*Marvel: Joining the Avengers during the ‘Cap’s Kookie Quartet’ phase, the Swordsman was a swashbuckling crusader introduced to the team by departed Avenger Iron Man – or so our heroes thought! Actually, his whole backstory was a ruse, and the Swordsman was an agent of the Mandarin, sent to destroy the team from within. His deception exposed, the Swordsman spent the next several years as a member of various villainous teams, before redeeming himself, dying heroically, and marrying Mantis. (Yes, in that order. The Seventies were a strange time in comics.) Since then, of course, he’s returned from the dead, and developed an elaborate retcon involving his being either Hawkeye’s mentor or long-lost brother, depending on who’s in charge of continuity in any given week. Investors should note his apparent appearances in the recent Hawkeye TV show. Here is his first two-part story, from the Good Doctor Collection copies of Avengers #19 & #20, both bearing the Marvel Pop Art logo. More from the Good Doctor Collection next week!
PICTURED: AVENGERS
#19 VG- p £48 Pence printed, with corner blunting and small colour-breaking creases across the top and bottom right edge s of the cover and along the spine. Firmly attached staples and reasonable off-white pages.
#20 VG+ p £40 Pence printed, corner blunting with small colour-breaking creases at spine and a longer one across the logo, but rich cover colour, firm staples and nice page quality. A solid, clean copy.