*DC: We’re starting a new regular feature this week, celebrating the Golden Age of DC Comics! We’re always happy to welcome Golden Age copies of an iconic character into stock – and who’s more iconic than the Man of Steel? We are delighted to offer a trio of vintage Superman issues from the post-war years: #36 from 1945, #56 from 1948, and #60 from 1949. All of these are appealing copies for their age – the #36 has a restoration (paper ‘fill’ and colour redrawing) at the right cover edge, but would otherwise grade a minimum of GD+; taking into account the restoration, we have graded it as FA+. The other two copies are in an extraordinary condition for their vintage. The #54 is FN+, with vibrant colours, off-white flexible pages and tight staples and corners; the #60 is VG+, with only light edge foxing and the faintest of subscription creases precluding a higher grade. Seldom seen in this country, and almost never as such attractive copies. #36 is FA+ £65, #54 FN+ £315 and #60 VG+ £185. Watch out for more Golden Age DC Greats coming soon! SORRY, THESE ARE NOW SOLD

*DC: Slade Wilson, a.k.a. Deathstroke (also known for much of his career as ‘the Terminator’, until Arnie’s agents said ‘Oi!) made his first appearance in New Teen Titans #2, the successful Wolfman/Perez revival of the faltering franchise. Already a hit, the New Teen Titans’ fortunes rose with those of Mr. Slade as their recurring arch-nemesis, and eventually he went on to star in several series of his own, as well as media appearances in the ‘Arrow’ TV show and elsewhere. This premier appearance is an attractive FN pence copy, very good eye appeal but with faint crease/pressure marks in the upper left and lower right corners precluding a higher grade. On sale at £60. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD

*Marvel: An inexplicable early flop for the House of Ideas, the Hulk’s original series only lasted 6 issues, after which he went on to greater popularity as a villain before working his way back through the anti-hero route to his own series in Tales to Astonish, and thence to his (rather longer) second solo career. Any issue of the Hulk’s first series is rare in decent shape, so we’re pleased to have a #3 in, which also featured the debut of one of Marvel’s longest-running villain teams – the Ringmaster and His Circus of Crime! This cents copy of Hulk #3 has good cover colour, an almost unimpeded cover scene (faint marks at centre, with one very small patch of deeper yellow that looks like a colour touch), and generally good interior page quality; there is a 2″ top spine split and a 1″ bottom spine split. Presenting a very collectable package, much better than it sounds. GD- cents copy at £165. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD

*Horror/Mystery 1960-1980s: A few dozen issues new in this popular category from DC & Marvel. DC: House Of Mystery, House Of Secrets, Madame Xanadu (#1), Night Force (#1), Unexpected & Witching Hour. Marvel: Arrgh (#1), Chamber Of Darkness (#1), Fear (giant issues #2 & #4), Giant-Size Chillers (inc. #1 1975), Supernatural Thrillers (#1), Tower Of Shadows (#1 with Steranko art plus special), Vault Of Evil (#1), Where Monsters Dwell (#1) and Worlds Unknown.

*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: We have a captivating quintet of premier issues in our First Quenchers event this week, in affordable mid to low grades: Battle #1 from 1975, home of D-Day Dawson and many others GD £15; Jet #1 from 1971, starring Von Hoffman’s Invasion, The Sludgemouth Sloggers, and Ken Reid’s Faceache, GD at £15; Super DC #1, 1969’s attempt to emulate Power Comics’ success with the Marvel heroes by reprinting Superman, Batman and Company – FA/GD, £8; Tarkan #1 from 1973, a translation of Sezgin Burak’s popular Turkish warrior VG £5 and Wildcat #1, a late-entry in the sci-fi sweepstakes from Fleetway/IPC, which eventually merged into Eagle Mk. II. This first issue is VF £15, and comes with the original free gift, an Alien Monster Poster!

