*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: A plethora of new Boys’ Adventure and War comics new in stock, spanning six decades! From the 1930s, early issues of the venerable story-paper Hotspur, commencing with the fifth issue; from the 1940s, the strangely makeshift Crime Comic Album, a one-off (we assume) produced in the wake of wartime import restrictions; from the 1950s, not only manly adventurer Steve Samson, but also a handful of Rocket, the Eagle-imitator which featured home-grown space explorers such as ‘Captain Falcon’ as well as US imports ‘Flash Gordon’ and ‘Brick Bradford’; the 1960s bring us token additions to Boys’ World, home of ‘Angry Planet’, ‘The Iron Man’, and ‘Wrath of the Gods’; in the 1970s, we have a selection of the rather nifty Vulcan, reprint cornucopia of the best of IPC/Fleetway adventure series, from #1 up and in the 1980s, a token Tiger from 8/5/82 with a free gift bonus!
British Update: Going Commando! New stocks of the popular Picture Library from the 100’s to the 800’s plus more
*Boys’ Adventure & War Picture Libraries: Around 100 new issues of Commando added to our inventory this week, from issue #113 to #818, including many pre-Decimal numbers, and a selection – admittedly from the latter part of the range – in the surprising grade of VF, not normally attributed to British comics of this vintage. Commando remains in publication today – one of the handful of British comics titles still standing – and here’s a chance to nab some outstanding copies. Backing up Commando, we also have new additions to a select few series: Air Ace Holiday Special, Battle and Battle Holiday Special, Eagle Picture Library (from #1), Lion and Valiant, War Holiday Special, Western Library, and Pearson’s Western Picture Library.
British Update: TV Century 21 FAB-arama! Over 100 issues new in stock in nice grades, inc. most early issues
*TV & Film Related Comics: Another feast of Gerry Anderson goodness this week, as we list over 100 issues new in of TV Century 21, mostly between #2 and #105, with a handful of later. The definitive comic for Fandersons, and a high bennchmark for production values of British comics, printed on good quality white paper in large format size with art by the very cream of British talent from the time, combined with characters who have become an iconic part not just of British cult fandom, but household names to the public at large. Included in this release are #2-10, #52 (1st Thunderbirds strip by Bellamy pictured left FN £50) and almost all issues up to the end of the Daleks strip in #105. These are superior condition copies that mostly would sit proudly in a collection of prized comics, and we rraely see these as nice; check out our catalogue listing for all grade and price details.
British Update: A Date With Debbie – and Spellbound
*Girls’ Comics: A handful of Debbie from 1978, a year previously unrepresnted in our listings, during the period when it had merged with fallen sister Spellbound (though, alas, after the ‘Supercats’ run in the title – though readers were still encouraged to join the ‘Supercats club’!). The Romero studios, former Supercats illustrators, were still gainfully employed, however, with the ‘House of Cats’ (we know a lot of people who have one of those…), and supernatural antics remained in the fore with ‘Valley of Fear’, as well as more mundane yet peculiar strips like ‘The Big Cheese’. (Two young girls roll a giant cheese from London to Diddlecombe because… the editor had a hangover that week? We’re just guessing.) Anyway, new Debbies, just pre- and post- the 300 mark, averaging VG to FN.
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 file in our British section:
*Humour Comics
As of the time of writing, this category is bang up to date, with every item listed available.
Steve Ditko 1927-2018
Like thousands of comics fans all over the world, we were greatly saddened to hear, on the morning of the 7th of July, of the death of legendary artist Steve Ditko, co-creator of, among myriad others, Spider-Man and Doctor Strange. The term ‘iconic’ is much abused in the contemporary arts, but Ditko’s individual, fascinating, and instantly recognizable style truly deserves the description.
Mr. Ditko, aged 90, was found at his Manhattan apartment on the 29th June by the authorities, and pronounced at the scene as having been dead for approximately two days. Preliminary investigations indicated the cause of death was heart failure as a result of chronic cardiovascular disease.
Born November 2nd 1927, Ditko studied at the New York Cartoonists and Illustrators School, and began his comics career in 1953, assisting at the Simon & Kirby studio, then beginning a long association with Charlton Comics which lasted intermittently until the company’s demise in the 1980s. Around 1960, he co-created Captain Atom, perhaps Charlton’s most memorable super-hero.
In the late 1950s, he also began working on the mystery line at Atlas, the company which would become Marvel Comics, becoming known for short twist-ending sci-fi stories. These ‘Lee & Ditko shorts’ proved so popular with readers that in 1961 Marvel devoted a title exclusively to them, Amazing Adult Fantasy. Although popular with fans, AAF was not a commercial hit, so with its final issue it was retooled into Amazing Fantasy, and featured the first appearance of Spider-Man, one of the lynchpins of the Marvel Universe. Shortly thereafter, Ditko illustrated the premier appearance of Doctor Strange in Strange Tales #110, and developed a phantasmagorical style which inadvertently presaged the ‘Op Art’ movement.
Following disputes with Stan Lee, Ditko left Marvel and moved to DC, where he co-created the Creeper and the Hawk and the Dove, as well as becoming a pioneer in the ‘alternative comics’ movement with his uncompromising moralist, ‘Mr. A’. At Charlton, he contributed to their action hero line with a revised Blue Beetle and co-created The Question, both generally rated as amongst his finer works.
Mending fences somewhat at Marvel in the 1980s, he continued working both there and at DC until 1998. One of his later assignments was a seemingly throwaway debut of a character who later became a success – Squirrel Girl. After retiring from the mainstream, he continued to produce his own self-published comics of political and social commentary, until shortly before his demise.
