39 issues of Sparky, from 1971-1974 in mixed grades, but all reasonable with no duplicates
1971 17 issues
1972 10 issues
1973 8 issues
1974 4 issues
All 39 for £25
Shipping to GB addresses only (post free)

Joyously evocative of childhood, 5 Annuals of the Little Bear from 1937 to 1969.
1937 NM Facsimile (PICTURED)
1946 VG/FN (PICTURED)
1950 VG/FN (PICTURED)
1959 GD/VG
1969 VG/FN
All 5 for £45 SOLD
Shipping to GB addresses only (post free)

*DC: We’re featuring a Supergirl mini-event this week, and what better place to start than Kara Zor-El’s very first appearance? In the May 1959 issue of their flagship title, Action Comics #252, DC introduced another survivor from Krypton, Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El, who called herself Supergirl. She would go on to become a prominent member of the DCU, until killed off in Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985. Since then, she has appeared in a number of iterations too numerous to go into here. Suffice it to say that Kara remains a firm fan favourite character and one of DC’s mainstays. This is the first copy of her origin story we have had in stock for a very long time. This is the beginning of Supergirl’s regular strip in Action Comics, and there’s also a Congorilla story and a Superman story featuring the first appearance of Metallo; what a landmark issue! It’s a lower to mid-grade copy, pre-distribution so cents of course. The cover image is bright and colourful and the comic presents reasonably well, with firm staples and decent cream coloured pages. Although the central cover image is unmarked, there are signs of reading wear at central right edge in the form of (probably) finger marks leading to smudgy creases which break colour over the tail fins of Supergirl’s rocket (see scan). The other significant flaw is a lower spine split of about 4 cm which extends throughout the pages to lesser degrees. Nevertheless, a good-looking copy of a major key issue which would be beyond a lot of collectors’ budgets if in much higher grade. High resolution images are available on request. 
PICTURED: ACTION COMICS #252 GD/VG £1,350

*DC: We conclude our Supergirl mini-event by getting far more up to date than the paths we normally tread with the Supergirl: World Of Tomorrow 8 issue mini series from 2021. Written by fan favourite writer Tom King, with distinctive art from Bilquis Evely, this full series, the basis of the 2026 Supergirl movie, is presented here in sparkling NM condition. 
IN THIS UPDATE: SUPERGIRL: WORLD OF TOMORROW: COMPLETE SERIES  #1-8 NM £120 (#1 PICTURED)

*DC: Four consecutive issues of Batman from 1952/53 from the Midas Collection this week, #74-77, with the Dynamic Duo leaping, jumping, swinging and bursting into action on all four covers. 
PICTURED: BATMAN
#74 GD+ £120 Lead story The Crazy Crime Clown, where the Joker commits seemingly crazy crimes and is sentenced to an insane asylum for access to a fortune. Batman goes undercover as an asylum patient. Other stories involve a movie murder plot and the villainous Mr Hydro. Stories by Al Schwartz & Bill Finger. Cover by Win Mortimer. Art by Dick Sprang, Bob Kane and Lew Sayre Schwartz. A lower graded copy with colour breaking cover creases, a couple of chips out of cover and a central spine split. Lower staple off cover. Decent off-white pages. 
#75 FA+ £75 SOLD Silver Age fans will remember this cover image from its vivid depiction on Batman Annual #3 from 1962. Cover by Win Mortimer and Lew Sayre Schwartz. In the cover story, an executed gang boss has his brain transplanted into the body of a giant gorilla. Plus an encounter with the villainous Mr Roulette and an adventure in an outlaw western town. Stories by David Vern and John Broome. Art by Dick Sprang, Bob Kane and Lew Sayre Schwartz. Good cover image, but extra staples . Cover off lower staple and loose at top. Edge wear with small chip off bottom right cover and lower staple area. Decent off-white pages. 
#76 VG+ £230 SOLD In the lead story, Batman joins the Danger Club to track down the killer within. Also features the Joker in flashback. Plus, the Penguin has a new ruse with mythical giant birds and Batman trades places with a ruthless, cold-blooded killer. Cover by Dick Sprang. Stories by Edmond Hamilton and Bill Finger, art by Bob Kane, Lew Sayre Schwartz and Jim Mooney. Fabulous rich colours on this cover, with a glorious deep purple sky. Solid spine with minor stress marks, minor handling wear, a couple of small colour-breaking creases at right upper edge and a small tear (no loss), right lower. Excellent near white pages and firm staples. 
#77 FA+ £75 Things appear to go wrong when Batman and Robin use a machine to predict crimes; Commissioner Gordon recruits the Secret Star, five men who can stand in for Batman, and the Assistant Commissioner has the Dynamic Duo sorting mundane police matters while ongoing mysterious robberies plague the city. Cover by Win Mortimer. Stories by Edmond Hamilton, Al Schwartz and Bill Finger. Art by Bob Kane and Lew Sayre Schwartz. A tatty copy just hanging on at the staples. Wear and tear along the spine (particularly the staple area, and along the ragged right edge. Small corner off bottom right cover. Several colour-breaking creases and heavy corner blunting. 

