*Marvel: A quartet of classics from Marvel’s First Family: first, #16, guest-starring the Astonishing Ant-Man versus the menacing “Micro-World of Doctor Doom!”; issue #26, the conclusion of the classic Thing/Hulk battle, in which “The Avengers Take Over!”; a remarkable NM-p #54, guest-starring the Inhumans; and Annual #3, the wedding of Reed and Sue, guest-starring Sgt. Fury, Patsy & Hedy, Kid Colt (no, really; he’s on the cover there, see…), Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and just about everybody else who was in the Marvel Universe at the time!

*Marvel: Red Sonja puts in an appearance with us this week, from both Marvel Feature (2nd series 1975) and her own series from 1977. Several issues from both fresh into stock of your favourite chain-metal bikini-clad barbarienne!

*Rupert: A welcome update for Nutwood’s resident little bear in the form of four issues of the Rupert Adventure series, comics that were published quarterly from 1948 to 1963. They contained full colour stories in the same format as the more famous annuals. This update comprises #24, #30, #32 & #41. They all veer towards the later end of the 50 issue series, which are harder to find due to smaller print runs. Grades and prices vary from FA at £9 to VF at £25.

*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: Some large format rarities in this section, comprising Boys’ Broadcast from 1935, illustrated text stories based on radio adventures, Boys’ World from 1964, the short-lived Eagle imitator Rocket from 1956, a Christmas Swift from 1958, Wild West Weekly from 1938, also illustrated text, and several issues of Zip from 1958, featuring Strongbow The Mighty by Ron Embleton and Wells Fargo by Don Lawrence.

*Horror 1940-1959: We reach the penultimate chapter in our Mother Of All Pre-Code Horror Fests event, with a devil’s half-dozen plus one from various publishers out to outrage you in the 1950’s: two Hand Of Fate from Ace, two Tales Of Horror from Toby, two Witches Tales from Harvey and a solitary but early Journey Into Unknown Worlds (#4) from Atlas. Look out next week for our frantic finale — and we’ve saved something very special for last!

*Marvel: We continue our programme of expanding our catalogue into later years by adding this time Marvel’s Battlestar Galactica series from 1979. Whilst lacking the sophistication of the show’s most recent reincarnation, the original series of BG is fondly remembered, and executed here in comic form by talented creators from the contemporary Marvel Bullpen, including Walt Simonson. The series lasted 23 issues, and we have several of them including the first and last.

We’re re-jigging some of the space allocated on our ground floor for Silver & Bronze Age comics in order to expand our Silver/Bronze DC & Marvel sections, so that we can include an extra 500 issues from each publisher for your browsing pleasure, without removing any of the vintage selections from other publishers either. And of course our website catalogue will also expand to incorporate these as they’re prepared and go out into the boxes. So you can look forward to an even better selection of DC & Marvel vintage comics in the weeks ahead and into 2016.

*DC: No, not a reference to the current lamentable political situation, but a harking back to when the situation seemed simpler. Superman #18, from 1942, has what has been described as a classic ‘bomb rodeo’ cover, in which the Man of Steel leads the assault on the ‘Japanazis’. Four Superman stories by Siegel & Shuster (though with some suspected ghost work by artist Jack Burnley, of Starman fame), including an early Lex Luthor appearance and another costumed criminal, “The Snake”. This vivid cover scene is unmarred, and the interior page quality excellent given its vintage. A half-inch upper spine split and a tiny chip out of a back cover corner are the only significant flaws in this highly appealing Golden Age treat, GD at £250.

*Horror 1940-1959: The Mother Of All Pre-Code Horror Fests lurches on! With two tangled webs, in fact, as we bring you two excellent pre-code horror series with a strand in common: Web of Evil, from Quality Comics, and Web of Mystery, from Ace Publications. “The Moulder of Doom”, “The Ghoul of Ghost Swamp”, and “The Strangling Witch” are among the thrills awaiting you with this stylish and evocative selection, many of which are in affordable mid-grades. Just a few more updates to go now in our latest Pre-Code Horror Fest!

