*DC: A welcome addition to our stock of the Darknight Detective is Batman #105, featuring the second-ever appearance of the Batwoman – and her first showing in the Batman title, having made her debut in Detective Comics. This attractive copy is graded FA/GD largely owing to slight spine wear and some tape on the back cover, but the cover scene is clean and unmarred, and the interior pages off-white and flexible. Batwoman’s return over the last decade as a major part of the DC Universe has made her early Silver Age appearances ever more collectable, so this is a relatively bargainacious opportunity! Yours for £85.
Yearly Archives: 2015
American Update: DC Archives & Showcase Presents, Marvel Essentials
*Modern Reprints: A return to our stock lists for items previously discontinued: DC’s Archives and Showcase Editions and Marvel’s Essentials were at one time commonplace, but now are increasingly out-of-print and hard to find. We’re continuing to re-establish our inventory with an offering of Justice League Archives, Superman Showcase Edition, and Essential Tomb of Dracula, with more to come gradually in the months ahead.
American Update: Bombastic Marvel Bronze Age Bonanza!
*Marvel: Our attention is focused on the 1970’s (and later) era of the House of Ideas, as we top-up a multitude of titles, from the long-lived mainstays to the gone-tomorrow short-run series. Main additions this update are substantial restocks for Thor (from #219 to #250) and the X-Men (from #96 to #129, taking in the first appearances of Phoenix, Vindicator, Emma Frost and Kitty Pryde), but we can also offer updates for Jack Kirby’s Black Panther, Jim Starlin’s Captain Marvel (including an early Thanos appearance), Dazzler, Infinity Gauntlet, Inhumans, Iron Man, Marvel Team-Up, Marvel Two-In-One, Ms. Marvel, Luke Cage/Power Man/Hero For Hire, She-Hulk, Spider-Woman, and What If?
American Update: Virtually complete Monsters Of The Movies
*Vintage Magazine-Sized Comics: This week’s magazine update features something a bit more fringey from Marvel’s 1970’s magazine line: Monsters of the Movies was the House of Idea’s shameless attempt to cash in on Famous Monsters of Filmland, and as such the comics content is minimal – one strip each in the first two issues. The main features are on contemporary and historical horror and science-fiction movies, with loads of stills. It’s a must-have for all Marvel Mag completists, and less often seen than its contemporaries. We have almost all of the eight-issue run (lacking only #5), in addition to the one-off Annual, all in mid-high grades, though all except the Annual bear either price stickers or some residue from label removal.
British Update: Marvel UK #1 issues plus Moore’s Captain Britain
*Marvel UK: From Marvel’s UK division, the acclaimed Moore/Davis Captain Britain is restocked with new listings for the Daredevils and Mighty World of Marvel (2nd series), while we also offer a trio of later #1 issues, with Forces In Combat, Fury, and Marvel Team-Up.
British Update: Scoop #1 FN
*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: A surprisingly robust latecomer to D.C. Thomson’s action titles was Scoop, which launched in January 1978 and ran until 1981. This sport-centred weekly offered fare that was a bit off the beaten path, including Jon Stark, Footballer of the Future, and “Killer”, the story of a tennis pro who doubled as a hitman! The first issue is now available, in very nice FN condition for a mere £10.
American Update: A cauldron of mixed horror
*Horror/Mystery 1960-1980’s: It seems that our Beloved Punters can’t get enough of 60’s and 70’s Code-Approved shocks & shudders – and who are we to disoblige? New items listed for Charlton (Many Ghosts of Dr. Graves, Midnight Tales, and Monster Hunters from #1), DC (Ghosts, House of Mystery, House of Secrets, and Unexpected), Gold Key (Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery, Dark Shadows, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, and Twilight Zone), and Marvel (Crypt of Shadows from #1, Tomb of Dracula, and Werewolf By Night, including the second appearance of Moon Knight!)
British Update: 2 issues of Solo
*TV & Film Related Comics: Just time for a quickie: 2 issues of Solo new in, one of the rarest of all British comics from 1967. We hardly ever see these, and when we do, they don’t stay with us for long! This update: #3 GD/VG £32.50, #13 GD £15.
