Batman #457 Second Print Newsstand

Tim Stodard 5/31/19

This could be an interesting topic. A lot of you may know about all the variants on Batman 457 (1990). I picked up a collection yesterday that had an unopened (till just before I was called) 25 comic box mailer that contained the super rare second print newsstand version of that book. There were 24 other 2nd-6th print DC comics in the mailer. Attached are photos of the mailer, the Batman, and a group shot of all the other included books.

I’ve never heard the origin of this variant, it must have been a catalog item.

Wes Wescovich

You are correct that it was probably from a catalog. Sears and other retailers offered "collector packs" or "starter kits" of comics over the years with mixed product of dubious variety. I know someone who used to order those and similar sets of sports cards that way. I've never seen one with mixed and direct sales books together, though. I always presumed that they were culled from unsold copies at various distributors from one or the other distribution channels. But this would have been just before the big boom of Image and Death of Superman, so who knows what the sourcing was.

Michael Christopher Pezzulo

I remember those boxes! There was a Marvel and DC box every year in the Christmas catalog. My grandfather used to get the Marvel one for my brother and I for several years. (The Marvel boxes were all direct editions with AUG cover date.)