*DC: Our alphabetical additions to our DC section continue with Showcase, a fondly-remembered title which kicked off the careers of scads of Silver Age super-stars. From 1961’s #35 (Atom) to 1978’s #104 (O.S.S. – Spies At War), more than fifty new issues added, as we revisit the hits (Atom, Metal Men, Sgt. Rock) the cult series (Spectre, Inferior 5, Hawk & Dove, Nightmaster) and the out & out oddities (Jason’s Quest, Manhunter 2070, and the magnificent Maniaks!) of this tryout title. Images here of #37 & #38, the first two appearances of the Metal Men.

*Marvel: Our ‘Assembling the Avengers’ event continues this week: a high grade complete run in sequence from #1-200. New listings this time for every issue from #31 to #60,  the period during which the creative team hit some of its greatest strengths, and provided some of the series’ most memorable moments. Stan Lee, Don Heck, Roy Thomas and John Buscema bring us the debut of the Sons of the Serpent, the premier of the Living Laser, the descent of Hercules from Olympus to Avengers Mansion, the revelation of the Red Guardian, the first appearance of the heroic Black Knight, the first grim Reaper, the addition of the Black Panther to the team, memorable clashes with Magneto, Sub-Mariner and the X-Men, the wedding of the Wasp and Yellowjacket, and – of particular interest now that trailers are being released for the second Avengers movie – the first-ever appearances of the Avengers’ robotic nemesis Ultron, and of the cuddly-but-conflicted synthezoid the Vision, who became one of the most popular Avengers ever! As with previous instalments in this mammoth Avengers listing, these are high grade copies, averaging VF or better, and approximately half of them are cents copies, unmarked by any UK price stamp or overprint. High grade unslabbed copies of the Avengers are trending more expensively, and the time to buy is now. Cover scans of #55 (1st Full appearance Ultron VF/NM £225), #57 (1st Vision VF+ £275) and #58 (origin of both Ultron and the Vision VF+ £75) may be viewed below:

*Marvel: The oversized Marvel Treasury Editions from the 1970’s are seldom seen these days, their unusual tabloid size  presenting difficulties in display and storage for retailers at the time. Most surviving copies are considerably worn, but we’ve been lucky enough to obtain a substantial run from#2 onwards of the regular Treasury Editions, in exceptional grade – few dropping below Fine, and many in VF/NM condition or even better. With new covers by the likes of Kirby, Kane, Buscema or Brunner, these classic reprints present an opportunity to see the artwork at close to its original dimensions, though of course some artists benefit more from the enhanced size than others! Highlights include Barry Smith’s Conan in issue #4 and Frank Brunner’s Doctor Strange in #6, but all of Marvel’s big names are represented. Later issues also featured some new material – ‘audition’ strips by new talent – and #25, Spider-Man and Hulk At The Winter Olympics, is all-new. In addition to the regular series, we offer several Treasury Specials: 2001 by Jack Kirby, which led into the regular comic series; Captain America’s Bicentennial Battles, all-new Kirby art spanning the Star-Spangled Avenger’s history; Battlestar Galactica, the Wonderful Land of Oz, and the two-part adaptation of the original Star Wars movie!

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:
*Miscellaneous 1940-1959
*Horror 1940-1959
and from the following in our British section:
*Alan Class Reprints
As of the time of writing, these categories are bang up to date, with every item listed available.

*Marvel: From the sizzlin’ Seventies, restocks of Marvel Premiere, the series which brought new concepts before the public, or gave lesser characters a chance at their “solo in the spotlight” moments. From #22 to #60, including showcases for folks who became pillars of the Marvel Universe (Iron Fist, Hercules, Black Panther, the Liberty Legion) and others who evaporated like a politician’s promises (anyone for Woodgod? Caleb Hammer? Seeker 3000? No?). This includes two unexpected media cross-overs, with rock star Alice Cooper making his first comics appearance in issue #50, and UK sci-fi phenomenon Doctor Who being imported into #’s 57-60. Highlight of this top-up is probably the two-part debut of Scott Lang as Ant-Man, in #47 & #48.

*Girls’ Comics: New Princess Tina for the years 1968 and 1969, around thirty copies filling in previous gaps in our stock. With a stellar line-up including secret agent ‘Jane Bond’,’ Moira – Slave Girl of Ancient Rome’, model girl ‘Barbie’ (yes, that Barbie), and visiting alien prankstress ‘Super-Girl Sandra’, among others, Princess Tina remains one of the most sought-after girls’ comics of the era, with its emphasis on adventure and more sophisticated style dictated by its European originators.

You may notice a new link in our sidebar menu called ‘Extras’; this is the place where you’ll find articles, interviews, comic-related links and various other items that we think you might enjoy. Currently, it has a section by our own Will Morgan, where he reviews series, comments on characters and other aspects of our hobby. There is also a You Tube video link where you can see a brief interview with me in the shop, a feature on Alan Class and his comics, accompanied by our Rough Guide to them, and more. There should be much more added here as time goes by and we hope you will find a periodic ‘dipping-in’ both informative and entertaining.

Rob

*Vintage Magazine-Sized Comics: Well, this entry certainly qualifies for our Quirky Corner sobriquet: Popular Jokes v7#35, from February 1970. One of a myriad of ‘Men’s Humour’ magazines offering mildly risqué cartoons and cheesecake pin-ups, these will be familiar to readers of a certain vintage as the items that, together with bodybuilder and ‘True Crime’ mags, filled the top of the spinner racks that the comics used to be displayed in! The cartoons were frequently by known names from comics – in this instance, for example, the cover art is by Bill Ward, of ‘Torchy’ fame – and there were often short comic strips, but we’ll never know in this instance, because – we can’t open it! Some hopeful soul has had it slabbed by CGC, who rated it 8.5 (a VF+ equivalent), so its interior depths must remain forever unplumbed. Not our normal stock, but it came in with a larger collection, and we’re offering it as a novelty for £25, solely based on its age and claimed condition.

*Humour Comics: From 1995, 10 issues of the Beano, all with their original Free Gifts. In a couple of cases, where these are sweets, consumption is not advised! At £2.50-£5 each, these represent excellent value as collectables of the future!

*Marvel: We conclude our sensational Spider-Man month with an item that seems to have become increasingly rare in recent years: Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1, featuring the debut of the Sinister Six: Mysterio, the Vulture, Electro, Kraven the Hunter, Doctor Octopus and the Sandman. Featuring the art of Steve Ditko at his finest with six full page spreads of Spidey battling each of his foes. A nice clean bright cents copy with only minimal edge wear and edge creasing, FN+ at £260.