British Update: Dandy 1953-1962
*Humour Comics: To complement yesterday’s stellar Beano update, we present an equally impressive range of Dandy from 1953-1962, several dozen issues new into stock, including very many issues from the scarce years of 1960-1962. Christmas, New Year, easter, April Fool and Fireworks issues abound, and we have chosen to illustrate here the Fireworks issue from 1958 (#885) and the Christmas issue from 1961 (#1048).
British Update: Emma
*Girls’ Comics: A set of Emmas, with nearly every issue from #3 to #18, and a few later ones from 1978 (all GD or VG). A pioneer in interviewing Z list slebs, Emma has features on all the stars you would expect from the late 1970’s: Cheggers, David Soul, Mark Hamill, Charlie’s Angels and (ahem) Jimmy Savile, with a later attempt to inject some cool by including the Fonz and Debbie Harry. Non-human stars include Emu, the Wombles, Basil Brush and, a role-model for women everywhere, Miss Piggy. How can you resist?
American Update: Strange Worlds #3 as recommended by me!
*Miscellaneous 1940-1959: Just once in a while, a comic comes along that I (Rob speaking) want to recommend as a true personal favourite. Such an item in Avon’s Strange Worlds #3 from 1951. Somehow, Avon got together a winning team from cover-to-cover for this one issue that defines 1950’s US sci-fi comics. Within a nice Kintsler cover, four outstanding stories shine unmatched, in my opinion, by the contents of any other issue in the genre. The black and white inside front cover by Wally Wood is a joy to behold, and there’s Wood again with Orlando on ‘Kenton Of The Star Patrol’, followed by Sid Greene’s Burroughs-esque ‘Flame Goddess’, the collaboraton to end them all as Wood (again), Al Williamson, Frank Frazetta, Roy Krenkel & Joe Orlando share the artistic helm on the breathtaking ‘Invasion From The Abyss’, topped off with Larsen’s Slave Girl Princess in ‘Princess Of the Past’. This is a nice solid VG copy with minor spine wear and an unmarked cover and decent page quality at £350. One to have in your collection and savour (as I do!). We present below the cover and splash pages of the four stories (the inside front cover is also reproduced in our listing):
British Update: Lucky Charm
*Girls’ Comics: 4 new issues of Lucky Charm just in! #4 (Little Miss Feather Feet), #5 (Sally The Slave-Girl Star), #6 (Trudy Ten-Legs) and #24 (Sheena – Slave Of the Tennis Racket). These done-in-one compilations don’t last long, so fast action may be required to secure them!
American Update: A small gathering of early DC Silver Age in mixed grades
*DC: Some wonderfully evocative DC issues from the late 1950’s/early 1960’s this update: Atom #2, Flash #130, Mystery In Space #60 & #70, Showcase #21 (2nd Rip Hunter) & #23 (2nd Green Lantern), Strange Adventures #79 and #114 (1st Star Hawkins). Grades are very mixed, ranging from a nice FN+ on Strange Adventures #79 to a pretty awful PR on Showcase #23.
American Update: Amazing Spider-Man #252 FN/VF
*Marvel: Following on from the debut of the black costume (that became Venom) in Secret Wars #8, Spidey donned the same for the first time in his regular series in #252, a landmark issue that also reprised the first Spidey cover from Amazing Fantasy #15. This is a decent FN/VF (p) copy at £20.
British Update: Beano 1954-1969 inc. 1st Three Bears
*Humour Comics: A huge update to the most popular British humour comic of them all, and great survivor from the golden age of British comics, the Beano. Here we feature extensive stocks from most of the years between 1954-1969; in particular we have many issues from 1960-1962, three of the scarce years from the early 1960’s, which we rarely see coming through our hands. Highlights of this selection include Christmas, Easter & Fireworks issues, many issues complete with Promo Flyers advertising a plethora of other D C Thomson titles, and in #881 from 1959, the very first Three Bears strip (GD/VG £35), pictured here alongside the Christmas issue for 1961, #1014.
