How to tell which printing you have?

[Trallis]

Is there a sure fire way to tell which round of shipping my Batman #1 came from? Just curious. Is there a way of checking this for any comic? I'd imagine if any comics will be worth anything at all in the future it'll probably be the first printings.

[kevink31593]

Sometimes subsequent printings actually become more valuable than first printings, I believe, because the print runs are not as high as the original printing. Plus new printings also have variant covers sometimes.

[Mat001]

It depends on the color of the cover. If it has a red hue coloring on the cover, it's a second printing. Blue if it's a fourth printing. If the cover looks like the solicit, then it's a first printing. Another indica is that the text information found on page one of a comic, at the very bottom, will sometimes say it is a second printing. If you do not see that, then it is a first printing.

[oh-four]

The last page where all the technical credits are, towards the bottom of the page, the last sentence should refer to what printing it is. If it doesnt, it is a first printing. Also, you can tell which printing a new 52 book is by looking at the barcode. The 3rd number out of the 5 is the issue number, the last number is the printing number.

[George Taylor]

In the cover at the bottom where the barcode is, there are some numbers that indicate the number of the issue, the number of the cover, and the number of the printing.

For example, a 1st print Batman #1 with the normal cover would have the next number: 00111. But if it's a second print it's number would be 00112. If it's a 1st print variant cover it's number would be 00121.

[Trallis]

Sometimes subsequent printings actually become more valuable than first printings, I believe, because the print runs are not as high as the original printing. Plus new printings also have variant covers sometimes.

That's interesting.. but I'm not big on variant covers. I actually prefer having the original basic cover. It makes me feel like I'm holding the original unaltered piece of art that the creators put out.

It depends on the color of the cover. If it has a red hue coloring on the cover, it's a second printing. Blue if it's a fourth printing. If the cover looks like the solicit, then it's a first printing. Another indica is that the text information found on page one of a comic, at the very bottom, will sometimes say it is a second printing. If you do not see that, then it is a first printing.

Is this method fool proof across all comic publishers?

The last page where all the technical credits are, towards the bottom of the page, the last sentence should refer to what printing it is. If it doesnt, it is a first printing. Also, you can tell which printing a new 52 book is by looking at the barcode. The 3rd number out of the 5 is the issue number, the last number is the printing number.

Well that definitely confirms my Batman is first printing. Do you know if there are bar code tricks like that for other publishers?

Thanks for all the info guys.

[batman_pwns]

Is there a sure fire way to tell which round of shipping my Batman #1 came from? Just curious. Is there a way of checking this for any comic? I'd imagine if any comics will be worth anything at all in the future it'll probably be the first printings.

facepalm

People that still think there is any potential future financial gain with modern comics crack me up.

Its all about supply and demand dude. Golden and Silver Age comics are valuable because the supply is so low. Very few people back then ever bothered to take care of their comics, let alone actually bag and board them. So because of that the vast majority of them have been destroyed over the decades. Near mint condition Golden Age comics are VERY VERY VERY rare. Action Comics #1 is worth a million dollars precisely because there are estimated to be less than 100 copies of it even still left in existence, and only nine copies have CGC graded at 9.0 or above. NINE copies.

That isn't going to happen with modern comics. Today everyone bags and boards and takes good care of their comics. With your new Batman #1, there are going to be literally thousands upon thousands of people who have it slabbed at 9.8 or better condition. Therefore it is not going to be worth much of anything at all.

That's not to say that every modern comic will be worthless. Some indie comics have low print runs and therefore will always be in low supply, and these will be the comics that will actually be valuable in the future. Nothing from DC or Marvel will ever be worth much ever again though.

[Jeff Brady]

Is this method fool proof across all comic publishers?

No. Just DC's reboot.

[Mat001]

DC was doing different colors before the reboot. Batman & Robin #1, volume one, had different colors for different reprints. I think it was even done as far back as 2006. But in the years before, DC used a Roman numeral up by where the issue number and the price tag was. A II and a III to indicate a second and third printing.

[Jeff Brady]

DC was doing different colors before the reboot.

Yes, but they weren't uniform across the board.

[Dark-Flux]

Hi and welcome!

All of DCs prints has different coloured covers to tell them apart. Otherswise check the small print on the inside cover or the barcode of the front. The fifth number on the far right referes to print number.

[Gam3r]

Thanks! I can't see any small print but the barcode I see thanks!

Ive just bought a couple of 1st prints to replace others in my collection and I'll probably sell the other copies I have, leaving only 1st prints. I only need issue 1 as 1st print now. I have the 7th print of issue 1 at the mo. on eBay I can't find it for much less than £20 though which seems steep. Any suggestions on where else I should look?

Cheers

[batman98]

It is way to steep, I suggest keeping a 7th print for pleasure and reading, I just about destroyed my variant and wished I would have gotten two comics.

[Captain Jim]

I've never paid any attention to them, frankly.

[wengweng805]

issue number