Comic Books have taken on a different level of value from the days when Mickey Mouse was the favorite character and super heroes appealed to a demographic not much beyond teenage and younger boys. They are highly collectible and rake in big bucks nowadays. Unfortunately, with high value comes crime. Last month, a couple of thefts took place that would have been unimaginable not long ago. One concerned a haul the owner has valued at over $100,000, another involved violence and broken ribs.

 

On September 20 thieves broke in to Victory Comics in Falls Church, Virginia. According to local police, they received a call at 6:45 a.m. They reported that, “Upon arrival, they discovered a shattered front door. The owner was notified, arrived on the scene, and estimated at least $40,000 worth of comic books were stolen.”

 

Later, after inventorying the missing items, owner Jeff Weaver upped his estimate to $100,000. Included was a 1963 X-Men #1 he valued at $11,000. Weaver indicated that the thieves knew exactly what they were looking for. They left the cash register alone, but smashed the glass on a display case to get what they wanted. While the store was insured, Weaver still offered $2,500 for information leading to the arrest of the thieves and another $2,500 for recovering the comic books. For him, it's not just a loss of money but a violation of a popular institution in town and those whose livelihoods are based on the store.

 

The other theft was worse though the value may have been less. This one involved violence against the store owner. The Lower Southampton Township Police Department described the incident in detail: “On September 18th, 2022, Lower Southampton Township Police Officers responded to the Comic Collection store, located at 83 Bustleton Pike, Feasterville, PA, for an Assault & Robbery. The two involved males depicted entered the store and asked the business owner to assist them in getting merchandise off a high shelf. When the owner went up the ladder, one male violently knocked him off and he fell to the ground. The two males began to beat the victim, then tied him up and held a knife to his face threatening to kill him if he did not cooperate. They pulled two large duffel bags from a backpack and loaded them up with a laptop, the victim’s keys, cash, comic books, Pokemon cards, action figures, and other store merchandise. They emptied his wallet and left his credit cards behind. The victim suffered numerous contusions, lacerations, and broken ribs. Both suspects wore black disposable latex gloves and used black zip ties to secure the victim. The actors left the duffel bags in the woods nearby while being pursued by Police.”

 

Sometimes, comic books aren't so funny anymore.