British Update: Judy 1963-1976
*Girls’ Comics: A few dozen issues of Judy new to our listings, including some from a couple of years previously unrepresented. The update is mainly from 1963, but there are also issues from 1968, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1975 & 1976.
Books Update: Something Old(ish), Something New(ish)
*Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror: For your delectation, a selection of books covering 3 decades, even the very modern (for us) 1980’s. Our oldest addition, Alfred Bester’s The Demolished Man is showing its age a little, but remains an excellent read, as is a personal favourite, Monument by Lloyd Biggle Jr. We include a first edition Ursula LeGuin novel, City of Illusions, her classic The Left Hand Of Darkness, a movie version of Philip K Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? aka Blade Runner, A Time Of Changes by Robert Silverberg, Mary Staton’s first novel From The Legend Of Biel, plus many others (Brin, Del Rey, more Dick, Harrison [Deathworld] & Wilson.
American Update: DC All New Collectors’ Edition Treasury – Wedding of Lightning Lad & Saturn Girl
*DC: All of DC’s tabloid-size Limited/All-New Collectors’ Edition titles are scarce and highly sought-after, but this one – All-New Collectors’ Edition C55 – is the one most keenly sought, as it’s an all-new story marrying off two of the founding members of the Legion of Super-Heroes, Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl, with the rest of the Legion battling a reality-altering plot from one of their deadliest enemies! Known among Legion fandom as TFT – “That (Funloving) Tabloid” because of its rarity and its poor storytelling, it’s every bit as bad as it is rare. Mike Grell was phoning in his pencils by this point anyway, and being heavily Colletta’ed *then* blown up to large size just amplified the faults – but it doesn’t matter if it’s terrible! Legion fans will have to buy it any way, no matter what! We did (I remember hunting it down for years as the last item to complete my Legion collection) – and now it’s your turn! Never reprinted, so you’ve just got to have it to fill that hole in your collection. The buyer’s remorse starts here!
American Update: Double Double, Toil & Trouble
*DC: Quick, riddle me this; when did the X-Men, Sub-Mariner, Spider-Man, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four co-star in Action Comics? When it was Action Double Double Comics, of course! This ingenious if cheeseparing move on the part of the UK distributors, Thorpe & Porter, gathering up unsold copies of American comics (the covers having been returned for credit), and re-purposing the ‘destroyed’ copies, four to an issue, under a new cover – usually an ineptly-recoloured stat of a US original. Usually some attempt was made to include at least one copy of the parent title, but having a copy of, for example, Green Lantern Double Double Comics is no guarantee that it would necessarily contain an issue of Green Lantern, as the selection process was pretty random, based on whatever was in T & P’s heaps of unsold warehouse stock. Thus there are different contents even of issues bearing the same title and issue number — our catalogue listing details the contents. Although we’ve never seen a Double Double Comic that didn’t claim to be a DC title on the cover, the contents are just as likely to be Marvel – or occasionally ACG – as DC once you get inside. Three new Double Doubles in stock – Action #’s 3 and 4, and Detective #3.
American Update: Ms Marvel #1 and more
*Marvel: “This Female Fights Back!” was the tagline of Ms. Marvel, Marvel Comics’ attempt to publish a solo heroine with a bit more longevity than 1972’s Claws of the Cat. Spinning out of Captain Marvel, former background character Carol Danvers got her own set of super-powers and a whole new supporting cast (including J. Jonah Jameson) as she attempted to discover the mystery behind her own origins. Although moderately successful, the series was attacked by critics who derided Carol’s derivative costume, which allegedly made her look like Captain Marvel’s sidekick, and the fact that Marvel were offering a ‘powerful, confident’ heroine who suffered from blackouts and amnesia. Despite these jibes, Ms. Marvel has been a prominent member of the Marvel Universe for nearly forty years in one guise or another – whether as Ms. Marvel, Binary, Warbird, or most recently the latest Captain Marvel, her chequered history has provided many intriguing plotlines. Soon to star in a major film, Ms. Marvel’s career starts here, with her first issue in an attractive VF- pence copy (£30), as well as four others from her first series.