Notoriously reclusive, Ditko avoided publicity – he reputedly attended one comics convention in the early 1960s, and, not caring for the experience, never repeated it. Only a handful of photographs of him are known to exist, none dating later than circa 1965. He routinely declined interviews, preferring to let his work speak for itself without justification or explanation.
RIP Harlan Ellison: The Writer On The Edge Of Forever
We are saddened to learn of the death of Harlan Ellison at 84, who was a hugely influential figure in Science Fiction and literature in general, and television. He was an award-winning short story writer, with Hugo and Nebula awards for ‘Repent Harlequin, Said The Tick Tock Man’, ‘I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream’ and ‘The Beast That Shouted Love At The Heart Of The World’. As an editor, he compiled the famous ‘Dangerous Visions’ and ‘Again, Dangerous Visions’, seminal anthologies presenting the new wave of American science-fiction writers in the 1960s, of whom he was at the forefront. He wrote essays and columns and his screen-writing credits are too numerous to mention, but include episodes of Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, Outer Limits, The Man From UNCLE and, most famously, the classic Star Trek episode ‘The City On The Edge Of Forever’, which itself won a Hugo award. He also more than dabbled in comics, his most famous comic work being the two-parter for Marvel in Hulk #140 and Avengers #88.
Ellison was a somewhat controversial figure and known for often falling out with people and organizations. J G Ballard described him as ‘an aggressive and restless extrovert who conducts life at a shout and his fiction at a scream’. Robert Bloch said of him: ‘The only living organism I know whose natural habitat is hot water’. But there is no doubting his status as a significant contributor to the culture of the second half of the 20th Century.
American Update: Double, Double, Toil and Trouble! 50+ Double Double Comics New In Stock!
*DC: Riddle me this: when did the X-Men, Sub-Mariner, Spider-Man, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four co-star in Action Comics? When it was Action Double Double Comics, of course! In the Sixties, it was a common practise of the UK distributors Thorpe & Porter to return the covers of unsold copies for credit, then re-purpose the ‘destroyed’ coverless copies, four to an issue, under a new cover – usually an ineptly-recoloured stat of a US original.
These Double Double Comics are literally random – any given issue of, for example, Superman Double Double Comics might have copies of Superman, but is just as likely to have any other DC title of the period, from super-hero to comedy to romance to war, or even the occasional Marvel and ACG comic that slipped into the pile, depending on what was in T & P’s piles of unsolds in the warehouse! The only consistent rule we’ve established – so far – is that even though the same distributor handled Charlton and the Archie super-heroes, we’ve never found any of them in a Double Double Comic. At least not yet. Even copies of the same issue, according to the cover, usually have significantly, sometimes entirely, different contents, as will be evidenced in our detailed listings! Thorpe & Porter also produced similar Annuals in hardcover, for the lucrative holiday market. These gather up six unsold copies, rather than four, and, doubtless in an attempt to look more ‘festive’ the rebound unsolds are allowed to retain their original covers. Three of these Annuals – Aquaman, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman – are also new in, and like their ‘floppy’ brethren, the ostensible stars often bear only a passing resemblance to their actual contents.
It was known at one time, when Double Doubles were to be had cheaply, for less scrupulous dealers to ‘strip them for parts’ -use pieces, most usually the centrefolds, on incomplete copies with covers to ‘Frankenstein’ together an apparently complete copy. This resulted in a scarcity today, of unmutilated Double Doubles, which is why we’re particularly delighted to have so many in at once – previously, we’ve only ever seen them in quantities from pairs up to half a dozen, but this collection of almost 60, wide-ranging in grade, also gives an insight into the bewildering variety of content. Completists should tread carefully, as virtually every single copy is a variant issue, once you get behind the cover – you’ll never “get them all” – until you get them ALL!!
In addition to the ‘team photo’ of the collection en masse, we illustrate here four of the many highlights: Batman Double Double #2 VG £60, with, among others, Batman #181 with the Poison Ivy origin – centrefold removed by a previous owner, but the Ivy debut is complete!; Lois Lane DD NN (#1) FN+ £40, with Lois #70, the Silver Age return of the Catwoman; Strange Adventures DD #1, with Hulk #102, first Silver Age issue of the Jade Giant and Aquaman Annual VG £40. Thorough details on content, grade and price of everything else may be found under the ‘Double Double Comics’ header in the DC category of our catalogue.
British Update: Jinty Vol 1: ‘Land of No Tears’ and ‘The Human Zoo’
*Collected Editions: The first in a projected series of Jinty paperbacks, like its sister series Misty, this presents two science-fiction serials in their entirety – “Land of No Tears”, written by Pat Mills, and “The Human Zoo”, written by Malcolm Shaw. Both are illustrated by Guy Peeters, and both feature young girls transported to alien realms. In “Land of No Tears”, disabled Cassy encounters a near-future dystopia where physical and emotional imperfections are outlawed and viciously punished, while in “The Human Zoo”, twins Shona and Jenny are captured by telepathic aliens, exhibited as animals, then separated when Jenny is sold! Both stories are well-remembered by original readers, full of the heart-tugging angst which fuelled all Jinty’s most memorable stories – now available once more for new and nostalgic readers! This brand-new paperback collection is £11.
