*DC: The Forever People, five empowered youths each of whom reflected a middle-aged to elderly man’s perception of a hippie ‘type’, were intended to be a younger, fresher face for Jack Kirby’s Fourth World saga, but their relative inexperience didn’t stop them from getting embroiled with the heavy hitters – as witnessed by the fact that their first issue saw the first ‘in person’ appearance of Darkseid, who previously had only appeared on-screen delivering orders to various underlings. We have restocked our listing of the Super-Teens from Super-Town, including #1 FN/VF p £70 (first full Darkseid), #2 (with the double debuts of Mantis (not the Marvel one!) and Desaad, and some later issues with a surprising guest appearance by Deadman. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
Category Archives: What’s New
American Update: Batmania Extra! Brave & Bold – issues between #101 to #198
*DC: Newly added, more than 60 issues of Brave & Bold’s second half – a solid run of Batman team-ups with the super-stars and the super-obscure heroes from the DC Universe. Popular and frequently recurring partners for the Caped Crusader – despite not having their own series at the time – were Metamorpho, Wildcat and the Metal Men, while most of Bat’s Justice League colleagues were frequent attendees. More oddball team-ups included Lois Lane, Rose & the Thorn, Swamp Thing, Kamandi, Man-Bat and the Riddler! Almost all issues illustrated by Jim Aparo, and almost all done-in-one stories. Highlights include two issues where Batman teamed up with the Joker rather than opposing him – #111 and #191 – and the classic and poignant ‘Interlude on Earth-Two’ from #182 – but almost any given B & B from this period was a reliable jolt of fast paced super-hero action without the need to get involved in a universe-spanning saga.
American Update: Jimmy Olsen – Costumes! Gorillas! Alien Dames — and Kirby!
*DC: One of the madder DC titles, outstripped only by its distaff counterpart Lois Lane, was Jimmy Olsen, the series in which Superman’s Pal gained and lost super-powers, underwent weird bodily transformations, and was romanced by a bewildering array of alien ladies who had a thing for ginger shortarses. Just everyday events in the life of a newspaper reporter, as I’m sure any journos of your acquaintance will attest. We’ve topped up our Jimmy inventory with issues ranging from #31 – the first appearance of one of Jimmy’s longer-lasting alter-egos, Elastic Lad – through to #146, a time when Jack Kirby had taken over the series and linked it into his Fourth World saga. Along the way, Jimmy romances Supergirl, becomes Colossal Boy, brings Beatlemania to the ancient past, and marries a gorilla while witch-doctor Superman conducts the wedding. As you do. Embrace the crazy!
American Update: Mighty Marvel Firsts: Hulk #180 and #182 – 1st and 3rd (Cameo) appearances of Wolverine
*Marvel: Hulk #180 featured the first appearance of Wolverine, the Canadian super-hero who, outstripping everyone’s expectations, became the most popular Marvel character since the dawn of the Marvel Age. Co-created by Len Wein, Wolvy was revived by Wein when he put together the New X-Men in Giant-Size X-Men #1; subsequently Wolverine became the star of the X-Men and a media darling in his own right. Having said that, it wasn’t a lengthy first appearance – in the final panel of #180, Wolverine popped up to make dire threats to both Jade-Jaws and guest-monster the winsome Wendigo – but it’s still the first on-panel appearance of the decade’s mega-hot star. Wolvy’s first major appearance was in #181, of course, but in #182, he appeared on most of the first page, being extracted by his mysterious handlers before the story rolled along without him. Neither of these issues was ever distributed in the UK, but these gaps in your Wolverine history can now be filled! Our new copy of #180 is a shiny VF+, with excellent cover colour and gloss, tight corners, firm staples and only very light, almost imperceptible creasing in the upper right cover corner. The #182 is still nicer at VF/NM, sharp corners and deep unfaded cover colour. Most crucially, both Marvel Value Stamps (the cut-’em-out curse of 1970s Marvels) are firmly in place! Both cents copies (no pence variants on these)), #180 is VF+ £575 and #182 is VF/NM £150. SORRY, THESE HAVE NOW SOLD
American Update: Spider-Mania: Amazing Spider-Man #121 – the Death of Gwen Stacy
*Marvel: Dire threats against the heroes’ loved ones had, of course, been a stock-in-trade of popular entertainment since time immemorial, but in 1973’s Amazing Spider-Man #121, when Peter Parker’s love Gwen Stacy was imperilled by the Green Goblin, readers were genuinely shocked and saddened when Spidey’s daring rescue simply didn’t work – and Gwen was no more. Heroes had often been inspired by the death of a loved one, of course, but they were usually off-panel and frequently before the series actually began. This was the first time that someone the readers had ‘known’ for years was killed, and it changed the tone of the series forever. Our latest copy of Spider-Man #121 is FN/VF, a bright, unmarred copy with no creasing, but a very few tiny nicks on the lower cover edge. On sale at £195. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: Slab Happy Meets Mighty Marvel Firsts: Iron Fist #14 – Debut of the Savage Sabretooth
*Marvel: Iron Fist’s 1977 title, though critically acclaimed and well-received, failed to catch a mass audience, and was cancelled with its fifteenth issue. But in retrospect, its next-to-last issue, #14, has become hugely sought after as the debut of Sabretooth, one of the X-Men’s most popular enemies, and sometimes related to Wolverine in some sense – depending on what continuity was in force in a given week. Ironically, it’s only Sabretooth’s premier appearance by accident – he was intended to appear first in Ms. Marvel #24, but that series was cancelled with issue #23, so here he is, in all his feral glory! This is a CGC Blue Label (no restoration) copy, graded 9.6 (NM+ equivalent), but – full disclosure – there is a crack in the ‘shell’ of the CGC casing, at the lower rear left of the case. The case remains intact, with no exposure of the comic, and the comic itself is untouched, but nevertheless, in view of the case not being pristine, we have adjusted the asking price to £400. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: ‘Demon In A Bottle!’ – Iron Man #128
*Marvel: One of the more ground-breaking issues of the 1970s was Iron Man #128, in which creators David Michelinie and John Romita Jr. played out the plot they’d been building up for months; the dark underside of Tony Stark’s insouciant playboy façade, as his struggle with alcoholism was revealed. This was presented as an ongoing illness, rather than being wrapped up neatly by the issue’s end, and in fact even the current Tony Stark is still influenced by his addiction. Although the story caused controversy and outrage at the time of its release, over time it has received acclaim and respect as the first serious presentation of the subject in a mainstream comic. This copy of the ground-breaking issue is VF+ p, with only a few light spine ‘ticks’ preventing a higher grade, on sale at £40.
