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Title: BATMAN No. 48
Publisher:DC [Indicia: National Comics Publications, Inc.]
Date Published: August-September, 1948
Description: CGC certified: Good- (1.8). Purple label: Restored (C-4). White pages. Grader notes: "Detached cover; tape cover; tape interior cover; ALL 3 EDGES OF COVER TRIMMED; color touch on left top & right center front cover; heavy creasing to cover; heavy spine splits to cover; light tears to cover; moderate bends to cover; pieces added left top & right top back cover C-4." Provenance: The DC UNIVERSE COLLECTION.
 
CGC Census: 177 graded copies (162 Universal, 2 Qualified, 13 Restored).
 
GPAnalysis: No reported sales in this grade. A restored 2.0 (C-1) sold for $200 in 2/20.
 
For comparison purposes, here are recent Universal sales: A 1.8 sold for $233 in 9/22; a 2.0 sold for $485 in 4/23.
 
Credits: Cover: Win Mortimer. Scripts: Bill Finger (?), Henry Boltinoff, Al Schwartz. Art: Jim Mooney (signed as Bob Kane), Charles Paris (inks), Henry Boltinoff. Overstreet: "1000 Secrets of the Batcave; Penguin story."Bat-cyclopedia: "In August-September 1948 Batman and Robin match wits with the PENGUIN; battle WOLF BRANDO; and apprehend MORTON, secretary to the chairman of the "World of the Future" fair." — Michael L. Fleisher, The Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes Vol. 1: Batman. Macmillan: 1976, p. 121.
 
Details: The Penguin decides to stop committing bird-themed crimes and begins committing regular crimes instead. Unfortunately for the Penguin, Gotham's bird community refuses to cooperate, and his birdless crimes are continually thwarted by birds. His first attempt flops when the Penguin and his cronies mistake a pigeon's whistle for a police siren, and his second attempt fails after the Penguin is tripped up by a flock of penguins that happens upon the crime scene: "Betrayed again... by penguins... my namesake!" Finally, a diamond heist is undone by a peck of baby hens who manage to swallow the diamonds. The Penguin attempts to flee with the chickens, but their peeps and chirps alert Batman and Robin, who clip the bird-bandit's wings.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.