Strange and not common comic MFG Error

Comics
#1

Recently I came across a Batman #497 - 1st Print without the outer black gate. On all Batman #497 (1st Print Direct) comes with the outer black gate. The other time you don’t get the outer black gate are:

  1. Newstand Edition
  2. II, III printing of the direct edition.

Below is a copy of this book, for any Batman collector, they will know that this is a first print direct due to the Batman Logo being white and no barcode.

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I was hoping the community can possibly provide some insight or experience about seeing this type of error before. I have seen Venom #1 Lethal Protector with the MFG Error of no Foil (Black CVR) and MFG Error on a White CVR but neither of them are labeled with a CGC Qualified Label.

Any insight would be great or if anyone would like to share Rare MFG Error, please do share.

2 Likes
#2

According to comicbookrealm.com, this is a 1st print variant.

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#3

What prevents someone from removing the black cover and trying to pass it along as an “error” book?

#4

I would like to argue that this is more rarer than any version that I seen of this book. I seen CGC grade this book as incomplete due to the missing black cover. Have you seen this version at all in the wild? Would you consider the Venom #1 Lethal Protector Black CVR as a “variant” or Error printing?
Would this be Error or a variant (Batman 497)?

#5

It does seem rarer in that I can’t find any on eBay, but like d-rog pointed out, couldn’t anyone “create” copies by simply removing the black outer cover? Unless there are other identifiers…

The venom black variant is an error edition because it was created through a manufacturing error and not by design.

Compare your copy to the more common one and see if you can find any differences on the cover that would make it identifiable as “genuine”.

#6

I got this when it was first released… the miscut complements the cover art.

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1 Like
#7

You two maybe right about the possible removing the black cover. However, at this current moment there are no financial or any incentive about removing the black cover. In addition, given @dPcomics has found that there is a 1st print direct variant, it just proves that there are copies out there but how many is the question and the validity of this book. With such low existence / count, I would argue it is MFG error because of such low existence it doesn’t make sense to be a variant…

It’s just annoying that CGC too often is behind identify error cover / 1st appearance and so on. It’s usually the community that does the work.