*Boy’s Adventure & War Picture Libraries: In common with all Pearson’s Picture Libraries, these were never numbered on the cover, but the number was in fact hidden away at either the bottom of the last page or inside back cover. For that reason, we always give the names of the stories in each issue to help identification. Western Picture Library, with its range of recurring characters, is very popular (as are most western-themed PLs) and we have four early issues in this week.
IN THIS UPDATE: WESTERN PICTURE LIBRARY ALL SOLD
#3 (PICTURED) GD/VG £7 Mustang Gray & the Texas Rangers: Ambush At Red Butte Pass
#4 VG £8 Jim Bridger, Mountain Man: The Taming of Dark Eagle
#7 FA/GD £5.50 Mustang Gray & the Texas Rangers: Bad Men & Commanches (corner off back cover, so issue number missing, but it is #7)
#13 VG £6 Mustang Gray & the Texas Rangers: Gunsmoke On The Pecos

*Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror: Titter ye not Missus! It’s not that type of adult fantasy, instead it’s fairy stories for grown-ups, the sort that Lin Carter and C S Lewis would have approved of. Around 1970 Pan/Ballantine issued a set of adult fantasy books that are considered to be the definitive collection of the genre. We are delighted to add a number of them to our Books section, a couple being later reprint editions following the end of the Adult Fantasy series.
PICTURED:
MISTRESS OF MISTRESSES by E R Eddison VG £5 3rd UK PB Sequel to ‘The Worm Ouroboros’, an epic, romantic fantasy.
A VOYAGE TO ARCTURUS by David Lindsay GD £4 1st UK PB 1972 A tour de force of powerful and stark imagery in a wild, dream landscape. SOLD
MERLIN’S GODSON by H Warner Munn FN £6 1st US PB 1976 An Arthurian/Atlantean odyssey.
THE SONG OF RHIANNON by Evangeline Walton VG £5 4th US PB Adapting the third branch of the Mabinogian, the epic book of Welsh mythology.

*DC: In 1977, the annual JLA/JSA team-up event was boosted by the additional presence of the Legion of Super-Heroes, where the whole gang came up against Mordru and the Demons Three, in a giant-size two-parter, of which #147 is the first part. Assessed by CGC as 9.4 (NM), universal grade unrestored blue label, with white pages and a case in perfect condition.
PICTURED: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #147 CGC 9.4 NM £45

*DC/Marvel: In 1976, after some delicate negotiations, Marvel and DC decided to create a team-up between their two iconic characters which proved too big for a regular-sized comic – so the tabloid-sized format, as seen in Marvel’s Treasury Editions and DC’s Limited Collectors’ Editions, was co-opted for this event! Superman and Spider-Man (as well as guest-villains Lex Luthor and Doctor Octopus) are note-perfect in this mega-sized saga. This triggered a series of cross-overs between the two companies, with DC and Marvel alternating on the publishing chores, and Marvel was at the production helm by 1981, when Marvel Treasury Edition #28 was released, with the follow-up Superman and Spider-Man team-up, this time co-featuring Wonder Woman and the Hulk and the villainy of Doctor Doom and the Parasite! We are delighted to have both these epic editions back in stock: Superman Vs. The Amazing Spider-Man, to give the first its full title, is a superb VF cents copy, no pence price or overstamp, clean and bright, tight and flat, with sharp corners and only a small dink at the base of the spine precluding a higher grade; Marvel Treasury Edition #28 is also a superb VF cents copy, clean and bright, tight and flat, sharp corners, with a slight sign of reading crease at the spine and very slight grubbiness to back cover.
PICTURED: BOTH SOLD
SUPERMAN VS THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VF £100
MARVEL TREASURY EDITION #28: SUPERMAN & SPIDER-MAN VF £75

*Marvel: Created in a cocoon by scientists in Fantastic Four, the supernaturally gifted being known only as ‘Him’ made a couple of cameo appearances in previous issues of Thor, but #165 featured the first full appearance of the character, and the earliest inkling of the extent of his powers. Eventually, re-named Warlock, ‘Him’ would become a mainstay of Marvel’s cosmic sagas in the 1970s and beyond, but here was the first full outing, in a battle with Thor for the hand (and other parts) of the warrior-maiden Sif, Thor’s main squeeze. This is a superior cents copy, with great cover colour and gloss, staples tight at spine and centrefold and white pages. Very minor edge wear with the odd small spine stress mark, and a small amount of corner blunting, tiny dinks to bottom corners, the right one just breaking colour. 
PICTURED: THOR #165 FN £400

*Marvel: Also from the Good Doctor Collection this week, a complete run of Amazing Spider-Man from #330 up to #360. A lot going on in this period, including the return of the Sinister Six, many Venom appearances and the setting of the seeds for the debut of Carnage, as well as guest stars galore. Full details as always in our catalogue. More from the Good Doctor next week!
PICTURED: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
#334 VF £50 Return of the Sinister Six
#344 VF/NM £50 1st Cameo Cletus Kasady (later Carnage)

*Power Comics: The Power Comics line from Odhams Press, which ran from the mid-late 1960s has a special place in British comics history and in the hearts of many readers of the time. With a unique blend of classic Marvel reprints (and sometimes DC newspaper strip reprints), together with original British strips in both adventure & humour departments, they offered something for everyone and were probably many readers’ first exposure to the Marvel Silver Age. In this latest instalment of an original owner collection, we have issues of Pow! between #53 and #64, #53 being the first joint issue of Pow! and Wham! merging favourite strips from both comics. Thus you get Spider-Man & the Fantastic Four, with original British strips such as ‘Experiment X’, ‘Dr. Morg, Master Of Fear’, ‘The Cloak’, ‘Dare A Day Davey’, ‘The Two Faces Of Janus’, ‘Georgie’s Germs’ and many others. In addition, the Odhams editorial team adopted a very Marvel Bullpen style of communication to endear themselves to the readership. News from the Floor of 64, anyone? Full details in our catalogue.
PICTURED: POW #53 VG £12 1st Pow! & Wham! Small tear/hole in logo with no loss. SOLD

*Boys’ Adventure & War Picture Libraries: A huge update to our stock of Commando from the early 1980s this week, with dozens of issues added between #1751 and #1964. See our catalogue for full details.

A couple of pointers for you in using our website, just in case you weren’t aware of them. 

1) On our What’s New page, the category heading for each post has a link to the appropriate category in our catalogue, so you can click on that to go straight to the correct catalogue listing from the What’s New page.

2) All comic and book images on our site (whether on the What’s New page or in the catalogue listing) can be enlarged for more viewing pleasure just by clicking on them.

If you weren’t aware of these facilities, I hope they enhance your experience in looking through our site. 

*DC: After three try-out issues in Brave & Bold, Metamorpho the Element Man graduated to his own series in 1965 and although it only lasted 17 issues, it is fondly remembered today for its distinctive off-beat tone, exemplified by the sometimes wacky scripts and memorable cast of characters as penned by DC alumnus Bob Haney and, initially, the exquisite art of Ramona Fradon, who set the style for others to follow. We have not only a complete run of all 17 issues fresh in this week, but also in most cases in a choice of grades. Full details of course in our catalogue.
PICTURED: METAMORPHO #1 GD p £15 Off top staple, lower spine split. SOLD

*Marvel: In the Frank Miller era of Daredevil, Bullseye, the unfailing assassin, became firmly established as DD’s bête noire, causing the Man Without Fear endless grief and misery. And can we ever forget Colin Farrell’s epic scenery-chewing as Bullseye in the Daredevil movie? Well, maybe if we’re lucky and get hit on the head with a blunt object. But a lot of people, even today, aren’t aware that Bullseye wasn’t a Miller creation; step forward Marv Wolfman and Bob Brown, who presented The Assassin Who Never Misses for the first time in Daredevil #131, two years before the Miller regime kicked in! Our latest copy of this famous debut is pence printed and in great shape, glossy, flat, great colour, white to off-white pages, staples tight at spine and centrefold, sharp corners, no spine stress marks. Just very faint signs of having been handled preclude an even higher grade.
PICTURED: DAREDEVIL #131 VF+ p £300 SOLD

*Marvel: A range of high grade Avengers issues new in this week between #115 and #140 plus Annual (King-Size Special) #4. Included are all the Avengers issues of the Avengers/Defenders War, plus appearances by the Collector, Zodiac and others, with a dramatic Kang cover and story in #129.
IN THIS UPDATE: AVENGERS
#115 VF+ p £20 SOLD
#116 VF+ p £26
#117 VF p £20
#118 VF p £16
#119 VF p £14
#120 VF p £14
#129 VF+ £95 (PICTURED) Tight, flat and glossy copy; the slight colouring irregularity above the logo is a printing defect we have seen on all copies. 
#140 VF+ £18
Annual #4 VG+ £6.75 Book shop stamps SOLD

*Marvel: The history of Nathaniel Richards, father of Reed, is complicated to say the least and interwoven with that of Kang and his many identities. Let’s just say that one theory is that Kang is a descendant of Nathaniel Richards. I think if you want to know more, you can spend a happy hour or two researching on the internet. Anyway, Mr Richards senior first appeared in this two-parter, with a cameo in Fantastic Four #272 and a full appearance in #273. All things Kang have gathered great momentum in recent times. Beautiful high grade copies available.
PICTURED: FANTASTIC FOUR
#272 VF+ £35 SOLD
#273 VF+ £25

*Alan Class Reprints: For many years now, we’ve been scouring the personal archives of legendary publisher Alan Class (who is still very much with us) and with his full co-operation, releasing for sale sets of the original printing plates that were used to print the covers of his comics from 1959-1989. We have now reached the final phase of these plate set releases, which will last us throughout 2022. These sets are time-consuming to prepare, so our release schedule will be staggered. But the good news is that all the sets we have left are among the best, either featuring a classic Marvel comic reprint, or else a very early fantasy/mystery issue. So, this final phase represents your last opportunity to add one or more of these unique pieces to your collection. Each set comprises the lead printing plates used in the original comic’s colour printing, a copy of the comic printed with these plates and a signed certificate of authenticity signed by Alan Class himself. These are packaged in a special protective presentation case. Several sets (as noted) have additional historical artefacts such as colour proofs, interior page plates, printers’ photostats etc. (Please be aware that these weigh a lot and postage will be expensive. Also note that due to the onerous paperwork required for customs declarations following Brexit, we can no longer post these Plate Sets outside the UK.) Three new sets this week, details as follows: ALL SOLD
SECRETS OF THE UNKNOWN ##115 £70 Comic VF;  Reprints Avengers #64 plus cover, ACG, Charlton, 1 Ditko story. Extra: Colour cover proof (taped and torn)
SECRETS OF THE UNKNOWN #116  £70 Comic FN/VF; Reprints Avengers #65 plus cover, ACG, Marvel Dr. Droom story. Extra: Colour cover proof (grubby, taped and torn)
SECRETS OF THE UNKNOWN #118  £65 Comic VG;  Reprints Daredevil #53 plus cover, ACG. Extra: Colour cover proof (grubby, taped and torn)

*Girls’ Picture Libraries: A chunky update this week to Fleetway’s enduringly popular Love Story Library (later Love Story Picture Library) with over 35 new issues in from 1961. It featured picture strip romances for young women (and nostalgic housewives), frequently beautifully illustrated. It ran a respectable 1600+ issues between 1952 and 1976, and our latest additions are between #323 & #366. From a newsagent’s unsold stock, these would grade FN if not for the pernicious staple rust of long term storage, which, although not harming the stories themselves and not too bad in most cases, results in a VG grade on most copies.
PICTURED: LOVE STORY LIBRARY #337 VG £5 SOLD

