Batman #612The Modern Age has several interesting matchups but few more intriguing than Batman #612, the battle between the Bat and the Man of Steel. Regardless of your love or lack thereof for the Zack Snyder movie Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice it has fight scenes which were a spectacle to behold. The Hush comic series does it even better as it has Jim Lee's art. In Batman #612 they have a Batman vs. Superman take me to the woodshed moment and boy is this book popular. Batman #612 was created by Jeph Loeb (writer) and Jim Lee (artist) in 2003. This is part of the Hush storyline. Can this Modern Age comic be worthy of CGC slab and grade? Better yet, is this a worthwhile speculation?

 

 

 

 

Batman #612

Batman #612

The Hush storyline is a big fan favorite, Batman #612 is the fight between two of DC's biggest superheroes. Considering the artist is Jim Lee, whose talents as an artist are in a rarified class, and his background as one of the co-owner/founders of Image Comics; this is a Jim Lee work and will probably always be worth money. Now he is the Chief Creative Officer at DC Comics. Lee is a Korean American immigrant, who was drawn to comics at an early age. He was initially hired at Marvel to pencil Alpha Flight. His artistic style is a treasure to own and definitely enhances the story. What kind of short-term returns can we expect from Lee's creation Batman #612?

Short-Term (6-Month)

  • Grade 9.8 $94 last sale 2-22-20 returns positive +13.2%
  • Grade 9.6 $48 last sale 2-6-20 returns positive +19.4%

The returns over the last six months are positive to be sure, +19% return for grade 9.6 is only a few dollars but still a win for any Modern Age comic. The current CGC Census has 1,574 in inventory, but this is not many considering this was a very popular series and many copies published as it is a Mod. So with room to run up, a great story and a famous artist; what is not to like about Batman #612? Bat-grapple a copy for your collection and a couple to sell if you are a speculator. This E-ticket ride is far from over.

Batman #612

Signature Series

What about signed copies of Batman #612? They seem to be valuable as well, with the price of a mere 6.5 grade (photo to the left) which is currently fetching $84 raw on some websites! Further, the Signature Series for this comic at grade 9.6 sold last year for $219.99 on 12-1-19. Yep, it was only a 9.6. This proves the viability of a Jim Lee signature; as it maintains in supposedly lower-key segments, for instance, the grade 9.2 sold for $135 two years ago. Now those gains are all Jim Lee to be sure. In fact, given his status at DC Comics and the multitude of creative endeavors he has succeeded with, Jim Lees's signature is a keepsake worth owning, and obviously has great commercial value with fans. Be sure to get your copy signed, even if you keep it in raw format.

 

 

 

Batman #612Conclusion:

Pick up the entire Hush series if you can, while it is still attainable at a reasonable price. Barring that, at least pick-up Batman #612 which has: acceptable returns relative to its peers, quality art, a big name with Jim Lee at the helm, and low CGC Census numbers, it checks all four boxes as solid speculation. This book has the Jim Lee staying power, and, with his autograph, even more so. The splash page above says it all; this Batman vs. Superman, a mano-y-mano showdown is a must-own comic book for the Modern Age.