*DC: While it’s not strictly accurate to say that this game-changing issue was solely responsible for the transition to the ‘Dark Knight’ iteration of Batman – he had been becoming more serious in the preceding few years – this definitely distilled all the elements which would become the template for the Batman as we know him. By Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams, this tense murder mystery draws the reader in from the stunning cover, and keeps the tension mounted high as the Joker, stripped of the lingering miasma of the TV series, transformed from a buffoon into once again a first-ranking menace. One of the best comics of the 1970s, by almost everyone’s assessment. We are lucky enough to have not one, but two, copies of this in stock, which clearly show the range of values according to grade. Our first copy is outstanding: a tight and sharp VF+ copy, vivid cover colour and gloss, bright interior pages and firm staples. The only possible deterrent, if you’re really fussy, is a pence price stamp on the white field of the playing card, as may be seen in the cover scan. This copy is £400. Our second is a cents copy with no pence stamp, considerable wear at the cover edges, a small chip from the lower right cover corner, and a small fragment torn from the lower spine. That being said, the cover image is unmarred, and the interior pages are clean, off-white and unharmed. This FA/GD  copy is £50. SORRY, THESE HAVE NOW SOLD

*DC: For many years largely overlooked by collectors, the 1973 Shazam! series – DC’s reboot of the original Captain Marvel, who was put out of business by a protracted lawsuit from DC in the ’50s – is now riding high because of the smash-hit film starring Zachary Levi as Billy Batson’s supernaturally-powered alter ego. In 1973 C.C. Beck, co-creator of Fawcett Comics’ Captain Marvel, teamed up with contemporary writers to produce new stories of ‘The Big Red Cheese’. Beck was followed by other distinguished artists such as Kurt Schaffenberger and Bob Oksner, creating lighter, friendlier but imaginative adventures, from which, in large part, the sensibility of the film has been derived. We have most of Shazam’s 35-issue run new in stock, including an unbroken run of the first ten issues. Depicted is #1 VF- £65: for grades and prices on the others, see our online listing. SORRY, #1 NOW SOLD

*Marvel: In 1964, Peter Parker’s arachnid alter-ego was rewarded with his own Annual, and a thing of beauty it was: an all-new Lee & Ditko extravaganza, with a 41 page feature length lead story introducing the Sinister Six, an alliance of Spidey’s deadliest enemies: the Sandman, Mysterio, Electro, the Vulture, Doctor Octopus and Kraven the Hunter. As if that wasn’t enough, this massive tome also featured a plethora of pin-ups, a 9-page ‘Secrets of Spider-Man’ feature, and the startling secrets of ‘How Stan Lee and Steve Ditko Create Spider-Man’ – the latter presented with tongue firmly in cheek. Ditko’s art is at its finest here, as he breaks free of the constraints of the standard comic format to indulge in full-page panels and epic action galore. This copy of Amazing Spider-Man Annual – not commonplace in any grade – is a FN+, one small diagonal crease lower right cover corner, spine still firm though slightly worn at top and bottom edges, very light wear to cover edge, but the cover scene is unimpaired. A cents copy with no pence price or overstamp, it is on sale for £750. Front and back covers and splash page are shown here; high resolution images are available on request.

*Marvel: Thor had fallen into a rut of recycling of the same tired old tropes by (dare we say it?) the same tired old creators when writer/artist Walt Simonson took everyone by surprise, revitalising the series commencing with #337. This introduced the horse-faced alien thunder god Beta Ray Bill, a concept which should never have worked, but oddly caught on with readers at large, as well as debuting the Enchantress’ previously-unsuspected younger – and against all odds, wilier – sister, Lorelei. Simonson’s run on the series, bringing new life to the elder gods, remains hugely popular today, and this is the pivotal relaunch issue, Cents copy VF/NM at £65. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD

*Marvel: The Avengers, like many long-running series, has featured supporting characters who become breakout stars in their own right, and three such are presented here. In Avengers #144, the former teen humour star Patsy Walker (one of Marvel’s longest-serving characters, having debuted in 1944) was given a super-heroic makeover and became the Hellcat, death-defying (sometimes literally) adventuress who’s starred in several solo series. In #181, an associate of Tony Stark’s, one Scott Lang, made his first non-costumed appearance, shortly before he became the second (and arguably the most famous, having starred in two big-budget movie) Ant-Man! And in #196, having made a cameo appearance in the preceding issue, the first full appearance of the Taskmaster, one of Marvel’s most popular later villains, occurred. Issue #144 is VF+ £40, issue #181 is VF £30 and #196 is FN/VF £35. SORRY, #144 & #196 HAVE NOW SOLD

*Marvel: For those of you who prefer John Buscema’s art on the Fantastic Four to Jack Kirby’s (and we know you’re out there), we’re delighted to list a range of his issues new in and previously missing from our listings between #113 and #134. Included are the encounter with the Overmind, Galactus, the Silver Surfer and Gabriel, the first Thundra (#129) and a startling Steranko cover with issue #130.

*Miscellaneous 1940-1959: Two short-run crime series from the company which would become Marvel this update. Amazing Detective Cases ran from #3 to #14, commencing in 1950. Amazing Mysteries has the distinction of carrying from the numbering of Sub-Mariner’s original series with #32 in 1949, and ending with #35. Both of these are ‘transitional’ titles, straddling the gap between Timely and Atlas comics, and as such are still finding their direction, but the key tropes of excessive violence and still more excessive verbiage are firmly in play. Five issues of Amazing detective Cases are new in between issues #5 to #10, including #8 FN £41 (pictured), and a single issue of Amazing Mysteries, the photo-cover #34.

*War: Another of Atlas’ myriad war-themed series, 1952’s Men In Action featured Pre-Code brutality a’plenty in its pre-code nine-issue run, with illustrations by Heath, Maneely, Krigstein, Pakula, Robinson and Sinnott, a stellar line-up of talent. And a bit of Paul Reinman, but whoops. We have a complete run of Men In Action from #1 to #9. Pictured is #6 VG £23.

*Vintage Magazine-Sized Comics: In 1967, Larry Ivie had already been active in US comics fandom for several years, and decided to launch his own magazine, on higher-quality paper than the mimeoed or dittoed collations which were the norm. Monsters & Heroes had black & white interiors and full-colour covers, and, while focusing primarily on movie and occasional TV-related material, did also touch on comics, especially those which had been adapted into other media. Each issue also featured Ivie’s own art, illustrating various articles but also in large instalments of his Mac Raboy-influenced comic strip Altron-Boy. A curious hybrid of fanzine and early independent comic, we have what we believe to be the full run, 7 issues, of Monsters & Heroes in stock.

*Tarzan/ERB: With the worldwide popularity of Tarzan, the ERB estate was, in the mid-197Os, in the happy position of commissioning hundreds of pages of artwork and stories that initially saw print only in the European market – despite having been generated by American creators. UK publishers Byblos saw an opportunity to exploit this material by presenting it in English for the first time, and in 1977 launched Tarzan Weekly – followed, in fairly short order, by Tarzan Monthly. There are some impressive names among the creators credited in these issues: Dan Spiegle, Marv Wolfman, Will Meugniot, Russ Manning, Pat Boyette, Mike Ploog, Rick Hoberg, and Mark Evanier. We have the first issue of Tarzan Weekly, with the original free gift, a Survival Sick-Bag – I’m sorry, Tarzan Survival Kit Bag – for your protection when wandering the wilds of the Dark Continent! This is available in two grades; VF with Free Gift VF (£7.50, pictured) and FN with Free Gift VF £6. In addition, we have Tarzan Monthly #1 from 1977, and the 1980 Tarzan Autumn Special. SORRY, BOTH WEEKLY #1s NOW SOLD

*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: Three debut issues this update. Battle – Battle Picture Weekly, to give it its full title – brought a new take to the traditional war weekly when it launched in 1975, a darker and grimmer contrast to the usual anodyne heroics. Although controversial, this proved hugely popular with the readership, carrying the title from 1975 to 1988, close to 700 issues. Buddy was a 1981 launch from DC Thomson, rebooting many of their old adventure franchises such as the Iron Fish, General Jumbo and Billy the Cat with new look stories, achieving a respectable 100-plus run before folding into Victor in 1983. And Tornado, though it lasted only 22 issues in 1979, brought ‘The Mind of Wolfie Smith’ ‘Blackhawk’ (not the DC one) and ‘Captain Klep’ to life, series which had a much longer run when Tornado merged with 2000 AD. Tornado #1 is VG £15; Buddy #1 FN £8; and Battle #1 is FN £20. As a bonus, this week we also offer Battle #2 GD with free gift poster GD at £15. SORRY, THESE HAVE NOW SOLD

*Humour Comics: The relatively short-lived Shiver & Shake Weekly nevertheless generated a number of Specials, and three are new to our lists. The very first Shiver & Shake Special, oddly enough, was a Christmas Special for 1973, rather than the usual Summer or Holiday Specials (FN/VF £30), but the pachyderm & poltergeist co-hosts soon fell into line, with Holiday Specials for 1975 (VF £30), and 1976 (VF £30). These are attractive high grade copies of scarce items, usually discarded by parents when returning from holidays, so not turning up very frequently. Frankie Stein, Horrornation Street, Grimly Feendish and more await you! SORRY, THESE HAVE NOW SOLD

On a regular cycle, we sweep through our entire stock to delete sold items and keep our listing as up to date as possible. We’ve just finished deleting sold items from the following files in our American section:
*Horror 1940-1959
*Horror/Mystery 1960-1980s
As of the time of writing, these categories are bang up to date, with every item listed available.

*DC: Of Kirby’s ‘Fourth World’ series at DC, Mister Miracle was the best received by the readership at large, due to its relatable protagonist, who, despite his extraterrestrial origins, was an amiable if highly-skilled Everyman. But the pace really picked up with issue #4, when we were introduced to Scott’s old flame, Big Barda, former leader of the Female Furies of the hellworld Apokalips. The tough, no-nonsense Barda contrasted with Scott’s gentler affable persona, and the dynamic brought the characters lasting popularity, the occasional ‘dramatic’ attempt to separate them being met with universal disdain. This copy of Barda’s first appearance is a VF cents copy, no pence price or overstamp; bright colours, tight staples, superb interiors, and only slight blunting of the lower right corner and a very faint crease at the top left corner of the spine bringing it to a mere VF. On sale at £175. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD

*DC: From the 1950s, two classic anthologies this week featuring Smallville’s Favourite Son – Man and Boy! Superman, of course, was the lead feature in Action Comics from its beginning , and 1957’s Action #233 brought us one of the more charming Superman adventures when our hero travelled to Borgonia, the ‘Land of One Million Supermen!’; other features this issue included Congo Bill (pre-gorillafication), and Tommy Tomorrow. Superman’s adventures as a boy, meanwhile, had been occupying Adventure Comics since the late 1940s, and 1953’s Adventure #188 brought us yet another of Pa Kent’s wacky alter egos, as ‘The Bullfighter From Smallville!’, backed up by Green Arrow, Johnny Quick and Aquaman in a vintage super-hero showcase. Action #233 is VG+, with light lower corner cover creases and a small tear at the lower cover edge, but bright colours and excellent interiors. On sale at £87. Adventure #188 is VG, lightly glued spine, patch of erasure at upper right cover corner and, again, a small tear mid-cover edge, but extremely well-presenting; on sale at £75.

*Marvel: In the distant days of 1975, the X-Men, once mainstays of the Marvel Universe, were a spent force. Reduced to a bi-monthly reprint comic and occasional guest-appearances, the merry mutants were without a home to call their own. Then two of Marvel’s young turks of the time, Len Wein and Dave Cockrum, changed all that. In Giant-Size X-Men #1, the original X-Men were captured, and Professor X assembled a team of international mutants, some known to the readers (Sunfire, Banshee, and Wein’s own creation, Wolverine, who had made his debut in Hulk #181) and some brand new (Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler and Thunderbird), and sent them out to rescue their mutant brethren. The ‘New’ X-Men were an instant hit: the team was restored to all-new adventures, and on their way to becoming the multi-media stars they are today! We are delighted to have the first appearance of the ‘New’ X-Men back in stock – the Giant-Size issues never being distributed in the UK, GSXM #1’s already cult collector status is exacerbated by its scarcity on this side of the pond. Our newest GSXM #1 is an exceptional VF+; cover tight and correctly aligned (these squarebounds tend to slip sometimes in the gluing process, resulting in offcuts and crooked alignments.) The condition of the spine is generally excellent, with minimal wear at lower and upper ends. Interior pages clean and bright, white cover background unmarred, no creases, pressure marks or discolouration. VF+, on sale at £1,350. Front & back covers and splash page shown here; high resolution scans are available on request. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD

*Marvel: After a significant hiatus, Doctor Strange returned to the Marvel Universe with the Defenders, followed by a run as the lead in Marvel Premiere, which proved so successful that his own series was relaunched with a new #1 (back in the days when that sort of thing didn’t happen every other week, you understand). The team of Steve Englehart and Frank Brunner, who had done such outstanding work in returning the Doc to form, continued on into the new series, and this copy of #1 is both a tribute to their talents and an outstanding example condition-wise, clean and bright with creamy interior pages and only very faint wear at the outer cover edge. We have graded this as VF, and it can be yours for £75. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD

*Marvel: For a visually-impaired gentleman, Matt Murdock did put it about a lot; for a while in the 1980s and 1990s, every second plotline involved a Woman From His Past, with attendant complications. But by far the most memorable of these was Elektra, the tormented assassin whose conflicted relationship with our hero struck so deep a chord with readers that even after she died, she was brought back (twice) by popular demand. Now appearing in DD’s Netflix show, Elektra has lived down the stigma of her terrible movie, and is once again a major figure in the MU. Written and drawn by the acclaimed and controversial Frank Miller, this copy of Elektra’s debut is a beautiful VF+, cents copy, with only very slight blunting of the corners preventing a higher grade. On sale at £75.

*Marvel: A further update to everyone’s favourite urban vigilante: Frank Castle aka the Punisher. Starting off with issues from the 1986 mini-series, we progress to a couple of dozen issues from the 1988 ongoing series between #13 & #40.

*Marvel: A selection of plus-sized Avengers issues, kicking off with their first Annual (‘Special’ on the cover but don’t be deceived), with the new and old teams joining forces against a sinister sextet of super-villains; Annual #7 sees the team in the hands of Jim Starlin, embroiled in the very first cosmic Thanos saga, spilling over from Captain Marvel’s mag and guest-starring the Captain himself; Annual #10 (pictured VF/NM £45) features the debut of Rogue, later a key member of the Uncanny X-Men; Giant-Size Avengers #1 brings us the return (kind of) of the All-Winners Squad and the first of many origins for Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch and Giant-Size Avengers #5… reprints Avengers Annual #1; so we come full circle.

*Horror 1940-1959: Resting our Atlas horror updates for a week – still more to come, folks! – we turn our attention to one of the 1950s more notorious publishers, Harvey Comics. Best remembered today for their barrage of juvenile titles starring Richie Rich and company, Harvey were at one point prominent players in the horror field, with their mystery titles being acknowledged as gorier than Atlas’, but approaching the artistic quality of EC’s. Chamber of Chills was illustrated by such craftsmen as Lee Elias, Bob Powell, Howard Nostrand and Bob Fujitani, and the covers are among some of the most iconic of the genre. We have a selection of Chamber of Chills from #6 to #25, complete but low-grade copies at very affordable prices. Illustrated is lucky #13 FA/GD £26.

*Western: Credit where it’s due, despite having an unfortunate ‘redface’ leading character in Apache Kid (a white man who pretended to be a Native American), Atlas did also attempt to have authentic Native American protagonists – one such was Arrowhead, and another was Red Warrior, son of Comanche chief Grey Eagle, who starred in his own series for six issues from 1951. Although rather unfortunately (in retrospect) subtitled ‘Tales From The Land Of The Redmen!’, the series did at least try for a different perspective on the Western tale. We have five of the six-issue run, lacking only #3, new in stock. Issue #1 GD+ £25, is pictured; grades and prices on the rest, as always, in our online listings.

*Vintage Magazine-Sized Comics: Fresh into stock this week, a near complete run (from #3 up to the final issue #34) of Marvel’s 1980 ‘Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction’: Epic Illustrated. The artists present read like a Who’s Who of those prominent in this field at thew time: Adams, Austin, Bode, Bolton, Boris, Brunner, Buscema, Byrne, Chaykin, Corben, Frazetta, Golden, Jones, Kaluta, Nebres, Reece, Russell, Simonson, Smith, Starlin, Steranko, Williamson, Wrightson and others. Issue #3 features the 1st appearance of Jim Starlin’s Dreadstar.  

*Power Comics: After initial forays with Wham and Smash incorporating some Marvel heroes into their more traditional line-ups, Power Comics decided in in 1967 to launch two nicer-quality paper weeklies, Fantastic and Terrific, devoted almost entirely to Marvel. Fantastic featured Thor, Iron Man and the X-Men, and Terrific starred the Avengers, Doctor Strange, and Sub-Mariner – all re-pasted and occasionally edited to eliminate confusing American idioms! We have new stocks of Fantastic from #17, and of Terrific from its very first issue, VG £30.

*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: Two different debuts of series that were acclaimed or long-running: in 1975, Fleetway/IPC repackaged several of its cult adventure strips – Mytek the Mighty, the Spider, Kelly’s Eye, Robot Archie, Trigan Empire and more – in Vulcan, a slick-paper weekly in a faux-America size, smaller than the traditional British comic. Though well-received by critics, Vulcan didn’t catch the public eye, and its national run lasted fewer issues than its Scottish ‘trial’. Eagle Mk. II, on the other hand, launched in 1982, and despite criticism from fans of the original series, endured for more than a decade to 1994’s 505th issue. We have copies of both first issues new in: Vulcan we offer two copies, both FA at £5, with different drawbacks; one has a small lower spine tear, the other a larger lower cover tear. We also have Eagle series 2 #1 FN with Free Gift ‘Space Spinner’ NM at £20 and issue #2 FN with Free Gift Eagle Badge NM £15.