For our next window display, the cunning Dr. Evilla has come up with ‘The Seven Pillars of Comics’, seven columns each festooned with a distinct theme showcasing the variety of genres and themes represented by our medium. Visitors to our shop may wish to entertain themselves by trying to work out the theme of each pillar; online viewers will have to content themselves with the overall visual effect as shown here.
Category Archives: What’s New
What’s Old: Very High Grade Journey Into Mystery with Thor
A couple of years or so ago we had in a very high grade complete Silver Age run of Thor from Journey Into Mystery #83 upwards. Most of these, including the first appearance in JIM #83 are now long sold, but we’d like to draw your attention to the few that are left. Left: JIM #88 VF+ £625; Right: #92 VF+ £350, #93 VF/NM £540; Left to right below: #95 VF+ £400, #97 VF+ £390, #99 VF/NM £380, #100 VF+ £265, #109 VF/NM £485. Plus there are a handful of other early issues at better than VF as well. Thor fans (and we know there are huge amounts of you out there) may never get another chance to own such lovely, superior copies.
American Update: Flash #105 – First Silver Age issue
*DC: Following his appearances in the tryout title Showcase, Barry Allen, the Flash, was awarded his own series, the first issue of which was dated March 1959. However, due to the vagaries of newsstand distribution (the only circulation for comics at that time), it was numbered not #1, but #105, continuing the number from the defunct Flash Comics anthology from a decade earlier! The rationale was that newsvendors, seeing a number ‘1’ on the cover, would assume there was no demand because it was ‘new’, and would frequently return bundles of first issues back to the warehouse without attempting to sell them! This, despite the numbering, is the first issue of Barry Allen’s title, and features the very first appearance of the Mirror Master, a long-standing nemesis who was to become a major player in the Flash’s Rogue’s Gallery. This is a FA copy. The spine is brittle, resulting in most interior pages being separated or loose. The cover is detached, and there is a lower cover spine split, as well as a small discolouration in the region of what we shall euphemistically refer to as Barry’s ‘lower torso’. Nevertheless, this is, at £300, an affordable copy of the premier issue of one of the Silver Age’s iconic figures. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: The World’s Greatest Super-Heroes! Justice League of America from #6 to #200, hugely restocked
*DC: In 1960, DC assembled its all-star team, a revival of the Golden Age Justice Society; the Justice League of America has been consistently one of DC’s strongest sellers, and never out of publication. We are delighted to welcome a massive update of the first series of this classic title, issue numbers ranging from #6 to #200, with highlights including many cross-overs with the legendary Justice Society, and special issues where new members are admitted to the team (Phantom Stranger, Elongated Man, Red Tornado, Zatanna and Firestorm in this sequence). This update of around 150 new entries skews heavily towards the #90 + range, many of which, owing to the spotty state of distribution in the 1970s and 1980s, are now hard to find in the UK. Condition tends to average VG.
American Update: Deathstroke the Terminator – 1990s series new in
*DC: From time to time we like to spotlight additions to our copious downstairs stock of modern comics – generally too recent to individually list. One such recent addition is the first 31 issues (and first Annual) of Deathstroke the Terminator, the anti-hero who span out of the 1980s phenomenally successful New Teen Titans series. Now a major component of the DC TV Universe, in ‘Arrow’ and elsewhere, Deathstroke (having dropped the ‘Terminator’ sobriquet following Arnold Schwarzenegger’s people saying ‘Oi!’) has had several subsequent series, but this was his first solo flight, scripted by his co-creator Marv Wolfman.
American Update: Spider-Mania: Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 – Debut of the Sinister Six
*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. Not a single reprint in the issue, folks! 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 is a VG+ cents copy of this highly-sought item, on sale at £375. There is a 1″ tape to the lower spine, and a crease on the back cover, but these minor flaws in no way impinge upon the story, and merely prevent this highly attractive copy from being a still higher grade.
American Update: Hulk #182 – 3rd Wolverine Appearance
*Marvel: The Canadian super-hero who would become the breakout star of the ‘New’ X-Men and redefine the Marvel Universe made an inauspicious debut in three issues of the Hulk. This is the final one, #182, with a cameo appearance by Logan, bidding the Hulk a grudging farewell as our Jade Giant faced the threat of Hammer & Anvil! This historic early appearance is highly sought-after, being ND in the UK, and this copy is a respectable VG+, with moderate corner and edge wear but decent interiors and unimpeded cover scene, on sale at £45. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: Silver/Bronze Marvel sweep T-Z
*Marvel: A chunky run through the rump end of the Marvel alphabet, with new additions for the Thing, Thor (lots of these from #181-225, including the first Firelord in #225 VF £35), Wolverine (1988 series, including classic grey Hulk cover #8 NM £28, Sabretooth battle #10 FN+ £10) and X-Men, including some reprint issues between #80 and #87, a handful of issues from #160 to #219 (#201 1st Cable as baby VF/NM £20.25) and a batch of annuals from #5 to #11.
