*Horror/Mystery 1960-1980s: Adventures Into The Unknown from ACG was the earliest ongoing horror title, starting in 1947. It’s the Silver Age incarnation that concerns us here, when the horror of pre-code had given way to the more whimsical fantasy/mysteries for which ACG became known in the 1960s. Six more issues this week.
IN THIS UPDATE: ADVENTURES INTO THE UNKNOWN ALL SOLD
#143 VG- p £5.25
#144 VG- p £5.25
#145 GD/VG p £4.75
#155 FA+ p £2.25
#165 VG p £6
#173 GD- p £2.75

*Girls’ Picture Libraries: This week’s release of Love Story Library (later Love Story Picture Library), the longest running romance picture library from Fleetway, comprises 13 issues from 1963/64 between issues #455 and #483. The series always maintained a high standard and the very accomplished art reflected the fashions and mood of the times. These new additions are mostly in very nice grades, with little wear or creasing in most cases, the grades mainly determined by the amount of staple rust. Full details as always in our catalogue.

*Crime, Spies & Sleaze: We’re continuing to introduce the new layout for our books categories, with an image for each book. This week, we return to our Crime, Spies and Sleaze Category for the fourth part of our Hank Janson re-listing. This also features the famous cover artwork of Reginald Heade. The most famous name in the post-war boom in British gangster ‘pulps’ (curiously, mostly set in the both seedy and glamorous USA) was Hank Janson. Written by ‘Hank’ and telling his adventures as a journalist and later general adventurer, these were in reality written by Stephen D Frances. These racy, tough and often violent detective novels of the 40s and 50s, generally published on a monthly basis, filled the gap formed when American pulp fiction was banned from the UK, and were immensely popular. (In fact they were so racy that author, publishers and distributors were prosecuted for obscenity in 1954). The earliest Jansons were generally published by New Fiction, and were almost exclusively blessed with Heade covers. The 1950s Alexander Moring imprint, with red and yellow stripes across the top of the cover either featured art by Heade, or produced in his style. Interestingly, many Alexander Moring publications have Heade covers that have been modified, usually by the addition of just enough clothing on the young ladies to avoid another prosecution for obscenity. This update, one further New Fiction Heade, with the same cover reproduced on one of the four Morings also on offer. Full details, as always,with condition notes in our catalogue.
PICTURED: ALL BY HANK JANSON
SUGAR AND VICE Alexander Moring 1958 1st UK PB VG/FN £10
SWEET FURY Alexander Moring 1950s 1st UK PB FN £12
TENSION New Fiction 1940s/50s UK PB PR £10 Cover art by Reginald Heade
TENSION Alexander Moring 1957 2nd UK PB FN £15 Cover art by Reginald Heade
THEY DIE ALONE Alexander Moring 1950s 1st UK PB GD £5

*DC: The Seven Soldiers of Victory were DC’s second super-hero team after the Justice Society of America, and like their more famous predecessors, were drawn from characters in DC’s anthology titles. The Seven were: Green Arrow and Speedy, the Vigilante, the Shining Knight, the Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy and the Crimson Avenger (although the latter’s sidekick, Wing, was involved in their adventures, he was for some reason never regarded as a member of the team). Apart from the Shining Knight, none of them had any super-powers. They appeared in Leading Comics #1-14, created by Mort Weisinger and Mort Meskin. Like the JSA, their stories featured separate chapters for each hero (or pair) and they all teamed up for the conclusion. Two rare issues from the Bute Collection this week.
PICTURED: LEADING COMICS
#6 FA/GD £100 The Soldiers attempt to recover a lost treasure in South America. Bright cover, with some gloss. Some non-prominent writing on cover, including thick felt-tip pen line above logo (see scan). Covers detached from body of comic with long spine splits about 3/4 of the comic’s length. A couple of small chips out bottom edge and top and bottom right corner. Nice supple page quality, which are off-white to cream.
#9 FA/GD £100 The Soldiers come up against Mr X, the Chameleon of Crime. Bright and colourful cover. Spine is heavily worn with splits and holes, off at top staple but hanging on at bottom. Small pieces of tape around spine top and bottom. Bottom right corner also secured by diagonal tape. Nice quality off-white pages.

