1st Punisher as War Machine is heating up. Not many listings on eBay and anything under $60 is selling quickly.
Midtown has the 1:25 Smallwood variant on sale today for $63. Might want to snatch a copy before they raise the prices. eBay listings at $100+.
Awesome! Got a couple!
FYI…this book has a high probability of color rub along the back spine, particularly near the staples. Mostly due to the poor quality of ink and dark color.
I highly doubt they are “Near Mint” having been sitting in a long box for several years with a backing board “sucking” the ink off the back spine region. It’s not like the employees are going to evaluate the condition before shipping it out either. Probably “graded” the day they showed up’
If you jump on these I’d like to know how they look. But I would lower you expectations as getting a “near mint” copy. That’s all.
Your title is awesome. Comic Book Bounty Hunter!
Not even CGC can miss color rub as bad as the pic I grabbed…fingers crossed everyone’s copies arrive in NM. I’ve gotten to the point I don’t order Modern marvel back issues online unless they have a light color back cover…too many stained backing boards.
Even recent releases are at risk. My Iron Fist #5s and America Chavez #3s I ordered online are basically trash due to severe color loss along the back spine.
I pick up my Midtown orders in person so I can inspect and reject copies that aren’t in stated condition.
Getting in the car now to head up there before they ship it… GPS says 24 hrs and I’ll be there!
Sold out. Hope CHU peeps got copies!
Got 3! Hope they are NM! 
Nice, hope they are too! I only got a couple. I’d imagine if and when Punisher is seen in war machine armor, we’ll see some nice profits. Crossing fingers!
As a follow up and because I wanted to let @D-Rog know.
Received my 218 variant…book was crap. Horrible color rubs just as you has thought would happen, but a few other issues on the front as well. If I were to grade it…maybe a 8.0…on a good day.
Sure as hell not worth the price even at a discount.
I’ve had the box sitting here…forgot what I ordered. Opened it up, same thing, pretty severe color rub all the way down the spine. Shame on them for calling these NM…
The GOOD news is, that even with the color rub, these are selling for what you paid for them on ebay. So if you want you can recover your $$ minus a little in fees.
I picked up my 2 copies last weekend and there was minor color rub with a tiny corner crease on one and the other was def NM. I sold the worse one for $80 and now I have a NM copy for $40 that I think has lots of room to grow. I don’t blame Midtown though, all the covers of 218 have color rub issues.
Btw the guy at the counter at Midtown said I should contact their customer support about the copy w color rub. I didn’t bother because I sold it but they might be open to partial refunds.
Sorry to hear my concerns were confirmed.
That’s something everyone should look out for with ordering recent marvel books (last 10 yrs or so) that have dark back covers. Especially online where a place like Midtown, MCS, or Mile High grades them when they arrive and they sit for years…cardboard sucking off the ink.
Also, you can search eBay listings and see what condition most seem to be to get an idea of what you might be getting site unseen.
DV3 is also a book prone to the rub. Never buy that book without seeing the back cover in high res…don’t care what the seller says it is.
Do you know how to protect a book from having the board suck the ink off of the back without getting it slabbed?
Midtown blows.
I place them in current bags, then place that in a silver age bag backed with a silver age board.
Also, I’ve never had a problem with gerber fullbacks (I don’t have half-backs) in mylites, interestingly enough.
I know some say that’s bad for the books as the board has calcium carbonate (shiny side?) that’s supposed to inhibit the aging process…but I suspect something is happening with a chemical reaction with the calcium carbonate and ink Marvel uses.
I’ve actually flipped the board on some of my older/cheaper comics and haven’t seen the same problem…but I haven’t tried it with a new book.
I have suspected for a while that the shiny side of the board sucks off ink more than the non shiny side.
Hmmm I was always told to put it shiny side towards comic….
