*Marvel: From the final year or so of Tales of Suspense & Tales To Astonish, right up to their final issues in both cases, we present many nice graded copies, with Iron Man & Captain America in Suspense and Sub-Mariner & the Hulk in Astonish. Lots of great stories, including debuts for Modok, Whiplash & the New Zemo and fabulous artwork from the likes of Jack Kirby, Gene Colan, Bill Everett, Marie Severin and others. There was something about the 10-12 page pacing of these tales that made them compulsive reading, and it seemed like you were getting more for your money! 

*Horror/Mystery 1960-1980s: Following the relaxation of the Comics Code Authority in the late 1960s, the formerly tepid DC mystery line revitalised its image with superior chiller tales illustrated by the premier artists of the day. Leading the charge were House of Mystery and House of Secrets, whose rival horror-hosts, brothers Cain and Abel, brought a dash of the old EC flavour to the tales. From the late 60s to the early 70s, these were genuinely gripping twist-ending stories, and often featured stunning covers by A-listers Adams, Wrightson, and Kaluta. We’re delighted to welcome back a new range of numbers of House of Mystery between #189 to #217, and House of Secrets between #87 to #106, as well as a bonus trio of similarly-refurbished Unexpected issues! (#118, #133 and the 100-Page #157!)

*Modern Reprints: Marvel’s handsome hardcover Masterworks volumes remain one of the more affordable ways of obtaining classic stories, and this is particularly true of their Golden Age editions, given the scarcity of the 1940s material. We have three volumes of the Golden Age Captain America Marvel Masterworks new in stock: Volume 3 (pictured, VF/NM £45) is Simon & Kirby, reprinting issues #9-12 (unlike DC’s Archives, the Masterworks reprint the entire comic in question, so back-up features and text stories are included for a true facsimile experience). Volumes 5 and 6, NM £30 each, feature the work of Stan Lee, Otto Binder, Syd Shores and more, with guest-features the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner! Catch the earliest days of what would become the Marvel Universe!

*Marvel UK: Another of the experimental launches from Marvel UK’s second wave, Future Tense reprinted a bunch of loosely sci-fi related series (Micronauts, Seeker 3000, Starlord, and, er… Paladin?) under a future-shock banner. We have the first three issues back in stock, with a bonus copy of #2, all possessing the original Free Gifts – components of a ‘Build Your Own Spaceship’ cardboard model. Issue #1 is VG with Free Gift VG at £15; the better #2 is FN with Free Gift VF at £15 and the other copy is VG with GD Free Gift (punched out of its supporting card) at £8; the #3 is FN with FN Free Gift at £12. SORRY, THESE HAVE NOW SOLD

If you subscribe to our weekly newsletter, you’ll know that this week we’ve been asking you to confirm your subscription, and we’ve been overwhelmed, not just by the sheer number of you that want to continue getting our newsletter, but also by the outpouring of best wishes and goodwill that have accompanied very many re-subscriptions. Thank you all very much. For those of you who have not yet re-subscribed, you have a few more days to do so, either by replying to the email we sent you, or by just emailing us to confirm your subscription.

*Collected Editions: New this week in our category featuring modern collections of iconic British comic and newspaper strips comes Volume 1 of the Ballad Of Halo Jones by Alan Moore and Ian Gibson from the pages of 2000 AD, now in full colour. And they don’t come much more iconic than this, the galaxy-spanning adventure of a young girl from her humble beginnings. One of the great masterpieces of UK comics and a heroine who provides a positive female role model. ‘Where did she go? Out. What did she do? Everything.’ A brand new 2018 edition in stock at £10.  

*DC: We commence a new round of our hugely popular Batmania events with a classic twosome! This update, we have the first appearances of two of Batman’s villainous vixens. The breakout character of the late 20th Century, Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel began as the Joker’s therapist, but – in a case of transference gone wild – assumed the identity of Harley Quinn, and became his partner in crime, taking over entire episodes of the Batman Animated TV show and spinning off into DC’s comic-book adaptation of same with its 12th issue in 1993. Some years previously, Poison Ivy had been created with the intention of adding her to the Batman TV show, as most of that series’ femmes fatales were more… mature. Ivy never made it to the small screen – at least not in that decade – but became a firm favourite with the readership, remaining a staple of the Batman Rogue’s Gallery ever since, her profile being considerably upped in recent years by her status as Harley Quinn’s favourite gal-pal. Our new copy of Poison Ivy’s debut, Batman #181 June 1966, is a lovely FN+, cents copy with no pence stamp, vivid unfaded red cover with only very minor, barely perceptible wear at the edges and corners, tight on staples, and most vitally, the centre page pin-up – often ripped out, leaving the story incomplete in many copies – still firmly in situ. The new Batman Adventures #12, Harley’s first in-print appearance, is a NM- pence copy, in dazzling condition; you’ll have bought items as brand new that are in worse shape. With Harley now headlining the forthcoming Birds of Prey movie, her star will continue to rise! Batman #181 FN+ £300; Batman Adventures #12 NM- p £375. SORRY, THESE HAVE NOW SOLD

