*Marvel: From the Good Doctor Collection, one of the key debuts of the Silver Age. Lee & Kirby’s Fantastic Four added to its many innovations in 1966’s FF #52, when they introduced the first black super-hero in comics. Previously, the vanishingly rare heroic black characters in comics had been either embarrassing sidekicks or ‘noble savages’, but the Black Panther was the monarch of a highly sophisticated and technologically advanced African nation, Wakanda, and was to become not only one of the FF’s greatest allies, but a mainstay of their fellow heroes, the Avengers. This Good Doctor cents copy has sustained some damage in its life, most notably some creasing in from the right edge over the Panther’s arm and cloak, a little of which breaks colour, and a tear/split of 2.5 cm at the base of the spine, leading to a diagonal crease from the top of the split down across the cover to the bottom right corner. There is also other spine and edge wear, but nothing too bad. A tiny spine split lurks at the top of the back cover, leading to a small, narrow stain of about 4 cm. The inside covers are a little cream/tan, the page quality a supple off-white to cream. Overall, this doesn’t present too badly at all.
PICTURED: FANTASTIC FOUR #52 GD/VG £300