*DC/Marvel: In 1976, after some delicate negotiations, Marvel and DC decided to create a team-up between their two iconic characters which proved too big for a regular-sized comic – so the tabloid-sized format, as seen in Marvel’s Treasury Editions and DC’s Limited Collectors’ Editions, was co-opted for this event! Superman and Spider-Man (as well as guest-villains Lex Luthor and Doctor Octopus) are note-perfect in this mega-sized saga, which triggered a whole batch of DC/Marvel crossovers in the years that followed. This cents copy is bright with vibrant cover colours, a totally intact squarebound spine, tight, firm staples, square corners and crisp white to off-white pages. Just one or two short creases at spine (not breaking colour) prevent an even higher grade. This is an outstanding copy from an original owner collection, bought new in 1976 in New York, and carefully preserved ever since.
PICTURED: SUPERMAN VS THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VF £100 SOLD

*Marvel: A ‘Special Once-In-A-Lifetime Issue’, the cover of this one-shot boasted, and its unique position is simply a result of a scheduling tangle which arose when Marvel was finally allowed by its distributors to increase its range of titles. The Hulk took over the numbering of Tales to Astonish and Captain America the numbering of Tales of Suspense, but that left ‘orphaned’ chapters of the Iron Man and Sub-Mariner serials languishing, so they were used in this oddball one-off so that both Iron Man and the Sub-Mariner could start off their #1 issues with origin recap storylines. Nevertheless is has found ‘fame’ in recent years as a Marvel #1! Joyfully, both strips were pencilled by the superb Gene Colan. The Good Doctor Collection copy is a decent, solid example, pence stamped but with an otherwise unmarked cover with bright colours. Very minimal edge wear and corner blunting, but no creases. Tight and flat with good staples and off-white pages. One of the easiest Silver Age Marvel titles to complete – buy one and you’ve got the set!
PICTURED: IRON MAN & THE SUB-MARINER #1 FN p £85

*Marvel: From the mid-1970s, five issues fresh in from the acclaimed run of Black Panther in Jungle Action. Many other issues are available – check out our catalogue.
IN THIS UPDATE: JUNGLE ACTION
#11 VG p £4.75
#12 VG- p £4
#13 VF £12.50 (PICTURED)
#15 GD p £2.50
#17 VF+ p £15.75

*Horror/Mystery 1960/1980s: Six issues from the DC sub-section of this category: 3 House of Secrets, 1 Ghosts, 1 Plop (a later Giant issue) and 1 Unexpected.
IN THIS UPDATE: ALL SOLD
GHOSTS #98 VF £7.75
HOUSE OF SECRETS
#90 FN £19.50 (PICTURED)
#91 FN+ £22.50
#103 GD £4.25
PLOP #21 VG/FN £6.25
UNEXPECTED #107 FN+ p £11.50

*Boy’s Adventure & War Picture Libraries: Thirty copies of D C Thomson’s iconic picture library newly listed from 1976, ranging between #1022 (Raiding Party) to #1077 (the chillingly prophetic Code Name Boris). Although these are from the latter part of our range, they are outstanding copies, each and every one of them grading at VF at £3.50 each, with bright glossy covers, tight, squarebound spines, sharp corners and none of the glue pucker that often plagues these. Only the faintest traces of storage wear at edges; we doubt you’ll find better copies. Full listing in our catalogue. 

*Crime, Spies & Sleaze: I’m often harping on here about the Queens Of Crime, those indomitable (mostly) British women who dominated the crime/detective genre in the Golden Age Of Detective Fiction, roughly between the wars. Well, there was one male writer active at the time who was their equal, and he was an American to boot, although he lived a significant part of his life in England, where most of his tales were set. John Dickson Carr (who also wrote as Carter Dickson) was the master of the locked room mystery, a setter of seemingly impossible puzzles for his recurring cast of detectives. He also wrote many historical mysteries which are equally engaging. Five new mysteries in this week, four Penguin and one Pan, both historical and featuring Dr Gideon Fell. Full details, with condition notes, in our catalogue.
PICTURED: ALL BY JOHN DICKSON CARR ALL SOLD
CAPTAIN CUT-THROAT Penguin 1960 1st UK PB thus VG £4
THE DEMONIACS Penguin 1965 1st UK PB thus VG £4
THE EMPEROR’S SNUFF BOX Penguin 1967 UK PB FN £5
THE HOUSE AT SATAN’S ELBOW Pan 1969 1st UK PB thus VG £8
IN SPITE OF THUNDER Penguin 1966 1st UK PB thus VG £8

*DC: When DC editors Jack Schiff and Julius Schwartz were each tasked with  creating a new science fiction hero, Schwartz came up with Adam Strange, while Schiff was responsible for Space Ranger. Both heroes debuted in issues of Showcase in 1958. Space Ranger was up first in issues #15/16. Space Ranger is Rick Starr, a seemingly shiftless executive. He took on the role of the superheroic interplanetary troubleshooter to battle space pirates, alien invaders, evil scientists and other futuristic threats both cosmic and criminal, hiding his true identity. Only two people knew his secret, his loyal and highly efficient beautiful blonde secretary/girlfriend Myra Mason and his plucky and clever little pink alien sidekick Cryll, a big-eyed shapeshifter. Space Ranger and chums first appeared in Showcase #15 and it took just one further outing the following issue to propel him into his own long-running series in Tales Of The Unexpected (later in Mystery In Space). He was created by writers Edmond Hamilton and Gardner Fox and artist Bob Brown. The Bute Collection brings us both those debut issues in Showcase this week.
PICTURED: SHOWCASE
#15 VG+ £300 Presents really well, with a vibrant cover and great colour. Tight, firm staples and supple off-white to cream pages. Minimal corner blunting and spine wear, with an upper spine split of less than 2 cm. A faint, vertical subscription-like crease down the centre is not obvious and only very barely breaks colour.
#16 VG/FN £200 Vibrant cover with vivid colour. Tight and flat with good staples and supple near off-white pages. Minimal spine wear with tiny nick at base of spine. Only minor handling wear at some edges. A really nice copy. SOLD

*Marvel: From 1971, the debut of Werewolf By Night in Marvel Spotlight #2. Created by Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway and Mike Ploog, the story of a young man named Jack Russell (no, really) who contracted a lycanthropic curse hit a high note with the readership and spun off into his own series after three try-out issues in Marvel Spotlight. This extra-thick #2 is the Werewolf’s first appearance and as a bonus, issued during Marvel’s fleeting flirtation with a 25c standard price, has a gorgeous Venus back-up reprint strip drawn by the incomparable Bill Everett, plus a wonderful Venus pin-up by the man himself. Squarebound issues are notoriously problematic, but the spine here is solid and intact, with a miniscule amount of blunting top and bottom and at other corners. Colours are strong and there is a small amount of handling wear around the edges. Staples are tight and firm, pages are off-white to cream.
PICTURED: MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #2 FN £175

*Marvel: Three of the earlier Iron Man adventures from Tales Of Suspense, featuring villain debuts and the first crossover anywhere with the X-Men. 
PICTURED: TALES OF SUSPENSE
#46 GD+ p £60 1st Crimson Dynamo; Iron Man still in solid golden armour. Pence printed. Decent copy with some soft cover creasing breaking colour. Staples and pages okay. Cover colour good, but small scuff mark centrally. Firm creasing to back cover. Corner blunting and small spine split at bottom 1 cm.
#49 PR/FA p £25 Angel & X-Men crossover (1st anywhere). Tales of the Watcher back-ups begin. Pence printed. Bit of a wreck, unfortunately. Cover detached and holes at staple area. Some spine roll. Much wear at spine with bottom split of 2+ cm. Handwritten and overprinted prices on cover image and logo; some graffiti. Tear along bottom edge and back cover. Pages are okay and staples firm at centrefold. Only really a reading copy.
#51 GD/VG p £40 1st Scarecrow. Pence printed. Not a bad copy. Strong cover image with good colour. Staples are firm and pages good; small corner off one ad page. Some spine and edge wear and corner blunting; crease and tear on back cover. SOLD

*Marvel: I don’t think there’s a single title that was such a plaything in the marketplace as the Eternals. Boosted to ridiculous values by the announcement of a movie, the comic crashed and burned alongside its celluloid doppelganger and is now back where it started. But hey kids, it’s still the same Jack Kirby bonkers space gods it’s always been! Just the first two issues featured from the Good Doctor this week.
IN THIS UPDATE: ETERNALS
#1 VG p £10 (PICTURED)
#2 VG p £6

*Horror/Mystery 1960-1980s: Thee pairs of titles from Charlton’s extensive Silver/Bronze age range this week:
IN THIS UPDATE: ALL SOLD
GHOSTLY TALES
#70 VG+ £9
#132 FN p £4.75
MONSTER HUNTERS
#1 FN+ p £10.50 (PICTURED)
#4 FN+ £5.75
SCARY TALES
#9 FN+ p £4.75
#37 FN p £4.75

*Vintage UK/Australian Reprints Of US Material: Perhaps often overlooked in the annals of UK horror reprints (probably because these weren’t published until the 1960s), it should not be forgotten that Len Miller’s Mystic & Spellbound reprinted quite a bit of Atlas Pre-Code horror stories, as well as Post Code and pre-hero Marvel Big Panty Monsters and Marvel Super-Heroes, and work from many other publishers too. A treasure trove of delights await within these volumes, including plenty of work by Kirby and Ditko, Atlas super-hero reprints, and Dr Strange.
IN THIS UPDATE:
MYSTIC
#42 PR £10 Reprints Atlas Sub-Mariner and Captain America stories. Corner off cover, spine taped and distressed, lots of wear.
#43 GD £15 (PICTURED) Reprints 3rd Dr Strange story from Strange Tales #114.
#44 FA £8 Spine taped with taped tear across cover.
SPELLBOUND
#42 PR £10 Reprints Atlas Human Torch story. Quarter page torn off fantasy story, otherwise nice condition.
#62 VG £12.50

*Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror: We’re continuing to introduce the new layout for our books categories, with an image for each book. This week, we return to our Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Category and have reached the Golden Amazon series by John Russell Fearn. Fearn was a very prolific British writer from the pulp age of science fiction and wrote under a variety of pseudonyms. The Golden Amazon was a super-powered space heroine who starred in some 27 books of pulp-style adventures. The publication history of these is complicated, with many, previously in magazines, not appearing in book form until the 1990s when, for my money, the most attractive versions are from the American publisher Gryphon Books, unusually published in paperback with dust jackets, and featuring the technicolour covers of veteran British sci-fi artist Ron Turner. These are hard to find; we understand that the print runs were limited to 500 of each, but a great goal for the collectors among you, and we can start you off with four of the Gryphon editions, including #1, plus an earlier edition from the UK publisher Zeon.
PICTURED: THE GOLDEN AMAZON BY JOHN RUSSELL FEARN
1 THE GOLDEN AMAZON Gryphon 1996 1st US PB thus NM £20 With DJ NM SOLD
4: THE AMAZON’S DIAMOND QUEST Gryphon 1998 1st US PB thus NM £20 With DJ NM
6: TWIN OF THE  AMAZON Gryphon 1998 1st US PB thus NM £20 With DJ NM
7: CONQUEST OF THE AMAZON Gryphon 1998 1st US PB thus NM £18 With DJ VF
8: LORD OF ATLANTIS Zeon 1991 1st UK PB thus VF £15 68 pages

*Crime, Spies & Sleaze: We’re continuing to introduce the new layout for our books categories, with an image for each book. This week, we return to our Crime, Spies and Sleaze Category for the third part of our Hank Janson re-listing. This also features the famous cover artwork of Reginald Heade. The most famous name in the post-war boom in British gangster ‘pulps’ (curiously, mostly set in the both seedy and glamorous USA) was Hank Janson. Written by ‘Hank’ and telling his adventures as a journalist and later general adventurer, these were in reality written by Stephen D Frances. These racy, tough and often violent detective novels of the 40s and 50s, generally published on a monthly basis, filled the gap formed when American pulp fiction was banned from the UK, and were immensely popular. (In fact they were so racy that author, publishers and distributors were prosecuted for obscenity in 1954). The earliest Jansons were generally published by New Fiction, and were almost exclusively blessed with Heade covers. The 1950s Alexander Moring imprint, with red and yellow stripes across the top of the cover either featured art by Heade, or produced in his style. Interestingly, many Alexander Moring publications have Heade covers that have been modified, usually by the addition of just enough clothing on the young ladies to avoid another prosecution for obscenity. One book under the publisher name S D Frances with Heade cover plus four Morings in this update. One, Persian Pride, is actually part of Janson’s Arabian slave girl trilogy and not a crime story at all! Further information, including condition notes, in our catalogue. More Hank soon!
PICTURED: ALL BY HANK JANSON
HELLCAT Alexander Moring 1950s 1st UK PB thus VG £9
HONEY, TAKE MY GUN S D Frances 1949 1st UK PB FA/GD £15 Cover art by Heade
MISTRESS OF FEAR Alexander Moring 1958 1st UK PB thus VG £9
PERSIAN PRIDE Alexander Moring 1957 2nd UK PB VG/FN £10
SINISTER RAPTURE Alexander Moring 1957 1st UK PB thus VG/FN £10

*DC: One of the most well-received articles posted here during lockdown was the one I wrote on Adam Strange, the interplanetary adventurer, my favourite DC science-fiction hero. So, we’re delighted to present half a dozen of his adventures in Mystery In Space, between #77 and #83. The finest examples of this sort of thing ever produced, IMHO, and with the best creators. These are mostly lower graded reading copies (some of them are really grotty) , providing excellent budget entertainment.
IN THIS UPDATE: MYSTERY IN SPACE ALL SOLD
#77 VG+ p £15
#78 PR p £3 Cover stains
#79 FA p £5.50 Torn back cover
#81 PR p £2.25 Staining, water damage, restapled
#82 GD/VG p £11 Restapled
#83 FA/GD p £5.75 Restapled; book shop stamps

*Marvel: The second great Galactus and the Silver Surfer epic in Fantastic Four sprawled a little between issues #72 & 77, as featured from the Bute Collection this week. Starting out with a prelude of sorts in #72, there was an intermission in #73 for a slam-bang slug-fest with Spider-Man, Thor and Daredevil. Back on track with the world devourer and his former herald with #74, from where the epic reaches a resounding climax with the Psycho-Man up to #77. Stan & Jack at their most cosmic, with several outstanding covers.
IN THIS UPDATE: FANTASTIC FOUR
#72 VF p £150 (PICTURED) Pence stamped. Great cover colour and reflectivity. Wear is restricted to a few very minor edge marks. Flat, tight staples, square corners and near white pages.
#73 VF+ £120 (PICTURED) A brilliant white cover background. No marks except for a small, faint pencil arrival date. Flat, tight staples, square corners and near white pages. An outstanding copy.
#74 VG/FN £55 (PICTURED) Nice glossy copy with great colour. Very slight wear along the spine. Small handling marks and a small felt tip ‘5’ towards top right (see scan). Tiny dink very top of spine. Flat, tight staples, and near white pages. A little corner blunting.
#75 VF- p £75 (PICTURED) Pence stamped. Iconic cover with great colour and good gloss. Very slight handling wear with tiny stress marks near staples; no colour breaks. Flat with tight staples and supple off-white to white pages. SOLD
#76 FN/VF £36
#77 FN/VF £45

*Marvel: Having appeared in Ghost Rider #1 & #2, Daimon Hellstrom made his first solo appearance as the title star in Marvel Spotlight #12, where his origin was also revealed. 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 a nice glossy pence printed copy with lurid colour, white to off-white pages and tight, firm staples. Just minor handling wear to edges, tiny stress marks at upper staple and slight corner blunting.
PICTURED: MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #12 FN+ p £50

*Miscellaneous 1940-1959: From 1949, Avon’s unique Slave Girl series lasted only two issues. Issue #1 was entitled Slave Girl Comics, and #2 Slave Girl Princess, which concerns us here. A beautiful fantasy/magical adventure following the trials of Malu, the Slave Girl in question and her paramour Garth with pirates, slavers, Mongols and the like. Three linked Slave Girl stories in #2, accompanied by two further accomplished stories in the same genre. Excellent art on the Malu tales by Howard Larsen. Although ending on a cliff-hanger, only one further Malu adventure was published in Strange Worlds #3, which did not follow from this. A nice copy, with only fairly minor edge and handling wear, good tight staples and little creasing or nicks; some corner blunting. The most significant drawback is some relatively minor graffiti on Garth’s face on the cover; unfortunately, some previous owner has made pin-prick holes in Garth’s eyes, which some may find off-putting. The lower grade awarded on this reflects this defect, for an otherwise much higher graded copy. 
PICTURED: SLAVE GIRL PRINCESS #2 GD+ £160 SOLD

*Humour Comics: Continuing our policy of providing more information for Beano and Dandy, we have a small batch of Beano in this week from 1968. Just one strip debut, the King Street Cowboys in #1345, but we have also added new copies of #1372-1375. We’ve now also marked which years of Beano and Dandy in our catalogue have been overhauled with new and enhanced information.

*Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror: We’re continuing to introduce the new layout for our books categories, with an image for each book. This week, we return to our Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Category and the works of Ralph Milne Farley (the famous pulp era classic Venus Trilogy) plus one each from Philip Jose farmer and John Faucette.
PICTURED:
BY RALPH MILNE FARLEY
THE RADIO BEASTS Ace 1964 1st US PB thus VG/FN £6 2nd in series
THE RADIO BEASTS Ace 1976 US PB VG £5 2nd in series
THE RADIO MAN Fantasy Publishing Co 1948 1st US HC FN £10 With DJ (FN)
THE RADIO PLANET Ace c 1976 US PB VG £5 3tf in series
PHILIP JOSE FARMER: INSIDE OUTSIDE Corgi 1982 1st UK PB VG £4
JOHN FAUCETTE: THE WARRIORS OF TERRA Belmont 1970 1st US PB VG £3

*DC: Along with Strange Adventures, Mystery In Space was DC’s premier science-fiction title founded in thr Atomic Age. Issue #1 dates from April/May 1951. Whitney Ellsworth was credited as editor, but, apparently, Julius Schwartz and Mort Weisinger were actual co-editors. The series really hit the ground running with the creative talent on display in the 52 pages of this first issue. Writers Bob Kanigher, Gardner Fox & John Broome, and artists Carmine Infantino, Frank Frazetta, Alex Toth and sci-fi pulp great Virgil Finlay – what a line-up! The regular feature Knights of the Galaxy – space commandos of the 30th Century – took the cover and lead feature and appeared subsequently in many early issues of the title. Many other recurring characters would appear in later issues of this long running title.
This inaugural issue has a wonderful Carime Infantino cover, with a black starfield background, the sort of cover that shows every mark. There is minimal wear along the top edge, slight stress at the staples and small nicks out at the right edge front cover, spine bottom and top edge back cover. A very tiny corner is off front cover bottom right (see scan). Cover colours are strong and vibrant and the staples are firm at spine and centrefold. Page quality is a very nice and supple off-white, with two small pieces of tape sealing short tears on 2 interior pages with no loss. There are a couple of faint reading creases vertically just in from the spine, but these do not break colour. There are various marks that are hard to notice in the black cover background which we think are pressure or handling marks; we don’t think these are professional colour touches, but since as extensive examination under dark light has proven inconclusive, we have tried to take these into account in the grading and pricing of this gem. Visually, this is a very appealing comic which presents very well. High resolution images are available on request.
PICTURED: MYSTERY IN SPACE #1 VG- £600