*Marvel: The third appearance of Kraven the Hunter, and his second solo foray (he teamed up with other villains as the Sinister Six in ASM Annual #1), this classic issue sees Kraven determined to test his mettle in one-on-one combat with the most dangerous prey – Spider-Man! As Kraven’s metaphorical net tightens around Spider-Man, Spidey’s alter-ego, Peter Parker, sees his first love drifting away from him. A perfect balance of drama and action, this Lee/Ditko classic epitomises all that appealed about the early Spider-Man tales. This copy is FN+, cents with no pence price or overstamp, sound, clean and tight with only a hint of curvature at the spine edge precluding a higher grade. On sale at £52.

*Marvel: Following his six-issue debut series, the Hulk lurked around the Marvel Universe as an anti-hero, eventually winning his own strip in Tales to Astonish and – when the ‘split’ titles fissioned in 1968 – continuing Astonish’s numbering with his second solo series! This week, we add twelve issues from Hulk’s first twenty, numbers ranging from #104 to #117, in unusually high grades – a couple around the Fine range, but several VF or better, bright, glossy and vibrant. This update includes classic clashes with the Mandarin, the Rhino, Ka-Zar, the Sandman and the Leader among others. A lovely selection of classic tales.

*Alan Class Reprints: Following many updates of the prestigious certificated copies of the Alan Class Private Collection, we now turn our attention to the non-certificated stock in our regular inventory, with substantial updates to the first half of the AC ‘Big Six’ – Astounding Stories, Creepy Worlds, and Secrets of the Unknown – plus the first issue of the short-run series, Outer Space! Crammed with charmingly random contents, these feature reprints from Charlton, Atlas, ACG, Marvel, Archie’s super-hero line, and the occasional inexplicable surprise, with Kirby and Ditko galore from a span of over a decade, and frequent appearances by members of the Marvel Universe – Spider-Man, Nick Fury, Daredevil and the Fantastic Four are among the pop-up guest-stars this time! Approximately 50 issues newly added, so gambol away – and don’t forget to come back in a short while, when we’ll advance on Sinister Tales, Suspense, Uncanny Tales and maybe a couple of extras!

*TV & Film Related Comics: 1966’s Lady Penelope was launched in the wake of the successful TV Century 21, and was scooped up by girls (and more than a few furtive boys, because of the Thunderbirds tie-in) nationwide, becoming an instant hit. In addition to the adventures of the eponymous aristocrat, the ‘British Agent’ for International Rescue, there were TV adaptations with a distaff twist: adventures of Bewitched, and Marina – Girl of the Sea (from Stingray), plus The Beverley Hillbillies, The Perils of Parker (Lady P’s larcenous manservant) and the Man From UNCLE (what’s he doing there?). Not commonplace in any grade, we are delighted to welcome Her Ladyship’s debut issue into stock, in an attractive GD+; superficially, it looks even nicer, but a touch of lower spine wear and some small tears and creases towards the lower cover edge do rather let the side down. Nevertheless, the cover scene is unmarred, the interior pages tight and bright, and for its grade, this is an exceptionally appealing copy with specific minor flaws. GD+ at £125. SORRY, THIS HAS 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:
*Magazines/Books About Vintage US Comics
and in our American/British section:
*Tarzan/E R Burroughs
*Phantom
and in our British section:
*Alan Class Reprints
*Annuals
*Collected Editions
*Boys’ Adventure & War Picture Libraries
*Girls’ Picture Libraries
As of the time of writing, these categories are bang up to date, with every item listed available.

*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 VG/FN pence copy, sound and unmarred with excellent colour, reasonable gloss unimpaired cover scene; cover off bottom staple. On sale at £60.

