*Miscellaneous 1940-1959: A pair of Golden Age Number Ones which demonstrate why Dr. Wertham and his colleagues had an aneurysm over crime comics. 1948’s Famous Crimes #1, from the notorious publisher Victor Fox, was heavy on the violence, gore and cleavage, with Fox’s low-rent super-hero, the Blue Beetle, disconcertingly popping his head into the odd panel to narrate events. Allegedly ‘from police files’, that claim to verisimilitude should be taken with a huge pinch of salt. Avon’s Gangsters and Gun Molls #1, from 1951, focused more on the biographical aspect, with allegedly true life stories of notorious crime figures – though not using any tenuous connection to history as an excuse to downplay the gunplay! Both titles, however, presented an admirably liberated attitude for the day, with the ladies getting in as many blows and bullets as their male counterparts. Brava, girls! Famous Crimes #1 is GD, very light peripheral cover creasing not affecting cover image, at £125. Gangsters and Gun Molls #1 is a lovely FN, light spine wear and a pencilled arrival date on logo, but sound and tight with bold cover colour. On sale at £185. SORRY, THESE HAVE NOW SOLD