*DC: One of Jack Kirby’s last projects at DC before absconding to Marvel in the early 1960s was to co-create the Challengers of the Unknown, the tale of four daring adventurers who, having survived a disaster in common, were ‘Living on Borrowed Time’, and decided to devote that time to the betterment of others. After four try-out appearances in Showcase, Prof, Ace, Red and Rocky graduated to their own series, the first eight of which were drawn by Kirby, with inks by Wally Wood on the last four of those. All eight issues by Kirby new in this week from the Bute Collection. Tales of space, monsters, super-villains, magic, robots and the like, featuring June, the ‘honorary’ fifth Challenger.  
PICTURED: CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN
#1 VG £390 SOLD Decent copy with great cover colour and reflectivity. Minor edge and handling wear and corner blunting. Small piece of tape around base of spine. Tight, firm staples and near white pages. 
#2 VG- £115 Wear to spine with tiny splits top and bottom. Pencilled digits below logo (arrival date?). Staples are tight, pages are off-white to white. Minor handling wear and corner blunting. 
#3 VG £150 SOLD Rocky gains super-powers after flight in space (cf Fantastic Four). Minor creasing at spine and edges, small colour breaks. Vibrant cover. Very tiny splits top and bottom spine. Staples are tight, pages are off-white to white.
#4 VG- £80 SOLD Great cover colour. Minor cover graffiti near logo. Very minor edge wear. Very tiny splits top and bottom spine. Staples are tight, pages are off-white. 
#5 GD- £30 SOLD Water damage patch at left side of logo. 5 cm lower spine split. Good colours, Colour-breaking crease at bottom edge. Edge and handling wear. Staples are tight, pages are off-white. 
#6 VG £85 Great colour. Very minor edge and spine wear. Unmarked cover. Very tiny top spine split. Staples are tight, pages are off-white to white. 
#7 App GD £20 Ad/text page out; stories OK. Spine taped inside and along centrefold. Spine and edge wear. Staples appear okay; off-white pages. 
#8 VG £70 Nice cover colours with some reflectivity. Minor cover graffiti (‘No 8’); minor corner blunting and edge and handling wear (a couple of very soft creases don’t break colour). Staples are tight, pages are off-white to white.