American Update: Flash #139 – debut of Professor Zoom
*DC: After #123 (‘Flash of Two Worlds’, as if you need telling), and the premier issue (#105), probably the most in-demand issue of the Silver Age Flash is #139, which featured the first appearance of Professor Zoom, the Reverse-Flash, Barry Allen’s super-swift nemesis from the far-flung future, whose appearances in the popular Flash television series have caused his early appearances to zoom (sorry) upwards in value. We are delighted to welcome the Reverse-Flash back into our inventory – though we anticipate not for long – with this attractive mid-grade copy of his debut. Clean and sound, with moderate spine edge and corner wear, but unimpaired cover scene, firm at staples and decent interior, this copy is VG- p £165.
American Update: Look Back In Wonder! George Perez’ Acclaimed Wonder Woman ‘Relaunch’ from 1987
*DC: Following the continuity-shattering events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, the DC Universe was without a Wonder Woman, Princess Diana’s heroic history having been erased. Superstar artist George Perez, fresh from his popular run on the New Teen Titans, was the man selected to restore Wonder Woman to her legendary status, by revisiting and updating her origins as coined by her creators, William Moulton Marston and Harry G. Peter. This premier issue of the relaunch is a desirable VF pence copy on sale at £20. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: DC’s try-out title Showcase
*DC: Starting in the 1950s, and lasting over 100 issues, the Showcase title gave first outings for many of DC’s most famous characters, many of whom later graduated to their own series and remain stalwarts of the DCU to this day. THis update, we add to our listings #28 (2nd Sea Devils), Cave Carson, the Spectre, first Inferior Five in #62 (a personal favourite), first Creeper in #73 by Steve Ditko and later issues with Nightmaster & Firehair. A great variety of material in this kaleidoscopic title.
American Update: A DC Universe Mostly Silver Age Sweep – Creeper, Harley Quinn, Spectre, Sugar & Spike & more
*DC: New additions to some of the more fringey and outre series in DC’s Silver Age, with top-ups to Blackhawk, Brother Power the Geek, Captain Action, Creeper by Steve Ditko, Hawk & Dove – also by Steve Ditko, the premiere of Dial H For Hero in House of Mystery #156, the merry Metal Men, Spectre (from #4, illustrated by Neal Adams), Sugar & Spike by Sheldon Mayer, and, crashing her way in from another era (doesn’t she always?) Harley Quinn, from issue #5 of her 2000 series!
American Update: ‘The Old Order Changeth…’ – Avengers #16 with the first New Line-Up
*Marvel: These days, when the roster of the Avengers seems to change every other week, it’s refreshing to remember the first big membership shake-up, in the 16th issue of the Avengers. Yes, the team had gained and lost members before – the Hulk leaving and Captain America joining – but this was a radical event as the remaining four founding Avengers stepped down to leave the team in the hands of Cap – only recently returned from frozen limbo – and three former super-villains, Quicksilver, Hawkeye and the Scarlet Witch! The gamble played off, and the ‘Cap’s Kookie Quartet’ years are fondly remembered by most veteran readers. This is the issue that kicked over the traces, in a remarkable FN+ grade, with beautiful deep cover colour, a cents copy with no pence pricing. Only one small patch of cover wear mid-spine prevents a still higher grade on this beauty. On sale at £125. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: Rampage of the Rhino – Amazing Spider-Man #41
*Marvel: For this week’s Spider-Mania update, we present issue #41 of the Amazing Spider-Man, which saw the debut of a curiously endearing member of Spidey’s Rogue’s Gallery – the Rhino, a virtually unstoppable behemoth whose sheer power and tormented soul made him an instant hit, and one of the most popular recurring villains, popping up everywhere from the Defenders to the Unstoppable Squirrel Girl! (No, really!). Only briefly glimpsed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far – but that was the old version, so he’s ready to ‘reboot’ – this debut of a key player is an attractive mid to high grade, VG+, cents copy at £80. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: The Sentinel of Liberty Returns! Captain America’s Relaunch from issue #100 up
*Marvel: As we’ve discussed many times recently, the lifting of the distribution embargo meant that the divided titles such as Tales of Suspense could ‘fission’ into independent series starring each character – and so it was with Captain America, who took over Tales of Suspense’s numbering with issue #100, making it his first solo issue of the Silver Age! While following the dangling plot threads from TOS #99, flashbacks of Cap’s history skilfully brought new readers up to speed, and from there he was launched onto adventures anew, initially drawn by his co-creator Jack Kirby, then by Romita, Colan and a promising young lad named Jim Steranko! This selection of Cap’s Silver Age series ranges from that debut issue, #100 (GD+ £55; respectable copy, but one small tear in cover’s upper edge) through to #129, plus his first Annual. Along the way, the Star-Spangled Avenger meets and/or clashes with the Red Skull, Batroc Ze Leaper, Trapster, the Hulk (in the glorious Steranko-illustrated #110, depicted here FN/VF £55) the voluptuous Madame Hydra (making her debut in #111), the Falcon, the Scorpion, Suprema, Satan’s Angels and more! Approximately thirty new entries for our inventory.
American Update: ‘When Gods Walk the Earth!’ – Eternals #1 by Jack Kirby
*Marvel: Following his 1976 return to Marvel, the legendary Jack Kirby was anxious not to get trapped in the cycle of just illustrating super-heroes again, and one of his conditions was that he would be allowed to write and draw his own concepts. How much of the Eternals concept was his is, politely, open to debate; heavily ‘influenced’ (ahem, ahem) by the popular Erich Von Daniken paperbacks, which asserted that mankind’s ancient ‘Gods’ were alien visitors, Kirby’s Eternals postulated the return of ancient immortal extraterrestrials, and the cataclysmic repercussions for humanity. Originally intended to stand apart from the Marvel Universe, it was shoehorned in at editorial insistence, which resulted in Kirby eventually abandoning the strip mid-story. Now, however, there is rumour of an Eternals movie in the making, and prices have to started to peak. This copy of Eternals #1 is a superior glossy VF+ copy, no pence mark or overprint, on sale at £60. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: Return of the Big ‘Uns! New Marvel Treasury Editions
*Marvel: New listings for this hugely popular category of tabloid comics compilations, with a brace of Conan the Barbarian (including #4, illustrated by Barry Smith, whose work looks even more lush at the larger size) and a Giant-Size Holiday Grab-Bag #13, with a plethora of festive superhero frolics!
American Update: ‘Well Met By Moon Knight…’ 1st and Second Appearances of Moon Knight in Werewolf By Night
*Horror/Mystery 1960-1980s: The horror series Werewolf By Night had been toddling along happily for a while, chronicling the adventures of young lycanthrope Jack Russell (stop sniggering at the back there…) and his wacky transformations, when the boat was suddenly rocked in WBN #32 by a silver-clad vigilante whose only goal seemed to be the annihilation of our hero – and his armoured form, silver being deadly to werewolves, seemed likely to achieve it! The man who would later be revealed as Marc Spector had a much deeper back story, of course, and in his multitudinous appearances since these issues, has developed a complex background oscillating between ‘Marvel’s Batman’ and ‘Multiple-Personality psychotic inhabited by Egyptian Gods’. Be that as it may, he remains hugely popular, and while this copy of WBN #32 is only VG- p, showing marked corner creasing and spine wear, it’s still priced at £100. (Have you seen the prices slabbed copies are achieving?) Moon Knight’s second appearance in #33, VG p, is a more achievable £15. SORRY, #32 NOW SOLD
American Update: Where Big Panty Monsters Dwell on the Prowl
*Horror/Mystery 1960-1980s: Two of Marvel’s 1970’s horror reprint anthologies copiously topped up this week: Monsters On The Prowl and Where Monsters Dwell. Home to the reprint versions of such beloved Lee & Kirby (& others) Big Panty Monster (as we call ’em) tales from the days before the Marvel super-hero universe got going. Grogg, Sserpo, Monsteroso, Fin Fang Foom, Elektro, Metallo, Tragg, Gorgolla and many others all awsait you within these pages, many of them sporting a fetching pair of (often purple) big panties to protect their modesty.
American Update: Marvel Western Round-Up with Mighty Marvel Western and Western Gunfighters
*Western: Two reprint series Marvel launched in the 1970s to satisfy the Western Market were Mighty Marvel Western and Western Gunfighters, each presenting three or more classic stories from the Marvel/Atlas inventory reaching back to the late 1940s. Starring the obvious suspects – Kid Colt, Rawhide Kid and Two-Gun Kid – as well as more vintage characters such as the Black Rider and Apache Kid – these featured art from Kirby, Shores, Maneely, Severin and more, frequently sporting attractive new covers from the likes of Gil Kane, that Severin man again, and in one case, Jim Steranko! These were popular and relatively long-lived series, not hanging up their spurs until they’d reached thirty to forty issues. Most of our new incoming stock is from the non-distributed (in the UK) years of the mid-Seventies. We have issues of Mighty Marvel Western in from between #9 and #42, and of Western Gunfighters from between #12 and #33.
American/British Update: The Ghost Who Walks… Again! Moonstone’s Phantom from 2003 Onwards
*Phantom: Iconic characters such as Lee Falk’s Phantom are being continually reinvented over the decades, and one of the more popular ‘reboots’ of the early 21st Century was the 2003 series of the Phantom from independent publishers Moonstone, who produced new adventures in the classic style with high production values, including many painted covers. We have the Moonstone Phantoms new in stock from #4 to the final issue #26, as well as the first two Annuals.
British Update: Free Gift Farrago! Marvel UK Valour #1-3 with Free Gifts
*Marvel UK: In 1980, Marvel UK launched Valour, a high adventure title of strips such as Thor, Conan, Dr. Strange and Devil Dinosaur (?). The aforesaid saurian is featured in a three piece jig-saw (in issues #1-3) and we have all three issues with gifts fresh in: #1 GD £8, #2 FN £10, #3 FN £10 (all gifts are in VF). How can you resist? SORRY, THESE HAVE NOW SOLD
British Update: First Quenchers! TV Century 21 #1 23/1/2065 FA/GD £175
*TV & Film Related Comics: We’ve been particularly blessed this year to have been able to purchase multiple collections of Gerry Anderson comics, and here’s our third TV Century 21 #1 of the year. Published on 23rd January 2065 (1965 – duh!), this is the comic that launched one of the most popular and enduring line of British comics ever to be published. Featuring Stingray, Fireball XL5, Supercar, the (non-Anderson) Daleks and, making her first apppearance anywhere, before the Thunderbids TV show, Lady Penelope, as well as other strips. This copy, FA/GD at £175 is in decent shape, with reasonable nice near white pages and no pen or pencil marks either on the cover or within. There are a few minor edge tears, with just one at 1.5″ centre right edge cover. Bottom right corner very slightly dog-eared, and the spine is quite worn at bottom and middle, but still intact. We shouldn’t be in the least bit surprised if this copy sells just as quickly as the previous ones we’ve recently had in, so early ordering is advised.
