DC · Golden Age · 1951
Detective Comics #168
DC · 1951
Noted for: Joker's origin as the Red Hood
KEY ISSUEShop this issue
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Before you buy
Verify the issue and printing, check the grader certification, review restoration notes, and compare recorded sales and current asking prices in the same grade.
The Detective Comics #168 in context
Why collectors care
The Joker's origin, cover-dated February 1951, in which Bill Finger established the character's past as the Red Hood and the chemical-vat accident that created him. Every later Joker origin, including The Killing Joke, descends from this story.
How to identify it
Detective Comics #168, February 1951. This is the origin, not the first appearance: the Joker debuts in Batman #1 (1940), also in this catalog.
Common mistakes
Buying this expecting a first appearance. It is the origin issue, a distinct and considerably cheaper key than Batman #1.
Grade considerations
An early-1950s book with limited high-grade survival and frequent restoration. Read the certification label carefully.
Listed now on eBay
Search current eBay listingsNo graded sales were recorded for this item. Check the Raw tab for recorded ungraded sales.
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DC · 1940
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