A comic is a flat object with one three-dimensional problem: the spine, which is where the condition lives.
The shot that sells
Cover, square on, filling the frame, in even light. Flat on a table, camera directly above.
The shot that prevents the dispute
The spine, along its length, lit from the side so ticks and stress marks appear.
The list
- Front cover, square on
- Back cover, square on — often worse and rarely shown
- Spine, full length, side-lit
- The indicia, readable, for printing
- Corners, close
- Page edges, for foxing and colour
- Any defect, deliberately framed
Light
Even and indirect. A gloss cover under a single bright source gives you a reflection across the middle; move the light further away or bounce it off a wall.
For the spine and for surface creasing, drop the light low and across — raking light is what makes a flat object show its relief.
Squareness
Directly above, cover parallel to the camera. An angled cover reads as bent, and a buyer cannot tell the difference between perspective and damage.
What goes wrong
Photographing in a bag with glare, shooting only the front, and using a publisher's cover image instead of the actual copy. The last is not allowed and hides your copy's condition. Intellectual property.
Questions people ask
Should I take it out of the bag?
For anything valuable, yes — glare hides exactly what buyers look for.
How do I show a key page?
Hold it open flat, square on, with even light and no shadow from your hand.
Is video useful?
For a slow pass along the spine, yes.
More: selling comics, describing condition.