Daredevil #168(cover January 1981, on newsstands on October 7, 1980, 50¢) — story entitled “Elektra”,written and drawn by Frank Miller, Marvel Comics. Decisive point of identification: this number exists in three prints— newsstand, specialized circuit and British edition at 15p — which are not equal on the market.
This issue belongs to a pivotal period that few buyers correctly identify: the moment when the distribution of American comics was split. From there, the same number can exist in distinct versions, printed for different circuits.
This is the most profitable technical point to master in 1980s comics, and it starts right here.
Three draws for a single number
Let's start with what costs the most to ignore.
The catalog lists three versions of this booklet. One intended for newsagents , one reserved for circuit of specialized bookstores , and a British carrying a price of 15 pence.
The first two share the same price of 50 cents and look so similar as to deceive the untrained eye. What distinguishes them can be read in the rectangle at the top left of the cover: the kiosk version carries a barcode, the specialized version a drawing or a mention instead.
The third is immediately identifiable by its price in pence. It is neither a counterfeit nor a by-product: it is an official print intended for another market, which today has its own enthusiasts.
Why does this matter? Because the quantities produced for each circuit were not the same, and they evolved over the decade. In 1980, newsstand sales remained dominant and the specialized circuit was gaining momentum. The relationship then reversed, so that the less common version is not the same depending on the year of the issue.
Remember the practical rule: on any American comic published between 1980 and the end of the 2010s, ask for a photo of the upper left corner. This is where identification comes into play, and no ad description replaces it.
A character designed by one person
The most notable feature of this issue is its credits:Frank Miller alone provides the text and image.
This was not the norm in mass production of the time, where writing and drawing were the responsibility of different people. A complete author has a latitude that working in pairs does not allow: he can make a scene carry an image rather than a dialogue, and design a character whose appearance East characterization.
The result is visible. The character arrives with a silhouette, a way of standing and a reduced palette that immediately distinguishes her from the rest of the series. Nothing needs to be explained: the first appearance establishes everything through drawing.
It should be added that the story does not present it as something new. She arrives with a past shared with the hero of the series, which produces a particular effect: the reader discovers a character that the protagonist has always known.
This economy has a direct consequence on the market: the number is sufficient in itself. A buyer can own it in isolation and understand why it matters, without having to acquire what surrounds it. Not all first appearances offer this autonomy.
This process—introducing someone by their previous absence rather than by an origin—was rare at the time. It partly explains why the character seemed immediately settled.
The context of 1980
The booklet is sold 50 cents, an amount which limits the period precisely and immediately disqualifies any reprinting.
The series was then going through a transformation. The title was not among the best-selling in the catalog, and its new author benefited from a freedom that the flagship series did not grant. It's a constant in publishing history: lasting innovations are often born in titles that no one monitors too closely.
This latitude produced a shift in tone. The series has shifted from a superhero story to an urban thriller, with its own codes – organized underworld, nocturnal alleys, brutal violence. The character introduced here belongs entirely to this new register.
For the collector, this shift has a practical consequence: issues prior to this period and those following it do not have the same demand at all, even though they belong to the same series and follow each other in numbering.
A very short original arc
Here is a particularity which clearly distinguishes this file from most others.
The character is introduced, developed and brought to fruition over a short period of time in the same series, by the same author. Where most major figures span decades and dozens of titles, the main thing here is played out in a handful of consecutive issues.
Three consequences for those who collect.
The founding corpus is truly complete. This is not a seller's promise but a fact: a few numbers are enough to own the entire original arc.
Middle numbers count. As the story is continuous, the sections between the first appearance and the conclusion are not fillers. They belong to the same movement, and they remain much more affordable.
The character was later reused elsewhere by others. These later publications constitute a distinct corpus, which has neither the same coherence nor the same value. You have to know where you stop.
The cover and what it announces
The cover image deserves a word, because it is an unusual choice for the time.
It does not show a confrontation but a motionless confrontation, in a bare composition where the two figures face each other. No explosions, no spectacular scenery: the drawing focuses on tension rather than movement.
This bias announces exactly what the issue contains, and it contrasts with the covers of the same period, generally designed to attract the eye through overload. On a display from 1980, this sobriety was noticed by contrast.