*Marvel: The second in our Marvel 1968 series, when Marvel’s ‘double feature’ books divided. We have the first solo issue of Captain America of the Silver Age. Issue #100 (continuing the numbering of Tales of Suspense) featured the talents of Lee, Kirby and Shores, re-introducing the Sentinel of Liberty in solo action to the modern age (though between the retelling of his origins and his ongoing plotlines, he certainly had enough pals along in his first issue!). This copy is a very respectable VG pence edition, which would grade Fine or better but for a few creases and tiny ‘nicks’ at the base of the cover, which do not impinge upon the main cover image. VG p £80. 

*Marvel: A nice range of Amazing Spider-Man from #47 to #78 plus Annual #5 (VF £49 pictured). These new-in issues are superior grades, averaging FN+, mostly pence copies. Many of Spidey’s most infamous foes are featured, including Kraven the Hunter, two (count ’em) Vultures, the Kingpin, Doc Ock, Mysterio, the Shocker, the Lizard and more, as well as friendly enemies Medusa, Quicksilver & the Prowler, who debuted in #78. 

*Marvel: Marvel’s Sightless Swashbuckler is restocked this week with a selection of issues from the mid-20’s to the mid-30’s, then a slightly larger run from the 1970s commencing with #101 and ending with #118, during which time Daredevil was the partner in life and love with the beauteous Black Widow, who even got co-starring billing on the cover! Highlight of this second swathe is #105, featuring an early appearance by Moondragon (the first one in which she uses that name, having previously been known as – oh dear- ‘Madame McEvil’), and her origin told for the first time, by Jim Starlin! Many of these later issues are in lovely high grades, averaging VF and with several achieving VF/NM. #105 (pictured) is VF/NM p £45; the others may be discerned in our online catalogue as usual.

*Dell: Like its companion and quasi-offspring, Gold Key/Whitman, Dell had a bewildering variety of series, many of which flittered evanescently across the public consciousness, but some of which stuck around for an inexplicably long time. Big on TV, movie, and sometimes even comic strip adaptations, they also flirted with their own line of original adventure characters. We’ve added, this week, the adaptations of movies & TV shows John Paul Jones, Naked Prey, Peter Gunn and Robin Hood (plus newspaper strip Short Ribs), and original series Kona (post-nuclear caveman, bonkers story, superbly illustrated by Sam Glanzman) Nukla (Poundland Captain Atom, drawn by Steve Ditko), and Werewolf (a superheroic secret agent with a canine sidekick; Tony Tallarico at the height of his powers! Ahem.) Oh, and Tom & Jerry, just for a touch of gravitas.

*Western: The Revolutionary War is a subject that’s never gone over big in the UK, for obvious historical reasons, but nevertheless issues of Tomahawk drifted over to these shores, and were treated as somewhat confusing cultural artefacts, in which we were expected to take the viewpoint of Tomahawk and his – ahem – Rip-Roaring Rangers, and cheer him on as he fought the evil British. Things were enlivened considerably when the creators steered away from the historical and moved to the fantastical, with King Cobweb and his Bug Bandits, freedom fighter Miss Liberty, and cross-dressing villainess the Hood. In 1968, a slightly more realistic tone became evident, with the advent of some truly epic covers by Neal Adams commencing with #116. Later still, in the 70s, the title changed (on the cover, anyway) to “Son of Tomahawk”, and his half-Native American son took the spotlight, with Tomahawk himself playing the cranky old sidekick/mentor. This selection runs from 1959’s #64 to 1972’s #138. (And what d’you mean, “It’s not a proper Western”? It’s set in the past, it’s got horses, shurrup…)

*Marvel UK: The venerable Marvel UK weekly, Mighty World of Marvel, switched titles and format towards the end of its career, becoming Marvel Super-Heroes Monthly, and the relaunch was celebrated with a new Captain Britain strip, taking the cliched ‘Austin Powers’ version created by Chris Claremont and spinning it into a genuinely powerful and ground-breaking mythos. The artistry of Alan Davis, who designed the new look, is consistent throughout, but what many people don’t remember is that it was Dave Thorpe, not Alan Moore (Moore took over the series later), who co-created this version and set in place the building blocks for Moore’s acclaimed run. We have the debut of the ‘New’ Captain Britain in MSH Monthly #377 back in stock, together with the rest of the CB-starring issues, including the debut of Omniversal Majestrix Satyrnyne in #381, the first Alan Moore scripted CB in #387 and an odd coda, a text feature on CB by Moore in #389, after the Captain’s strip departed for greener pastures. In addition, we have #390 to #396 – the series’ penultimate issue – with full-colour posters, many featuring original Alan Davis illustrations. This run averages FN, with several VF, so high-grade copies of a cult series. #377 is VF £35, #381 VF £20, and #387 VF £25; for all others, details may be found in our online catalogue.

