Moon Knight #1 (1980) - (Graded 9.6 & Signed)

CGC 9.6, Signed by Bill Sienkiewicz

You look at this object, and the commitment to the bit immediately strikes you. This is Moon Knight #1, the debut solo issue of a character who looked at Batman and thought, "Yes, but what if I had multiple personality disorder and wore an all-white suit to fight crime in dirty alleyways?"

This particular copy is a CGC 9.6, which is the grade of the "almost perfect." It is the comic book equivalent of a child who gets straight A's but is never invited to parties. It is flawless to the naked eye, yet some professional grader in Sarasota, Florida, found a microscopic tick that prevents it from being a 9.8. It sits in its plastic case, mocking you with its near-perfection.

But the real draw here is the scribble on the cover. Bill Sienkiewicz has signed this book. In 1980, Bill was drawing in a style heavily influenced by Neal Adams, before he decided to draw as if he were having a fever dream in a modern art museum. Someone—a "witness" from the grading company—stood over Mr. Sienkiewicz while he held a Sharpie, watching him write his name to ensure he wasn't an imposter. It turns the comic into a legal affidavit.

You are buying a pristine document of a man who believes he is the avatar of an Egyptian moon god, defaced by the artist who drew him, and sealed in a tomb of hard plastic. It is an investment in insanity, authenticated by a third party.