*DC: Successfully combining the science-fiction and super-hero genres, DC’s Silver Age Green Lantern was a highly popular reinvention of the famous Golden Age character in a new identity and on a more cosmic scale. Six classic issues in this update as follows:
GREEN LANTERN
#12 VG+ p £34 (PICTURED)
#19 VG+ p £28 Sonar
#21 VG+ p £19.75 1st Dr Polaris
#22 FA/GD p £6.75 Hector Hammond; book shop stamp; centrefold loose and ragged
#23 VG- p £19.25 1st Tattooed Man
#27 VG+ p £19.75

*Marvel: The debut of one of Daredevil’s key nemeses and enduring villains in the third issue. The Owl was a seemingly harmless portly gent about whose evil schemes our hero swiftly learned to give a hoot. The Good Doctor Collection copy is above mid-grade and pence printed. The cover scene has rich colour and is totally unmarked, with minor edge and handling wear. There is a small crease near the bottom staple which does not break colour and a tiny dink to the top right corner, which again is non colour-breaking. A lovely clean copy with staples firm at spine and centrefold and supple white to off-white pages. Not even much corner blunting on this one. 
PICTURED: DAREDEVIL #3 FN- p £250 SOLD

*Marvel: The Totally Amazing Spider-Man Collection is a high grade and comprehensive run of Amazing Spider-Man. This week heralds #100, the Anniversary issue of Marvel’s solo super-star. Dated September 1971, this Stan Lee/Gil Kane epic features – behind an iconic John Romita cover – our tortured hero debating his roles in life, and endeavouring to choose, as the title suggests, between ‘The Spider… Or The Man?’ Ironically, the issue ends with him becoming an eerie amalgam of both! This is a great copy with rich colour cover and gloss, firm staples, nice off-white to white pages and virtually no wear. We’ve graded it down slightly since it’s printed a tiny smidgen off-true, with a tiny bit of spine white towards the bottom spine and bottom page edges again very slightly off-square. But these are very minor problems on an otherwise outstanding copy.
PICTURED: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #100 VF- £185 SOLD

*Marvel: In 1970, Marvel used the title Amazing Adventures for the second time to spotlight a comic initially shared between the Inhumans and the Black Widow, in a way formerly used by earlier split titles such as Tales Of Suspense. Amazing Adventures underwent many changes in its relatively brief existence, but the pedigree on the first issue was excellent, with Jack Kirby on the Inhumans and John Buscema on the Black Widow.
IN THIS UPDATE: AMAZING ADVENTURES
#1 FN/VF £50 (PICTURED) Sound copy with good gloss and colour, nice pages and firm staples. Very slight soft crease to upper right corner does not break colour and is barely noticeable. SOLD
#2 VF £17 SOLD
#9 GD/VG p £5.75
Many other issues available as listed in our catalogue.

*Collected Editions: We’re delighted to replenish our waning stocks of Modesty Blaise this week with seven of the first Titan series collected paperbacks reprinting her earliest adventures from the London Evening Standard. Modesty Blaise is the creation of Peter O’Donnell and Jim Holdaway; a classy reformed criminal with a crusading streak, Miss Blaise (and her platonic life-partner Willie Garvin) roam the world righting wrong and sometimes doing very bad things – but for very good reasons! Described by the lazy as ‘A female James Bond’, Modesty’s adventures have a sight more warmth, wit and humour than Ian Fleming’s famous creation. These collections feature the art of Holdaway and Romero.
IN THIS UPDATE: MODESTY BLAISE
DEATH OF A JESTER VF £17 (PICTURED) Contains The Green-Eyed Monster, Death Of A Jester, The Stone-Age Caper
THE HELL-MAKERS FN £15 (PICTURED) Contains The Galley Slaves, The Red Gryphon, The Hell-Makers SOLD
THE GABRIEL SET-UP VG/FN £10 Contains La Machine, The Long Lever, The Gabriel Set-Up, In The Beginning
THE IRON GOD VG £10 Contains The Wicked Gnomes, The Iron God SOLD
MISTER SUN VF/NM £20 (PICTURED) Contains Mister Sun, The Mind Of Mrs Drake, The Killing Ground
UNCLE HAPPY VG £10 Contains Uncle happy, Bad Suki
THE WARLORDS OF PHOENIX FN £17 (PICTURED) Contains Take Over, Warlords Of Phoenix, Willie The Djinn