*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: An unbroken run of the later Victor Summer Specials, from 1985 to the final issue of 1992, the same year in which the Victor weekly comic was laid to rest. Victor, home of ‘The Tough of the Track’, ‘Morgyn the Mighty’, ‘Braddock VC’ and many more, had fallen on hard times in its final decade, and failing circulation meant that fewer copies of the extra-thick Summer Specials were printed, making them proportionately scarcer than their more vintage elders. Added to that the tradition that these were purchased on holidays, and lost/discarded on the way home, means that there are surprisingly few of these comparatively recent items around, causing an unexpected spike in prices – have you seen what some of them go for on auction websites? Anyway, this nice unbroken selection is a proud addition to our stock; pictured are 1985 VF £35, and 1986 to 1989, each FN £30 – 1990 to 1992 are also FN £30, just to save you the trouble of looking them up in our online catalogue! SORRY, MOST OF THESE HAVE NOW SOLD

*TV & Film Related Comics: After the demise of TV Century 21, Polystyle took over with the new series Countdown, inspired by the space race, which starred all of the old Gerry Anderson strips, plus Doctor Who and the eponymous ‘Countdown’, a brand-new space opera stylishly illustrated by John M. Burns. Highly collectible at a confluence of two major fandoms (Fanderson and Whovians), the series’ appeal is enhanced by its high production standards: glossy paper, more interior colour than was customary for the time, and script and art by some of the top talents in the field. The series shifted emphasis mid-path, becoming ‘TV Action’, with the focus switching from sci-fi to crime, but we have all 58 of the ‘pure’ Countdown issues, pre-changeover, back in stock. As a bonus, we also have the one and only Countdown Special from 1971 GD £20. This update, we offer two #1 issues with Free Gifts: one in VF- with the original Free Gifts of Wallchart and four stickers VF/NM (stickers uncut and unstuck) at £140 for the comic and gifts; the other #1 in FN+ has the wallchart in FN with the stickers from #1 stuck on it, therefore the gift is graded FN – comic/gift combo on sale for £110. Our newest #3 is VG with Free Gift (four more stickers) at VF; comic/gift on sale at £35. For everything else, please see our online catalogue listings.

Please note that, as usual, we are closed on the coming Bank Holiday Monday.

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:
*Archie
*Charlton
*Dell
*EC
*Gold Key/Whitman
*Harvey
*IW/Super
*Miscellaneous 1940-1959
As of the time of writing, these categories are bang up to date, with every item listed available.

*DC: While all early issues of Hawkman are superb, with high-flying sci-fi stories by Gardner Fox and luminous Murphy Anderson artwork (not that we’re prejudiced witnesses or anything… ), the most sought-after in recent years is issue #4, featuring the debut of the Princess of Prestidigitation – Zatanna! Zee (as she’s familiarly known), a personal favourite here at 30th Century, is the daughter of DC’s Golden Age magician Zatara, and took her quest for her missing father through the pages of Green Lantern, Atom, Detective Comics and the Justice League of America in one of DC’s earliest ‘story arcs’, but this issue is where her illustrious career began. (And yes, they did miss a bet by not having her featured on the cover. Foolish mortals!). This VG+ pence copy is available at £175. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD

*Marvel: Following the relaxation of draconian distribution regulations in 1968 (long story, Google it if you’re bothered), Marvel expanded by cancelling its double-featured ‘split’ titles Strange Tales, Tales of Suspense and Tales to Astonish, and giving each series space to breathe in its own solo feature. Three, however, continued the numbering of their parent titles, and one such was Doctor Strange, former star of Strange Tales, whose first solo issue was numbered #169. This opening issue of Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme was a book-length retelling of his origins, scripted by Roy Thomas and lavishly illustrated by Dan Adkins, normally regarded only as an inker but here supplying full artwork. This lovely relaunch is a highly desirable FN/VF, cents copy with no UK overstamp, high gloss, vibrant colour and gorgeous interiors. On sale at £100. Over the coming weeks, we shall be featuring many more series debuts from 1968 — stay tuned! SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD