We’re taking a short break next week, after filling and posting orders received up to 4 pm today (12th September). There will not be a Newsletter nor stock updates next Saturday, but they will be back on 26th September. After this coming Sunday 13th September, we’ll next be filling orders on 27th September. You may of course continue to place orders at any time; we will acknowledge them and reserve items for you wherever possible. 

If you have withdrawal symptoms while we’re on a break, why not take a browse through our catalogue for comics and/or for books? There’s tens of thousands of goodies there just ready and waiting for you!

*DC: Seven issues of Adventure Comics either side of UK distribution, between #250 & #281. All feature Superboy as the main attraction, with the delightful small town homespun folksy feel of the Boy of Steel’s adventures, with a variety of back-ups inc Green Arrow (by Jack Kirby), Aquaman and Congorilla. Grades range from PR to VG/FN. 
IN THIS UPDATE: ADVENTURE COMICS
#250 GD £30 Book shop stamp. Kirby Green Arrow
#251 FA £16 Taped spine. Kirby Green Arrow
#255 VG+ £67 (PICTURED) Nice solid copy. Kirby Green Arrow
#272 VG/FN £43 (PICTURED) ‘Krypto, the Super-Star of Hollywood’ 
#273 PR p £5 Heavily taped spine
#280 GD £17 Lori Lemaris
#281 GD £16 Small chips out front and back covers

*Marvel: It’s always good to have a Steve Ditko issue of Amazing Spider-Man through the gates of 30th Century, and particularly so when that’s an issue featuring the Green Goblin. In this issue, Spidey gets caught up in a power struggle between the Goblin (in just his third appearance) and the Lucky Lobo gang. Includes a wonderful Ditko Spidey pin-up page. This copy has been slabbed by CGC and graded at 7.0 (FN/VF). Universal unrestored blue label, case perfect, off-white to cream pages. CGC Ref: 3736877009. It should be noted that there is a fairly faint and very narrow dust shadow along the right edge. 
PICTURED: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #23 CGC 7.0 FN/VF £350

*Marvel: In 1972, Marvel launched many reprint titles, one of which, Jungle Action, featured 1950s stories of scantily clad white people bringing justice to the African wild, surrounded by grateful and subservient black folks. Realising belatedly this was a bit politically tone-deaf, Marvel abruptly swerved from #5, reprinting a Panther-centric issue of the Avengers, then from #6 presenting an all-new series starring T’Challa surrounded by political intrigue in his secret super-scientific society of Wakanda. Although writer Don McGregor’s style could charitably be described as ‘overwrought’, the series won loads of acclaim at the time, and introduced key characters such as Killmonger. From the Bute Collection, we have the first six issues of the Black Panther’s run in high grade, which started with #5 (reprinting the debut of the Man-Ape from Avengers #62) then #6, the first Killmonger and the first new Panther solo, Panther origin in #8, plus an array of bizarre and disturbing villains, including Venomm (not that one), and a bunch of other people whose names are actually spelled correctly!
IN THIS UPDATE: JUNGLE ACTION
#5 VF £70 (PICTURED) SOLD 1st Black Panther series starts with reprint. Lovely glossy copy with just minor handling wear. 
#6 VF/NM £195 (PICTURED) SOLD 1st new Black Panther solo story. 1st Killmonger. Super copy, almost Mint
#7 VF/NM £45 (PICTURED) Just tiny bits of edge wear. 
#8 VF £35 Black Panther origin. 
#9 VF £25
#10 VF £25

*Horror/Mystery 1960-1980s: By its tenth issue, Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan’s highly acclaimed run on Tomb of Dracula was in full swing, racking up plaudits from critics and fans alike, when suddenly there came a character who was to outstrip even the success of his comic book ‘parent’. Blade the Vampire Slayer debuted in issue #10, and, with numerous comic-book appearances and a highly successful movie trilogy behind him, remains one of the more enduring breakthrough characters of the 1970s. This is a nice pence-printed copy from the Bute Collection, with rich cover colours and excellent gloss. Staples are tight and firm, pages are a pristine white. There are one or two very minor stress marks at spine near staples which do not break colour, tiny bits of edge wear and a very tiny nick at top spine. A short, thin crease across top right corner just breaks colour. 
PICTURED: TOMB OF DRACULA #10 FN p £400

