*Marvel: Ah, the 1990s, when all taste and reason fled. An age of speculation, with publishers printing multiple variants in a gaudy kaleidoscope of embossed, metallic and hologramatic flummery. Viz and to wit: Todd McFarlane’s Spider-Man, with allegedly over 2 million copies shifted of the #1. With the enormous sales of this issue, Marvel decided to reward retailers with a “Platinum” variant and chose a thicker cover for a “quality” feel; ironically, the paper stock did not work well with the printing process, giving rise to multiple problems, including colour breakage on the spine. The estimated print run for the Platinum variant is around 10,000, with 7,000 given as gifts to retailers for making Spider-Man #1 “the most successful comic in history” the other 3,000 were apparently sold off in bulk later. This copy does not have the letter of thanks from Marvel, and, while a perfectly presentable copy, it has some notable wear at the spine and the back cover bears several ‘scuff’ markings in its otherwise all-black background – nothing a Poundland bingo marker wouldn’t fix. Nevertheless, the interiors are immaculate, and the front cover scene unimpeded except for very minor colour cracks in the upper left cover corner. Given that this can go for insane money elsewhere, we’ve elected for moderation, dubbing it VG at £50. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD