*Marvel: Strange Tales from the 1960s is sought after for myriad reasons, most often because of the dynamic, cinematic artwork of Jim Steranko, who brought a freshness to spy saga Nick Fury and The Agents of SHIELD which tapped perfectly into the zeitgeist of the era. But that doesn’t apply in this instance. No, the hoo and the hah this time is for the Marie Severin illustrated Doctor Strange co-feature, and more specifically for the Living Tribunal, a cosmic entity whose power outstrips the Watcher and may even match that of Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet! For years a relatively small part of Marvel’s cosmic tapestry, the Tribunal’s prominence has increased with his (its?) greater involvement in sundry cosmic sagas, to the point where interest in his early appearances is at its keenest. Strange Tales #158, with the first full Tribunal and his first cover appearance is a nice mid-grade copy, with deep colour cover, nice page quality and tight, firmly attached staples. There is some creasing along the spine and a couple of colour-breaking creases across the bottom right corner. (Only) in the right light, you can see a vestigial remnant of a circular mark at the bottom of the logo.
PICTURED: STRANGE TALES #158 VG+ p £50 SOLD