Batman # 2 15 cent cover price. 1 1

[pemart1966]

10 minutes ago, Ditch Fahrenheit said:

 

As TBone911t mentions, it appears that the yellow mark is a printing artifact on the 15 cent variant.

Also, there were some new comments...

Link

Here's one without the "printing defect" - unless "color touch up" was performed on it.

https://comics.ha.com/itm/golden-age-1938-1955-/batman-2-canadian-edition-dc-1940-condition-apparent-gd/a/121529-13248.s?ic4=GalleryView-ShortDescription-071515

Edited March 29, 2020 by pemart1966

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

3 minutes ago, pemart1966 said:

Here's one without the "printing defect" - unless "color touch up" was performed on it.

https://comics.ha.com/itm/golden-age-1938-1955-/batman-2-canadian-edition-dc-1940-condition-apparent-gd/a/121529-13248.s?ic4=GalleryView-ShortDescription-071515

Interesting.  I'm not seeing any evidence of CT in that area on this copy.

Notice all the yellow on the right side.  I wonder if this is some type of ink splatter that is unique to each copy.

Here's the graded copy for comparison.

 

[pemart1966]

1 hour ago, Ditch Fahrenheit said:

Interesting.  I'm not seeing any evidence of CT in that area on this copy.

Notice all the yellow on the right side.  I wonder if this is some type of ink splatter that is unique to each copy.

Here's the graded copy for comparison.

 

I wonder whether the printing process might have involved a layer of red printed over a layer of yellow?

[Tbone911t]

I assume these would have been done at the end of a run. Perhaps the ink was running low/out? Any printers in here

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

The back cover is mainly yellow as well.

Link

Edited March 29, 2020 by Ditch Fahrenheit

[Tbone911t]

4 minutes ago, Ditch Fahrenheit said:

The back cover is mainly yellow as well.

Link

For comparison 

[comiconxion]

I used to own a 15 cent variant of More Fun #59.  Was always suspected that it was a Canadian variant.  From what I remember, the pages/ads were all the same on the inside as the regular edition.  Sold it through Heritage back in 2002.  Wish I had kept it.  Oh well.  But, from what I remember Batman #2, Detective #43, and this book were the only 15 cent variant.  There was also a variant on New Book of Comics #1 - one with no cover price and one with one.  Those are the earliest price variants I know of.  

[pemart1966]

I think that they ARE Canadian versions.  Someone got the bright idea quickly, that they could do one print run with both prices printed on the cover.  Still not sure why people are saying that it's NOT a Canadian version.  If it isn't a Canadian only version then what is it?

 

[BlowUpTheMoon]

I find it odd that the publisher would bump the price 50% for the Canadian market.  Why not a smaller increased to 12¢ ?

[pemart1966]

11 hours ago, BlowUpTheMoon said:

I find it odd that the publisher would bump the price 50% for the Canadian market.  Why not a smaller increased to 12¢ ?

In mid September 1939, Canada legally froze the Canadian dollar value to the US dollar at roughly $1.10 - meaning that the Canadian dollar was valued at roughly $.90 US.

This coupled with higher distribution, handling and other costs probably made it an easy decision to charge a higher price in Canada.  Someone may have decided that 15 cents looked optically better on the cover than say any other number between 11 and 14.  

During this same timeframe, Timely also had some of their titles cover priced at 15 cents in Canada...

[Tbone911t]

My take is this :

The .15 centers were printed at then end of the US run. They were intended for sale in Canada, which would make them a Canadian price variant not a Canadian version like the later publications from National and Simcoe, which had no ads and different content. 

They are so rare because there probably weren't many printed and - "In the fall of 1941, waste paper shortages occurred in Canada because laborers who normally cut pulpwood were enlisting for military service. Fearing a shutdown of the pulp and paper industry, National War Services informed the public and voluntary salvage committees about the critical need."

 

 

[comicwiz]

17 hours ago, pemart1966 said:

I think that they ARE Canadian versions.  Someone got the bright idea quickly, that they could do one print run with both prices printed on the cover.  Still not sure why people are saying that it's NOT a Canadian version.  If it isn't a Canadian only version then what is it?

 

I'm not so sure it is Canadian. I used to own this Cap 66, and the ad on the rear cover was a Canadian ad. Most Canadian editions did have modified/altered ads (later in the SA, they were blanked out rear wraps).

I'm more inclined to look at this Batman 2 as a second print that may have been priced at a subsequent point where there was possibly a reaction to economic circumstances that rationalized a price increase.

We also have to keep in mind that WWII importation order started in 1940, and that the appearance of a low print run may have been impacted by what was happening at the time. This is all speculation, but you have to look at this in it's proper context, and we know Marvel Comics #1 had an Oct and Nov copy (albeit with no price increase), which we don't call a "second print", and whether you consider it a variant, second printing or second state, this is one of those mysteries that you can't definitively say (outside of the cover price) that it is one or the other without more information. It would be interesting to compare the indicia from a 10 and 15 cent copy.

Edited March 30, 2020 by comicwiz

[pemart1966]

1 hour ago, comicwiz said:

I'm not so sure it is Canadian. I used to own this Cap 66, and the ad on the rear cover was a Canadian ad. Most Canadian editions did have modified/altered ads (later in the SA, they were blanked out rear wraps).

I'm more inclined to look at this Batman 2 as a second print that may have been priced at a subsequent point where there was possibly a reaction to economic circumstances that rationalized a price increase.

We also have to keep in mind that WWII started in April of 1940, and that the appearance of a low print run may have been impacted by what was happening at the time. This is all speculation, but you have to look at this in it's proper context, and we know Marvel Comics #1 had an Oct and Nov copy (albeit with no price increase), which we don't call a "second print", and whether you consider it a variant, second printing or second state, this is one of those mysteries that you can't definitively say (outside of the cover price) that it is one or the other without more information. It would be interesting to compare the indicia from a 10 and 15 cent copy.

Not too sure where you're getting your WW II date from but the war started September 1, 1939 and Canada entered it on September 10, 1939.

Comparing anything pre war and post war is the same as comparing apples to oranges - completely different circumstances.

In late 1940, the importation of non essentials (which included comics) was implemented.

Also note that Batman #3 was printed with dual prices - but not any following 1940 issues as far as I can remember.  It may be that after printing the 15 cent #2 version someone realized that they could kill 2 birds with one stone and printed the dual priced #3.  A few late 1940 DC books were also issued in 15 cent only versions.

Yes, it would be interesting to compare the indica between the two versions.  

As an aside, I'd also like to know whether or not there was anything in the indica of 1941 books onward regarding Canadian subscriptions.  In other words, you couldn't buy wartime US comics off of the stands BUT could you get them by subscription?

[comicwiz]

6 minutes ago, pemart1966 said:

In late 1940, the importation of non essentials (which included comics) was implemented.

I thought the importation order was in April but I didn't look it up and misremembered - anyhow this is what I meant to say, but wrote that part hurried.

[The Lions Den]

On 6/20/2017 at 1:34 AM, GMahon said:

I ended up trading it for an 8.5 tales of suspense 39, spiderman1-42, and fantastic 4 1-44. I had 800 in the batman 2

Wow...that's a pretty nice trade.   

[The Lions Den]

3 hours ago, comicwiz said:

I'm not so sure it is Canadian. I used to own this Cap 66, and the ad on the rear cover was a Canadian ad. Most Canadian editions did have modified/altered ads (later in the SA, they were blanked out rear wraps).

I'm more inclined to look at this Batman 2 as a second print that may have been priced at a subsequent point where there was possibly a reaction to economic circumstances that rationalized a price increase.

We also have to keep in mind that WWII importation order started in 1940, and that the appearance of a low print run may have been impacted by what was happening at the time. This is all speculation, but you have to look at this in it's proper context, and we know Marvel Comics #1 had an Oct and Nov copy (albeit with no price increase), which we don't call a "second print", and whether you consider it a variant, second printing or second state, this is one of those mysteries that you can't definitively say (outside of the cover price) that it is one or the other without more information. It would be interesting to compare the indicia from a 10 and 15 cent copy.

Nice looking book!