The next time you hear a late night TV putz put down the value of comic books, let them know a 10 cent issue of the first appearance of masked crime-fighter 'Batman' in "Detective Comics" #27 (1939) just sold for $850,000 (usd), despite being only 'fine' graded '6' out of '10' as "...a slightly above-average collectible with a major defect and some smaller defects...":
"The Case of the Chemical Syndicate" - first appearance of the 'Bat-Man' - (1939) written by Bill Finger and illustrated by Bob Kane
"...a man named 'Lambert' is stabbed to death and his own son's fingerprints are found on the knife. 'Commissioner Gordon' goes to the crime scene, taking wealthy socialite friend 'Bruce Wayne' with him. Gordon interviews 'Lambert Jr.', who says someone else murdered his father and his fingerprints are on the knife, from pulling it out of his father's back. He also says his father had business partners 'Steven Crane', 'Alfred Stryker' and 'Paul Rogers'.
"Just then, Crane phones Gordon, telling him Lambert received an anonymous death threat the previous day and received another one today. Wayne leaves, saying he has had enough and is going home. Gordon's police go to Crane's house, but find him shot dead.
"Crane's murderer meets his accomplice and shows him the contract he stole. Suddenly, the 'Bat-Man' looms over them and defeats both criminals.
"Rogers runs to Stryker's house after hearing about the murders on the radio. But Stryker's assistant, 'Jennings', forces Rogers into a makeshift gas chamber in order to kill him. Quickly the Bat-Man arrives, saves Rogers and defeats Jennings. Stryker then arrives, reveals himself to be the mastermind behind Lambert and Crane's murders, and attacks Rogers, but the Bat-Man subdues him too. The Bat-Man then reveals Stryker wanted total control over the 'Apex Chemical Corporation' without having to pay for it and that he hired the killers to murder his business partners and steal secret contracts he had with them. Stryker suddenly tears free and tries to shoot the Bat-Man. But the Bat-Man slugs Stryker, knocking him into an acid tank where he is killed instantly. The Bat-Man says 'A fitting ending for his kind', before disappearing through an open skylight.
The next day, Commissioner Gordon talks to Wayne and tells him about the Bat-Man's caper. Wayne acts incredulous and goes home, where he reveals to the reader he is the Bat-Man..."
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