American Update: Archie’s Adventures Of The Fly/Fly-Man – cult series restocked
*Archie: While Archie Comics are of course best known for their plethora of teen-comedy titles focused on their titular star, the publishers also have a stable of super-heroes whose history dates back as far as 1940. In the late Fifties, the company made their first serious attempt at a revival (the original runs having petered out more than a decade previously) with creations from the legendary Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. The Adventures of the Fly was once such, initially reminiscent of the original Captain Marvel (plucky orphan gains magical artefact enabling him to become a super-adult), but after the first few issues Simon & Kirby jumped ship, and Thomas Troy was retooled into an adult attorney, rapidly gaining both a distaff counterpart and romantic interest in Fly-Girl and a mystical enemy in the dishy but deadly Cat Girl. Illustrated at first by John Giunta then John Rosenberger, his adventures became engagingly reminiscent of the Silver Age Superman, with the occasional guest-shot by former Golden Age returnees the Black Hood and the Comet. Cancelled with issue #30, the series returned with #31 as Fly-Man, and switched from a competent and entertaining swipe of the Superman franchise to a legendarily clanking, tone-deaf and inept impersonation of the Marvel style, universally derided yet admired as some of the most amusingly bad comics ever made. Buy the first series, and be charmed and gently entertained; buy the second, and listen to the sound of your brains dribbling out of your ears. You have been warned… Illustrated is Simon & Kirby’s issue #2 GD+ £25. A completely updated list of our Fly/Fly-Man stock may be found in our catalogue.
American Update: Bring Out Your Walking Dead! Top Up of More Recent Issues
*Miscellaneous 1960 Onwards: Although a bit ‘modern’ by our usual measure, the phenomenal multi-media success of the Walking Dead cannot be denied, as the hit TV show has shambled into its eighth series (or ‘season’, as our cousins in the New World term it), and the comic book adventures of Rick Grimes and his post-apocalyptic posse continue unabated. We have a selection of more recent issues in to augment our early inventory, issue numbers ranging from #136 to #176, with the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s 2012 Liberty Annual – featuring a non-reprint Walking Dead story – as a ‘chaser’.
British Update: Marvelous Alan Class Reprints: 1st Thor in Suspense #35
*Alan Class Reprints: Another hidden gem from the Alan Class series of reprints is issue #35 of Suspense, which features, in the back of the book, “The Stone Men From Saturn” by Lee and Kirby, as it appeared in Journey Into Mystery #83! The first appearance of Thor, God of Thunder, one of the pivotal characters in the Marvel Universe, this has gone largely unnoticed because the publisher didn’t use the original cover, and went instead with “The Blotting Threat”. Oh, well. Although the Alan Class publications were not dated (and Alan’s own memory is imprecise), we believe this may be the first ever reprinting of this origin story! This is a FN+ copy with only minor spine roll (largely attributable, we think, to the glue in the spine contracting over the decades), but lovely bright interior pages and tight corners. FN+, on sale at £35. You’ll find this in our regular Alan Class Reprints listings. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
British Update: First Quenchers Plus Free Gift Farrago: Forces In Combat #1-3
*Marvel UK: In the latter days of Marvel’s UK operations, they had pretty much strip-mined their longer-running series to reprint, but still needed new titles to be launched to stimulate sales. This resulted in some… eclectic combinations of characters, one of the most esoteric (or ‘desperate’, your mileage may vary) arose in Forces In Combat in 1980. Cut and pasted into three or four-page instalments, the bewildered readership was treated to, in rapid succession, Sgt. Fury, Rom Space Knight, Rawhide Kid, Machine Man, Kull the Conqueror, and Master of Kung Fu, a smorgasbord of series originally published in three separate decades, all linked ostensibly by the ‘Combat’ theme. With the free gift stickers of military vehicles, it’s as if they planned a war comic, but suddenly realised they didn’t have enough strips to fill it! Most inexplicable, though certainly not unwelcome, was the colour centre feature of ‘Wulf the Briton’ by Ron Embleton, originally presented in ‘TV Express’ the better part of thirty years previously. This cornucopia of curiosities can be yours: the first three issues (#1 VG, #2 FN, #3 FN), with original Free Gifts (#1 FN, #2VF, #3 VF) at £15 each. SORRY, THESE HAVE NOW SOLD
British Update: A Plethora of Picture Libraries – War, Lion, Valiant, Thriller and more
*Boys’ Adeventure & War Picture Libraries: Around 100 Picture Libraries new to our inventory, including popular and long-running series such as War (from #13), Lion (from #40), Valiant (from #46), and Thriller (from #86), together with short-run and relatively obscure titles including Heroic Adventure, and the Secret Agent and Spy 13 Holiday/Summer Specials!
