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Title: BATMAN No. 9
Publisher:DC [Indicia: Detective Comics, Inc.]
Date Published: February-March, 1942
Description: CGC certified: Good (2.0). Purple label: Restored (C-5). Off-white to white pages. Grader notes: "Detached cover; tape cover; tape spine; color touch on front cover; piece added with tape front cover C-5; spine stress lines to cover; staining to cover." Provenance: The DC UNIVERSE COLLECTION.
 
CGC Census: 217 graded copies (162 Universal, 6 Qualified, 3 Signature Series, 46 Restored).
 
GPAnalysis: No reported sales of restored copies in this grade. A restored 3.0 (C-2) sold for $695 in 1/19. The most recent restored sale is a 5.0 (C-1) that sold for $2800 in 9/22.
 
For comparison purposes, here are recent Universal sales: A 0.5 (no grade, coverless) sold for $329 in 1/23; a 0.5 (centerfold missing, incomplete) sold for $1010 in 2/21.
 
Credits: Cover: Fred Ray and Jerry Robinson (inks). Scripts: Bill Finger, Eric Carter, Henry Boltinoff. Art: Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson, George Roussos (backgrounds), Raymond Perry, Henry Boltinoff. Overstreet: "1st Batman Christmas story."Bat-Bibliography: The DC Universe Collection copy of Batman #9 is illustrated in Taschen's 75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking (page 115), with the following commentary: "Batman and Robin's spectacular success made sidekicks imperative in nearly every major super-hero launch of the early 1940s. Timely had Captain America and Bucky and the Human Torch and Toro, Fawcett had Mr. Scarlet and Pinky, MLJ had the Shield and Rusty, and DC itself introduced Green Arrow and Speedy, among others. The concept was so entrenched by 1941 that Jerry Siegel could reverse the stereotypes with the teenage Star-Spangled Kid and his adult partner, Stripesy."
 
Bat-cyclopedia: "In February-March 1942 Batman and Robin take up the trail of four fugitive criminals; make the acquaintance of RADBEY, secretary of the Seven Seas Insurance Company; battle the JOKER; and lend a helping hand to young TIMMY CRATCHIT." — Michael L. Fleisher, The Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes Vol. 1: Batman. Macmillan: 1976, p. 116.
 
Details: Batman's go-to foe, the Joker, pops up for the third ish in a row, breaking out of jail and launching his umpteenth crime spree, recruiting a bunch of ex-cons to front his latest criminal enterprise. In order to explain his lackeys' ill-gotten gains to the authorities, Joker concocts an elaborate money-laundering scheme involving bogus raffles and promotional games. Joker's frantic efforts to make his gang's loot seem legit to the authorities anticipates his future fear of the IRS, as expressed in a 1998 episode of The New Batman Adventures cartoon: "I'm crazy enough to take on Batman, but the IRS? No thank you." * In a Dickensian caper, Batman helps a lad named Timmy Cratchit, whose dad, Bob Cratchit, has been framed for murder. Thanks to Batman's efforts, Bob Cratchit is released from jail just in time to spend Christmas with his family.The DC UNIVERSE COLLECTION comprises over 40,000 comic books, including a copy of every single DC comic published for retail sale from 1934 to 2014. The collection was amassed by British music producer Ian Levine over the course of several decades, and it's been hailed as the single greatest collecting accomplishment in comic book history. This collection served as the basis for former DC Comics president Paul Levitz's monumental book 75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking, published by Taschen in 2017. PBA is proud to present this epic collection in a series of themed sales over the next two years. To join the DC Universe Collection notifications list, contact pba@pbagalleries.com.
Enjoying PBA's Batman sale? A very small number of softcover and limited edition hardcover auction catalogues are available for purchase. The catalogues are fully illustrated, thoroughly researched, and make excellent reference works for Batman fans. To order a copy, or to inquire about consignment opportunities, contact Ivan Briggs, PBA's Director of Comics: ivan@pbagalleries.com.