British Update: A miscellany of humour from many decades
*Humour Comics: A massive top-up to nine popular titles: Beano from 1970-1994 (Including Christmas issues, the 1st all-colour issue and the Bash St. Kid’s 40th Anniversary issue), Buster from 1969-1988, Dandy from 1980-2007 (with free gift issues), Jackpot from 1979-1982, Knockout series one (ranging between 1948-1962) and series two (1971-1972), Nutty from 1980-1982, Oink from 1987 and 1988 plus a Holiday Special, and Whizzer & Chips from 1973-1986. An avalanche of amusing antics from seven decades!
American Update: Marvel’s Patsy Walker from the 1940’s to the 1960’s
*Teen Humour/Funny Girls: This update, a merry myriad of Timely/Atlas’ answer to Archie Comics, Patsy Walker. Created by Stan Lee and Ruth Atkinson for Miss America Magazine #2, the red-headed teen everygal proved so popular that by 1945 she had her own title, as well as more than a dozen spin-offs over her 21-year career. Her earlier issues, mainly illustrated by animator Pauline Loth, featured teen-comedy shticks of romantic misunderstandings, which lasted through the 1950’s under illustrators such as Dave Berg, Morris Weiss and Al Jaffee among others. By the 1960’s, Al Hartley had taken over as the main artist, and the title edged over from comedy into out & out romance, with declamatory and lachrymose covers. This restock is of more than thirty issues, ranging from 1946’s #7 to 1965’s #124, Patsy’s final issue, including team-ups with Millie the Model and Linda Carter, Student Nurse! As a bonus, we have a lovely condition copy of the 1966 one-shot, Patsy Walker’s Fashion Parade, a Queen-Sized special with no comics stories, but simply page after page of pin-ups, hairdo suggestions, and “fashions from fans” that were obviously prepared well before Patsy’s cancellation. This ingenious way of using up inventory was Patsy’s farewell to the Marvel Universe for a few years – until she snuck in through the back door by becoming a supporting character for the Beast, parlaying that into her current gig as a fully-fledged super-heroine, the Hellcat!
American Update: Batman 100 Pagers and more
*DC: A new selection of the Caped Crusader’s adventures from the late 60’s to the early 70’s, with additions to our Batman stock between #192 and #260! Mostly in mid-grade, but with a couple of very desirable FN/VF, highlights of this selection include Neal Adams artwork, the shocking closure of the Batcave, the bombastic Blockbuster (no, not the defunct video emporium…), and the first two mentions/appearances, in #’s 258 & 260, of a homely little retreat called Arkham. Included are many 100 Page issues. Holy Bargain-Hunting!
American Update: Silver Age Marvel sweep
*Marvel: Another graceful glide over the first decade of the Marvel Universe brings us re-stocks to many major titles: Captain Marvel (from #2 upwards), Daredevil, Doctor Strange, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Journey Into Mystery (with the premiere appearances of three of the God of Thunder’s deadliest enemies – the Absorbing Man, the Enchantress, and the Executioner!), Marvel Collector’s Item Classics #1, Marvel Super-Heroes (starring Spider-Man, the Black Knight, and the magnificent Madam Medusa!), Spider-Man, Tales to Astonish, and the X-Men (including the first appearances of the jovial Juggernaut and the ever-smiling Sentinels!). A cornucopia of classics, together again for the first time – because YOU demanded it!
Window Update: Famous Fictional Characters Quiz
Dr Evilla has been keen to show off the Book Department for some time, so this window showcases just a few of the famous fictional characters that feature in our selection of books. To add to the fun she has set up a fiendish quiz. If you are unfortunate enough to be unable to visit our shop, you can try the quiz here.
British Update: Sundry 1950’s/1960’s Western Picture Libraries inc. Lone Rider #1 & #2
*Boys’ Adventure & War Picture Libraries: We were long overdue for a rooting tooting Western-themed Picture Library update, so here it is! Cowboy Adventure Library, a substantial chunk of Cowboy Picture Library, Pearson’s Film Picture Library (Warlock) and Western Picture Library (inc #1). Stars of the show however are nice-graded issues #1 & #2 of Fleetway’s coolly stylish Lone Rider Picture Library, covers of which are shown here.