*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: A large update of Rover, consisting of Rover itself covering 1949 to 1952, Rover and Adventure from 1961 and Rover and Wizard covering 1964 to 1969, with one Christmas issue from 1967. The grades are nearly all GD or VG. Thrill to the adventures of Alf Tupper, Tough of the Track, who trained on fish and chips!

*TV & Film Related Comics: And here’s more Gerry Anderson material, as we present TV Tornado #2-39. The nasties from Captain Scarlet feature from #36 (see cover image), but there’s much more to TV Tornado than the Mysterons, with Batman, Tarzan, the Phantom, the Man From UNCLE, Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, Bonanza, Flash Gordon, Green Hornet, Magnus Robot Figther, the Lone Ranger, the Saint, the Invaders and others. A real cult TV fan favourite title! 

*Humour Comics: Lots of Busters from 1972, including a New Year issue and Easter issues. ‘Nuff said!

*Clearance Corner: Our latest bargain pack is an idiosyncratic mix of 8 poster and sticker magazines mainly from 1980s as follows:
Action Man Sticker Collection (Panini) 1983 FN
Battlestar Galactica Premier Collector’s Edition 1978(?) FN
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars Sticker Collection (Panini) 1986 VF
Star Wars Return Of The Jedi Sticker Collection (Panini) 1983 VG
Star Wars Return Of The Jedi Sticker Collection (Panini) 1983 GD
Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back Official Poster Monthly #2 1980 FN
Transformers Sticker Collection (Panini) 1986 VF
Transformers Poster Magazine 1986/7 VF
All stickers present in sticker collections. Available for £7.50 (that’s less than £1 per mag!) Postage to a UK address (if required) would be an extra £3.50. SORRY, THIS LOT HAS NOW SOLD

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:
*Alan Class Reprints
As of the time of writing, this category is bang up to date, with every item listed available.

*Marvel: In Avengers #57, Roy Thomas and John Buscema brought the world the mysterious Vision, a reinterpretation of a 1940s character, but this time with his origins in super-science rather than the supernatural. Genuinely innovative and shocking at the time, the Vision’s popularity was only enhanced when in the very next issue, his origin was disclosed and he switched sides from villainy to heroism, becoming one of the Avengers’ longest-serving and most loyal members. (Well, apart from the few times he went cyber-crazy and tried to take over the world, but don’t judge, we’ve all done it…) We’re proud to have Vizh’s first and second appearances, his debut and his origin, back in stock: issue #57 is GD/VG p at £60, while #58, very low distribution in the UK, is VG/FN £20. SORRY, THESE HAVE NOW SOLD

*Marvel: A scintillating septet of first issues this update, kicking off, in alphabetical order, with 1973’s Crazy, a short-run title reprinting earlier stories from Not Brand Ecch; a genuine quirky rarity with a miniscule print run. A rather longer legacy was left by Marvel Feature #1 from 1971, an extra-thick issue which brought us the debut of the dynamic Defenders, the non-team of Hulk, Sub-Mariner and Dr. Strange which went through 150+ issues in their original series, plus many subsequent relaunches. Rom Space Knight, a seemingly bodged-together toy tie-in, proved surprisingly durable and well-remembered thanks to Bill Manlo and Sal Buscema’s craftsmanship, lasting 75 issues and currently revived at IDW. Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars was the first Marvel sprawling crossover event with spin-off chapters in every ongoing title, setting the precedent for many extravaganzas to come – some more successful than others! Peter Parker, Spectacular Spider-Man #1 was a 1977 release originally intended to focus on the Wall-Crawler’s civilian life rather than his costumed antics – a distinction rapidly abandoned! And we round out this parade of premier issues with not one, but two, Wolverine #1 issues: the first of his mini-series (first solo run) from 1982 by Frank Miller and the first of his first ongoing series from 1988. Pictured: Marvel Feature #1 GD/VG £25; Rom #1 VF £25; Wolverine #1 (1982) FN p £25; Wolverine #1 (1988) FN+ £15. For grade and price details on all the others, our online catalogue holds all the answers…

*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: For our #1 issue ‘First Quenchers’ event this week, we present the 1978 debut of 2000 AD companion, Starlord, which produced a swath of science-fiction series – ‘Timequake’, ‘Planet of the Damned’, ‘Ro-Busters’ and ‘Strontium Dog’ among them – on slick paper with more colour pages than its more famous sibling. However, Starlord was never intended as a long-runner, created as a ‘feeder’ title to hopefully produce a couple of ‘star’ strips and give 2000 AD a quickie circulation boost when it was absorbed by the older title. After only 22 issues, it duly became part of 2000 AD, with ‘Strontium Dog’ and ‘Ro-Busters’ (later rebranded ‘ABC Warriors’) leading much longer lives than they had in their original title. We are delighted to have a FN copy of the first issue, with a VF free gift – the ‘Starlord Trooper’ Laser Specialist badge – for £40.

*TV & Film Related Comics: Following phenomenal sales on our recent massive influx of Marvel UK’s Transformers, we have… another massive influx of Marvel UK Transformers! This selection runs from the very first issue (FN £12, pictured) through to #322, ten issues or so shy of the series finale. While not a complete run, this is a substantial update with very few gaps, encompassing free gift issues and, of course, featuring much new material generated specifically for the UK edition to satisfy the legion of clamouring Transfans, and never reprinted anywhere! SORRY, #1 HAS NOW SOLD

*Girls’ Picture Libraries: We’ve been doing a bit of detective work on this one. It seems that in the 1960s, D C Thomson published a romance picture library under a variety of titles: Love & Life Library, Blue Rosette Romances, Silver Moon Romances and Golden Heart are the ones we’ve come across. Now, we suspect (but don’t know for sure), that these all had one numeric sequence, whatever the title. In any event, that seems to be the case after issue #100, when the overall title of Star Love Stories – All In Pictures took over and the previous titles stayed for a while as sub-titles until they all eventually became Star Love Stories in Pictures. As well as a couple of Love & Life Library pre-Star fresh in, we have a stonking amount of nearly 200 of these Star Love Stories in Pictures fresh in, ranging from #103 to #1213. Its longevity pays testament to what must have been its enduring popularity (1960s to 1990s) and at £1.50 to £2.50 each for the vast majority of these, this title represents outstanding value.

Something from our Books department in our spotlight on previously listed stock this week. Presented by the Spirit, this 1976 paperback collects a ‘file of occult and unexplained events.’ Copiously illustrated by Eisner, this beautiful but ghastly volume is seemingly very rare on this side of the pond. A Fine first US pb at £35.

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 British section:
*Boys’ Adventure & War Picture Libraries
*Girls’ Picture Libraries
As of the time of writing, these categories are bang up to date, with every item listed available.

*DC: If you only remember the Doom Patrol from its 1980s revival and that Grant Morrison chappie, you should be aware that the original 1960s iteration was pretty groundbreaking in its day. It had heroes who resented their powers – which in some cases were killing them – bickering, marital discord, significant character developments, and all sorts of funky stuff. In a lot of cases, it was the DC comic that Marvelites read, so it’s appropriate that its final issue #121 (bar three following reprint issues) offered the most innovative ending of all. Inescapably trapped, our heroes were offered a choice: allow an obscure fishing village of only 14 inhabitants to be destroyed, and walk away free – or give up their own lives. The heroes chose to sacrifice themselves, and the series ended there, in a shocking denouement for those of us reading the series at the time. Yes, yes, it’s been undone by several tedious time-realigning Crises, but for more than a decade – virtually unheard of in comics at the time – the Doom Patrol actually stayed dead, leaving a proud heroic example behind. This copy of Doom Patrol #121 is a Fine+ cents copy, no UK stamp or overprint, on sale for £30. And a damn fine read it is, too. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD

*Marvel: In the distant days of 1975, the X-Men, once mainstays of the Marvel Universe, were a spent force. Reduced to a bi-monthly reprint comic and occasional guest-appearances, the merry mutants were without a home to call their own. Then two of Marvel’s young gius of the era, Len Wein and Dave Cockrum, changed all that. In Giant-Size X-Men #1, the original X-Men were captured, and Professor X assembled a team of international mutants, some known to the readers (Sunfire, Banshee, and Wein’s own creation, Wolverine, who had made his debut in Hulk #181) and some brand new (Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler and Thunderbird), and sent them out to rescue their mutant brethren. The ‘New’ X-Men were an instant hit, and with issue #94 of the X-Men ongoing title, the team was restored to all-new adventures, and on their way to becoming the multi-media stars they are today! We are delighted to have the first two appearances of the ‘New’ X-Men in stock; the Giant-Size #1 is a highly attractive FN/VF at £450, with clean bright interiors, firm staples, only very minor misaligment of spine (a flaw prevalent in Marvel’s squarebound comics) and very modest wear at the base of spine and top right edge preventing us from grading it still higher. X-Men #94, first appearance of the new team in the title, is a very bright VF- at £285. Neither of these issues was ever distributed in the UK, so their already uncommon status is exacerbated by their scarcity on this side of the pond. SORRY, THESE HAVE NOW SOLD

*Marvel: From the earliest days of the Marvel Universe, when the editors, doubtless hoping to emulate the success of his Golden Age namesake, intended the Human Torch to be the breakout character of the Fantastic Four, Johnny Storm was granted his own series in the pages of Strange Tales, and while it rapidly deteriorated into a parade of ridiculous villains, the earlier issues featured Lee & Kirby collaborations and credible antagonists – such as this issue, wherein the Torch faces his very own arch-nemesis, the Wizard, for the second time! This slice of early Marvel history is a respectable VG+ cents copy at £58. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD

*Classics Illustrated: Between 1955 and 1962, Gilberton, the publisher of Classics Illustrated, issued in America a series of Special Issues, published semi-annually, in squarebound form at 100 pages each. These are seldom seen over here, and we have two of them fresh into stock: #132A The Story Of America and #141A The Rough Rider. Grade and price details in our catalogue. Your Classics Illustrated collection isn’t complete without them!

*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: After decades of apprenticeship in Tiger, Roy of the Rovers finally won his own series in 1976, previous weeklies like Scorcher having proved that there was a strong market for a single-themed football comic. The very next year, Roy and his teammates at Melchester Rovers got their own Holiday Special, a tradition which continued for more than twelve years. We have eight of Roy’s extra-thick Holiday extravaganzas, from the very first in 1977 to 1985, plus the nostalgic ‘Souvenir Specials’ of 2009 and 2010.

*TV & Film Related Comics: Most issues fresh in of Marvel UK’s Galaxy Rangers, based on the Japanese/American Space Western animated TV show. The series lasted 9 issues in 1988, and we have 7 of the run, including #1, #2 with Free Gift (stickers) and #9, the final issue. For grades and prices, check out our catalogue. SORRY, THESE HAVE NOW SOLD

*Clearance Corner: Here’s a real bargain for the first lucky enthusiast to grab it! Swift Volume 1 complete — issues #1-41 from 1954, all bound into a hardback volume and offered for just £35! (Previously on sale for £200!) Binding only Fair, faded, loose at top and bottom of spine. Hand lettering on spine. #1 has loose pages owing to binding damage, some edge chipping on early issues, but stories untouched. Borders of issues trimmed, otherwise averaging GD condition. On offer for less than £1 per issue, and includes the very first issue of this fondly remembered companion title to Eagle. This fits into a small box weighing 2.3 kg and UK postage if required would be an extra £13.50. SORRY, THIS HAS NOW SOLD