Justice League of America #41 for Sale - First Appearance of The Key - Where to Buy

Identification plate

Series: Justice League of America (DC, 1960 series)
Issue: #41
Publication date: December 1965
Key date: 1965-12-00
On-sale date: 1965-10-28
Indicia publisher: National Periodical Publications Inc.
Price: $0.12
Pages: 36
Rating: Approved by the Comics Code Authority

Match the book in your hand against this plate before paying an edition-specific price.

Why this issue matters

First appearance of The Key - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of The Invisible Destroyer - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Dr. Martin Phillips - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Wrecker - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Dwight Forrow - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

The evidence

Claims here come from the story records for this issue, listed under Sources at the bottom of the file. Character hubs with full evidence tables are coming to this site.

Seq	Story	Type	Pages	Credits	Characters
0	The Key-Master of the World!	cover	1	pencils: Mike Sekowsky; inks: Murphy Anderson; letters: Ira Schnapp	Princess Diana, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Katar Hol, J'Onn J'Onzz, Hal Jordan, Clark Kent, The Key First, Martian Manhunter, Superman, Wonder Woman
1	Builders of the Future!	public service announcement	1	script: Jack Schiff; pencils: Sheldon Moldoff; inks: Sheldon Moldoff; letters: Ira Schnapp
2	The Key-Master of the World!	comic story	23	script: Gardner Fox; pencils: Mike Sekowsky; inks: Bernard Sachs; letters: Gaspar Saladino	Barry Allen, Aquaman, The Atom, Batman, Snapper Carr, Arthur Curry, Princess Diana, The Flash, Dwight Forrow First, Dick Grayson, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Hawkman
4	Ultra the Multi-Alien!	promo (ad from the publisher)	0.33	pencils: Lee Elias; inks: Lee Elias; letters: Ira Schnapp
5	-	letters page	1	script: Julius Schwartz
8	By Popular Demand -- Batman and Robin's Greatest Foes!	promo (ad from the publisher)	0.5	letters: Ira Schnapp
9	-	promo (ad from the publisher)	0.33	pencils: Mort Drucker; inks: Mort Drucker; letters: Gaspar Saladino, Ira Schnapp
11	They're Brainy... They're Brawny... They're Beautiful...	promo (ad from the publisher)	0.5	pencils: Jim Mooney; inks: Jim Mooney; letters: Gaspar Saladino
12	Riddle Me This!	promo (ad from the publisher)	1	letters: ?; typeset	Batman; The Penguin
13	Presenting... A New Jimmy Olsen	promo (ad from the publisher)	0.33	pencils: Curt Swan; inks: George Klein; letters: Gaspar Saladino
14	-	comic story	1	script: Henry Boltinoff; pencils: Henry Boltinoff; inks: Henry Boltinoff; letters: Henry Boltinoff; editing: Julius Schwartz	Cap; unnamed boy; unnamed boy's father

Plus 6 pages of advertisements and other matter across 8 sequences, as published.

Where to read it

Collection	Year
Justice League of America Archives #6 ISBN 1-56389-625-7	2000	On eBay ›
Showcase Presents: Justice League of America #3 ISBN 978-1-4012-1718-1	2008	On eBay ›
Justice League of America: The Silver Age Omnibus #2 ISBN 978-1-4012-6660-8	2016	On eBay ›
Justice League of America: The Silver Age #4 ISBN 978-1-4012-8061-1	2018	On eBay ›

Reading the story costs a fraction of owning the issue. Both routes are on every file.

Before you buy

Check spine ticks and cover gloss in the photos; silver-age Marvels chip at the edges easily.
Look for tanning at the page edges and transfer stains on the inside covers.
Confirm the cover price against the plate; higher prices can mean a later or foreign printing.

Series context

‹ #4041 of 261#42 ›

Sources

Grand Comics Database, issue record (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Found an error in this file? corrections@comicrecord.com