American Update: Marvel Preview & Marvel Super Special
*Vintage Magazine-Sized Comics: Two titles are featured in this week’s magazine update: from Marvel Preview, we have Man-Gods, Star-Lord (#11) and the Haunt Of Horror; from Marvel Super Special, Star-Lord again plus a host of movie adaptations: Star Wars (Empire Strikes Back and Return Of the Jedi), Raiders of the Lost Ark, Conan The Barbarian and The Dark Crystal.
British Update: More from Mandy
*Girls’ Comics: Following extensive sales of the ever-popular and long-running Mandy, we’re very pleased to have some new issues in. A few dozen all told, from 1969, 1976, 1980, 1985 and (mostly) 1986.
British Update: Pecos Bill
*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: Pecos Bill originated as a French comic strip and the adventures of ‘The Legendary Hero Of Texas’ were reprinted in English in the 1950’s by Westworld in American-sized comic format. We have several issues new in from volumes 1 & 2.
American Update: Strange Tales from Human Torch to Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD, with lots of Doc Strange
*Marvel: Sourced from several diverse incoming collections, we’re delighted to present an extensive selection of Strange Tales between #103 & #166. A wide range of grades is represented, from low and thus very affordable up to many copies in VF (with the occasional VF+) of interest to the investment collector. Highlights include the classic Human Torch/Sub-Mariner battle in #107, the Acrobat disguised as Captain America in #114, the Cap “try-out” issue predating his revival in Avengers #4, the 1st Beetle in #123 (where the Ditko Dr. Strange story features Thor & Loki), the 1st Nick Fury Agent Of SHIELD in #135 by Lee & Kirby, plus lots of early SHIELD and many later issues with art by the incomparable Jim Steranko (many high grade issues here). And, of course, tons of Dr. Strange, initially by Steve Ditko, but with later art by such diverse hands as Marie Severin and Bill Everett, no pikers themselves. The best and most voluminous range of this title we’ve had in for some time. Highest graded/most valuable issues pictured below: #103 FN/VF £125, #106 VF p £120, #107 VF+ p £350, #108 FN+ p £70, #109 FN p £50, #114 FN+ £125, #121 VF p £50, #123 VF p £55, #125 VF p £62.
British Update: Diana 1969-1971
*Girls’ Comics: A big update to Diana this week, D C Thomson’s highly successful tabloid-sized comic which ran from 1963-1976. This update features dozens of issues new to our stock from the years 1969-1971, mostly in a sparkling Fine condition.
British Update: A miscellany of Boys’ Adventure & War
*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: A top-up update of odds and ends to our most populated category for the following titles: Battle, Champ, Lion, Red Dagger, Rover, Scoop, Valiant, Victor, Warrior and Wizard (the 1970 relaunch from #2).
British Update: Girl Volumes 8 to 10 (1959-1961)
*Girls’ Comics: Substantial updates for Girl, the companion comic to Eagle, for the years 1959-1961, comprising many issues from Volumes 8 to 10. These years cover featured Susan Of St Brides, the ups and downs of a plucky student nurse, before, towards the end of Volume 10, the comic strip covers gave way to such pop luminaries as Adam Faith, Helen Shapiro and Fabian. Christmas 1959 issue pictured.
American Update: Early Silver Age Green Lantern #15-20
*DC: A short run of six consecutive issues of Green Lantern from #15-20, mostly in low grade and thus very affordable. This run features appearances by Flash and Sinestro, as well as the debut and origin of Star Sapphire in #16.
American Update: High Grade Charlton Horror from the 1970’s/1980’s
*Horror/Mystery 1960-1980’s: A big update to the ever-popular Charlton range in this category, rich with Ditko, Sutton and many other artists of note. This selection is mostly in extraordinary high grade, with most being at least VF and many being VF/NM. Titles featured are long runs of Beyond The Grave (from #1), Ghostly Haunts and Ghostly Tales, as well as representations for Ghost Manor, Haunted Love, Prof. Coffin, Scary Tales (from #1) and the 1980’s series of Tales Of The Mysterious Traveler. These Charltons are flying out of our boxes, so it’s a relief to get some fresh issues into stock!