American Update: Mighty Marvel Firsts: Captain Marvel in Marvel Super-Heroes #12
*Marvel: One of the forerunners of the ‘second wave’ of the Marvel Universe in 1968 was Captain Marvel, warrior of the mighty Kree Empire, which had featured in the Fantastic Four and elsewhere. Exiled on Earth and forced to live among humans, Mar-Vell found his loyalties strangely shifting. Originally created as a cynical exercise in copyright protection (a minor publisher had produced a short-lived ‘Captain Marvel’ series a few years before, and Marvel Comics didn’t want their ‘brand’ hijacked by another company!), Captain Marvel, as well as the Silver Surfer, expanded the Marvel Universe beyond the confines of Earth and put the Marvel heroes firmly on the cosmic stage. We have the good Captain’s premier appearance in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 new in, in an attractive VG p copy, with very light wear at top and bottom of the squarebound spine, but tight, flat and clean with considerable eye appeal. On sale at £40. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: Son of Satan’s complete Marvel Spotlight Run Including Origin and First Solo
*Marvel: Having appeared in Ghost Rider #1 & #2, Daimon Hellstrom made his first solo appearance as the title star in Marvel Spotlight #12. In the wake of other Marvel hits starring occult characters, and with the Exorcist movie taking big box-office, Stan Lee had originally proposed a series starring Satan himself, but Roy Thomas commuted it to Satan’s offspring, a demon/human hybrid who used his evil-spawned power for good, in rebellion against his father. Despite controversy from Christians and other religions – Satanists and Wiccans wrote in to complain about their faiths being portrayed as evil – Son of Satan proved a short-term hit, lasting an appropriate 13 issues in Marvel Spotlight before launching his own solo series – which fizzled after issue #8. Oops. Nevertheless Daimon remains a prominent character today in the Marvel Universe, though he doesn’t use the Son of Satan soubriquet any more, and his origins are usually politely redacted. This is his complete Marvel Spotlight run, from #12 (VF/NM £40) to #24, a clash with his sinister sibling Satana. Averaging VF, this is a high-grade run of mostly non-distributed issues.
American Update: Mighty Marvel Firsts: Lives and Loves of a She-Devil! Complete 5-issue Shanna series from 1972
*Marvel: In the early 70s, with Women’s Lib being a hot topic, Stan Lee brainstormed some titles aimed at women. Jungle girls had, in the 1950s, scored big with a female readership, so Marvel attempted to buy the rights to the Fiction House character Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, but when that failed, Marvel simply created their own taste-alike version. Raised in Africa, statuesque redhead Shanna O’Hara had had a tragic life, beginning when her father accidentally shot her mother when the latter’s pet leopard went on the rampage. Should’ve gone to Specsavers, Pop. Educated back in the USA, Shanna became a veterinarian and eco-activist, but became increasingly disillusioned with the cruelty of western man, whereupon she returned to Africa to defend wildlife while wearing a few strips of leopard fur which barely covered her ya-yas. Despite her ludicrous origin, Shanna went on to become a major character, primarily through her association with Ka-Zar, and has evolved into a level-headed pragmatist whose intelligence and common sense belie her stripperific outfit. The entire five-issue run is now available in high grades, with gorgeous Steranko covers on the first two and the villainous debuts of Mandrill and Nekra, respectively, in #4 & #5. #1 VF+ £37 is shown; the rest may be found in our catalogue. SORRY, PICTURED ITEM NOW SOLD
American Update: Marvels – Complete set of Busiek/Ross Classic
*Marvel: Published in 1994, the series Marvels ran over four books running over the 1939 to 1974 time period, examining the development of the Marvel Universe from the perspective of an Everyman character, news photographer Phil Sheldon. The evocative series portrayed ordinary life in a world full of costumed supermen, with each issue featuring events well known to readers of Marvel comics, as well as a variety of minute details and a retelling of the most famous events in Marvel history. Lovingly scripted by Kurt Busiek and lavishly painted by Alex Ross, this series transcended the vintage/modern divide and provided an experience both generations could appreciate. Various hardcover and paperback collections have remained steadily in print since the series concluded, but these are the originals. Issues #1 to #4, plus the subsequent ‘coda’ #0, are available for sale as a set, averaging VF/NM, at £25. SORRY, THIS SET HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: Spider-Mania Extra! Amazing Spider-Man from the 1970s, including many ND issues
*Marvel: The perennially popular Peter Parker is restocked this week with more than 60 issues from the 1970s (#105-170 range), the decade where UK flatlined (thanks again, Marvel UK!) so after #120, almost no issues made it over to the Old Country in significant quantities. Highlights from this run include guest appearances by the Hulk (#120), Luke Cage (#125) and Man-Wolf (who made his debut in #124), plus the debuts of villains Hammerhead (#113), Tarantula (#134), the second Green Goblin Harry Osborn (#136), the Grizzly (#139), Cyclone (#143), and Mirage (#156), plus the first appearance of the Gwen Stacy clone in #144 and the Spider-Man clone (later Ben Reilly/Scarlet Spider) in #149.
American Update: Avengers Assemble! Silver/Bronze inc key issues
*Marvel: A swift top-up to everyone’s favourite Assemblers from the Silver & Bronze Ages, including the following key issues: #54 (1st Ultron cameo FN £44), #55 (1st full Ultron FA/GD p £25), #62 (1st Man-Ape VG+ p £15), #112 (1st Mantis FA/GD p £10) plus lots of other issues previously missing from our listings.
American Update: By The Hoary Hosts Of Hoggoth – it’s Dr Strange!
*Marvel: Marvel’s Master Of The Mystic Arts has always been a fan favourite, and this has only heightened following his movie debut. First series Doctor Strange issues are getting harder and harder to keep in stock, but we’re pleased to add a few this time: #170, #171, #178 & #182 (grades and pricing details shown in our catalogue). Blessed with art from Dan Adkins and Gene Colan, the Doctor has never been in better shape!
American Update: Charlton Adventure (and a little humour): E-Man, Fightin’ Five, Son of Vulcan, Popeye and more
*Charlton: A quick dash through one of the more esoteric publishers, with additions from three decades. From the 60s: Fightin’ 5, Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds (1st Son of Vulcan appearance) and Son of Vulcan’s solo series; from the 70s: Doomsday + 1 (post-apocalyptic sci-fi by John Byrne), E-Man (cult superhero by Joe Staton), TV/film humour with the Jetsons and Popeye; and from the 80s, Charlton’s final decade: their tryout title Charlton Bullseye, with super-heroes, sci-fi and horror, and the brief revival of Space War.
American Update: Dell Comedy – Funny Animals and Funny Humans
*Dell: A comedic update from Dell this week, with new listings for a raft of classic cartoon characters from MGM, Warner Brothers and Walter Lantz: Looney Tunes, New Funnies, Porky Pig, Tom & Jerry and Woody Woodpecker all spotlight anthropomorphic antics, while Mutt & Jeff features funny people. Rounding it out, there’s rather more sophisticated humour in Yak Yak, a 1961 attempt to tap into the Mad-style parody vein, with artwork throughout by EC and Mad alumnus Jack Davis.
American Update: The Atlas Explosion! Go Wild! 1950s Mad-Imitator by Everett, Maneely, Heath & More
*Miscellaneous 1940-1959: The venerable Mad Magazine started life as a comic book, and like any hit, it generated scores of imitators. Atlas Comics produced several of these Mad-alikes, and Wild, although it lasted only five issues, covered a wide range, from parodies of classic literature (Sherlock Holmes, the Scarlet Pimpernel) to media hits of the day (Charlie Chan, a bit cringey in today’s more ‘woke’ times), to popular genres such as science fiction and horror, illustrated by a fine team of artists including Everett, Maneely, Heath and Post, and featuring, often, a level of meticulously detailed and overcrowded artwork that surely couldn’t have been covered by the standard page rate! We have four of the five issues of Wild new in, lacking only issue #4. Illustrated are #2 VG £35 and #5 FN £45.
American Update: The Atlas Explosion! Battle Ground – Complete Series 1954-1957
*War: 1954’s Battle Ground just caught the last wave of Pre-Code liberty, with the first four issues being free of the censorious Comics Code Authority. Having said that, the zeitgeist of the times meant that even the post Code issues were pretty violent! We have a complete series, all 20 issues of Battle Ground new in, with artwork by Katz, Krigstein, Maneely, Williamson, Orlando, Severin, and Heath, with some lurid if politically incorrect covers – as witnessed by our illustrations, #13 FN £41, and #14 FN £45. Go on… dare to prowl ‘Where the Commies Lurk!’ We dare you!
American/British Update: James Bond ‘In Focus’ – 1964 Memorabilia Magazine
*Memorabilia & Esoterica: In 1964, 007-Mania, though not at its peak, was certainly well under way, and one early merchandising example was this mass market squarebound magazine, featuring short articles and commentary and pictures, pictures, pictures, black & white and colour, of the Sean Connery iteration of Bond and his friends, foes and femmes fatales. Costing 3/6 – a lot, back in the day – this glossy quality magazine was confirmation of the mega-hit status of the Bond franchise. VF £15. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
British Update: Life Story – Len Miller Reprints of (Mostly) Fawcett Romances
*Vintage UK/Australian Reprints of US Material: In the US comic-starved Britain of the 1950s, several enterprising souls leased the rights to American titles and repackaged them in, predominantly, black & white squarebound versions. One such publisher was Len Miller, helmsman of myriad series in the 1950s and early 60s. Among the regular Miller Romance titles was Life Story, which reprinted, we believe, love stories from the defunct Fawcett line, perhaps with some additional material. Launched circa 1958, the series ran for at least 30 issues, and we have a selection from #4 to #30, with, after the first few, original covers commissioned by Miller. Illustrated is #15 (GD £5); for other info, kindly consult our online listings.
British Update: Free Gift Farrago Meets Mighty Marvel Firsts: By Jove, It’s Captain Britain & Betsy Braddock & Lance Hunter
*Marvel UK: In 1976, Marvel UK’s attempt to broaden their readership by generating a new British hero, Captain Britain was the subject of much controversy, not least because he was created by two Americans (Chris Claremont & Herb Trimpe) whose interpretation of the UK’s manners and mores made the Austin Powers films look like documentaries. Be that as it may, the character endured to become a respected icon of the medium, and these early issues are now attracting keen collector attention, primarily because of early appearances by characters who have become, as the young people say, ‘hot’ in the media. This isn’t a complete run, but it’s most of the issues to #23, pre-format change, and it does feature the landmark first appearances – the good Captain himself, in #1 of course, plus his supernatural guardians Roma and Merlin; our hero’s psychic sister Betsy Braddock, later to become the X-Men’s Psylocke, in #8 and Lance Hunter, later better known as ‘Mr. Mockingbird’ from Marvels ‘Agents of SHIELD’ television series, in #19. #1 is FN/VF with Free Gift (Captain Britain Mask) in VF at £40; #2 is FN/VF with Free Gift (Captain Britain Boomerang) in VF at £30 and #8 (First Betsy Braddock, with puzzle page completed) FN at £100. Grades and prices on the others in the online listings, as always.
British Update: James Bond 007 Annuals from 1966 and 1967
*Annuals: Although the traditional hardcover UK Annuals, in the 1960s, were regarded firmly as a children’s field, the sales juggernaut that was James Bond couldn’t be overlooked, so in late 1965, for the Christmas market, the first James Bond 007 Annual for 1966 was released, followed by two more dated 1967 and 1969. We have the first two of these in stock, in outstanding grades, with comic strips, stories and film photos content that, while innocuous by contemporary standards, would probably have raised an eyebrow or two among parents of the time. 1966 is FN/VF, with only very faint age-related discolouration at the front cover’s upper right; 1967 is even nicer, a firm VF. Neither has the original price clipped, there is no writing or other interior markings, and all pages are bright and tightly attached, laminate unflawed, spines pristine. 1966 FN/VF £50; 1967 VF £50. SORRY, THESE HAVE NOW SOLD
British Update: Super-Detective Library – Sherlock Holmes, Rick Random and More
*Boys’ Adventure & War Picture Libraries: Running 188 issues, from 1953 to 1960, Super Detective Library featured tightly plotted done-in-one stories with often superbly crafted artwork, all within the general theme of ‘Detection’, but covering a wide range, from historical events to the reaches of outer space! While many of the issues were one-offs, hit characters tended to be brought back for further adventures in a rotating pattern – popular re-invitees included Blackshirt, Buck Ryan, Rip Kirby, space detective Rick Random, John Steel and – gasp! lady detective Lesley Shane! All of those characters are present in our new selection of Super Detective, numbers between #63 and #167, plus legendary consulting detective of Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes, who appeared in #65 (VG £40, illustrated here). Prices and grades on the rest of these little gems available in our online listings.
British Update: Long Hot Summer: Cor!! Summer and Holiday Specials from the first
*Humour Comics: Our Long Hot Summer event continues with a selection of Cor!! Summer/Holiday Specials, not a complete run, but including the first from 1971 and the final from 1983, straddling more than a decade of fun & thrills! Starring Gus the Gorilla, Ivor Lott & Tony Broke, Hire-A-Horror, Spoilsport, Andy’s Ants, Jasper the Grasper, Chalky, and a cast of, well it must be dozens, Cor!!, while not the longest-running IPC/Fleetway comedy weekly, is among the most affectionately remembered, and this panoply of seaside-themed shenanigans will evoke many happy memories. Pictured is 1971 (the first Cor!! Summer Special) VF £35; for details on the others check out the Humour Comics section of our online catalogue.
British Update: Free Gift Farrago: June issues from 1968 with Happy Fortunes game
*Girls’ Comics: A brace of vintage June & School Friend (to give the comic her full title of the time) from 1968, both in Fine condition. In a two-part gift series, the issues dated 27th January and 3rd February of that year featured the free gift ‘Happy Fortunes Game’ – cunningly designed with a big picture on the back so that when you cut up the card to play the game, you could use it as a jigsaw afterwards! (Not a very complicated one, admittedly…) Plus, all the usual favourite features such as ‘Lucky’s Living Doll’, ‘Bessie Bunter’, ‘The Sindy Set’, ‘Vanessa From Venus’, ‘Fourth Form Wonder’ and more. June didn’t offer free gifts as often as her sister papers, and these card sheets are VF, uncut in superior condition. Both comics FN; each comic and gift £25 each.
British Update: Golden Hearts and Silver Moons – Vintage D.C. Thomson Romance Libraries
*Girls’ Picture Libraries: In the late 1950s, Scottish publishers D.C. Thomson, who had had a success with their romance weekly Romeo, consolidated it with a series of done-in-one romance comics digests, issued two a month. Golden Heart Love Stories and Silver Moon Romances, to give them their full titles, ran for 97 and 79 issues respectively before Golden Heart was retitled Star Love Stories with #98 in 1965, and Silver Moon merged with Star three issues later. These have striking painted covers, often lovely interior art, and are not commonplace, having been bought mainly by women in their twenties through forties who read and disposed of what were seen as throwaway entertainment, therefore few survive today. We have a selection of Golden Heart from #10 to #71, and Silver Moon from #8 to #81. Pictured are Golden Heart #10 (VG £12) and #21 (VG £9), and Silver Moon #19 (FN £12) and #65 (FN £12). For details on the others, see our online catalogue.
Clearance Corner: Free Gift Farrago! Speed & Power – 36 Issues from 1974 upward, including First Three (plus #27) with Free Gifts — just £25 the lot!
*Clearance Corner: Not to be confused with the weekly comic Speed, which came later, Fleetway/IPC’s Speed & Power was a glossy weekly devoted to planes, cars, speedboats, trains – sort of manly fast stuff in general, really. Its unique selling point was high production standards at a time when such things weren’t commonplace in the juvenile field outside of ‘educational’ mags like Look & Learn, and lots of tech talk and photos, plus intermittent and minimal comics content. We have 36 issues of S & P (only one duplicated copy) and issues #1 to #3, plus #27, have their original Free Gifts in situ. This selection available for £25, with UK postage, because of the heavier stock, a further £8 if required. SORRY, THIS LOT HAS NOW SOLD
Clearance Corner: Combat NON-Picture Library – Text Stories From 1959 Onwards, including First Issue – 19 issues for £20
*Clearance Corner: In the same format as its more famous illustrated sibling, Combat Library was text stories with a World War II setting, rather than comics stories, but with evocative painted covers. This is a broken run from 1959’s first issue upward, 19 copies in all; #1-7, 9, 10, 12-14, 17, 18, 20-22, 27 and 31, averaging Very Good (would be Fine but for rust around the staples). This selection is available for £20; UK postage (if required) would be an extra £4.
Books Update: Ten Classic Asimov Titles
*Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror: Offered for your delectation here, three collections of stories and seven novels, including some sequels. The collections consist of Earth Is Room Enough, Nine Tomorrows and The Martian Way. The other titles are Foundation and Foundation And Empire, Fantastic Voyage II Destination Brain, The Naked Sun (follows The Caves Of Steel), Pebble In The Sky (#1 in the Trantorian Empire sequence), The Currents Of Space (#3 in the Trantorian Empire sequence) and The Gods Themselves. These are nearly all 1960s editions.
American Update: Mighty Marvel Firsts! Tales of Suspense #39 – the First Appearance of Iron Man
*Marvel: Iron Man’s very first appearance, in the pages of Tales of Suspense #39; abducted by Reds behind the Bamboo Curtain (it was a different time…) and forced to manufacture advanced weapons to crush capitalism, Tony Stark turned the tables on his captors by devising a cybernetic suit of armour which transformed him into an unstoppable juggernaut of justice – but at the cost of a near-fatal injury to his heart, which required constant contact with his robotic armour to keep beating! Under the artistic talents of (usually) Don Heck (who devoted special attention, bless him, to the many shapely ladies Tony Stark romanced), the sophisticated world of Tony Stark vied with the action-adventure of his Iron Man persona for the readers’ attention. Following the blockbuster success of the Iron Man movie franchise, demand for this issue has never been higher.
We’ve graded this pence printed priced copy as Apparent VG/FN. It lies tight and flat with considerable cover gloss, a totally unmarred cover image and only very minor edge wear. The original staples are non-rusty and are firmly attached at both the spine and the centrefold with minimal wear. Additional (but uncessary) staples have been added at upper and lower spine, but these could easily be removed leaving just unobtrusive tiny holes. The corners are mostly square, although the bottom of the spine has a very slightly rounded edge and a very tiny chip (attached and present). There is a barely noticeable crease across the bottom right corner which is flat but very slightly breaks the colour. Page quality is an exellent off-white. The reason we have applied the ‘Apparent’ term is that we believe the right edge has been micro-trimmed, although this does not detract from the considerable eye appeal of this very presentable copy. However, we have priced it well below a VG/FN grade to allow for this and it’s on sale at £4000.
Front and back cover scans and splash page image are shown below; high resolution scans are available on request. Please note that this is not stored at our shop and viewing is strictly by appointment only.
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/British section:
*Mad & Other Parody
and in our British section:
*Annuals
As of the time of writing, these categories are bang up to date, with every item listed available.
American Update: Batmania: “…But Look Out, Man, She’s Crazy!” Poison Ivy Debut in Batman #181
*DC: Batman #181 featured the debut of one of the Gotham Guardian’s most famous female nemeses. Poison Ivy was brainstormed with the idea of joining the hugely-popular TV show as a younger recurring villain – most of the villainesses, aside from Catwoman, being, let’s be kind, ladies of a certain age, it was thought a fresher face was needed! She sadly never made it onto the small screen – at least not in that decade – but the comics audience caught Poison Ivy with a vengeance, and she’s remained 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… well, the jury’s out, but let’s say very good friend. At least. A recurring role in the ‘Gotham’ TV series has also spurred demand for Ivy’s early appearances over the last few years. This Batman #181 is a splendid FN+ copy, pence stamp unobtrusive, with vibrant unbroken red cover background, good, gloss, clear unmarred cover image, and most importantly the centrefold pin-up (frequently missing, depriving the second story of its splash page) firmly in place! FN+ p £400. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: Batmania Extra! Watching The Detectives inc 1st Clayface II, 1st Man-Bat
*DC: As you’ll recall, we’ve been regularly updating our lists with new issues of Bruce Wayne’s famous alter ego, but this week we have a ‘Brucie Bonus’ – almost thirty issues of Detective Comics, the series in which Batman made his first appearance and stars to this day! This sequence opens with #290 – Robin as a robot, how can you resist? – and continues to #504, filling many gaps in our inventory, with not only the Caped Crusader in the forefront, but additional features starring (at various times) Martian Manhunter, Roy Raymond, Elongated Man, Hawkman, and Batgirl and Robin solos! Depicted are #298 (PR/FA £30), the first appearance of the second and most famous Clayface and #400 (GD p £50), a Neal Adams-drawn extravaganza introducing Batman’s sinister ‘Dark Mirror’, the Man-Bat! SORRY, PICTURED ITEMS NOW SOLD
American Update: Brave & Bold – Without Batman! Early Team-Up Issues
*DC: Know, O Best Beloved, that in those days of Long Ago, there existed issues of Brave & Bold which featured team-ups of stars from the DC Universe – without Batman! I know, hard to believe, but accept the word of one who knows. After a stint as DC’s second-run try-out book, (after Showcase) B & B switched tactics, pairing characters who previously had met only over the Justice League meeting table – or not at all! Some of these pairings were delightfully oddball, but curiously effective – the Metal Men and Metamorpho is a personal favourite – but after putting Batman in a few issues and observing the sales figures, DC saw the way the wind was blowing, and soon it was Bats-with-everything. We have the non-Batman team-up issues from the first, #50, to the last, #72, many in lovely high grades. Pictured are #50 VF- p £70, #51 VF- p £70, #55 NM £110 and #63 VF+ £61. Other issues, of course, listed in our online catalogue.
American Update: Green Lantern’s Light! Silver to Bronze Age GL restocked from #2
*DC: The cosmic adventures of Hal Jordan, Green Lantern of Earth, are restocked in a dozen newly-added items ranging from the second issue of his Silver Age series to #88 in the early 1970s! We open with #2, FA/GD £42, the first appearance of Hal’s Inuit assistant Thomas Kalmaku, rather unfortunately nicknamed ‘Pieface’ – political correctness wasn’t quite there yet – and highlights include #16’s debut of the sultry and sinister Star Sapphire, who you could distinguish from her alter-ego Carol Ferris by the fact that ‘Sapph’ was, if anything, a bit less evil than Carol! Other issues in this range feature guest-appearances by the Flash, the Golden Age Green Lantern and other greats of the DC realm, as well as Hal’s classic villains, Evil Star, Black Hand, Sinestro and more.
American Update: Mighty Marvel Firsts: Debuts of Galactus and Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four #48 FN+
*Marvel: One of the most sought-after Marvel Comics of the 1960s is Fantastic Four #48, which introduced the Silver Surfer, a cosmic-powered being the equal of the combined FF… and the Surfer’s master, Galactus, an entity of even more monstrous might! Both became major figures in the Marvel Universe, with the Surfer repenting his role as Galactus’ herald and choosing the side of justice, while Galactus’ insatiable hunger drives him ever onwards to more heinous acts. This copy of the double debut is one of the nicest we’ve beheld, with tight staples, off-white interior pages and deep, vibrant, unbroken cover colour and gloss. There is minimal spine and upper cover edge wear, but the cover scene itself is utterly unmarred. It is a pence copy – unusually, both stamped (unobtrusively) and pence printed – but this doesn’t detract from its considerable eye appeal. FN+ p £1,000. Front and back covers and splash page shown here; high resolution scans are available on request. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: Slab Happy! The Devil Rides Out: Ghost Rider #1 CGC 9.0 VF/NM
*Marvel: In the early 1970s, with the supernatural craze at its height, the retooling of the venerable Western hero Ghost Rider as a supernatural satanically-empowered cyclist raised eyebrows among the purists, to say the least – but no-one can deny it was a commercial success, and after a hit streak in Marvel Spotlight, former stunt-rider Johnny Blaze burned rubber into his own series, achieving a very respectable 80+ run, and despite two disastrous movies starring Nicolas Cage, has continued to appear regularly ever after. This copy of Ghost Rider’s premier issue is a CGC Blue Label, no restoration, graded an exceptional 9.0 VF/NM equivalent, and is on sale at £335. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: Spider-Mania Meets Mighty Marvel Firsts: Face It, Tiger… Iconic ‘Reveal’ of Mary Jane Watson in Amazing Spider-Man #42
*Marvel: In Amazing Spider-Man #42, the astronaut offspring of J. Jonah Jameson gained super-powers and posed a looming threat to Spider-Man… but let’s be honest, who really cares? Because the Big Deal this issue was the revelation, finally, of Mary Jane Watson, the mysterious lady who’d been hovering in the odd panel, her face always obscured, for several previous issues! When Stan Lee and John Romita finally showed us the ‘Full MJ’, it proved to be well worth the wait, with one of the most famous intro. lines in the history of comics! The first full appearance of the woman who would eventually become Mrs. Spidey is a gorgeous FN/VF, tiniest breaks in spine colour, but lustrous cover with deep unfaded purple cover background, tight corners & edges, firm staples, and striking eye appeal. FN/VF cents copy, no pence price or overstamp, on sale at £100.
American Update: Avengers Assemble! Mighty Marvel Firsts: Avengers #55 – First Full Appearance of Ultron
*Marvel: The cybernetic ‘offspring’ of Hank Pym (because controlling insects and robotics are all just ‘science’ in comics), Ultron has become one of the Avengers’ most relentless and popular enemies, appearing in countless comics as well as, memorably, on the Silver Screen in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’. This is the first full appearance of the Avengers’ implacable foe (he made a last-panel ‘reveal’ in the previous issue), in a superb VF condition, with unmarred white cover background, tight staples, and only a very faint unevenness in cover texture, too subtle to called a crease, in the lower right cover corner. VF p £100.
American Update: Daredevil #7 – 1st ‘Red Devil’ costume with Wally Wood Art
*Marvel: After a little artistic floundering in his early issues, the Sightless Swashbuckler lucked out when the superlative Wally Wood took over illustrating his adventures. This is probably the finest Wood issue, marked not only by the premiere of the red Daredevil costume, (replacing his original outfit, which actually looked like it was designed by a blind man…) but also by a genuinely gripping battle in which Daredevil, overpowered by the vastly superior might of the Sub-Mariner, shows such courage and determination that even Namor’s scaly heart is moved to compassion. This is a VG- pence copy, generally attractive, but with minor cover wear and stress, especially at the right edge. Also, some pillock put the price stamp right in the middle of Namor’s face! Despite these drawbacks, a superior second-hand copy of an epic issue. VG- p £85.
American Update: Defenders… Disassemble? Early Appearances of Marvel’s Reluctant ‘Non-Team’ Restocked
*Marvel: Originally conceived as a cynical marketing exercise – the enforced banding together of three solo operatives, in the Hulk, the Sub-Mariner and Doctor Strange, to create a new franchise – the Defenders grew, under the influence of its primary writer Steve Gerber, to be a significant factor in the Marvel Universe despite (because of?) its cast of super-powered hermits, misanthropes and oddballs. We have refreshed the Defenders’ first series from #3 to #48, plus Giant-Size Defenders #1, and the non-UK-distributed Marvel Feature (1st series) #3, the team’s third tryout just before they won their own mag! Marvel Feature #3 is VF/NM £55; all others, of course, may be seen in our online catalogue. SORRY, PICTURED ITEM NOW SOLD
American Update: Infinity Gauntlet #1 and other Jim Starlin Cosmic Clashes
*Marvel: One of comics’ biggest events of the last decades of the 20th Century was Jim Starlin’s Infinity Gauntlet, in which Thanos, the megavillain Starlin had been building up for nearly twenty years, armed with the reality-altering Infinity Gauntlet, faced down the Marvel super-beings en masse, in a struggle for the fate of the universe! Infinity Gauntlet was such a huge success that Starlin wrote two equally cosmic sequels, Infinity War and Infinity Crusade, each taking in most of the Marvel super-stars of the time.. Hugely popular ever since their inception, but with Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet at the centre of the current Avengers: Endgame cinematic juggernaut, demand for these issues is at its height. We have the first issues of all three series in stock; Infinity Crusade #1 is NM p £7.50, Infinity War #1 is NM p £10 and Infinity Gauntlet #1 (pictured) NM p £40. SORRY, THESE HAVE NOW SOLD
American Update: Let’s Visit the X-Men!
*Marvel: A small update to Bronze/Modern Age X-Men between issues #153 & #205, plus Annual (King-Size Special) #2. Superb art chores by Dave Cockrum, Paul Smith and Barry Windor-Smith (on the Wolverine solo issue #205). Also features the first appearance of Binary (Carol Danvers) in #164.