British Update: Whole Lotta Look-In! 1982-1985
*TV & Film Related Comics: THe conclusion to our mamoth Look-In restock this week, featuring the years 1982-1985 (just!). These latest releases fill many gaps in our stock and are mainly in superior FN or VF grades. Issues of note include the 1st Danger Mouse strip in 1982 (#10), the 1st A Team strip in 1984 (#43) and the Christnmas issue for 1984.
British Update: Long Hot Summer – Buster and Buster & Monster Fun
*Humour Comics: By the late 1970s, Buster weekly had almost entirely switched gear to funnies rather than its traditional adventure/humour mix, and this trend was exacerbated when it merged with Monster Fun. The popularity of the Buster and Monster Fun amalgam weekly was such that from 1977 to 1995 a separate Buster & Monster Fun Holiday Special ran in parallel with the Buster Holiday Special, resulting in two ‘dollops’ a year for the Buster buff! We have new listings for Buster Holiday Special from 1977 to 1993, and for Buster & Monster Fun Holiday Special (and one anomalous ‘Spring’ Special in 1979) from 1977 to 1982. Pictured are Buster Holiday Fun Special from 1977 FN/VF £17.50 and Buster & Monster Fun Holiday Special 1981 FN/VF £12.50; grades and prices for the rest may be found in our online catalogue.
British Update: A Fine Bunch Of Judys
*Girls’ Comics: We’re as pleased as Punch to announce the addition of more Judy comics from 1975, filling a gap in the first half of the year. Nearly all of them are in FN grade, with just a couple being VG. Get ’em while they’re fresh!
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 file in our British section:
*TV & Film Related Comics
As of the time of writing, this category is bang up to date, with every item listed available.
British Update: Complete Future-Shocks Volume 1 and Charley’s War Volume 3
*Collected Editions: Two more from the Fleetway/IPC Archive this week: The Complete Future-Shocks Volume 1 collects the stand-alone sci-fi stories from 2000 AD weekly. These twist-ending short stories helped launch or establish the careers of many of Briitain’s leading writers and artists, including Alan Moore, Peter Milligan, Steve Moore, Brian Bolland, Kevin O’Neill and Brett Ewins. This initial softcover collects all the Future-Shocks from 1977 to 1981, new at £20. From 2000 AD’s companion title, Battle, we have the final volume of the acclaimed Charley’s War, by Mills and Colquhoun, seeing our protagonist through the last days of World War I. (The series did continue under other hands, but is generally less well-regarded.) This new softcover is also £20.
American Update: ‘My Ward Is A Junkie!’ – Green Lantern/Green Arrow #85 – Controversial Drugs issue by O’Neil & Adams
*DC: The groundbreaking run of Green Lantern, in which he and Green Arrow set out to confront the failing American Dream, resonates with audiences even today, as, sadly, corruption, pollution, overpopulation and the other issues raised seem even more relevant today. The Comics Code Authority had long prohibited the mention of drug use, but that being one of the issues the editors wanted to address, creators Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams took advantage of a then-recent liberalisation of the Code to have a shocking story in which Speedy, Green Arrow’s former sidekick, was revealed to be a heroin user. The controversial cover was banned in many parts of the USA, and the story, though naïve, was a sincere attempt to address the issue for only the second time in mainstream comics. This is a FN+ copy, pence stamped, with superior inside pages and the historic cover scene unmarred, on sale at £70. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: Under the Earth and Under the Sea! Cave Carson and Sea Devils premieres in Brave & Bold and Showcase
*DC: You know, there was a time when the comic book industry wasn’t dominated by super-powered folks in tights hitting each other, and in those days, a popular theme was man against the elements – all-too-human explorers in outer space, in the air, in exotic realms, or in subterranean or subaquatic environments. This update brings us the first appearances of two such series in DC’s tryout titles: Brave & Bold #31 saw the first adventure of Cave Carson who, with his friends Christie and Bulldozer, explored the treacherous world beneath the Earth. Created by France Herron and illustrator Bruno Premiani, Cave never quite caught his own series in the 20th Century, but made many other appearances in the DC Universe, and of course an updated version now has his own book. Somewhat more successful were the Sea Devils, a quartet of daring scuba-divers created by Robert Kanigher and artist Russ Heath, the latter of whose lush, exotic artwork no doubt contributed hugely to the team’s success. After a successful run commencing with Showcase #27, the Sea Devils earned their own ongoing series, and remain firmly part of the DC fabric. The newly acquired copy of Brave & Bold #31 is GD/VG, a cents copy with no UK overmark. Generally attractive shape, it has minor spine and edge creasing, and a small corner off the back cover. On sale at £50. Our new Showcase #27 superficially appears to be a higher grade – the front cover is unmarked apart from a pence price stamp in the upper edge – but the back cover is torn and taped, bringing down what would in every other aspect be a VG or better. Therefore we’ve graded it as GD- p, and it’s on sale at £50. SORRY, THESE HAVE NOW SOLD
American Update: Phoenix Rising! The Transformation of Jean Grey in Uncanny X-Men #101
*Marvel: Following the arrival of the ‘New’ X-Men, a lot of people felt the ‘old’ X-Men were somewhat redundant. This was more so in the case of Jean Grey, Marvel Girl, who didn’t seem to have any identity other than being an X-Man and Cyclops’s love interest. But that was rectified in issue #101 when Jean was escalated into a powerhouse when a cosmic ray storm seemed to transform her into the entity known as Phoenix – and a major, ultimately tragic, story arc for the X-Men began. The legend was somewhat tarnished in later years by Marvel’s shifting position on whether Jean actually was the Phoenix, or whether the Phoenix force just assumed her form (and a swingin’ new costume), but nevertheless, this remains a key and highly sought after issue. With the Phoenix looming large in the forthcoming X-Men movie franchise, now is the time to get this pivotal story. This is a VF- pence copy on sale at £125. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: Hulk Annual #1 – Versus the Inhumans
*Marvel: 1968 saw not only the return of Jade-Jaws’ ongoing series, but also his first-ever Annual, a 50-page extravaganza by Gary Friedrich and Marie Severin in which our favourite not-so-jolly green giant travelled to Attilan and fell out with Black Bolt, leader of the reclusive race of super-beings known as the Inhumans. Needless to say – spoiler alert – wannabe usurper Maximus is behind the hostilities, and has assembled his own band of rebel Inhumans to further bedevil our hero. Featuring a striking Steranko cover, this is a FN+ p copy, excellent cover colour and gloss, clean square edges and good spine, on sale at £80. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
American Update: Early issues of Iron Man
*Marvel: From 1968 onwards, most of the early issues of Iron Man from his first solo series back in stock, almost all issues from #2 to #27 (many in a choice of grades) plus Annual #1. Shell-Head was establishing himself in his own series and coming up against such fearsome foes as the Demolisher, the Freak, the Unicorn, the Crusher, the Gladiator, the Mandarin, the Controller, the Red Ghost, Lucifer, the Crimson Dynamo, the Titanium Man, Firebrand and many more. This range, still very reasonably priced, are always popular when we get them.
