*DC: While it’s not strictly accurate to say that this game-changing issue was solely responsible for the transition to the ‘Dark Knight’ iteration of Batman – he had been becoming more serious in the preceding few years – this definitely distilled all the elements which would become the template for the Batman as we know him. By Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams, this tense murder mystery draws the reader in from the stunning cover, and keeps the tension mounted high as the Joker, stripped of the lingering miasma of the TV series, transformed from a buffoon into once again a first-ranking menace. One of the best comics of the 1970s, by almost everyone’s assessment. We are lucky enough to have not one, but two, copies of this in stock, which clearly show the range of values according to grade. Our first copy is outstanding: a tight and sharp VF+ copy, vivid cover colour and gloss, bright interior pages and firm staples. The only possible deterrent, if you’re really fussy, is a pence price stamp on the white field of the playing card, as may be seen in the cover scan. This copy is £400. Our second is a cents copy with no pence stamp, considerable wear at the cover edges, a small chip from the lower right cover corner, and a small fragment torn from the lower spine. That being said, the cover image is unmarred, and the interior pages are clean, off-white and unharmed. This FA/GD  copy is £50. SORRY, THESE HAVE NOW SOLD