*Marvel: After a long run as the star and co-star of Tales of Suspense, Iron Man was given his own title in 1968, when the ‘Berlin Wall’ of Marvel’s distribution came down, and they were allowed to expand their range of titles. New in this week, the Bute Collection copy of Iron Man’s first solo issue, with Gene Colan’s hyperkinetic art driving the drama onward as Shell-Head comes up against the forces of A.I.M.; plus there’s a brief re-telling of Iron Man’s origin. This nice pence-stamped copy is beautifully glossy with great colours including a deep purple background. Firm, tight staples and white pages. Minor edge wear and spine stress marks which break colour only very narrowly. There is one small, shallow indentation mark around the ‘I’ in ‘Invincible’ in the logo, but the paper is unbroken. Presents very well. High resolution images are available on request.  
PICTURED: IRON MAN #1 FN- p £500

*Marvel: In 1966, Marvel launched Fantasy Masterpieces, a showpiece for reprinting some of the classic Big Panty Monster, science-fiction and supernatural stories by some of the great artists who had created the Marvel Age of Comics, such as Kirby & Ditko etc. The first two issues were standard 32 pages, and then, with #3, the changes were rung. The comic became a giant and the fantasy stories became augmented by Golden Age super-hero reprints, commencing with Captain America. In the mid-60s, I think this was just about the only place to find these, and was certainly my first exposure to Timelys. By issue #7, Sub-Mariner and the original Human Torch joined Cap; issue #9 reprinted the origin of the Human Torch from Marvel Comics #1; issue #10 featured everybody in an All-Winners Squad adventure. Then, with issue #12, it was all-change again as the title became Marvel Super-Heroes and featured new stories – but that’s a tale for another day. This update is for the complete run of Fantasy Masterpieces from #1-11, in an average grade of VG. 
IN THIS UPDATE: FANTASY MASTERPIECES Complete Run #1-11 Av. VG £95 
#1 and #10 PICTURED. SOLD

*Harvey: A real curiosity with super-star creator status. From 1953, and the latter days of the 3D comics fad comes the one-shot Captain 3-D, a unique super-hero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. Scripts by Simon & Kirby, pencils by Kirby, inks by Mort Meskin and Steve Ditko (in his tied third published work, and his first in the super-hero genre). The stories have the full 3D effect, with two pairs of glasses bound in as issued. Captain 3-D is a unique super-hero who ‘lives’ in a book and is brought to life by the use of special glasses. This is a great copy, with vibrant colour and gloss, tight firm staples and square corners. Just very minor edge and spine wear and some cover creases caused by the bound-in glasses, which do not break colour. An absolute delight. 
PICTURED: CAPTAIN 3-D #1 FN £45 SOLD

*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: The Sun was a British comic that ran from 1947 to 1959 and featured many famous characters in its mix of picture strip and text stories, adventure & humour. The earlier issues were large near-Eagle size format, the later ones American-sized comic format. The early issues, as in this batch offered here were in a sort of distinctive orange, green and grey colour, with some black and white. This batch of ten issues includes #1-7 and three later issues (#15, #28 and #39). Cover featured on #1 is Swiss Family Robinson with Robin Hood in Sherwood Outlaw on the back cover. Offered in one batch of ten from 1947-1949, mostly in unfolded superior condition.
IN THIS UPDATE: SUN #1-7, #15, #28, #39 All 10 for £35 SOLD
#1 VG (PICTURED)
#2 FN
#3 FN
#4 VG Christmas issue
#5 FN 
#6 VG
#7 VG
#15 GD
#28 GD
#39 FN

*Children’s Books: We’re delighted to have a Malcolm Saville first edition new into stock. A favourite author for many, Saville wrote from 1943 until his death in 1982, primarily about different groups of adventuring children. His work emphasises location, particularly in Shropshire and Sussex, with which he was familiar; the books include many vivid descriptions of English countryside, villages and sometimes towns. Our new addition is Diamond In The Sky from the Buckingham series, where Juliet & Simon are on holiday in Amsterdam, and adventure surrounding a mystery package ensues. This hardcover is in nice shape, just small dinks to the boards at the spine, and a dust jacket in clean, fine shape. An ex-library copy with appropriate stamps and sticker inside, but no exterior markings; it presents very well. 
PICTURED: MALCOLM SAVILLE: DIAMOND IN THE SKY Collins 1974 1st UK HC VG £50 With DJ (FN) in removable archival film

*DC: One of the very best issues of the Golden Age Batman from the Midas Collection this week. From 1947, Batman #44 features an iconic Joker cover by Jim Mooney, and one of the best splash pages I’ve ever seen, also by Mooney, illustrating the lead story, where the Joker gambles with Batman & Robin and the stakes are life and death. All art on this issue is by Mooney in fact, and the writer, where known, is Bill Finger. Other stories involve a would-be adventurer and a trip back to the days of the American Revolution, involving Bruce Wayne’s ancestor and Benjamin Franklin. The cover alone is worth the price of admission, with a vivid red background, with seven Joker heads popping out to surround the Dynamic Duo. On the equally symbolic splash, the Joker plays cards with Death. This is a quite reasonable copy, with intact and glorious cover image, although there are some flaws. A small corner top right is torn off across the DC symbol, and there is some narrow chipping along the lower half of the right edge. Upper spine split of 2 cm, which carries over to the pages to lessening degree. Tiny chip out top centre cover. There is a lower spine split up to the lower staple, with the cover detached at that point. Other than that, the staples are good and the pages are a nice off-white, with some cream edging. 
PICTURED: BATMAN #44 GD/VG £1,000 

*DC: House Of Mystery was DC’s premier horror title, starting in 1951. Science fiction and monsters aplenty as well. By the time of these six consecutive issues from 1961, the monsters were dominant, and getting wackier! All originally priced at 10 cents.  
IN THIS UPDATE: HOUSE OF MYSTERY ALL SOLD
#107 FN p £24 (PICTURED)
#108 FA/GD £7
#109 GD- p £7.25
#110 FA £4.25
#111 GD- p £7.25
#112 GD £9

*Marvel: The Fantastic Four certainly had some classic covers within the number range #40-60, and none more so than #55, which depicted the rooftop encounter between the Thing and the Silver Surfer, with a gorgeous deep purple sky above the cityscape background. The Surfer was very much the hit breakout character at Marvel at the time, and Stan and Jack lost no opportunity to exploit that. This CGC copy is graded at 5.0 (VG/FN), unrestored blue label, white to off-white pages, case perfect. CGC Ref: 4607393004
PICTURED: FANTASTIC FOUR #55 CGC 5.0 VG/FN £90

*Miscellaneous 1940-1959: From our fabulous Arch Collection this week, four early issues of the long-running Blackhawk title from Quality, published in 1951-53, long before DC took over the reins. Great art on these cracking adventure stories, starring our magnificent seven aviators (as long as you can turn a blind eye to the horribly racially stereotyped and caricatured Chop Chop). Often the Blackhawk comic has a bevy of curvaceous heroines and slinky villainesses not always obvious from the covers, and these issues are no exception, featuring, among others, the first (pre-Zinda) Lady Blackhawk in #40 and the silky Spider of Delanza in #58.  
PICTURED: BLACKHAWK
#40 FA/GD £25 Cover detached from staple, centrefold with ragged edge. 
#43 GD- £25 Cover detached from staple, small tear without loss near staple. 
#58 GD £29 Small upper spine split, creasing at right bottom edge. 
#63 GD- £24 Weak spine; small corner off top right corner. 

*Alan Class Reprints: Long-time visitors to our site will remember that we’ve been selling the Printing Plates from Alan Class’s Private Archive for many years. Although they ran out in 2023, there has always been the possibility of a few more being located with the co-operation of Alan himself. Such has now happened with Suspense #41, which reprints the cover and lead story from Journey Into Mystery #93, an early Thor tale, featuring the debut of the Radioactive Man. Cover and art by Jack Kirby. The set comprises the lead printing plates used in the original comic’s colour cover printing, a copy of the comic printed with these plates and a certificate of authenticity signed by Alan Class himself. These are packaged in a special protective presentation case. The quality of these plates is very good, with nice definition. Full details follow (please remember that these sets are not available for postage to addresses outside the UK).
PICTURED:
SUSPENSE #41 Comic and Plate Set £135 SOLD
*Comic VG- Solid copy with strong colours. 3 cm tear (no loss) to right of logo. Very small tear upper spine. Reprints Thor story and cover (both by Jack Kirby)  from Journey Into Mystery #93, plus ACG. Pre-decimal
*Colour cover plates: 4 with good definition. 
*Signed certificate of authenticity
*Presentation case

*Crime, Spies & Sleaze: All the Queens Of Crime had their recurring detectives of course, and Margery Allingham’s was Albert Campion, a suave sleuth of noble blood, perfectly portrayed on TV by Peter Davison. Five Allingham Penguins in classic green and white stripe livery from the 1950s/60s fresh in this week, all featuring Campion in typically clever murder mysteries. Full details, including condition notes, await you in our catalogue.
PICTURED: ALL BY MARGERY ALLINGHAM ALL SOLD
THE BECKONING LADY Penguin 1961 3rd UK PB GD £5
DANCERS IN MOURNING Penguin 1957 UK PB FA/GD £4
MORE WORK FOR THE UNDERTAKER Penguin 1952 1st UK PB VG £7
SWEET DANGER Penguin 1950 1st UK PB GD/VG £6 
TRAITOR’S PURSE Penguin 1961 5th UK PB FA/GD £3

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.