*Alan Class Reprints: We have now secured direct from Alan Class himself the final Printing Plate sets which accompany his comics reprinting classics from the early days of Marvel. We’re launching this unique event with the most famous and in-demand Alan Class title of them all: Creepy Worlds #32, reprinting Fantastic Four #1 (cover and content).

So, you’ve got all the Marvel Comics there are? Actually — no, because this set comprises not only the comic Creepy Worlds #32, rare and highly sought after in its own right, but also the four colour cover lead plates produced by Alan Class used to print the cover, and a certificate of authenticity hand-signed by the publisher. As such, this is a one of a kind item, absolutely the only one there is.

In common with some other Alan Class issues we’ve seen, this copy of Creepy Worlds #32 features several small but significant differences from the final cover image of Fantastic Four #1 as it was originally published. The image is wider, showing more of the car the Thing is pushing aside; Sue’s word balloon has been repositioned; the ‘Featuring’ Box at the cover’s right has been dropped, obscuring parts of the shopfronts which are visible on FF #1’s cover; and the pedestrians/bystanders on the cover’s right differ – there are only three of them as opposed to five, and one is posed completely differently from FF #1 (Actually stepping on Reed’s word balloon!).

While the balloon and blurb repositioning could be explained as necessary accommodations to the different logos, the artistic differences are trickier to explain. Alan has said that his comics were taken reproduced from stats sent over from America, and we suspect, though we cannot confirm, that the cover stats were taken from the original art pre-correction, so that, although this version appeared after FF #1, it’s actually an older version of the drawing.

The comic itself is graded VG; the squarebound spine is sound, with minimal wear at upper and lower edges, but no missing pieces. Interior pages all firmly attached, no looseness or wear. There are two light diagonal creases, barely visible, on the front cover, not breaking cover colour, and a light patch of foxing visible on the white cover parts between the creature’s right elbow and the Torch’s head. Again, not deep enough to mar the cover image. Cover colours are bright and vivid, and there’s quite a bit of cover gloss. The lead printing plates show how the cover was built up in its various colours and all bear vivid residue of the (dry) coloured inks used.

This unique set, comic, four printing plates, and Certificate of Authenticity signed by publisher Alan Class, are priced at £1,500. Images are shown below, comprising front and back cover and splash page (high resolution images available on request) plus the four plates.

More Marvelous Alan Class Printing Plate sets coming soon!