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American Silver Age Pulp Paper 'Superman' No. 167 Comic Book (DC Comics, Feb. 1964)

By: Published by DC Comics (cover art generally attributed to Curt Swan, inks by George Klein; story by Edmond Hamilton — attributions typical for this issue)

Style: Silver Age American comic book

Origin: United States

Materials: Wood-pulp paper; color offset printing; metal staples

Age: Published February 1964 (cover date FEB., issue No. 167)

Condition: Very Good (VG 4.0; spine stress, light edge/corner wear and small lower-right nick; light toning/soiling; not officially graded)

Value: $30–$80 (auction, raw copy in VG range)

Maker's Marks / Writing: Front cover: 'SUPERMAN' masthead; upper left medallion 'SUPERMAN DC NATIONAL COMICS'; price '12¢'. Upper right: 'FEB. NO. 167' and 'APPROVED BY THE COMICS CODE AUTHORITY' seal. Speech balloons: Brainiac: 'Luthor, I should have the right to kill Superman! I made him tiny with my shrinking ray!' Luthor: 'No, Brainiac! I should have the honor. I took away his super-powers with this serum!' Bottom-right blurb: 'THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A MENACE LIKE THIS! BRAINlAC and LUTHOR team up to destroy SUPERMAN!'

Date: 2025-09-25 04:16:54.961859

Description:

Original DC Comics issue Superman No. 167 with 12¢ cover price, Silver Age period. Full-color, stapled, offset-printed comic on wood-pulp paper. Cover shows Brainiac (green-skinned, pink shirt, head electrodes) and Lex Luthor (bald, holding a test tube) arguing while a miniaturized Superman stands in a birdcage; blurb reads “There has never been a menace like this! BRAINlAC and LUTHOR team up to destroy SUPERMAN!”. Comics Code Authority seal at upper right; issue info reads “FEB. NO. 167.”

Curator Questions

Curated by Jade

Assessment:

A desirable but non-key Silver Age Superman issue featuring the team-up of Lex Luthor and Brainiac. The copy shown appears unrestored with typical edge wear, spine stresses, light soiling/toning and a small corner nick, consistent with a Very Good (VG) grade. A word about fakes.. while outright counterfeit vintage DCs are uncommon, reprints/facsimiles and coverless/Married-cover assemblies exist; always verify original 12¢ cover, correct indicia and page quality. This appears to be an original period copy, but confirmation of interior indicia and page count would finalize authentication and grade.

Individual Images:

whole item

Provenance:

Not provided.

Condition:

Very Good (VG 4.0; spine stress, light edge/corner wear and small lower-right nick; light toning/soiling; not officially graded)

Identification Score: 95%

Distinctive cover art, visible masthead, Comics Code seal, and clearly printed 'FEB. NO. 167' and 12¢ price confirm this as DC Comics Superman #167 from the Silver Age.

Authenticity Score: 80%

Everything visible (aging, 12¢ price, period trade dress) is consistent with an original 1964 printing; however, without seeing the interior indicia, staples, and full page block, a small chance of facsimile, reproduction cover, or married pages remains. A word about fakes.. in comics, later facsimile editions and restored or married-cover books can be mistaken for originals; check the indicia, paper stock, and staple oxidation.

Image Memory Note

Single front-cover image of DC Comics Superman No. 167. 12¢ price at top left; circular 'SUPERMAN DC NATIONAL COMICS' logo left of masthead. Comics Code Authority seal top right with text 'APPROVED BY THE COMICS CODE AUTHORITY'. Issue data reads 'FEB. NO. 167'. Cover scene: Brainiac (green skin, pink shirt, white collar, metal head nodes) at left holding a large sci‑fi 'shrinking ray' device; Lex Luthor (bald, right profile) at right holding a blue test tube. Miniaturized Superman stands in a hanging birdcage at center, arms gripping bars. Speech balloons: Brainiac: 'Luthor, I should have the right to kill Superman! I made him tiny with my shrinking ray!' Luthor: 'No, Brainiac! I should have the honor. I took away his super-powers with this serum!' Yellow caption box lower right: 'THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A MENACE LIKE THIS! BRAINlAC and LUTHOR team up to destroy SUPERMAN!' Condition cues: spine shows multiple small color-break stresses along left edge; lower right corner has a small triangular chip/nick and rounding; light soiling/toning visible around borders, especially bottom and right margins; minor edge wear at top; slight crease impression near bottom left corner; staples not clearly visible in this scan; no writing or stamps detected. Colors remain fairly strong. Paper appears off-white to cream with age toning along edges. No back cover or interior shown.

Keywords

Superman #167, DC Comics, Silver Age, American comic book, 1964, Brainiac, Lex Luthor, 12 cent cover, Curt Swan, Comics Code Authority, United States

Report ID:  : 988rme

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