*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: To complement our Humour update today, we have a selection of Boys’ comics (mostly story papers) from the dawn of time. Starting with a facsimile of the first edition of the famous Boys’ Own Paper from 1897 (!), we also have Boys’ Realm (1919), Champion (1952), Modern Boy (1929), Skipper (1934), Tip Top (1953), Topical Times (1938), Union Jack Library (1918 with Sexton Blake story), Wizard (1940) and Wonder (1952). A secure rest home needed for all these old codgers!

*Marvel: A triple treat of the Sky-Rider of the Spaceways this week as we present three seminal issues: firstly, a lovely high grade VF+ cents copy of #16 of the original Surfer series at £66, featuring the rematch with Mephisto; secondly, two copies of Vol 2 #1 from 1982 by Lee & Byrne in NM and FN/VF; finally, a less commonly seen copy of Lee & Kirby’s original Surfer Graphic Novel from 1978 – the Ultimate Cosmic Experience, published in the Fireside Book series — a softcover VF+ first printing at £38. The epitome of Marvel cosmic!

*Marvel: A quickie Spidey update this week, featuring most of the first 20-odd issues of Spectacular Spider-Man (launched as Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man in 1976) in mid-grade, characterised by central soft creasing, but eminently readable. As a bonus, we have 2 copies of the Macfarlane #1 issue of Spider-Man from 1990, both in NM condition: a first printing still sealed in its poly-bag and an uncommon second printing (gold edition).

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 file in our British section:
*Marvel UK
*Power Comics
As of the time of writing, these categories are bang up to date, with every item listed available.

*TV & Film Related Comics: From 1971, the very first issue of Look-In! The ‘Junior TV Times’ entertained a generation of readers with its features and photos on popular TV series of the era, plus comic-strip adaptations of the hottest series. What’s little known is that, virtually right up until publication, the mag was originally going to be called ‘Magpie’, and the content in this first issue reflects that, not just in the heavy presence throughout of Magpie presenters Susan Stranks and co., but in the Free Gift, which is a cardboard diorama of the Magpie TV studio! Comics content in this premiere issue includes “Please Sir!”, “The Freewheelers”, “Crowther In Trouble”, and “Wreckers at Dead Eye”, which will be greeted by nostalgia or bafflement depending on the age of the reader, but the comics highlight is a rather lovely “Timeslip” strip by Angus Allan and Mike Noble. This copy of issue 1 is a decent VG condition, an upper spine split preventing a higher grade, but the accompanying free gift is in sparkling VF. Yours for £100.

*Romance: Looking For love? Look no further! From 1959, to 1976, the ever-changing face of funnybook romance at Charlton and DC. The comparatively chaste Teen Secret Diary #2 from Charlton kicks us off with a rather lovely cover, despite being Collettaed to hell and back, and we add For Lovers Only to our inventory, with one of inker Bob Layton’s earliest efforts at solo artistry. Moving on to DC, we add a dash of Young Love and a sprinkling of Young Romance from the latter days of the 1970’s, where editors were fighting sagging sales with come-on titles like “Love Came C.O.D!”, “No Wedding For Me!”, and “Exciting Things You Can Do With Him!”. Much interesting artwork in these latter DC issues, with Saaf, Mortimer, Rosenberger and beautiful Gray Morrow story among the new additions.

*DC: Stop! This is the new Green Lantern co-starring Green Arrow! So proclaimed the 76th issue of the Emerald Galdiator’s Silver Age series. With sales falling, editor Julius Schwartz turned in 1970 to the creative team of Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams to add Green Arrow to the title and re-invigorate the series. And that’s just what they did, bringing in contemporary ‘relevant’ storylines dealing in issues such as drugs, racism, modern life in the USA of the day etc. The fame of their run extends to this day and it is avidly collected. It all started here in #76. We have a nice FN+ cents copy (£325) new in, with minor spine & edge wear. Some colour bleed through back cover. Unnecessary extra staple added to centre spine. Tight and flat with excellent page quality. Arguably, the comic that started the Bronze Age, and the Holy Grail for many collectors.

*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: Another D.C. Thomson weekly titled devoted to war stories started in 1974 and we have most of the first 20 issues of Warlord fresh in this week. With such features as Union Jack Jackson, Bomber Braddock, Code-Name Warlord and Young Wolf, Warlord set out to enthral a new generation of war devotee readers. It lasted a very respectable 12 years and 627 issues before being subsumed into its stable-mate Victor.

*Marvel: Helping to fill up our boxes on display for the House Of Ideas, we have dozens of new issues in stock for the following titles: Astonishing Tales (from #1), Black Goliath, Captain America (inc. Kirby & Steranko issues), the Cat, Defenders (inc Annual #1), Hulk (inc. 1st Wendigo in #162), Iron Man (#11), Logan’s Run (#6 with Thanos), Machine Man, Marvel Presents (with the debut of the Guardians Of The Galaxy feature), Marvel Spotlight, Marvel Super-Heroes (with Medusa), Marvel Team-Up, Ms. Marvel, Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD (inc high grade #15 with the debut of the 1st Bullseye), Power Man (inc Luke Cage, Hero For Hire #8 & #9 in high grade, 1st meeting with Iron Fist in #48 and 2nd & 3rd apps. of Sabretooth), Spider-Woman, Sub-Mariner (from #6), a couple of What If (1st series), #4 of the Miller Wolverine mini-series, and a whole gathering of X-Men (as early as #17 right up to the first apps. of Bishop in #282/283). Consult our catalogue for full details on all these.