American Update: The Return of our Pre-Code Horror Fest: Spellbound and Mystic – Atlas Vintage Horror at its Finest
*Horror 1940-1959: After a bit of a ‘drought’ for new entries in this highly popular category, we’re delighted to welcome a small selection of two of Atlas’ 1950s horror/mystery series. Mystic #54 stands alone, a Post-Code example, still featuring an evocative Bill Everett cover. This is a lovely FN copy, with minimal edge wear, superb cover colour and gloss. Then we have some very affordable Pre-Code issues of Spellbound, from #7 (with a bonus incomplete #6 as ‘free gift!’) to #12. Everett, Maneely, Post, Heath and Shores are among the contributors, keeping up a high standard of suspense and chills. Mystic #54 is FN £78; Spellbound #12 is GD+ £55; for details of the others, check out our online catalogue… if you dare…
American Update: A Cornucopia of Cult Classics! Super-Heroes, Horror, Good Girl Art, Jungle Adventure and More
*Modern Reprints: A cavalcade of compilations in this popular section. One of the more pleasant aspect of the last few decades’ worth of comics trading is the advent of archival reprints of long-unavailable vintage comics, whether they’re hardcovers collecting entire series in sequence, such as the Marvel Masterworks or DC Archives, one-offs themed around creators or reproducing facsimile issues, or paperbacks exploring a character’s adventures in depth. We have a plethora of such tresures this time: DC’s All-Star Archives brings us the exploits of the first super-team, the Justice Society of America, and the landscape format hardcover collecting the Superman newspaper strip; while Marvel’s Atlas-Era Masterworks supplies the complete adventures of Lorna, Jann, Leopard Girl and pals in the three-volume Jungle Adventure set. DC is also topped up with Silver Age Classics (including the debuts of the JLA, the Martian Manhunter, the Silver Age Green Lantern and more) and others, while Marvel offers us Neal Adams’ collection of the Kree-Skrull War starring the Avengers. The ever-popular EC has many new issues of Haunt of Fear, Tales From The Crypt, Vault of Horror and Weird Science, and a new publisher to our listings, Dragon Lady Press, offers a bewildering variety of cult newspaper strips, including Secret Agent X-9, Mandrake, On Stage, and a multitude more. There are retrospective compilations of Bill Ward’s blonde bombshell Torchy (pictured), the best of the Simon & Kirby Golden Age romance books, and the lurid cautionary tales of ‘Reform School Girls’ and their ilk; and a handful of one-off issues spotlighting classic Good Girl artists, including Matt Baker and Frank Frazetta. Details? Go to the website and find out!
