It’s about escalation: We bring our fists, they bring a club. We bring a knife, they bring a gun. We send out a man in a mask armed with morals, they send a monster in makeup with none.

“Featuring not only the first appearance of the infamous and remarkably influential Catwoman, but the immortal Joker as well, whose popularity may possibly eclipse that of his caped adversary. This issue marks the dawn of the sociopathic character, whose disturbing and haunting image influences and informs comic baddies to this day,” said Rob Reynolds, Director of Consignments for ComicConnect.com.

“As one of the most famous comics of the Golden Age, featuring one of the most iconic covers, Batman #1 is the pinnacle for any Golden Age collector; an accessible, desirable comic that only increases in value and popularity year after year,” he said. “Volumes have been written about the impact and importance of this historic issue, which sparked the Batman franchise to fire on all cylinders. However, the importance to collectors and investors is plain, you simply can’t find a more beloved, iconic, and universally sought-after Golden Age key than this one.”

As with many key issues that were popular in the pre-CGC era, finding copies of Batman #1 without restoration can be a trial. This startlingly bright copy is in unusually high grade for a Golden Age key and also possesses the prized universal grade blue label, only deserving of unrestored comics. The saturated yellows and sharp reds catch the eye, and the central figures pop from the page. This copy can act as both a foundation to any top-notch Golden Age set, or a wonderful starting piece for the serious investor starting a portfolio of blue-chip comic classics, Reynolds said.

“We’re also offering a restored CGC 7.0 as well as a raw copy in Fair condition,” he said.

The auction begins in September.