Our very own Dr. Evilla has been busy again, festooning our window for the holiday season. Our theme this year is Christmas baubles, adorned with images of favourite comics characters dressed as Santa (as they do). Among the many iconic Father Christmasses on display are Spider-Man, Desperate Dan, Archie, Bat-Santa, Mandy, the Hulk, Dennis the Menace, the Punisher and the Joker (naturally!) A very merry Christmas to one and all from all of us here at 30th Century!

*Magazines & Books About Vintage US Comics: A more esoteric selection of additions to this popular category, with items from the 1970’s up to the present century: the original Charlton Bullseye, the UK’s Comic Media News, the Golden Age of Comics, the Illustrated Comic Art Workshop (by Giordano, McLaughlin and Romita), the 2002 series of Rocket’s Blast/ComicCollector, and a trinity of creator spotlights: the Frazetta Folio, a magazine-sized collection of vintage reprints and text; the Michael W. Kaluta Treasury, a handsome softcover gathering of his less-known works, plus checklist; and the Neal Adams Checklist, a 1970’s offering with some lesser-seen artwork.

*Humour Comics: No not just exclamations, but two of the myriad humour weeklies produced by Fleetway/IPC. Whoopee, home of ‘Ivor Lott and Tony Broke’, ‘Bumpkin Billionaires’ and the unfortunately named ‘Toy Boy’, is mammothly recharged with more than 200 issues, ranging from 1974 through to 1980, including the merger issues where Shiver & Shake and Cheeky got drawn into its devouring maw. The shorter-lived and oddball Wow produced ‘Adam and his Ants’, ‘Shipwreck School’, and ‘Gulliver’s Troubles’, and this update brings us issues from #2 in its launch year of 1982 until its last year of, um, 1983, after which it, too, was absorbed by Whoopee!

*Undergrounds: A massive and overdue addition to our underground section, including both ‘classic’ undergrounds from the USA, ‘nu-wave’ American series, and a whole lot of alt. ‘zines from the UK. Titles refreshed include Alien Encounters, the Alternative Headmaster’s Bulletin, Bop, Brainstorm Comix (early work by Bryan Talbot), Cozmic Comics, Flash Fearless, Gates of Eden, Images (early Phil Elliott ‘Doc Chaos’ & other works), It’s Only Rock & Roll Comics, Vaughn Bode’s Junkwaffel, the Man Who learned To Fly (early Frazer Irving), Necron, Pssst!, Rip Off, Smile, Spasm! (all-Jeff Jones), Velocity, and – top of the shop – a VF hardcover collection  of John Kent’s 1970’s comic strip from the Guardian newspaper, Varoomshka, in which our buxom heroine lampooned prominent political figures of the day such as Harold Wilson, Ted Heath, and Margaret Thatcher, while unencumbered by much in the way of clothing. (Her, not them, we hasten to add; that would have been a much less appealing prospect!)

*Annuals: In our TV & Film Related sub-section, we have a variety of cult shows from the 1970’s & 1980’s: New Avengers 1977, with Steed, Gambit and Purdey’s adventures illustrated by John Bolton; Man from Atlantis 1979 (early days of the man who would be Bobby Ewing!); Persuaders from 1972, with rather nice Enrique Romero artwork livening up Tony Curtis & Roger Moore’s hi-jinx; Starsky & Hutch from both 1978 and 1979 – with probably the worst art ever on a UK Annual – not only do the heroes not look like Paul Michal Glaser and David Soul, they barely even look human! – and finally, Vegas, starring the late Robert Urich.

*Marvel: No, not a festive special, but the King of Comics writes and illustrates the King of Wakanda in the search for the artefact of another king! (Got that?) With the preparations for his feature film debut under way, interest in the Black Panther has seldom been keener – and we have the first seven issues of his 1977 solo series, written and drawn by Jack Kirby, ready to order! One of Kirby’s strangest series (and coming from the man who brought us Devil Dinosaur, that’s saying something!), this incarnation of the Panther enjoyed fantastical quest adventures such as the search for “King Solomon’s Frog!” Yours for the asking, True Believer! #1 VF (cents) at £26, remainder nearly all VF.

