
The Peril of the Brutal Dark: An Ezra Cain Mystery #1 (Cvr C) (2026) Hayden Sherman Variant
Condition
New Release
Books that are new from the distributor are not graded however we do guarantee them to be VF (8.0) or better. All images for new releases are stock images and are subject to change upon release.
Description
CHRIS CONDON AND JACOB PHILLIPS INTRODUCE A NEW NOIR ICON! New York City, 1941. Ezra Cain is a private investigator with a reputation for taking it on the chin if it means solving a case. But it’s his former life as an archaeology student that makes him the only man to track down an artifact that’s gone missing from the Museum of Natural History...an ancient anvil said to hold the power of the Greek god Hephaestus. If someone could harness that power, they could bend nations to their will. Science fiction quickly becomes Cain’s reality when a shadowy sect calling themselves the Brutal Dark appears in the city wielding resources that defy human logic. Now Ezra is the only thing that stands between them and their plot to overthrow America! Writer Chris Condon and artist Jacob Phillips, creators of the hit series That Texas Blood and The Enfield Gang Massacre, introduce us to a private eye whose business is exposing our deepest secrets...but on this job, he’ll learn that some mysteries are better off buried!
Release Date: 2026
THE HIGH GRADES (Investment Quality)
- 9.9 – 10.0 MINT: Near perfect. No discernible defects.
- 9.8 NM/MT: High-end; negligible stress or bindery tears.
- 9.6 NM+: Nearly perfect; very minor surface wear.
- 9.4 NM: Standard high-grade; minor corner blunting.
- 9.2 NM-: Excellent; small stress lines (no color break).
- 9.0 VF/NM: Great eye appeal; minor spine stress.
THE MID GRADES (Collector Quality)
- 8.5 VF+: Clean copy; small amount of wear/creasing.
- 8.0 VF: Very attractive; minor surface wear or foxing.
- 7.5 VF-: Slight accumulation of defects; minor blunting.
- 7.0 FN/VF: Solid copy; minor creases or color breaks.
- 6.0 FN: Average mid-grade; small spine splits or tears.
- 5.0 VG/FN: Significant wear; small pieces may be missing.
THE LOW GRADES (Reader Quality)
- 4.0 VG: Average used copy; heavy creasing or scuffing.
- 3.0 GD/VG: Heavily read; major creases or staple rust.
- 2.0 GD: Well-worn; covers may be detached but present.
- 1.0 FR: Heavily damaged; large chunks missing.
- 0.5 PR: Fragile; missing pages or severe degradation.
Our raw grading is an opinion based on 30+ years of experience. We do not guarantee a specific numeric grade from 3rd party services (CGC/CBCS) but strive for maximum accuracy.
[ SECURE_TRANSIT ]
Every asset is secured in premium reinforced mailers. High-impact protection is our standard operational protocol.
[ GTA_LOGISTICS ]
Local Toronto dispatch. Next-day delivery available within the GTA for orders logged before 09:00.
[ ARCHIVE_QUALITY ]
Satisfaction guaranteed. If an asset transfer does not meet technical specifications, we will make it right.