British Update: Dateline 2066: TV Century 21 – Thunderbirds Are Go!
*TV & Film Related Comics: Continuing our massive restock of the classic Gerry Anderson-based weekly, TV Century 21, we move to its second year of publication, 1966 – or ‘2066’, as they cover-billed it – where Thunderbirds reigned supreme! Anderson’s greatest commercial TV show, ‘Thunderbirds’ was enhanced by the superlative artwork of Frank Bellamy in the lavish full-colour centrespread strip, and the lads of International Rescue dominated this year’s covers, particularly as they moved towards the release of the ‘Thunderbirds’ feature film. This is a substantial though not complete run, commencing with #54 and ending with #102, mostly in affordable mid grades, and with many duplicated copies to provide an option for different tastes and budgets. Illustrated is #77 FN at £25; all others may be reviewed in our online catalogue.
British Update: Bring On The Bunty Part 2: 1966-1968
*Girls’ Comics: The second and (for now) final part of our huge Bunty update, with a big chunk of 1966 and most of 1967 and 1968 added to our listings (previously we had virtually nothing from these 3 years). Enjoy with us the shenanigans of Bunty, the Four Marys and co in the longest-running and most famous Girls’ comic of them all.
Housekeeping Update
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
*Romance
*Teen Humour/Funny Girls
*War
*Western
and in our American/British section:
*Undergrounds
and in our British section:
*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics (V)
As of the time of writing, these categories are bang up to date, with every item listed available.
Easter Opening Hours
This Easter, we’re following our normal pattern: we’ll be open normal hours on Good Friday and Easter Saturday, and closed on Easter Sunday & Monday.
American Update: Showcase #34 – Debut & Origin Silver Age Atom
*DC: Following the success of DC’s revivals of the Flash and Green Lantern, another Golden Age hero was reinvented in Showcase #34 (October 1961). Whereas the Golden Age Atom was decidedly B-List – just a short guy who overcompensated by punching people a lot – the Silver Age Atom was given a sci-fi spin. Writer Gardner Fox created Ray Palmer, who upon discovering white dwarf matter, makes a suit out of it which enables him to control his size and density, shrinking as far as subatomic level (though his usual ‘fighting height’ was around 6″), while retaining his full-grown strength. It was a nonsensical concept, but Fox’s imagination and creativity – not to mention the glorious artwork of Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson – sold it to readers, and the ‘Tiny Titan’ gained his own series in short order, joining the Justice League of America soon after and becoming a mainstay of the DCU to this very day, where he helms the ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ TV series. This copy of the Atom’s premier appearance is a superior FN- cents copy with no UK price stamp or overprint, firm staples, deep cover colour with one short, light diagonal crease mid-cover edge. Flexible off-white interior pages. While many dealers would grade this even higher, we have marked it down slightly because of a minor pen mark on the bottle of our hero’s opponent on the front cover, which may be seen in the illustration. Nonetheless, a superior copy of a key issue, on sale at £300. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: Bumper Batmania finale!
DC: We conclude this round of our Batmania updates with a bumper selection from Batman, Batman Family, Brave & Bold & Detective Comics. Batman issues run from #183 (2nd Poison Ivy FN £34 pictured) up to #423, taking in Catwoman, Joker, Penguin and Two-Face appearances, issues with Neal Adams art and many 100 page issues. Batman Family is represented by #1. Brave & Bold runs from #74 to #117, including Neal Adams Deadman team-ups, a Joker cover story (#111) and again many 100 page issues. A couple of low grade 1950s Detectives (#204 & #206) are supplemented by many issues from #402 to #445, once again including Neal Adams art (e.g. #408 FN+ £29 pictured) and even more 100 page issues, as well as the first modern age Manhunter by Walt Simonson in #437. Never fear, the streets of Putney will soon be safe once again when the Caped Crusader returns to our updates!