*Boys’ Adventure & War Picture Libraries: Over a dozen later issues of the hugely popular and successful Thriller Picture Library added to our catalogue this week, featuring hit series such as Robin Hood, Spy 13, Dick Daring of the Mounties, John Steel, Battler Britton and sci-fi great Jet Ace Logan. Consult our catalogue for full details. 
PICTURED: THRILLER PICTURE LIBRARY #450 VG £10 SOLD

*Girls’ Picture Libraries: We’ve been very fortunate over the last few years to have been able to bring you a large volume of relatively obscure romance picture libraries, but here’s one that has mostly eluded even us — until now! Micron’s Romantic Adventure Library lasted an astonishing 1122 issues from 1962-1984, yet I don’t think we’ve ever had more than a handful of them through our hands. A batch of 15 fresh in this week from the late 1960s, between #337 and #408. They share a common livery with Micron’s Combat Picture Library of the same period: glossy covers with colour bands at top and bottom. Full details as always in our catalogue.
PICTURED: ROMANTIC ADVENTURE LIBRARY #337 VG/FN £4 SOLD

*DC: From 1959-1961, six issues of World’s Finest when the cover price was still ten cents. These are from the dawn of UK distribution and all are pence stamped copies. Lead stories starring Superman and Batman & Robin, of course, with pencils by either Dick Sprang or Curt Swan. Back-up stories of Tommy Tomorrow (art by Jim Mooney) and Green Arrow (art by Lee Elias). Oh for the days when you could get three quality stories all in one issue! Aliens and monsters abound. In #111, Green Arrow encounters the Clock King, in that villain’s first appearance. Batwoman guests in #117.
IN THIS UPDATE: WORLD’S FINEST ALL SOLD
#106 VG p £22 (PICTURED) Ragged top edge.
#107 GD p £11 Spine roll
#111 GD p £9 Lower Spine split
#112 VG+ p £19.75
#114 FA p £4.75 Long spine split
#117 FA/GD p £6.75 Cover detached

*Marvel: Many folks say – with justification – that Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat, was a Suspiciously Similar Substitute for DC’s Catwoman, created to give Spider-Man a ‘beloved enemy’ vibe and increase the romantic tension in the series. Probably true; but nevertheless, the Black Cat rapidly stepped away from her derivative roots, primarily owing to her low level probability manipulation – subconsciously causing ‘bad luck’ for people who opposed her – and the fact that although she’s frequently done heroic and noble things, she’s never completely shed her criminal ways. This copy of the Black Cat’s debut in Amazing Spider-Man #194 comes from the non-distributed ‘wilderness years’, so there are no pence variants of this issue. This is a beautiful copy, with great cover colour and gloss, sharp corners, clean white to off-white pages and firm staples at spine and centrefold. Just a few short horizontal stress marks at the spine between the staples (which do not break colour) determine a VF grade.
PICTURED: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #194 VF £325 SOLD

*Marvel: From the Good Doctor Collection: John Romita burst into the Marvel Silver Age with Daredevil #12, taking over the art from Wally Wood, and it wasn’t too long before he ‘graduated’ to Amazing Spider-Man, taking over there from Steve Ditko. Behind him on Daredevil, he left several lovely issues in his wake, including the Ka-Zar/Plunderer trilogy in #12-14 and a return engagement with the Ox in #15. All mid to higher grade copies here.
IN THIS UPDATE: DAREDEVIL
#12 VG p £26 SOLD
#13 FN+ p £65 (PICTURED) SOLD
#14 VG p £35
#15 FN+ £40 (PICTURED) SOLD