British Update: Spider-Mania UK style: Spider-Man Comics Weekly – First ten and other early issues
*Marvel UK: We cross to our side of the Atlantic for this week’s spider-Mania update. 1973 saw the second Marvel UK title, Spider-Man Comics Weekly, debut in the UK, presenting the early adventures of Spider-Man and Thor, re-edited for the British format, and in glorious black & white – with the occasional third colour added for drama! The first time a great many people encountered the classic Marvel characters, these weeklies are fondly remembered and popular nostalgia items these days. A problem that plagued the early issues of SMCW (within the first ten) are the cut-out coupons that people collected to get a special prize, and these are generally missing, rendering the comic incomplete and worthless – but not so here! Each issue has been checked by our own four eyes, and the coupons are present. This is an unbroken run of the first ten, with most of the subsequent issues up to #21; condition is variable, with moderate wear, but this makes them all the more affordable. Issue #1 is GD £20, with one small interior tear, but all stories unharmed. Issues #2 & #3 are each FN £20. Details on the remainder, as always, in our online catalogue. SORRY, 1ST 10 ISSUES NOW SOLD
British Update: First Quenchers! To the Victor… Issue #1 (1961)
*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: In the wake of the success of Hotspur, the venerable story paper that had relaunched as a comic two years previously, D.C. Thomson decided in 1961 that it was time for another boys’ weekly in a similar format – but rather than revamp another of their older titles, they made this an entirely new creation! The Victor #1 was cover-dated February 25th, and featured a mix of World War II heroics, sporting strips, and mild sci-fi adventure. A hit with its intended audience, it had a respectable 30+ year career. This is an affordable opportunity to obtain one of the touchstones of British comics. It is frankly Poor, with cover edge wear and tears including a long diagonal cover tear, and a small corner missing from the lower right corner, slightly affecting the first strip, ‘The Gaunt Hounds Are Out’, but only a minor part of the picture is gone, and the narrative unaffected. All other stories complete, all interior pages present. On sale at £40. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
British Update: TV Century 21 – A Gallery of Dalek Covers
*TV & Film Related Comics: Although all of TV Century 21’s first series is sought after, there is particular attention paid to the handful of issues which cover-star Terry Nation’s famous creation, the Daleks. Normally relegated to the (admittedly superbly-illustrated) back page, the most famous Doctor Who villains seldom got the chance to grace the front cover, and those issues are eagerly snapped up. We have six Dalek-starring covers – the only ones, we believe, which ran during the Dalek’s 104-issue sojourn in TV Century 21, all in attractive mid- to high grades. #23 is FN/VF £70; #28 FN £60 (the only one on which Dr. Who also appears, though it’s only the movie version); #36 FN £50; #47 FN £50; #50 FN £50 and #87 VF £60.
British Update: Look-In’ Good (inc. Free Gift Farrago) 1980/81
*TV & Film Related Comics: We continue blitzing our way through Look-In, this time with nearly all issues from 1980 and every issue from 1981, including #4 with the exciting Free Gift: Super Elastoplast Heroes Medal Plasters (hey, don’t ask us!) as pictured. Grades range from VG-VF and this selection also includes both Christmas issues and the first Mork & Mindy strip in 1980 #12.
What’s Old: A Trinity of First Quenching Girls!
This week, our spotlight on previously listed stock falls on three premiere issues of long-running and popular girls’ weeklies, two from Dunbdee’s D.C. Thomson and one from their rivals, IPC/Fleetway. Mandy, in 1967, followed very much in the wake of Bunty, with a cover-featured namesake heroine and a selection of popular tropes; ‘Blundering Bessie’, ‘Peggy Police Cadet’, ‘Nan in the News’, and ‘Wendy the Winner’, among others. By 1973, however, Thomson had woken up to the more streetwise appeal of their rival publisher’s Tammy, and hit back with Debbie, a more proletarian weekly, though still not without its outlandish elements, ins series like ‘Duchess Maggie’, ‘Yasmin the Blind Leader’, ‘No School For Nora’, and ‘Daisy Dean, Beauty Queen’. In 1974, IPC/Fleetway launched Jinty, which was eventually to become a champion of fantasy and light sf among the girls’ comic world, but started out in a more traditional manner with ‘Desert Island Daisy’, ‘The Haunting of Form 2B’, ‘Dora Dogsbody’, and the ‘Jinx from St. Jonah’s’. All three of these series enjoyed long runs and remain keenly collected today. Our Debbie #1 is FN at £50; Mandy #1 VG £60 and Jinty #1 VG £50.
The Power Pack of Ken Reid
We’re delighted to hear from our long time contact Irmantas Povilaika about his Kickstarter project to publish the complete strips from the Power Comics Wham, Smash & Pow by Ken Reid, one of the great iconic artists of British comics. Strips included are the fondly remembered Frankie Stein, Jasper the Grasper, Queen of the Seas, Dare-A-Day Davy and The Nervs, plus lots of extras will also be included. The 2 volume hardcover set is due out in August and you can read all about and join the project here. We wish Irmantas well with this wonderfully worthwhile project and encourage all Ken Reid fans to check it out.
American Update: Spider-Mania Big Time! Amazing Spider-Man #1 in poor grade at £1000
*Marvel: Possibly the single most in-demand issue of the Spider-Man series features in our Spider-Mania event this week, as we welcome Amazing Spider-Man #1. Yes, that one. Not a reprint, not a relaunch, not a facsimile edition. Following Spider-Man’s debut in what turned out to be the final issue of Amazing Fantasy, Stan Lee and company decided, long before sales returns could have been received, to take a chance on Spidey as the star of his solo book – and he’s never looked back! In the front of this landmark issue, Spider-Man risks his own life to save the astronaut son of his enemy, J. Jonah Jameson – only to find himself even more vilified than ever! In the second story (leading to speculation that these two tales were originally prepared for the never-published Amazing Fantasy #16 and #17) he meets the Fantastic Four – as presaged on the cover – it doesn’t go well – and also encounters the first of his multitudinous Rogue’s Gallery, in the Chameleon!
This pence copy is an unabashed Poor; the covers are detached and separated, and there is a large corner missing from the upper right cover corner, though this does not impede upon the cover scene. In addition, there are numerous small tears in cover edges. The interior pages are generally clean and sound, off-white to tan in colour. There are small corners off several interior pages, not approaching the story area. In addition, a pin-up/promotional page is missing. However, all story pages are present, centrefold firmly attached. Front and back cover scans are shown here; high resolution scans are also available on request.
This issue has only passed through our hands a few times in our quarter of a century of trading, so its rarity is unquestioned, and with Spider-Man’s star ever in the ascendant, demand for any copy, in any condition, is only escalating. This PR p copy is priced at £1,000. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD
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 section:
*Teen Humour/Funny Girls
*War
*Western
As of the time of writing, these categories are bang up to date, with every item listed available.