For conservation, this economy has a downside. The large areas of solid color do not forgive any friction: a white mark along the back fold becomes immediately visible, where a heavy blanket would have hidden it. Two equally worn fascicles are not alike here: this one will systematically show its age more than its neighbor in numbering.
The character as he arrives
A word about what the number actually contains, to avoid frequent misunderstandings.
The character does not benefit from an origin. Nothing is explained about his training, his deep motivations or his career; these elements will come later, in bits, in subsequent issues and in subsequent publications.
What the number establishes is a position: someone who mattered to the protagonist, who disappeared, and who comes back on the other side. This configuration is enough to create an issue without the need for exposition.
Finally, be aware that the scene does not fill the entire issue. It is part of an ongoing plot, and the character plays an important role without being the sole subject of the issue.
These choices also explain the brevity of the scene: when one position is enough, the exposition becomes useless.
For a buyer who comes from the adaptations, the surprise can be real: the 1980 printed version is drier, less explanatory and much briefer than what the screens have offered since.
What to check
Five checks on this number, one more than usual.
The upper left corner. Absolute priority: it determines the distribution channel, therefore the market in which you are located.
The printed price. Fifty cents for the two American versions, fifteen pence for the British one.
The back fold. Covers from this period have dark areas that whiten with the slightest friction.
Centering. Original, incorrigible defect, which caps the rating regardless of the care taken afterwards.
Browning. Less advanced than in 1963, but very real on a paper more than forty years old. A view of the edge is enough to judge.
Where to find a copy
This file presents a search difficulty that few buyers anticipate, and which is due to the way sellers index their ads.
The issue belongs to a series named after another character. A search based on the name of the heroine therefore mainly returns her own series, much more recent and of no particular collection interest. The founding booklet is listed under the title of the series and its number.
Second difficulty: the period concerned is highly sought after for reasons other than this character. Author's block attracts buyers who are not interested in it at all, which increases competition for the same copies.
Three reflexes clearly improve results. Ask the title of the series followed by the number rather than the character's name. Monitor the batches covering the period, often cheaper individually than an isolated booklet. And accept the average states firstly: on such a popular issue, waiting for the perfect copy often means never buying it.
Where to start
Three approaches, depending on the budget and the objective.
La first appearance, in the version that corresponds to what you are looking for. If you don't know which one to choose, take the one in the best condition: on a highly sought-after number, the quality of the example often takes precedence over the subtlety of the circuit.
L'full bow, from this appearance until its conclusion. This is the option I recommend: it gives a complete story, it exploits the modest price of intermediate issues, and it remains feasible.
THE later series dedicated to the character, much more accessible, for those who want to read more without committing a significant amount of money.
For the question of prices, consult ourrating analysis; for readings, ourbest runs.
What we get asked most often
Daredevil #168, dated January 1981 on the cover and on sale October 7, 1980, priced at 50 cents. The story is simply titled “Elektra” and is written et drawn by Frank Miller, at Marvel Comics.
Because 1980 corresponds to the doubling of American distribution. One version went to newsagents, another to specialist bookstores, and a third was destined for the United Kingdom with a price of 15 pence. The first two share the 50 cent price and are very similar.
By the rectangle located at the top left of the cover: the newsstand version carries a barcode, the version intended for specialized bookstores a drawing or a mention instead. Always ask for a photo of this corner - this is where identification comes into play, on any American comic published between 1980 and the end of the 2010s.
It depends on the year, and this is a point that many people ignore. In 1980, newsstand sales remained dominant while the specialized circuit gained momentum; the relationship reversed later in the decade. The least common version is therefore not the same depending on the date of the issue considered.
Frank Miller signed both the text and the drawings, which was not the norm for a general public series of the time. A complete author can make a scene carry the image rather than the dialogue and design a character whose appearance serves as characterization. In addition, the story introduces him through a past shared with the hero: the reader discovers someone the protagonist already knows.
Little, and that's the great quality of this file. The character is introduced, developed and brought to fruition over a short period of time in the same series, by the same author. A few consecutive issues are enough to have the entire original arc, and the intermediate issues – which are not fillers – remain much more affordable.
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