*Humour Comics: The Christmas Beano is an institution of British comics. For many children (and adults) over the decades a real highlight of this special time of year, where many of their favourite characters engage in festive frolics, and the Beano logo is decked with snow. And whilst collecting 4000 plus issues of the Beano wouldn’t suit all Beano fans’ circumstances, a collection of Christmas issues is much more manageable, if you can find them. Let us help you with that. This week, we have a copy of the Christmas Beano from 1945, #273 dated 15th December (there was no further issue before Christmas). Big Eggo, Lord Snooty and the gang, Jimmy and His Magic Patch and very many more are all here in celebratory mood. The back cover forms the playboard for a Christmas fun game called Jinko. This is a very nice copy, with bright colours and good page quality. There is a long crease down the spine margin which is not obtrusive, a couple of very short back cover margin tears and a tiny bit of foxing bottom front cover, but a very presentable and desirable copy. 
PICTURED: BEANO #273 VG £100 Christmas issue

*Crime, Spies and Sleaze: From our distinguished Arch Collection of vintage comics and books, we present two thrillers from 1943 and 1952 in Hardback editions complete with dust-jackets illustrated by the wonderful Reginald Heade. The first by Victor Bridges is a wartime tale of espionage in the Essex marshes, a hard-to-find item, particularly with the dust jacket. The second by Manning O’Brine is a work of fiction derived from the attempted bombing of the British Embassy in Rome in 1946. 
PICTURED: BOTH SOLD
VICTOR BRIDGES: THE GULLS FLY LOW Hodder & Stoughton 1943 1st UK HC GD/VG £35 Binding and boards are good with very slight lean and wear at top and bottom spine. With DJ (FA) in removable archival film. DJ has small chips and tears and a central spine panel missing (presumably an illustration). 
MANNING O’BRINE: KILLERS MUST EAT Thriller Book Club 1952 UK HC FN £10 With DJ (GD/VG) in removable archival film. DJ has small chips and tears

*DC: It seems unthinkable these days to have an issue of Batman featuring the Joker where his story is not that depicted on the cover, but back in the (Golden Age) day, it was quite de rigueur to feature a non-Joker story on the cover where the Clown Prince of Crime lurked within. Here, for instance, in Batman #32 from the Midas Collection, the cover features Batman & Robin arm-in-arm with a Musketeer as once again they travel back in time (just like popping to the corner shop), on this occasion meeting up with D’Artagnan and the Three Musketeers. (And for those of you who might be thinking ‘weren’t they fictitious characters?’ – duh, you’re reading a work of fiction, innit?) The other stories include an Alfred short, a story set after Robin’s debut, detailing his full origin for the first time, and the aforementioned Joker tale, where he uses fraternity stunts to further his criminal ambitions. Cover by Dick Sprang. Stories by Don C Cameron and Bill Finger, with art by Sprang and Jerry Robinson. A very decent condition copy, with great colours (bright red background) and only minor edge wear (one small 1 cm tear without loss centre right edge). Slight reading wear just in from spine below top staple, and very narrow 2 cm colour breaking crease at extremity of bottom right corner, becoming a tear. Tiny pen mark below Robin’s foot. A previous owner has chosen to write his name across the backing white circle above Batman’s head, but this is quite tidy and almost decorative. Staples are tight and firm, spine is solid, pages are a nice supple off-white. 
PICTURED: BATMAN #32 VG+ £400 SOLD

*DC: These early pre-distribution issues of Tales Of The Unexpected are not common over here in the UK. By this time, the title had become a pure science fiction title, with interplanetary adventure, aliens, robots, space ships with rivets, etc as The Space Ranger feature made its debut in issue #40 (his 3rd appearance following his debuts in Showcase) The stories feature work from many famous artists, with these early Space Ranger stories the work of Jim Mooney. Space Ranger would have to wait a few issues until he was cover featured. 
IN THIS UPDATE: TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED
#35 VG £28 SOLD
#36 GD- £12.25
#37 VG £28 SOLD
#38 VG+ £31 SOLD
#40 FA/GD £40 (PICTURED) 1st Space Ranger feature in title. Weak spine with upper and lower splits. Small strip off bottom back cover
#41 FA/GD £19.25 2nd Space Ranger feature

*Marvel: From the Bute Collection, less commonly seen Giant issues of Captain America in the shape of Specials/Annuals #1 and #2 from 1971 & 1972 and Giant-Size Cap #1 from 1975. All full of Lee & Kirby classic reprints from Cap’s series in Tales Of Suspense. 
IN THIS UPDATE: CAPTAIN AMERICA ALL SOLD
SPECIAL/ANNUAL #1 VG p £11.75 Pence stamped
SPECIAL/ANNUAL #2 VG £8.25
GIANT-SIZE #1 GD/VG £6.25

*Charlton: After debuting in Steve Ditko’s Blue Beetle in 1967, the Question, Ditko’s own creation, went on to star in his only Silver Age solo comic, Mysterious Suspense #1, a full length story by Ditko of his urban vigilante. It’s a great shame that Charlton cancelled their ‘Action Hero’ line at this stage, robbing us of possibly a whole universe of heroes drawn by Ditko. This is a very nice copy of the Question’s only solo outing, with vivid colour, nice gloss and an unspoilt cover image. Tight, firm staples and supple white to off-white pages.  Very minor stress marks at spine, edges and corners. 
PICTURED: MYSTERIOUS SUSPENSE #1 VF- £75 SOLD

*Romance: A small but perfectly formed update to our Marvel Romance stock. From 1962, two issues of Love Romances, with all stories or plots by Lee and all main art inc covers by Kirby. From 1974, an issue of My Love, with cover by John Buscema and art by Jack Kirby, Alan Weiss, Mike Sekowsky & Sal Buscema. And from 1971, Our Love Story, with cover and art by John Buscema, with Giordano and Kirby. Great to see the Marvel Bullpen turning their hands to non-super-hero material. 
IN THIS UPDATE: ALL SOLD
LOVE ROMANCES
#97 GD+ £28 This was the month that Marvel changed from 10 to 12 cents. Several covers, inc this one, had the 10c price blacked out and replaced by a 12c price. 
#99 VG+ £29 (PICTURED) ‘The Teen-Ager And The Truck Driver.’ 
MY LOVE #28 GD/VG £5
OUR LOVE STORY #9 VG £10 (PICTURED)

*Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror: Four volumes from disparate authors this week. John Brunner’s Squares Of The City is a tour de force concerned with governance and morality; Fritz Leiber’s The Silver Eggheads is a hilarious science fiction satire of the world of the arts;  John Russell Fearn’s The Amazon’s Diamond Quest is a volume in his adventures of the Golden Amazon; J H Rosny, the ‘Edgar Rice Burroughs of France’, spins a yarn of the days of mighty mammoths, sabretooth tigers and courageous cavemen.
PICTURED: ALL SOLD
JOHN BRUNNER: THE SQUARES OF THE CITY Penguin 1969 1st UK PB thus GD £10
FRITZ LEIBER: THE SILVER EGGHEADS Ballantine 1962 1st US PB GD £5
JOHN RUSSELL FEARN : GOLDEN AMAZON 4: THE AMAZON’S DIAMOND QUEST Gryphon 1998 1st US PB thus NM £20
J H ROSNY: QUEST OF THE DAWN MAN Ace 1966 US PB GD/VG £4

*Humour Comics: The Christmas Beano is an institution of British comics. For many children (and adults) over the decades a real highlight of this special time of year, where many of their favourite characters engage in festive frolics, and the Beano logo is decked with snow. And whilst collecting 4000 plus issues of the Beano wouldn’t suit all Beano fans’ circumstances, a collection of Christmas issues is much more manageable, if you can find them. Let us help you with that.  This week, we have a copy of the Christmas Beano from 1946, #300 dated 29th December. Big Eggo, Lord Snooty and the gang, Polly Wolly Doodle and her Great Big Poodle and very many more are all here in celebratory mood, also featuring the first strip of Sticky Willie. This is a nice copy with bright colours, a totally intact spine and good definition; pages are near-white. One or two small foxing spots on the cover, and a slightly crumpled bottom right edge, with small creases only in the margin areas.
PICTURED: BEANO #300 29/12/46 GD/VG £70 Christmas issue.

*DC: A trio of Legion of Super-Heroes tales in Adventure Comics, including lots of debuts. 
IN THIS UPDATE: ADVENTURE COMICS
#306 VG+ p £21.50 1st Legion of Substitute Heroes
#335 VG- p £11.50 1st Starfinger
#346 FN £135 (PICTURED) 1st Karate Kid, Princess Projectra, Ferro Lad and Nemesis Kid. 1st story by Jim Shooter. Nice clean, flat copy with tight staples and supple white to off-white pages. Small pencil arrival date, minor wear at edges.  

*Marvel: From the Bute Collection, probably the most significant comics of the 1970s this week, insofar as they feature the first three appearances of a character who was to redefine the Marvel Universe: Wolverine! Incredible Hulk #180 had Wolverine saying hello at the finale of a battle with the winsome Wendigo – and #182 saw Wolvy wave goodbye as our Jade Giant faced the threat of Hammer & Anvil! But in between, in #181, we were treated to a full-length, knockdown battle between the Hulk and Wolverine, establishing the Canadian mutant as one of the most formidable characters in the MU! Subsequently, of course, Wolverine went on to headline in 1975’s ‘New’ X-Men, as well as starring in hundreds of solo stories – but here’s where it all began, courtesy of Len Wein, Herb Trimpe and Jack Abel. (Hey, never mind the quality, feel the history!) These three key cents issues are all in very nice condition.  
PICTURED: HULK
#180 VF £650 1st Wolverine cameo. Glossy copy with great colour, square corners, flat with firm, tight staples and near white pages. Very minor stress marks at spine (nearly all on back cover) do not break colour. Marvel Value Stamp present. High resolution images are available on request. 

#181 FN £2,200 1st full Wolverine. Glossy copy with great colour, square corners, with firm, tight staples and near white pages. There is a slight vertical crease the length of the back cover, but only the merest suggestion of this on the front cover, where it really doesn’t show at all, although it is faintly present on the rear interior pages. The front cover has very minor handling wear and one or two tiny stress marks at the spine which do not break colour. Marvel Value Stamp present. High resolution images are available on request. 

182 VF £150 Wolverine cameo. Glossy copy with great colour, square corners, flat with firm, tight staples and near white pages. Very minor edge and handling wear. Marvel Value Stamp present.

*Marvel: From the Bute Collection, we present the final dozen issues of the Silver/Bronze run of Sub-Mariner (#61-72) plus the two annuals to accompany the series. This features the very last work on the character by his creator, Bill Everett, in terms of bits of artwork and scripts, plus Subby’s short-lived blue outfit, and a guest shot by Spider-Man, as well as numerous watery menaces. The Annuals reprint the classic Gene Colan drawn quest from the start of Subby’s series in Tales To Astonish. Mostly high grade and all cents copies.
IN THIS UPDATE: SUB-MARINER
ALL SOLD
#61 FN+ £6
#62 VF+ £10
#63 VF/NM £13
#64 VF+ £10
#65 VF+ £10
#66 VF+ £10
#67 VF+ £10
#68 FN/VF £6.75
#69 VF £8.25 (PICTURED)
#70 VF £8.25
#71 VF- £7.50
#72 VF- £7.50
Ann 1 FN+ £16.25
Ann 2 FN+ £13
 

*Horror 1940-1959: One of the most famous horror titles of the 1950s. Confident of the success of their horror showcase, Avon Publishing followed up their 1951 debut issue with an ongoing series. Always a quality title, showcasing the work of Wally Wood & Joe Kubert, among many others. This final issue, #17, dates from 1954 as the pre-code era drew to a close. Mostly by very competent but not famous artists, there is still a touch of Wally Wood on inks on the lead story, and the final story, the Mirror of Isis, is a drop of egyptology from Joe Kubert. Ghoulish monsters, tombs, witches and a magic mirror all await you in these pages. This is a lower graded copy, with the cover hanging on at the staples, and a water stain across the bottom left of the cover. Edge and handling wear, including fingerprint to right edge. Nice white to off-white pages. 
PICTURED: EERIE #17 GD- £145  

*Vintage UK/Australian Reprints of US Material: Three issues of the second UK series of Mystery In Space from Strato, reprinting mostly stories from DC’s science fiction titles. Issue #13, last in the series, is particularly notable in that it reprints the cover and lead from DC’s Mystery In Space #53, the first Adam Strange in the title. Demand for this issue considerably outstrips the remainder of the run. 
IN THIS UPDATE: MYSTERY IN SPACE
#8 VG- £12 Spine curl
#12 GD £10 Spine curl; small chunk out one story page
#13 GD/VG £75 (PICTURED) Reprints cover and lead of DC original #53, featuring 1st Adam Strange in ongoing series. Back cover has some creasing and small water stain. 