British Update: Alan Class Outer Space
*Alan Class Reprints: Outer Space was one of Alan Class’s shorter-lived early titles, usually full of Charlton science-fiction reprints, including much Ditko. We have many nice grade copies new into stock in our regular Alan Class Reprints section.
American Update: 1st Appearances Apocalypse in X-Factor #5 & #6
*Marvel: Whilst X-Factor, beginning in 1986, is a title outside the scope of our catalogue in normal circumstances, we’re making an exception for issues #5 & 6, which feature (in #5) the first final panel cameo appearance of the dastardly Apocalypse and (in #6) his first full appearance. #5 VF+ p £20, #6 VF p £35. With Apocalypse the central villain of the upcoming new X-Men movie, interest (and prices) in these issues are set to soar, so we don’t expect these babies to stick around long! SORRY, THESE HAVE NOW SOLD
American Update: Marvel Preview #4 1st Star-Lord
*Vintage Magazine-Sized Comics: This week’s magazine update features just one item, but it’s a doozy! Marvel Preview #4, the debut and origin of Star-Lord, the star of the hit Guardians Of The Galaxy movie and an issue more in demand than ever before. Written by Steve Engelhart, one of the alumni of our shop signing sessions a few years back. A very presentable VG/FN copy, with minor spine wear and tiny tears at top and bottom spine keeping the price down to a very affordable £35. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American/British Update: R. Crumb’s Fritz The Cat
*Undergrounds: One of the earliest crossovers between underground comics and the mass media, R. Crumb’s Fritz the Cat (as this tabloid-sized one-shot is officially entitled) was released in 1969 by Ballantyne Books, presenting Crumb’s collected saga of Fritz – waster, lecher and con-man extraordinaire – to a wider audience, and laying the ground for the 1972 animated movie. Despite many copies having been printed, the mass-market failure of the venture, which was returned to the publisher and destroyed in bulk, means that this is a rarity today. This copy is a nice VG, sound and clean, offered at £50.
British Update: Two nice Annuals!
*Annuals: 2 annuals new in worthy of note: firstly a 1973 Beano, in VF/NM grade at £25, in outstanding condition, as good as new and the nicest we’ve ever seen of this vintage; secondly, our earliest Dandy annual from 1952 in a very presentable GD/VG at £40.
American Update: Shazam Treasuries
*DC: It seems you can’t get enough of the DC Treasury-sized comics, so here are three more Limited Collectors’ Editions featuring Shazam! The Original Captain Marvel. C21 FN £6.25, C27 VF- £9.75, C35 FN £6.25. With one magic word…
British Update: A big wodge of Sparky 1970-1975
*Humour Comics: Immensely popular but less often seen, we have dozens of issues of Sparky new into stock this week, covering the years 1970-1975, during which time the otherwise ubiquitous Barney Bulldog was replaced on the cover by the likes of Elton John & Telly Savalas (as Kojak!) Who loves ya, baby?
British Update: Victor 1961-1976
*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: That grand old stalwart of the British Boys’ Adventure line, the long-lived Victor, is refreshed this week with issues between 1961-1976, with the emphasis on 1967-1970.
Books Update: These Are Not Just Books ……
Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror: ….. some of them are M&S books, and all of them are hardcovers. A fine selection of Science Fiction and Ghost anthologies, several of them highly collectable, including Invaders of Earth (Groff Conklin Ed. 1952 first edition with dust jacket), The Giant Anthology of Science Fiction and My Best Science Fiction Story (Margulies & Friend Eds.), and Great Ghost Stories of the World (Laing Ed. – complete with gruesome illustrations). Ghosts! (Jenkins Ed.) and A Century of Ghost Stories (No Author) plus two M&S Collections (65 Great Spine Chillers and 65 Great Tales of the Supernatural) complete this update.