*Alan Class Reprints: We restock our inventory of this consistently popular publisher with both pre-and post-decimal additions to five of the ‘Big 6’ mystery series – Astounding Stories, Creepy Worlds, Secrets of the Unknown, Sinister Tales, and Suspense (no Uncanny Tales this time, alas) – plus Out of This World (second series) and a one-off early issue, Astonishing Stories, a ‘prototype’ for the later Astounding. As always, these are a heady mix of genres and characters from a multitude of American publishers – so join the X-Men, Steve Ditko, Shield, S.H.I.E.L.D., Jack Kirby, Hangman, Wally Wood, Taboo, Captain Atom, Al Williamson, THUNDER Agents, Nightshade, and a whole lot more for fun and adventure in stylish black & white!

*EC: In case you didn’t know, before it was the famous magazine widely-known and still being published today, Mad started life as a regular-sized comic book, published by EC in 1952. There were 23 regular comic-sized issues published before, with #24, it converted to magazine-size, and these comic-sized issues are rare now, particularly in the UK. Joining our existing stock, we have three new issues in: #8 & #9 (low grade) and #20 (pictured) in a respectable VG+ at £75.

*Marvel: Two of Marvel’s premier titles in their Giant-Size incarnations from the mid 1970’s, undistributed in the UK. We have Avengers Giant-Size #3-5 and Fantastic Four Giant-Size #3-6. All in nice shape, nearly all FN or better. Highlights include Avengers GS#4, with the weddings of the Vision & the Scarlet Witch and the Swordsman & Mantis and FF GS#4, with the first appearance of Madrox the Multiple Man.

*Marvel: The debut of the man who is these days the current Captain America, Sam Wilson AKA (as he was then) the Falcon in Captain America #117. This is a nice glossy copy with no significant defects; minor edge wear; tiny chip out bottom centre cover. Graded at FN+ (cents copy) £70.

*Girls’ Picture Libraries: A big new selection in in this category, mainly Princess (from #1 to near the end at #115) and Schoolgirls’ Picture Library (as early as #7 and as late as #317), but also featuring early Bunty & Judy, early June & School Friend, Love Story Library & True Life Library; many low grade reading copies. Hours of reading pleasure here from more innocent times, whether you’re reading about ‘Sue’s Christmas Ghost’, ‘Julie & The Time Machine’ ‘Queen Of The Lost Moon’, ‘Gina’s Flying Slippers’ ‘Girls Not Wanted’ ‘The Secret Three At St. Kit’s’, ‘That Amazing Princess Anita’, ‘Zanna, Queen Of The Jungle’ or any one of the several dozen more featured in this joyous update.

*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: Adventure and war aplenty this update as we feature seven #1 issues from the 1970’s: From 1970, Thunder; from 1971: Jet; from 1974: Warlord; from 1975: Battle & Vulcan (National Edition); from 1976: Bullet and from 1979: Crunch. A chance to get in on the ground floor of these popular titles!

*Classics Illustrated: A new batch in of the famous Classics Illustrated series, in both American and British editions. Famous novels such as Ivanhoe, Moby Dick, A Tale Of two Cities, Kidnapped, Treasure Island, The Time Machine, Lord Jim, Mysterious Island and The Three Musketeers rub shoulders with adaptations of Shakespeare such as Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as several perhaps lesser known novels in this long-lasting and very worthy attempt to pictorialise and popularise the classics.

*DC: A rare gem for our catalogue this week. Our latest CGC graded acquisition hails from March 1947, Star Spangled Comics #66, featuring the second Robin solo story (& cover) up against the villainy of No-Face, with Batman on hand in a cameo appearance. Slabbed and graded by CGC (Universal Blue Label), unrestored at a sparkling, vivid 8.0 (VF), a grade rarely seen in items of this esteemed vintage. This sort of thing doesn’t come along every day, and represents a real investment opportunity at £450.

*DC: Following on from our recent Silver Age Superman updates, we now turn to his companion title, Action Comics, from the early 1960’s, when the comic was divided between the Man Of Steel and his cousin Supergirl. Lots of issues new in, between #260 & #347 (plus  a handful of Bronze Age issues), filling many gaps in our listings. Perhaps the most significant issue in this update is #285, where the maid Of Steel’s existence is finally revealed to the world.