*Marvel: 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. Following his spectacular big-screen success, T’Challa’s earliest appearances have never been in higher demand. This is a low grade and thus relatively affordable pence printed copy, with a loose centrefold and moderate-heavy spine wear, with weakness at staples and some spine roll at the top half; the top of the back cover is slightly frayed and there are a couple of small cover tears (front and back) and quite a lot of edge wear and minor creasing at edges, plus one long diagonal colour-breaking crease across the top right half of the comic, although this is not too pronounced. Page quality is okay, if a little tired and dog-eared in places. Not a copy to be too proud of, but a nice budget-conscious gap-filler on what has become a very expensive item.
PICTURED: FANTASTIC FOUR #52 GD- p £185