American Update: X-Men #1 (1963) – Debuts of X-Men, Professor X & Magneto
*Marvel: “In the Sensational Fantastic Four Style”, boasted the cover of X-Men #1, and they weren’t kidding – Stan Lee and Jack Kirby hit the ground running with the fast-paced, addictive tale of a school for the gifted, a place for young mutants to train to serve and protect the greater world, primarily against less scrupulous mutants with equal or greater powers. Very different from the X-Men as they are internationally known today, this issue brought us the First Five X-Men – the Angel, the Beast, Cyclops, Iceman and Marvel Girl – their mentor Professor X, and their greatest enemy, the malevolent Magneto! While suffering a bit from ‘early instalment weirdness’ (the Beast talks like a bruiser, a la the Thing, without his legendary locquacious logorrhea; Marvel Girl is one of the more powerful and competent members of the team, quite unlike the wimp she swiftly became), the pieces were in place for the multi-media phenomenon the team would later expand into. One of the most in-demand debuts of Marvel’s Silver Age, this is a Fair copy, cents, with no UK stamp or overprint. There is tape on the front and back covers, it has been restapled, and there is a small piece off the lower back cover corner. Interiors are clean and unmarred. FA at £800. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: New Mutants #98 (1st Deadpool) VF/NM p £190
*Marvel: A title we mostly don’t list in our catalogue is New Mutants, but there are a couple of significant issues which are exceptions, and one of them is #98, the debut of not only everyone’s favourite Merc-With-A-Mouth and blockbuster movie star, Deadpool, but also the very first appearance of the probability-manipulating assassin Domino – now co-starring in Deadpool 2! Although Deadpool as presented in this issue is very different in tone from his later more popular appearances, this is where it all began, and this copy, a pence printed edition, is on sale in VF/NM at £190. Chances to get this item unslabbed are getting scarcer as people join in with the speculator bandwagon, so grab your copy now – competition will be keen!
American Update: Spider-Mania: Todd McFarlane’s Spider-Man #1 (1990) – Platinum Variant
*Marvel: Ah, the 1990s, when all taste and reason fled. An age of speculation, with publishers printing multiple variants in a gaudy kaleidoscope of embossed, metallic and hologramatic flummery. Viz and to wit: Todd McFarlane’s Spider-Man, with allegedly over 2 million copies shifted of the #1. With the enormous sales of this issue, Marvel decided to reward retailers with a “Platinum” variant and chose a thicker cover for a “quality” feel; ironically, the paper stock did not work well with the printing process, giving rise to multiple problems, including colour breakage on the spine. The estimated print run for the Platinum variant is around 10,000, with 7,000 given as gifts to retailers for making Spider-Man #1 “the most successful comic in history” the other 3,000 were apparently sold off in bulk later. This copy does not have the letter of thanks from Marvel, and, while a perfectly presentable copy, it has some notable wear at the spine and the back cover bears several ‘scuff’ markings in its otherwise all-black background – nothing a Poundland bingo marker wouldn’t fix. Nevertheless, the interiors are immaculate, and the front cover scene unimpeded except for very minor colour cracks in the upper left cover corner. Given that this can go for insane money elsewhere, we’ve elected for moderation, dubbing it VG at £50. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: Cosmic Odysseys with Captain Marvel, including early Thanos appearances
*Marvel: A significant restock of Marvel’s Space-Born Superhero this update, a range from issue #2 to issue #59 of his eponymous series. Featuring the talents of, at various times, Gene Colan, Gil Kane, and Pat Broderick, Cap was always a solid read, but of course his reputation skyrocketed when Jim Starlin took over and made him the Marvel Universe’s Cosmic Defender. This range of issues includes several Starlin numbers including the second, third and fourth appearances of Thanos, who, discerning readers will be aware, is the Big Bad in the forthcoming Avengers/Guardians of the Galaxy cinematic blockbuster. As a bonus, a couple of the issues in the run also have Jim Starlin signatures – no Certificates of Authenticity, sorry, but you can print those yourselves off the Internet! Pictured are #26 FN+ p £30 and 28 VF- £40; details of the rest may be seen in our online catalogue.
American Update: Marvel Silver/Bronze Sweep – Affordable All-Star Artists Update
*Marvel: Our Marvel boxes are invigorated this week by a Silver & Bronze age sweep primarily of classic Marvel titles in affordable mid to low grades, featuring the assembled talents of Adams, Wood, Steranko, Kirby, Colan, Ditko and Smith, in series such as Avengers (from #21), Captain America (from #111), Daredevil (from #11), Fantastic Four (from #74), Hulk (from #107), Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD (from #8), Tales to Astonish (from #52, 1st villainous Black Knight), Thor (from #155, and Journey into Mystery Annual #1, in which Marvel’s Hercules makes his roistering debut!), and the X-Men (from #53), as well as light touches on later titles such as Ghost Rider, Marvel Spotlight (2nd series), and Marvel Classics Comics from #1!
American Update: Hi-Yo, Silver! The Lone Ranger (and Tonto) from 1949 to 1967
*Western: One of the most famous Western heroes of all time, the Lone Ranger has had a long and distinguished career in multiple media including comics; his four-colour adventures began in 1948 (following his debut on the radio in 1933), and ran for decades, still – after several short sabbaticals – being published today. We have some early mid-grade Lone Rangers in, commencing with Dell’s #16 (1949) and ending with #69 (1954), then #6 of the Gold Key title from 1967, and the solo series of the Ranger’s faithful companion, Tonto, from 1952’s #5 to 1957’s #26.
British Update: Quirky Corner: Marvelous Alan Class – (Most of) Tales of Suspense #39 in Sinister Tales #23
*Alan Class Reprints: Well, here’s an oddity. Alan Class issues with reprints of the early Marvel super-hero sagas tend to go for higher prices, as very often they’re actually the first reprintings of the stories. Here we have Sinister Tales #23, which reprints Iron Man’s origin from the illustrious Tales of Suspense #39, including a signed Alan Class certificate. However, while the Iron Man tale – and a Lee & Ditko mystery short, “Little Green Men” – are complete, most of the rest of this issue’s contents have been cut out of the comic, presumably having been deemed irrelevant by a space-saving previous owner! What remains would otherwise pass as Fine condition, and it is historically important, but unlike most of our inventory this is being sold as an incomplete item, so let the buyer be aware. We are selling this for £30, and frankly a bit cheeky asking even that, but in a world where individual slabbed pages from Hulk #181 sell regularly, well, who are we to fight the insanity? SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
British Update: Wolverine’s Early Appearances reprinted in Mighty World of Marvel
*Marvel UK: Key Marvel issues reprinted in British publications have become very sought after collectables in recent years, and have risen in price significantly. Such an example is Mighty World Of Marvel #197 & #198, reprinting Wolverine’s first cameo appearance from Hulk #180, and the first half of the ‘Full Wolvy’ from Hulk #181. These issues sliced the original stories in half, slapped a new splash page (don’t get too excited, it’s usually Ron Wilson) on the second segment, and gave readers all the black & white excitement they could stand! MWOM #197 (1st Wolvy cameo) is VF at £25, #198 FN £50. SORRY, THESE HAVE NOW SOLD
British Update: Eagle Annuals – Run of Early Volumes from the first
*Annuals: Following the smash success of Eagle weekly, the first Eagle Annual was released in 1951 (for 1952) in time to catch the lucrative Christmas gift market. These hardcover volumes were initially numbered, rather than dated, to set them aside from the rank & file, and the first nine volumes had identical cover livery, with only the numbers differentiating them to the casual eye. Inside, new stories of Dan Dare, PC 49, Harris Tweed, Riders of the Range and more abounded, mixed with the educational and ‘How To’ features that were Eagle’s stock in trade. We have all but volumes 2 and 5 of the first ten Eagle Annuals back in stock, a splendid representation of the most prestigious boys’ weekly of the 1950s. Volume 1 (pictured) is VG at £50; details of the others may be viewed in our online catalogue.
British Update: The Lion’s ‘Spider’, and the Albion: Origins Collections
*Collected Editions: Two handsome hardcovers reprinting some of the most-loved adventure characters from IPC/Fleetway’s back catalogue: ‘Albion: Origins’ collects the first adventures of ‘Kelly’s Eye’, ‘Janus Stark’, ‘Cursitor Doom’ and the ‘House of Dolmann’ behind a striking Brian Bolland cover, and ‘King of Crooks’ (which may be found in our listing under ‘Spider’, though it wasn’t allowed that on the cover for fear of copyright conflicts) collects the villain/reluctant hero from the pages of Lion weekly, originally co-created by Ted Cowan and artist Reg Bunn, but later written by Superman’s creator Jerry Siegel! These are both Hardcovers with dustjackets, in VF condition at £15 each. SORRY, THESE HAVE NOW SOLD
British Update: First Quenchers with Free Gift Farrago: Score ‘n’ Roar – #1 FN with VF/NM Free Gift
*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: Following the success of 1969’s Whizzer & Chips launch, the USP of ‘two comics in one!’ with an inbuilt rivalry proved so popular that publishers IPC/Fleetway went back to the well with Score ‘n’ Roar, two football comics in one – neither of which had existed previously as an independent entity. The rivalry aspect was provided by brothers, ‘Jack of United’ and ‘Jimmy of City’, who played for opposing teams – and in rival halves of the comic! Other strips included young prodigy goalie ‘Peter the Cat’, supernatural striker ‘Phantom of the Forest’ and obligatory comedy team of ne’er-do-wells, ‘The Mudlarks’. This copy of Score n’ Roar is an attractive FN, with the original Free Gift – Football League Tables 1970-1971 – VF/NM, not punched out or assembled. Comic and gift together available for £80. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
British Update: Eagle Volume 8
*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: Another excellent top-up to our stocks of vintage Eagle following recent strong sales. This time it’s Volume 8 from 1957, with every issue added, mostly in GD grade.
