BATMAN #173

Graded at 1.5 (FR/GD) on 2026-10-22, from new photos taken out of the sleeve: front, back, interior page and spine. Piece missing from the lower front cover at the spine, exposing page one. Torn flap at the bottom of the spine. Heavily worn, split spine. Soiled back cover with tanned edges. Cream to tan pages.

Batman #173 (DC Comics, August 1965) features "Secret Identities For Sale!", a Batman and Robin story in the gadget-and-gimmick formula that defined the character's mid-1960s output, with art credited to the Bob Kane studio (a common arrangement for Batman during this period).

Market data shows a typical Silver Age Batman back-issue curve: a long tail of inexpensive mid- and low-grade copies giving way to a steep climb above 9.0, with 9.6 copies commanding close to a thousand dollars and higher grades scarcer still. Sales activity across 9.0-9.6 has been fairly steady over the trailing year, suggesting consistent collector interest rather than speculative spikes.

This is a book for Silver Age generalists filling out a 1960s Batman set. Raw copies in low and mid grade trade cheaply and are readily available given a census of over 150 graded examples; the real premium sits at the top of the pyramid, where 9.4 and above copies see sharp price acceleration and a 9.8, were one to surface, would likely draw significant competitive bidding as the finest known example.