*Girls’ Comics: The twilight curtain parts again and the tincture of the night reveals our ‘friend of the mists’ with a run of Misty complete from #1 up to 20th October 1979, thus complete except for the last couple of months’ worth. Included are the first three issues plus the 1979 special. This original owner collection is in nicely preserved shape, virtually all copies grading either VG, VG/FN or FN, and all copies are complete with calendars, cards and games inserts where appropriate. #1 FN £80, #2 VG/FN £35, #3 FN £40, 1979 Holiday Special (complete with poster) FN/VF £80.

*Marvel: A small update for the Man Without Fear, starting with a low grade #2, the first Gladiator appearance in #18, the anniversary issue #100, an early Bullseye in #146, several Frank Miller issues and the third Annual (or special, as it was known). Full details as always in our catalogue.

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 file in our British section:
*Girls’ Picture Libraries
and in our Books Section:
*Childrens’ Books
As of the time of writing, these categories are bang up to date, with every item listed available.

*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: Despite only lasting 22 issues between 1970 and 1971, the IPC/Fleetway adventure weekly Thunder had a major impact on the comic industry, introducing popular and long-running characters such as the ageless wanderer “Adam Eterno”, crazed scientist “Black Max”, robot soldier “The Steel Commando”, and, erm, “Phil the Fluter”, who froze time whenever he blew his instrument.  No, really. All of these, plus Dennis McLoughlin’s “Fury’s Family”, “The Jet Skaters”, “Sam”, and “The Spooks of St. Luke’s”, moved into Lion after Thunder’s short run, importing fully half of Thunder into the veteran title. Steel Commando and Mr. Eterno were the most successful, the latter lasting until the end of Lion and moving on into Valiant until that title’s conclusion. Not only do we have all 22 issues of Thunder new in and available for purchase, but the first three come with the original free gifts! #1’s Ozzie the Jumping Kangaroo (from “Fury’s Family”) is admittedly past his best, having lost the original rubber and sustained some wear, but issue #2’s ‘Black Max’s Black Bat’ is very nice, mounted on its original card, and issue #3’s set of ‘Little Peeler’ stickers is untouched in the original envelope. For such a fleeting series, Thunder’s legacy is remarkable, and now there’s a chance to obtain the entire set – but move fast, or you won’t be Thunder-struck! Full grading and pricing information shown in our catalogue. SORRY, THE FREE GIFT ISSUES PICTURED HAVE NOW SOLD

*DC: In 1975, DC decided to take the daring step, for the time, of publishing a series in which a villain was the ‘hero’ – and what better choice than the Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker? Bat-Veteran creators Denny O’Neil and Irv Novick launched the series, and it was loaded with guest-stars – the Creeper, Lex Luthor, Green Arrow & Black Canary, the Royal Flush Gang, the Scarecrow and more. However, the pesky Comics Code Authority, still in force at that time, decreed that evil-doers should never be shown as triumphant, so the audience was in the position of watching the Joker lose out issue after issue, and while that was fine for a guest-villain, it didn’t fly for the ostensible star of the series! It ended with issue #9, but has since then, with the Joker’s ever-escalating popularity, become a highly sought-after series, and we have the first eight of the nine back in stock in nice grades, averaging Fine – but if you want to beat out the other larcenous miscreants in search of the series, better move with alacrity!

*Marvel: Several of the God Of Thunder’s adventures re-stocked, starting with Journey Into Mystery #94 and ending with Thor #172. Included is #118, the first appearance of the Destroyer. In most cases these are lower graded but very presentable and cheaper alternatives to high grade copies we already have in stock. Full details as always in our catalogue.

*Horror/Mystery 1960-1980’s: A further update to this popular category, with many high grade copies new in. From DC: House Of Secrets (with Gothic covers), Secrets Of Sinister House & Witching Hour; from Marvel: Creatures On The Loose, Crypt Of Shadows, Giant-Size Chillers (both #1 issues from 1974 & 1975), Vault Of Evil (#1), Weird Wonder Tales (#1), Werewolf By Night #33 (2nd Moon Knight) & Where Monsters Dwell (#1).

*DC: A very large general update to our DC stocks from the 1960’s and 1970’s, with issues added of all the following titles: Action Comics, Adventure Comics, All-Star, DC Special Series (with Swamp Thing), Demon, Flash (inc #129, 1st Silver Age JSA), Green Lantern, Jimmy Olsen, Kamandi, Karate Kid, Lois Lane, Metal Men, Metamorpho, Mystery in Space, Phantom Stranger, Prez, Sandman (#1), Sherlock Holmes, Showcase (Maniaks, Bat Lash & Phantom Stranger issues), Superboy (& LSH), Supergirl, Swamp Thing (inc 1980’s series), Teen Titans (from #2), Wonder Woman, World Of Krypton (1st series from 1979 complete) & World’s Finest. Full details as always in our catalogue.