*Crime, Spies and Sleaze: Sometimes there is little boundary between crime and sleaze, as in the case of this week’s paperbacks. Doing What Comes Naturally falls between the two; A Rage Of Desire is sleaze with criminal undertones; The Deadly Miss Ashley is a detective thriller with a sleazy cover. 
PICTURED: 
WALKER E BLAKE: DOING WHAT COMES NATURALLY Monarch 1965 1st US PB GD £6
CLAYTON MATTHEWS: A RAGE OF DESIRE Monarch 1960 1st US PB VG £10
STEPHEN RANSOME: THE DEADLY MISS ASHLEY Panther 1959 1st UK PB thus GD £4

*DC: Another pair of Golden Age Batmans from the Midas Collection, #64 & #67 from 1951. 
PICTURED: BATMAN
#64 GD+ £130 SOLD Featuring the return of Killer Moth after his debut in the previous issue. Plus encounters with a crime photographer and a gang of veteran criminals. Cover by Win Mortimer. Stories by Bill Finger and unknown authors, art by Dick Sprang, Bob Kane and Lew Sayre Schwartz. Slight spine roll, wear at bottom corners with slight losses, chipping along right edge and top back cover. Staples may be replacements, but are tight and firm. Small tear at spine above lower staple. Small stamped arrival date above logo. Nice central cover image and solid off-white pages. 
#67 FN- £370 The 100 secrets of Batman’s silken cord. Plus the Joker hires joke writers to come up with new crimes to make fools of Batman & Robin, and Robin is transported to the year 3051 to assist a future version of Batman in The Lost Legion of Space. Cover by Win Mortimer. Stories by David Vern & Bill Finger. Art by Dick Sprang, Bob Kane and Lew Sayre Schwartz. A lovely clean copy with bright, rich colours and square corners. Small tear at top cover a few mm in from spine, a couple of nicks at right edge, and small wax crayon markings between Batman’s calves, but otherwise without fault. Neat, firm and tight staples and supple white to off-white pages. 

 

*DC: Unlike its sibling title House Of Mystery, House of Secrets started in 1956 after the Comics Code Authority came in, and thus has no pre-code issues. What it does boast is clever horror/mystery/science fiction stories by some top artists and often classic covers. These six consecutive issues date from 1961 in the early days of UK distribution when comics were ‘still 10 cents’ and flaunt a dazzling array of weird monsters. They all feature the recurring characters Mark Merlin, paranormal investigator and his companion the lovely Elsa. 
IN THIS UPDATE: HOUSE OF SECRETS ALL SOLD
#41 FA £5 Felt-tip pricing on logo and lower.
#42 PR p £2.75 Opaque taped spine and stained cover
#43 GD p £9.50 Long cover crease
#44 VG- £18.50
#45 FA p £5 Lots of cover creasing
#46 VG- £18.50 (PICTURED) 

*Marvel: Smack in the middle of Todd McFarlane’s run on Amazing Spider-Man comes issue #316, featuring the first cover appearance of Venom, the character that defined this period. The cover image portrays what the character is all about. There’s little doubt that Venom is one of the Marvel characters originating later than the Bronze Age who has gone on to become a cornerstone of the Marvel Universe. This is a beautiful high grade copy from the Bute Collection, great colour and gloss, tight and firm staples, white to off-white pages, square corners. If I had to be picky, there is just the slightest sign of handling wear at upper right edge, but this is tiny and barely noticeable. 
PICTURED: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #316 NM £150

*EC: For my money, the Gemstone EC reprints of the early 1990s represent the best available reprint editions of the classic EC line. These stories have been reprinted countless times in various formats and paper qualities, but I think these versions are the best for ease of reading, colour reproduction and authentic paper quality, giving the closest experience to reading the originals, at, of course, a fraction of the cost. Gemstone got it right, reprinting everything in the correct format and running order. Their Annuals are a convenient way to get and enjoy them, with even the covers reproduced inside on the right quality stock. Weird Fantasy, along with Weird Science, represented the cream of EC’s science-fiction output (my personal favourite of their genres) and featured the very best artists working in comics at the time. This complete set of all five Annuals (averaging a lovely VF/NM virtually as new condition) features all 22 issues of Weird Fantasy. 
IN THIS UPDATE: SOLD
COMPLETE SET OF ALL 5 WEIRD FANTASY ANNUALS Av VF/NM £100; Vol 1 PICTURED

*Horror/Mystery 1960-1980s: Following Adventures Into The Unknown and Forbidden Worlds, which both started earlier, Unknown Worlds was ACG’s third venture into the horror/mystery/whimsy field of the 1960s, offering much the same fare by the same creators as its two elder siblings. Seven examples from this series featured this week. 
IN THIS UPDATE: UNKNOWN WORLDS ALL SOLD
#26 GD/VG p £4.75
#44 VG- £5
#46 VG p £5
#49 GD/VG p £3.50
#50 VG+ p £5.50
#51 VG p £5
#54 VG £5.75