The Escapist Comic Bookstore

3090 Claremont Ave Berkeley CA 94705
510-652-6642 (65-COMIC)
www.escapistcomics.com

GOLDEN AGE COMICS

• Whiz Comics #57 1944 Fawcett Comics GD+
• Cover Art: C.C. Beck
• This comic: Spine Roll, one page torn but nothing cut out, no pages loose
• Writers: Otto Binder [others uncredited]
• Pencils: C.C. Beck, [others uncredited]
• Inks: C.C. Beck, [others uncredited]
• We have lots of Marvel Family comics, if you're looking for a particular title or issue please send us a message!
• All reasonable offers considered (KL)

 
GRADING Grade Abbreviation Overstreet Guide Mint MT M Near perfect in every way. Only subtle bindery or printing defects are allowed. Cover is flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with high reflectivity and minimal fading. Corners are cut square and sharp. Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. Spine is tight and flat. Staples must be original, generally centered and clean with no rust. Paper is white, supple and fresh.

The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, published annually, is widely considered a primary authority on the subject of American comic book grading and pricing.

We use Overstreet Price Guide grading criteria and descriptive grades (e.g. Fair, Good, Very Good, Fine, Very Fine, Near Mint) to indicate the condition and consequent value of a comic book

A copy that falls between grades may be noted with a + or a – symbol; between grades can also be noted with a / as in “G/VG” or VF/NM

Example, a comic that is in "VG" condition is allowed to have an accumulation of defects. A VG comics is  average used comic book. A comic in this grade shows some wear, can have a reading or center crease or a moderately rolled spine, but has not accumulated enough total defects to reduce eye appeal to the point that it is not a desirable copy. Some discoloration, fading and even minor soiling is allowed. As much as a ¼’ triangle can be missing out of the corner or edge. A missing square piece (1/8” by 1/8”) is also acceptable. Store stamps, name stamps, arrival dates, initials, etc. have no effect on this grade. Cover and interior pages can have some minor tears and folds and the centerfold may be detached at one staple. The cover may also be loose, but not completely detached. Common bindery and printing defects do not affect grade. 

If you're not familiar with comic book grading please refer to our grading guide or please just ask! We have decades of experience and will always be upfront about our books! We would be happy to answer any question you might have!

