CGC Worthy? No. A Delightful Piece of Mid-Century Absurdity? Absolutely.

Estimated Grade: Very Good / Very Good+ (VG 4.0 – VG+ 4.5)

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Cover Price: 12¢

Credits: Stan Lee (Script), Wally Wood & Bob Powell (Art), Sammy Rosen (Lettering)

The Story: A Blind Lawyer's European Vacation

If you enjoy stories where logical decision-making goes to die, Daredevil #9 is an absolute triumph.

Our sightless protagonist, Matt Murdock, travels all the way to Liechtenstein for a revolutionary eye surgery that might restore his vision. Most people under those circumstances would quietly rest in a clinic, perhaps enjoying a light broth. Instead, Matt discovers that an eccentric, heavily armored lunatic named Sir Lord Sterling has built a "Killer’s Castle" specifically designed to murder unwanted guests. Naturally, rather than alerting the local police or booking a flight back to New York, Matt puts on skin-tight red flannel and spends the afternoon dodging swinging axes and trapdoors.

It’s a wholesome, completely plausible tale about the lengths a man will go to avoid dealing with his own personal problems.

Why This Comic Matters (Beyond Nostalgia)

Published in August 1965, this issue sits comfortably in the golden halo of Silver Age Marvel.

• The Wally Wood Era: This issue captures the legendary Wally Wood handing off pencils to Bob Powell while maintaining those gorgeous, shadowy mid-60s Marvel layouts.

• Pop Art Era Marvel: Featuring the famous "Marvel Pop Art Productions" corner box logo—a short-lived, delightful piece of branding history that Stan Lee pushed when he briefly convinced himself he was Andy Warhol.

• Pure 12-Cent Charm: It’s a classic early Daredevil issue from the era before the character became a brooding, guilt-ridden Catholic punching ninjas in rainy alleys. Here, he's just a guy having a surprisingly high-stakes time in Central Europe.

Comprehensive Condition Report (VG 4.0 / VG+ 4.5)

I have inspected this issue with the agonizing scrutiny normally reserved for a suspicious mole. It is a solid, honest mid-grade copy—it has lived a life, but it hasn't given up.

• Front Cover: Colors remain remarkably bright and punchy. There is light age-toning along the outer white borders and mild corner blunting.

• Spine & Binding: The spine shows multiple small stress marks (a few breaking color). There are small, faint splits and minor fraying at the extreme top and bottom spine tips. Staples are original, flat, and tight with no rust bleed.

• Back Cover: Features an un-cut, pristine advertisement encouraging children to sell Christmas cards to their neighbors for pocket change. There is a soft, diagonal corner crease across the top right, accompanied by mild handling wear and faint foxing along the edges.

• Interior: 100% complete with no cutouts or missing panels. Pages are off-white to cream, supple, and entirely free of the potato-chip brittleness that plagues lesser-kept copies of this vintage.

About Grumpy Comics

Grumpy Comics is a tiny, single-operator enterprise run by someone who profoundly prefers the company of 60-year-old newsprint to actual human beings. Every book is graded conservatively, bagged, boarded, and handled with the cautious respect usually afforded to unexploded ordnance.

Free (Snail’s Pace) Shipping Policy

Shipping is completely FREE.

However, please lower your expectations regarding speed. "Free Shipping" means your comic will be armored in rigid, thick cardboard to survive a direct nuclear strike, handed off to the postal service, and then transported via a logistics system that appears to rely on pack mules and favorable wind conditions.

It will arrive safely, and it will be packaged immaculately. It just won't happen at a speed that implies urgency. If you need this comic within 48 hours to fulfill a fever dream or complete a deathbed promise, please adjust your timeline accordingly.