*Boy’s Adventure & War Picture Libraries: A small but diverse update, starring Air Ace Picture Library #1, a VG copy at £10 which sadly has the last 2 story pages missing, but it appears that the story is all-but over by that point. Joined by a couple of 1970’s Holiday Specials, plus Conflict PL, Eagle PL, a solitary Fleetway Super Secret Agent series, a handful of Starblazers and a few War PL.

*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: Many new additions to the popular D.C. Thomson weekly from the years 1966 to 1968, considerably augmenting our existing stock. While stablemate Victor devoted its ‘historical’ front pages to wartime exploits, Hotspur preferred western tales on the front, with unusual weaponry or ‘White Chiefs’ being recurring themes. Behind the covers, the most famous inmate was probably “The Wolf Of Kabul”, but other series at this time included sports, adventure and sci-fi, with “The Outlaw Olympics” “Firefighter Flynn”, and “The Beetles of Doom”, and comic relief was provided by, oh dear, “The Cheery Cherokees”. It’s heartening to note that the lads of Red Circle School, who originated in Hotspur’s first incarnation as a story paper, were still going strong decades later as the token text story. Nice grades, averaging VG with many Fine copies.

*Marvel: A chunky update to our Bronze Age Iron Man stocks between issues #43 & #150, including many issues previously missing from our listings. Included are the anniversary issues #100 & #150.

*Marvel: From the 1970’s, the Satan-spawned adventures of everyone’s favourite flame-faced bad lad, the Ghost Rider! Marvel recycled the name of one of their Western heroes for the saga of an ill-advised stunt cyclist who made a pact with the Devil – with the best of intentions – and ended up as an emissary of Satan. Scripter Gary Friedrich employed some of the tropes previously used in his stint on Skywald’s short-lived Hell-Rider (see earlier updates), but Johnny Blaze proved a more likeable hero – and the distinctive and atmospheric art by Mike Ploog didn’t hurt either! After enjoying a successful run in Marvel Spotlight from #’s 5-11, Johnny spun out into his own series, which lasted issues. We have the second Ghost Rider appearance, in Marvel Spotlight #6, new in, as well as his final two in Spotlight (#’s 10 and 11), all in high grade, VF+ or better, then we continue on to his fiery first issue, in an attractive Fine- cents copy at £40.

*DC: Holy Bat-Stuff! Updates to three titles starring the Caped Crusader and his Pals n’ Gals: firstly, Batman himself, opening with #163’s distinctive ‘Joker Jury’ cover, and continuing through to the early 300’s, with highlights from the selection including the first Silver Age appearance of the Scarecrow, the special 200th celebratory issue, #237 (an early ‘Vermont Halloween’ issue, with Adams interior art) and featuring many eyecatching Neal Adams covers. We follow up with Detective Comics, commencing with #387, the 30th Anniversary special, and adding yet more dazzling Adams covers in the early 400’s, before closing with #526, a Giant special marking Batman’s 200th appearance in the title. Wrapping it up are later issues of the Batman Family, the oddball hybrid that featured Batgirl & Robin in team action. By the time of #11, where we pick up, the series had become a venue for more experimental artists, and Don newton, Marshall Rogers and Michael Golden were frequent contributors, presenting work of a high standard and an unusual atmosphere that was curiously engaging. A less common series because of sketchy UK distribution, we have issues through to #18 new in.

*Modern Reprints: Several new items of stock for these high-quality full-colour hardcovers, sequentially reprinting DC’s pantheon of characters. New in this update: Comic Cavalcade Vol. 1, the anthology which featured Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Wildcat, the Ghost Patrol, and Scribbly, among others; Vol. 3 of Fox and Sekowsky’s classic Justice League of America; volumes 1 & 3 of the Seven Soldiers of Victory, in which Green Arrow and Speedy, the Shining Knight, the Crimson Avenger, Vigilante, and the Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesey joined together as a kind of alt. Justice Society of America; the second volume of the Golden Age Starman, by Jack Burnley, Mort Meskin and others; the premier volume of Sheldon Mayer’s delightful comedy, Sugar & Spike; and finally, the inaugural volume of Wonder Woman the Amazon Princess, representing the Amazing Amazon’s earliest Silver Age adventures from #98 onwards, when Kanigher, Andru & Esposito gave the DC Universe one its earliest ‘reboots’. All of these are in high grades, averaging VF, and the 3rd Seven Soldiers volume is Mint, never having been opened and still in its original shrinkwrap!

*Younger Readers’ Comics: We have a wide variety of Younger Readers’ material new in this week, including #1 issues and Holiday Specials, as follows: Bimbo, Bobo Bunny’s Holiday Special 1970, Bonnie #1, Donald Duck #1 (1975), Donald & Mickey #1 (1972), Little Star Christmas issue 1973, Mickey Mouse Weekly 1955, Pippin Holiday Special 1969, Playhour 1966, Playhour & Robin Holiday Special 1969 & Twinkle.