British Update: An ABC of Picture Libraries – Air Ace, Battle, Combat and More
*Boys’ Adventure & War Picture Libraries: Commencing a substantial top-up of our Boys’ Picture Library stock, we open with everything pre-Commando: Around a dozen Air Ace from #8 onward, just under 30 Battle commencing with #14, and a small but sought-after selection of Combat from #2 up. Backing these up are smaller updates of one or two copies of shorter-run series; Action War, Attack, and Battleground.
British Update: Dateline 2065: TV Century 21 – Anything Can Happen In The Next Half-Hour!
*TV & Film Related Comics: …Well, it can if you’re quick in placing your order! Following the smash success of our TV Century 21 first issues and Specials update recently, we’re following up with an avalanche of Anderson: TV Century 21’s classic adaptations of the TV series Stingray, Fireball XL5, Lady Penelope, and the BBC interloper Doctor Who. Sumptuously illustrated by Embleton, Hampson, Turner, Noble and other top-flight artists, these are vividly remembered by a generation of then-juvenile readers, and are keenly sought today. This selection is from the first year of publication, 1965 (or ‘2065’, as they billed it on the cover), from issue #2 to #49, not a complete sequence, but with several duplicated copies.
British Update: Bring on the Bunty! Many issues from 1958 to 1965 back in stock
*Girls’ Comics: Not the first girls’ weekly comic, but the longest-lasting and best-remembered, Bunty stands as the definitive go-to destination for generations of girls, for stories of ballerinas, equestriennes, orphans, cripples, crippled orphans, and plucky schoolgirl sportspeople who were very often blind crippled orphans into the bargain! Following our acquisition of Bunty #1 – which has already left the building, sorry folks – we’re following up with a Bumper Bonanza of Bunty back issues! This week, we add approximately 250 new copies to our listing from 1958 (the first year of publication, commencing with issue #6) and ending – for now – with #415, the Christmas 1965 issue. But don’t despair – if you just can’t get enough Bunty (and who can?), the Bonanza will continue in the near future!
Housekeeping Update
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 British section:
*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics (T – U)
and in our Books Section:
*Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror
As of the time of writing, these categories are bang up to date, with every item listed available.
Clearance Corner: 50 Years Of Fun! 12 vintage comics for £10
Another batch of vintage goodies at a rock bottom price! Between 1909 and 1953, we have 12 comics of humour and adventure in a mixture of grades, featuring the following titles:
Boys’ Herald (1909), Larks (1929), Tip Top (1953), Wild West Weekly (1938) and 8 issues of Wonder from 1947-1952. On offer for just £10. These fit into a medium envelope weighing less than half a kilo. UK postage if required would be an extra £5.50.
British Update: Marvelous Alan Class updated listings
*Alan Class Reprints: We’ve now completed an exhaustive check of all our Alan Class Reprints inventory (both certificated and uncertificated) to identify all the issues in stock that have Marvel hero reprints, whether cover featured or not. Information on these can now be found in our listings.
What’s Old: Spider-Man #13 – 1st appearance of the malevolent Mysterio
This week, our previously listed spotlight falls on the earliest issue of Amazing Spider-Man we currently have in stock. In the appropriately-numbered thirteenth issue, Peter Parker’s costumed alter ego faced one of his most baffling foes: Mysterio, whose inexplicable feats bordered more on the supernatural than the super-powered, and brought Spidey close to the edge of insanity. Steve Ditko’s artwork here brought a touch of his imagination from Doctor Strange to Spidey’s more urban environment, and from the visual evidence, Sturdy Steve was having great fun making both worlds collide! This debut issue of one of Spider-Man’s greatest villains is a beautiful FN/VF copy, pence priced, with unmarred white-background cover image, vivid colour, good cover gloss, and beautiful, flexible, cream-coloured interior pages. Tight edges and corners, firm staples at cover and centrefold, a lovely vintage item. On sale at £460.
Shop Update: Boat Race 24th March
American Update: Batmania: 1950s Batman – a Trilogy of Vintage Thrills with the Joker, Bizarre Transformations and the Threat of Matrimony!
*DC: A lovely selection of vintage Batman issues from 1953 & 1954. Issue #79 features the greatest menace ever to Batman’s career, as intrepid photographer Vicki Vale drags him to the altar in “The Bride of Batman!”, plus “Batman – Gang Boss!” and “The Batman of Yesterday!” This is a lovely bright copy which would grade higher except for a vertical cover crease. GD at £75. Issue #80 features the Batman’s greatest enemy in “The Joker’s Movie Crimes!”, plus “Dick Grayson’s Nightmare!” and the cover-featured “Machines of Menace!”. This is FA/GD, with some erosion at bottom right cover edge, at £65. Finally, issue # 82 brings us “The Flying Batman!”, plus “The Man Who Could Change Fingerprints!” and “The Olympic Games of Crime!”. Sound and tight copy, with the only significant defect being a small tear mid-right edge, which penetrates the entire book at margin but does not detract from the stories. GD+ at £85. All three issues have Win Mortimer covers and some interior art (at least two stories per issue) by the innovative Dick Sprang.
American Update: Earth’s Other Green Lantern! Guy Gardner’s Debut in GL #59
*DC: Before John Stewart, Kyle Rayner, and the multiplicity of later claimants to the GL mantle, the idea that anyone could challenge Hal Jordan’s supremacy as Green Lantern of Earth was a shocking concept. John Broome and Gil Kane explored that thought in 1968’s Green Lantern #59, showing what might have happened if an equally qualified candidate had taken the role instead of Hal Jordan. Originally a one-shot novelty akin to the Superman Family’s ‘Imaginary Tales’, GL #59 spiked in price after unexpectedly Steve Englehart brought back Guy as a recurring character almost two decades after his debut. Eventually Guy joined both the Green Lantern Corps and the Justice League, and remains a fixture of the current DC Universe. This copy of his first appearance is a lovely FN copy, cents with no pence price or overstamp, and the only drawback to a still higher grade being the short line in crayon in the upper left corner of the cover. On sale at £50. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: The ‘Death’ – and Rebirth – of Superman! Superman (second series) #75 and Avdentures of Superman #500 Collectors’ Editions
*DC: In 1993, the wider world was rocked by the demise of Superman, who perished at the hands of the man-monster named Doomsday. Cynical fans, of course, knew better, fully expecting the Man of Steel’s eventual return, but the media brouhaha was considerable, driving civilians into comics shops in unprecedented numbers. Shortly thereafter, despite a quartet of ‘subs’ arising to take his place, the original Man of Steel returned in Adventures of Superman #500. We have the Deluxe Collectors’ Editions of both Superman #75 (NM £30), and Adventures of Superman #500 (NM £10) back in stock, and both still sealed in the original bag with all the free gift paraphernalia.
American Update: Fantastic Four #2 – First Appearance of the Skrulls
*Marvel: In the second ever appearance of the Fantastic Four, we met the race of shifty shapeshifters who were to become one of the FF’s, and the Marvel Universe’s, greatest nemeses: the “Skrulls From Outer Space!”, as the cover had it. (In case readers got them confused with the Skrulls from Penge West…) Still a half-way house between proper super-heroics and the ‘Big Panty Monsters’ that had been a staple of the company, the non-costumed FF looked at this stage almost as bizarre as their extraterrestrial opposition. This historic issue is a cents copy, with no pence price or overstamp, and is generally in remarkable preservation. There is light biro scribble on the back cover ad, but no interior markings; there is also a small ‘L’-shaped tear on the final (non-story) page. Otherwise, the interiors are unmarred, off-white and flexible. There is a small letter ‘s’ written on the front cover, just above the top staple, but again, the cover scene is unimpeded. Tight corners and edges, firm staples at spine and centrefold. The second ever ‘proper’ Marvel Comic with the debut of a major antagonist, this is GD/VG, and can be yours for £625. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: Listen very carefully – we shall list this only once! 1st Gambit in X-Men #266 VG+ £30
*Marvel: A surprising breakout character from the 1990s was Gambit, the Cajun adventurer who aided Storm when she was running around de-aged to a powerless child (as you do), and quickly became a mainstay of the team, mainly due to his Doomed Romance with the untouchable Rogue. Uncanny X-Men #266 presented the first full appearance of Gambit, and we have a very affordable VG+ pence copy of this highly-sought issue new in at £30. Rumours of a Gambit cinematic feature have been on and off for a couple of years now, but appear to be back ‘on’, so buy this now before the speculators get it! SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: Spider-Mania! Massive update between issues #48 to #365, inc. many first appearances
*Marvel: Following extensive sales, we’ve recharged our run of Amazing Spider-Man with almost 100 issues, replenishing gaps in our inventory – even including many missing issues from comparatively ‘modern times’! Highlights include the first appearance of the Living Vampire, Morbius, in #101 (GD+ p £25, pictured), but also the first appearances of many of Spidey’s friends and foes (and some who gleefully switch sides), including Man-Wolf, Silver Sable, the Grizzly, the Schemer, the Tarantula, and a certain Cletus Kasaday, who later became the human component of Marvel’s second-favourite sinister symbiote (but he tries harder), Carnage! SORRY, SPIDEY #101 NOW SOLD
American Update: More Conan, by Crom!
*Marvel: A much-needed update to our stocks of everyone’s favourite Barbarian as we top up issues between #14 & #92, plus Annuals and Giant-Size issues. Our stocks of Conan have been much beleagured lately by rampant sales, so we’re particularly relieved to be sending in reinforcements. At the hands of Barry Smith and then John Buscema, this is the definitive comics version of the Cimmerian soldier of fortune.
British Update: Alan Class Reprints Redux
*Alan Class Reprints: We begin a lengthy series of updates for this year with many more file copies from the Private Collection of the publisher. Each item comes with a signed certificate of authenticity hand signed by Alan Class himself. In this update we concentrate on Astounding Stories (from the very first issue) and Creepy Worlds (from #42). Dozens of new issues may be found in the Alan Class Private Collection section within the Alan Class Reprints category in our catalogue.
British Update: Humour, TV/Film Related & Boys’ Annuals (inc long run of Boys’ World)
*Annuals: Dozens of annuals new to our stock in the Humour, TV & Film Related and Boys’ Adventure sub-categories: Knockout, Shiver & Shake and Whizzer and Chips from the 1970s in Humour; Captain Scarlet, Catweazle, Dr Who and TV Century 21 in TV & Film Related; Boys’ World (from 1964-1970), Lion 1954 and Swift (1955 1st and 1960) in Boys’ Adventure.
British Update: First Quenchers Plus with Free Gift Farrago: Countdown #1 & #2
*TV & Film Related Comics: When the first series of TV Century 21 faltered, competitors Polystyle were quick to generate a successor in ‘Countdown’, featuring many of the most popular Gerry Anderson TV shows in comic strip form. Fireball XL5, Captain Scarlet, Thunderbirds and Stingray all graced its pages, plus a brand-new sci-fi strip ‘Countdown’, illustrated rather spiffily by John M. Burns, and the star power of a Doctor Who comic series imported from TV Comic! This classy, slick package presented in its first issue a ‘Giant Spacefact Wall Chart’ (stickers to be stuck in in successive weeks), tapping into the public obsession with astronautics following the successful moon landing. Our Countdown #1 is FN, with completed free gift (VF, all stickers/stamps stuck in) on sale at £110. The accompanying second issue is VF £25.
British Update: First Quenchers: Bunty #1 – The Four Marys Begin
*Girls’ Comics: From January 1958, we are pleased to welcome the first issue of the girls’ weekly which came to define the category: Bunty. D C Thomson’s first venture into the girls’ comic market (they had essayed a few story papers for the fairer sex, without conspicuous success) proved to be a smash hit. Granted, at the time of its launch, rivals were scarce – only Odhams’ distaff Eagle, Girl, and the converted story papers from Amalgamated, Girls’ Crystal and School Friend, existed to compete – but Bunty trumped them all, becoming the longest-running of the type, not hanging up her hockey sticks until the early days of the 21st Century. This copy of #1 – only the second we’ve ever had in stock during our 25 years’ trading – features ‘The Four Marys’ (who lasted until the final issue – without ever leaving school!), ‘The Dancing Life of Moira Kent;, ‘Orphan of the Circus’, ‘Parachute Nurse’, and what appeared to be a European import, ‘Bimbo and her Baby’ – which would be a very different strip if it were released these days! It’s an attractive VG-, with clean interiors, tight corners and edges with no fraying or significant wear, and a firm uncreased spine. An exceedingly rare item, it is on sale for £225. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD