. Open to requests for individual issues to list in store!!!
Expert Shipping!!! We are very careful shippers. We have shipped thousands of comics commercially. Out of 1500+ shipments, there has not been a single report of a packing problem. Packing materials used are light weight and nearly impervious to harm!
We have tried to be precise and reasonable in my grading. However, since grading has many gray areas ... No Condition is guaranteed. No one can catch or describe every flaw, though generally our listings in detail and accuracy surpass 90% of other sellers. Better yet, with enlargeable images for every item you can make sounder judgements about the quality of the item. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or want additional scans via email.
We are posting a number of Silver Age Superman, Batman,
and other DC titles. Consider us for your 1960 to 1973 DC Comic needs. Where else can you get 90% of all Challengers of the Unknown issues (though this may change as we are starting to list these)?
Additional Terms
- All sales are final. All items are sold As-Is.
- Any differences between actual shipping\handling costs and those calculated by e-commerce software will be decided by the terms of this listing. Shipping overpayments of less than $1.00 will not be refunded unless requested by the buyer. A note with payment or an email at any point will suffice. Buyers have made it clear that tiny refunds are unwanted.
- If you have questions, please email.
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