BATMAN #109

Graded at 1.5 (FR/GD) on 2026-10-23, from new photos taken out of the sleeve: front, back, interior page and spine. Big tear at the upper right with the date panel folded back and part of the code stamp gone. Cover split along the spine and loose at a staple. Heavy chipping on both spine edges. Water spotting and soiling on the front. Tan pages with chipped edges, inside front cover stained.

Batman #109 (DC Comics, August 1957) holds three stories: "Three Crimes Against Batman," in which a thief named Bagley uses his electromagnetic Dragon Fly craft to steal Batman-themed objects, the Bat-Signal among them; "Follow the Batman," in which a crook takes Batman's place after a Batmobile crash; and "The 1,001 Inventions of Batman," in which a copy of Batman's Flying Eye device falls into criminal hands. It is typical of the high-concept, gadget-driven storytelling DC leaned on during the mid-1950s as superhero sales cooled.

Market data shows a tight, actively traded census of 98 Universal copies, with the bulk concentrated in the 3.5 to 6.5 range and pricing that climbs sharply as grade improves — the jump from a 5.0 to a 7.0 more than triples fair market value on recent sales. Demand is driven by the general collectibility of 1950s Batman issues from a period when few copies survive above the mid-grade band. The complete absence of any certified copy at 9.2 or above, despite a substantial graded population, underscores how condition-sensitive and scarce truly high-grade examples of this era remain.

The book suits 1950s Batman collectors and generalists rounding out a run. Lower and mid-grade raw copies move steadily as reading/display pieces and trade close to the documented FMV curve, while any copy graded above the current 9.0 census ceiling would represent an unprecedented condition census entry, commanding a significant premium over any previously recorded sale for the issue.