American Update: Early Iron Man in Tales of Suspense #41-43
*Marvel: From the dawn of the Marvel Age of Comics, we proudly present three of the Golden Avenger’s earliest appearances in Tales Of Suspense #41-43, yes, the 3rd, 4th & 5th stories ever. Still in his all golden armour, Iron Man confronts Dr. Strange (the first villainous one, no relation to the Master Of the Mystic Arts), the Red Barbarian and Kala Queen Of The Netherworld. All very presentable mid-grade pence copies, details as follows: #41 VG £140, #42 VG+ £110, #43 FN £145. In recent years, Iron Man has risen to become one of Marvel’s first ranking stars and here’s where it all began!
American Update: Limited Collectors’ Edition Tarzan by Joe Kubert
*DC: Two Tarzan Treasuries in DC’s Limited Collectors’ Edition format, both with art by the incomparable Joe Kubert, C22 & C29. Kubert’s art looks sensational at this size and these gems, both FN+ at £8 each, are wonderfully bargainacious, telling the early stories of ERB’s Lord Of The Jungle. SORRY, THESE ARE NOW SOLD
Housekeeping Update
On a regular cycle, we sweep through our entire stock to delete sold items and keep our listing as up to date as possible. We’ve just finished deleting sold items from the following file in our British section:
*Girls’ Comics (titles beginning with M-Z)
As of the time of writing, this category is bang up to date, with every item listed available.
American/British Update: Complete run of Love & Rockets (1st series)
*Undergrounds: New in stock: the entire 50-issue first series of Fantagraphic’s Love & Rockets, which from 1982 to 1996 shattered precedents for the alternative comics scene with its imagination and popularity. Although there have been many one-offs and shorter series under the L & R banner, the series is best loved for its two main narratives, “Locas” (“Crazy Women”) by Jaime Hernandez, and “Palomar” (an intergenerational drama about, though not always set in, a fictional Latin-American village). “Locas” stars Margarita Luisa Chascarillo and Esperanza Leticia Glass – better known as Maggie and Hopey – part Betty & Veronica, part Thelma & Louise, close friends and occasional lovers who inhabit a Californian township shared with a selection of other eccentric women, including ‘witch lady’ Izzy Reubens and the impausibly statuesque wannabe superhero Penny Century. “Palomar” revolves around Luba, the hammer-throwing, takes-no-shit sheriff of Palomar, and her extended family and friends. Both series manipulate the narrative to show the characters at multiple stages of their lives from toddlers to seniors, giving a sense of reality and groundedness to oftentimes mystical or implausible events. Both “Locas” and “Palomar” have been reprinted multiple times in a bewildering variety of formats, but this is the first series. The first printings. All of them, as well as the one-shot Love & Rockets Bonanza, in high grade – none less than fine, the vast majority VF, and many Near Mint. Not an opportunity you’ll see too often.
British Update: Bunty from the 1970’s to 1990’s
*Girls’ Comics: Following substantial sales, a further top-up to Bunty, the Queen of D.C. Thomson’s girls’ comics (sorry, “Girls’ Paper”, as they were still calling them even into the Eighties!) between #824 to #2087. An even dozen issues from the years 1973-1986, then a skip ahead to the slick-paper, ‘new look’ years of 1994-1998, with a further thirty issues singing the praises of pop hunks and soap stars on the outside, while the Four Marys cruise along as usual on the inside pages.
American Update: 1980’s Amazing Spider-Man
*Marvel: Restocking the perpetually popular Peter Parker, we have many new issues of Amazing Spider-Man new in between #217 to #294, including the debuts of some of Spidey’s latter-day friends and foes (the Rose, Black Fox, Puma and the scintillating Silver Sable), the saga of the Hobgoblin, the opening salvos in the acclaimed “Kraven’s Last Hunt”, and plenty of uber-villainy from the Vulture, Rhino, Dr. Octopus, Electro, and others in our hero’s extensive Rogue’s Gallery. This new wave of additions is of a remarkably uniform grade, averaging VF, and riding the new wave of popularity with the revived Spider-Man movie franchise.