*Horror 1940-1959: Something quite special from the Bute Collection this week. Marvel Comics started out with that title in 1939, becoming Marvel Mystery Comics from #2-92, wherein many of the roots of the Marvel super-hero universe were laid. By the time we got to issue #93 in 1949, the title changed again to Marvel Tales, and the subject matter was horror/sci-fi and weird stories. Though not quite the first Marvel horror comic (Amazing Mysteries #32 beat it by a few months), Marvel Tales was pretty darn close and had a much more distinguished pedigree. This initial issue featured a Marty Nodell ‘eyeballs’ cover, with interior art by Gene Colan, Ed Winarski and many others. There is one story with an atom bomb panel and sundry wolf-man, ghoul, cat woman and evil dimension stories abound. This is a low grade copy. The good news is that it’s all there. The cover is heavily spine-rolled and the spine looks like it’s been glued to keep the front cover in place. The single staple has popped, but the comic does hold together to some extent, despite six of the centrefold wraps being loose with some page tearing. There are a couple of sealed tears at the spine. Internally, the pages are okay, with a few ‘nibbles’ out of upper margins only. Cover colour is good, with an intact image; faint central vertical crease slightly breaks colour. Edge wear, tears and minor creasing. Few chances to obtain this historic issue ever arise, especially at a price like this. 
PICTURED: MARVEL TALES #93 FA/GD £275 SOLD