American Update: Next Men #21 – First Full Appearance Hellboy
*Miscellaneous 1960 Onwards: Yes, it’s a bit ‘modern’ for our remit, but 1993’s 21st issue of Next Men, John Byrne’s cult series, guest-starred Hellboy, in his own chapter illustrated by Mike Mignola. Hellboy of course has gone on to several major comics series and remains a ‘player’ in the field today, in addition to having carried two movie franchises. This copy of the first full appearance of Hellboy is NM- at £110. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: The Atlas Explosion! Post Code Horror Mega-Fest continues with Strange Tales Of The Unusual
*Horror 1940-1959: One of the Post Code attempts to ‘rebrand’ the horror/mystery genre as more science-fiction and fantasy, Strange Tales of the Unusual ran for 11 issues from 1955 to 1957. We have five of this stylish and evocative series in stock, commencing with #4 and ending with the final issue #11. Cover artists include Maneely and Everett, with interior contributors including a certain Jack Kirby, whom you may have heard of! Depicted is #6 FN- £65; prices and grades on the rest may be found in our online listings. SORRY, PICTURED ITEM NOW SOLD
American Update: The Atlas Explosion! Western Outlaws – And Sheriffs! (But Mostly Outlaws…)
*Western: Not one, but two western series this week, albeit a pair with very similar titles; Western Outlaws and Sheriffs debuted in 1949, taking over the numbering from Best Western (no, not the hotel chain…) with #60, and lasted until issue #73 in 1952, with such cheery topics as cannibalism and mass hangings among its highlights. We have issues #69 and the final issue #73 in stock, the latter containing a Black Rider story, unusual in a series generally without ongoing characters. In 1954, Atlas revived the title but eliminated those pesky lawmakers, calling it just Western Outlaws; this second series ran from #1 to 1957’s #21, and we have sixteen of the series new in, from #2 to the last issue. Again eschewing recurring characters, this iteration had the expected, but appreciated, stellar roster of artists, with Everett, Maneely, Heath, Romita, Severin and Williamson among the more prominent contributors. Depicted are Western Outlaws and Sheriffs #69 VG+ £26 and Western Outlaws #2 FN £34: Grades and prices on the rest in our cowpunchin’ catalogue.
American/British Update: A Fleeting Phantom – King and Charlton issues back in stock (but not for long…)
*Phantom: A quartet of vintage King and Charlton issues of the Phantom make an appearance on our lists this week – a mere smattering, but ‘The Ghost Who Walks’ walks out of our shop in Putney so swiftly that we tend to put out additions as soon as we get them, as demand is keen! Pat Boyette, Don Newton and other gifted artists illustrate these tales of Lee Falk’s cult creation.
British Update: Pre-Decimal Alan Class Additions – Major Series and Short-Run Titles
*Alan Class Reprints: More than two dozen pre-decimal Alan Class items added to our inventory, with representation from his major, long-running series (Creepy Worlds, Secrets of the Unknown, Sinister Tales and Suspense) plus selections from the shorter-run and often harder to find titles, such as Amazing Stories, Out Of This World (1st series), Outer Space and Weird Planets. Lots of Pre-Hero Marvel with Big-Panty-Monsters illustrated by Kirby, Steve Ditko, twist-ending tales, Atlas era Krigstein and Everett, a miscellany from Charlton, ACG, Tower comics and much more!
British Update: IPC Smash! From first to Last
*Power Comics: Although IPC’s re-invention of the popular Smash! is dismissed by many as an ersatz Valiant – and it’s true it shrank to the standard size and format of a regular IPC/Fleetway weekly – there was a lot more to it than that, and the first relaunch issue debuted two strips, ‘Cursitor Doom’ and ‘Janus Stark’, who went on to lengthy careers and engraved themselves in the hearts of a generation of comics readers. Other popular series from this run were the super-hero ‘Tri-Man’, challenger of the unknown ‘Simon Test’, and ‘Birdman of Baratoga’, another entry in the ‘feral child raised by random critters’ sub-genre so beloved of fiction. Plus, the well-loved comedy strips ‘Bad Penny’ and ‘The Swots and the Blots’ continued over from the old iteration to produce fresh mayhem and laughter! We have 89 of the 95 IPC Smash! issues new in stock, from the first new look issue to the final number; the relaunch issue, 15th March 1969, with the first appearances of Janus Stark and Cursitor Doom, is FN £12; prices and grades on the others are available in our catalogue.
British Update: Invasion 1984 – Complete series collected from Battle weekly
*Collected Editions: Although Battle Weekly (at least in its early years) was famed for more ‘classic’ war stories, one of its earliest ventures into speculative fiction was ‘Invasion 1984’, originally published in 1983, and presenting the tale of a near-future (very near future, as it happens) invasion from Outer Space, and the valiant efforts of Earth’s forces to rally round – despite civilization falling apart! By John Wagner, Alan Grant and Eric Bradbury, this violent but inventive series is complete in one paperback volume, brand new this week, in the latest in Rebellion’s collections of classic British comics. Brand New SC at £15.