*DC: Although not the first comic to feature original material rather than reprint, Action Comics, starring Superman, is generally regarded as the title that started the Golden Age. By issue #22, which we have available from the Midas Collection this week, Superman was firmly established as the title’s star character and dominated the covers. Beneath an iconic Joe Shuster cover, several features await. In the lead story, Superman and Lois get involved in a war between two fictitious European countries, as told by Jerry Siegel and Shuster/Paul Cassidy. Other features include Pep Morgan (by Gardner Fox and Fred Guardineer), Chuck Dawson, Clip Carson (by Sheldon Moldoff), Tex Thompson (by Ken Fitch and Bernard Bailey), Three Aces and Zatara tangling with the Tigress and The Mask by Gardner Fox and Fred Guardineer. This is a low grade copy that features a near-unspoilt cover image; there are very small chips out top and right edges, and a thin dust shadow along the right edge. The spine is a bit of a mess, with several tears and little bits out, including spine splits at top (3 cm) and bottom (3 cm); the front cover has detached from both staples, but has been reinforced by tape on the inside cover (now removed apart from one piece of about 8 cm in lower half); back cover appears attached; there is more tape inside back cover. There is also a non-severe stain on the back cover (lower left edge) which permeates through the last few pages of the comic (margins only) to a lessening degree. The centrefold is loose. For all this, a bright copy which looks better than it sounds. High resolution images are available on request.
PICTURED: ACTION COMICS #22 FA+ £900 SOLD