Near Mint NM Nearly perfect with only a minor additional defect or defects that keep it from Near Mint. A limited number of minor bindery/printing defects are allowed. Cover is flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with only the slightest dimming of reflectivity. Corners are cut square and sharp with ever-so-slight blunting permitted. A 1/16-1/8" bend is permitted with no color break. Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. Slight foxing. Spine is tight and flat. Staples may show some discoloration. Almost no stress lines. Paper is off-white to cream, supple and fresh. Slight interior tears are allowed. Very Fine VF An excellent copy with outstanding eye appeal. A limited accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Cover is relatively flat with minimal surface wear beginning to show, possibly including some minute wear at corners. Inks are generally bright with moderate to high reflectivity. An unnoticeable 1/4" crease is acceptable if color is not broken. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. Minor foxing. Spine is almost completely flat with a possible minor color break. Staples may show some discoloration. Very slight staple tears and a few almost insignificant stress lines may be present. Paper is cream to tan and supple. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present. Fine FN An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with no significant creasing or other serious defects. Some accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor cover wear apparent, with minor to moderate creases. Inks show a significant reduction in reflectivity. Blunted corners are more common, as is minor staining, soiling, discoloration, and/or foxing. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. A minor spine roll is allowed. There can also be a 1/4" spine split or severe color break. Staples may show minor discoloration. Minor staple tears and a few slight stress lines may be present, as well as minor rust migration. Paper is tan to brown and fairly supple with no signs of brittleness. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present. Centerfold may be loose but not detached. Very Good VG The average used comic book. Cover shows moderate to significant wear, and may be loose but not completely detached. Cover reflectivity is low. Can have moderate creases or dimples. Corners may be blunted. Store stamps, name stamps, arrival dates, initials, etc. have no effect on this grade. Some discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor soiling is allowed. As much as a 1/4" triangle can be missing out of the corner or edge; a missing 1/8" square is also acceptable. Only minor unobtrusive tape and other amateur repair allowed on otherwise high grade copies. Moderate spine roll may be present and/or a 1" spine split. Staples may be discolored. Minor to moderate staple tears and stress lines may be present, as well as some rust migration. Paper is brown but not brittle. Minor to moderate interior tears may be present. Centerfold may be loose or detached at one staple. Good GD or G ( A comic in this condition shows substantial wear. The cover may show significant wear and may even be detached. Book length creases and dimples may be present. Rounded or blunted corners are more common. Moderate soiling, staining, discoloration and foxing may be present.  The largest piece missing from a GD copy is 1/4" 1/2" triangle or square. Tape and other amateur repair are common in Silver Age & older books. Spine roll is likely. May have up to a 2" spine split. Staples may be degraded or replaced or missing. There may also be rust or rust migration. The centerfold may be loose or detached. Fair FR or F Shows heavy wear. Some collectors consider this the lowest collectible grade because comic books in lesser condition are usually incomplete and/or brittle. Cover may be detached, and inks have lost all reflectivity. Creases, tears and/or folds are prevalent. Corners are commonly rounded or absent. Soiling and staining is present. Books in this condition generally have all pages and most of the covers, although there may be up to 1/4 of the front cover missing or no back cover, but not both. Tape and other forms of amateur repair are more common. Spine roll is more common; spine split can extend up to 2/3 the length of the book. Staples may be missing or show rust and discoloration. An accumulation of staple tears and stress lines may be present, as well as rust migration. Paper is brown and may show brittleness around the edges but not in the central portion of the pages. Acidic odor may be present. Accumulation of interior tears. Chunks may be missing. The centerfold may be missing if readability is generally preserved. Coupons may be cut. Poor PR or P Sufficiently degraded to the point where there is little or no collector value; easily identified by a complete absence of eye appeal. Brittle almost to the point of turning to dust with a touch, and usually incomplete. Extreme fading may render the cover almost indiscernible. May have extremely severe stains, mildew or heavy cover abrasion to the point that some cover inks are indistinct/absent. Covers may be detached with large chunks missing. Can have extremely ragged edges and extensive creasing. Corners are rounded or virtually absent. Covers may have been defaced with paints, varnishes, glues, oil, indelible markers or dyes, and may have suffered heavy water damage. Can also have extensive amateur repairs such as laminated covers. Extreme spine roll present; can have extremely ragged spines or a complete, book-length split. Staples can be missing or show extreme rust and discoloration. Extensive staple tears and stress lines may be present, as well as extreme rust migration. Paper exhibits moderate to severe brittleness (where the comic book literally falls apart when examined). Extreme acidic odor may be present. Extensive interior tears. Multiple pages, including the centerfold, may be missing that affect readability. Coupons may be cut.

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED

• 100% customer satisfaction is guaranteed on all sales.  If for any reason you're unhappy with the service or the product you purchase, let us know and we'll find a way to make it right. We think we do a good job of grading comics, but if we make a mistake or if you disagree with our grading, we will accept your returns without question.
• Please notify us of any issues within 14 Days.
  
  
• Images in these listings are scans of the actual books listed, not stock images.

Who We Are Escapist Comics is a genuine brick and mortar bookstore and may well be the one of the best  comic stores to find unique graphic novels or indie books. We opened in March 2011 and hired staff of the legendary comics' retailer Comic Relief. Our staff has decades of collective experience. We have so much more great stuff at the store why not come by? We're open 7 days a week! Also don't forget about our sister store Dark Carnival, SciFi/Fantasy/Horror Bookstore, they carry all genre needs as well! 510-654-7323 or you can always give us a call too at 510-65-COMIC(510-652-6642) or Just hit Ask a seller a question                *Thanks*                   

SHIPPING

Shipping:

• We offer FREE shipping for most purchases over $20 unless you make other arrangements. Many other options are available; we will try to find the best one for you.
• Are you in California? Why pay shipping at all? Come on over. All our eBay items are available in the store, plus tens of thousands more.
• You will love The Escapist.

International Customers:

• We will work to find solutions to the daunting expense of international shipping.
• For example, a recent customer from Australia asked us to fold up a poster and mail it to her in an envelope, rather than the usual mailing tube, which can be very expensive; she saved about 90% of the shipping cost.
• On the other hand, you may want us to spare no expense protecting your collectibles, let us know what works best for you.

Best Offers:

• We may be open to negotiation on prices on some items. However, many of the items we list are on consignment, which limits our ability to make deals in those cases.

FEEDBACK

As soon as you pay we will automatically leave you positive feed back!
We would also like positive feedback, so if everything is not to your satisfaction please let us know how we can make things better! Thanks!