Last Call for Clearance Corner: 35 Blue Jeans Photo Novels for just £10
As you may realise, the purpose of our Clearance Corner lots are to clear space in our shop by discontinuing titles we’re no longer carrying to make way for new and incoming stuff. As such, they will only be offered for a short time. This Clearance Corner lot, listed on 2nd May, has not been snapped up and is nearing the end of its time with us. If not purchased by the weekend, we will have to dispose of it. Here are the details from our original listing:
‘The latest bargain basement batch consists of 35 issues of the picture library sized Blue Jeans Photo Novel (inc. 3 duplicates) from the 1980s. Issues range from #54 to #469 and grades from GD to VF, mostly FN. Featuring fumetti photo love stories, often unintentionally hilarious and great for 80s fashions and reminding yourself how ridiculous they were. All yours for just £10. UK postage if required would be an extra £3.50 (small parcel).’
British Update: Twilight Of The Eagles Vols 19 & 20
*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: And so, for a while at least, we come to the end of our Eagle updates, adding an almost unbroken run of Volumes 19 and 20 (only 1 issue missing). Volume 19 (1968) was the final full year of publication and Volume 20 (1969) only ran to 17 issues. All the added comics grade GD or VG and they include the Christmas issue for Volume 19 and the very last issue of Eagle (Volume 20 #17).
American Update: ‘In Brightest Day…’ Green Lantern #1 (1960)
*DC: The ‘Hot New Character’ of 1960, Hal Jordan, Green Lantern, made his debut in Showcase and proved so popular that he was awarded the twin accolades of membership in the prestigious Justice League of America, and his own ongoing series! This debut issue dated July-August 1960, featured the first appearance of GL’s intergalactic mentors, the Guardians of the Universe, who previously had been operating ‘behind the scenes’. This is a GD- copy, bright unmarred cover scene, with slight rust at staples precluding a higher grade. Exceptionally nice interior pages. A cents copy with no pence price stamp or overprint. GD- priced at £290.
American Update: What’s New Pussycat? Catwoman’s Silver Age Return in Lois Lane
*DC: After a few years in semi-retirement, Catwoman was brought back as one of the major antagonists in 1966’s Batman TV show, and in short order returned to the comics pages – not in Batman or in Detective Comics, which one might have reasonably expected, but in the 70th issue of Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane! Well, obviously. In a full-length thriller (and a rather fetching variation of her classic costume), Selina Kyle transformed Superman into a Puss of Steel, resulting in the inevitable (ahem) catfight with Lois when the latter discovered her beloved’s fate. Other guest-appearances by the Penguin, Batman and Robin stretched the story out to the extent that it was concluded in the following issue, #71. It’s all complete hooey, but huge fun, with Kurt Schaffenberger’s illustrations at their finest. Issue #70 is Apparent Fine, pence copy with two small cover colour touches on the darker parts of Selina’s costume at £35. Issue #71 wraps it up (and features the additional tale of Lois being blackmailed!) at FA p £3.75. SORRY, #70 NOW SOLD
American Update: Marvel 1968: Captains Courageous! Marvel Super-Heroes #12 and #13, with first Mar-Vell and first Carol Danvers
*Marvel: Continuing Marvel’s expansion in the year 1968, Marvel Super-Heroes #12 saw the debut of Captain Marvel, a warrior of the spacefaring Kree Empire who masqueraded as a human on Earth. Actually conceived as a copyright-protecting exercise (Marvel’s lawyers had recently seen off a short-lived ‘Captain Marvel’ from another publisher), Mar-Vell’s genesis may have been a bit less than sincere, but his impact remains enduring in the Marvel Universe , especially his participation in the cosmic events initiated by Jim Starlin later in Cap’s own series. These two issues present not one, but two Captains’ debuts: not only Mar-Vell in #12, but Carol Danvers – later Ms. Marvel, occasionally Warbird, and fifth and current holder of the Captain Marvel title – made her first appearance in #13 as part of Mar-Vell’s supporting cast. Given the imminence of the ‘Captain Carol’ movie – as those of you paying attention at the end of Avengers: Infinity War will have noted – #13 is currently commanding higher prices than #12, but we are delighted to have both to offer: issue #12 is a VG+ p copy, clean and bright with excellent spine, on sale at £50; #13 is GD/VG p, with a slight spine curvature caused by uneven glue drying, but nevertheless sound with considerable eye appeal, on sale at £70.
American Update: Spider-Mania – Classic Trilogy – Amazing #31-33 ‘The Master Planner Saga!’
*Marvel: In issues #31 to #33 of Lee & Ditko’s Amazing Spider-Man, Peter Parker’s alter ego faced the machinations of the mysterious Master Planner in an early ‘story arc’ – decades before the term was coined! The Planner was revealed to be one of Spidey’s most deadly enemies, and placed our hero in such peril that his escape became one of the most iconic scenes of Spidey’s earlier career. This three-part story is well remembered as a baptism of fire along Spidey’s heroic journey – and, into the bargain, issue #31 introduces two characters – Gwen Stacy and Harry Osborn – who are destined to have major impacts on his future! We have two copies of each issue new in: #31 is available in VG- £65 or GD/VG p £50 (both pictured); #32 is App. GD £17.25 (right edge trim, small tear at upper spine) and FA p £9 and #33 is VG- £35 or GD £20. SORRY, BOTH SPIDEY #31 ISSUES NOW SOLD