*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 problematical, but no problems with this beautiful copy. Totally intact spine, no glue puckering, firm central staple (as printed and published), strong colours and supple near white pages. Just the tiniest signs of stress at the spine and minimal edge wear. This is an outstanding copy from an original owner collection, bought new in 1971 on a New York newsstand, and carefully preserved ever since.  
PICTURED: MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #2 VF+ £400 SOLD

*Marvel: If you’re looking for really nice copies of Amazing Spider-Man for your collection, then look no further than the Totally Amazing Spider-Man Collection. All high grade; even the few that fall below VF (and most are above) are really good-looking copies – no duds here, and nearly all cents copies. Three excellent Bronze Age issues here against the backdrop of the famous Clone Saga, featuring Mysterio, Cyclone, the Scorpion and… Gwen Stacy…after her death… 
IN THIS UPDATE: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 
#141 VF+ £50 (PICTURED)
#144 FN £25
#145 VF- £35 SOLD

*Miscellaneous 1940-1959: From the Bute Collection: The Anthology title Red Seal Comics had an interesting and unusual history. First published by Chesler in the USA in 1945, it transitioned to Superior Comics of Canada with issue #19 in 1947. Covers varied from horror to crime to funnies. This first Superior issue was filled with unused Chesler material, including the Black Dwarf/Blue Monk horror cover by Paul Gattuso. Interior features comprised Zor the Mighty (jungle/sci-fi hybrid), Sir Guy (knights’ adventure), a ghost horror story with Dr Justice, the funny Impy, Space Nomads, El Tigre (Robin Hood of the Desert), and aviation/war with Ace Atkins. A nice copy with good strong colours, structurally sound with good staples, unmarked cover, some wear/blunting at corners and supple white to off-white pages. Minor wear at spine. 
PICTURED: RED SEAL COMICS #19 FN- £300 SOLD

*Romance: From the Bute Collection: Less often seen, the ACG romance titles are quite charming like their other genres, with an excellent standard of art. In the three issues featured in this update, there is art by John Forte, Ogden Whitney, Ken Bald, George Klein and others. There is also an undercurrent of the supernatural running through many of the stories. 
IN THIS UPDATE 
CONFESSIONS OF THE LOVELORN 
#111 VG p £19 Pence stamped
#112 VG+ p £23.75 (PICTURED) Pence stamped
MY ROMANTIC ADVENTURES #98 GD/VG £5

*Humour Comics: 17 issues new in of the Beano from 1957, a year with many first appearances, including Pooch, Parachute Reg, Brannigan’s Boy, Thrill a Day Jill, Fusspot Annie, Tough Duff and Bringing Up Dennis (Dennis the Menace as a baby). Plus, a stray issue from 1959 (#861). Full details as always in our catalogue.
PICTURED: BEANO #801 GD/VG £13 1st Fusspot Annie, 1st Bringing Up Dennis

*Crime, Spies and Sleaze. In the early 1960s, American publisher Gold Star produced a series of 17 Hank Janson novels, originally published much earlier in the UK under different titles. Thus the faux American sleazy crime stories came full circle. Although not blessed with the fabulous Heade covers of the originals, these do feature very attractive cover art by the cream of good girl cover artists of the time, such as Paul Rader, Harry Barton and Robert Maguire. More details in our catalogue. 
PICTURED: HANK JANSON
BRAZEN SEDUCTRESS Gold Star 1963 1st US PB FA £8
HER WEAPON IS PASSION Gold Star 1964 1st US PB GD/VG £10
THE SEXY VIXEN Gold Star 1964 1st US PB GD £10 

*Children’s Books: W E Johns, creator of Biggles, was a very prolific writer, responsible for over 150 books. Although two thirds of these were Biggles, there were a great many others, including war, adventure and science fiction. 11 of these were the adventures of Worrals, WAAF Flight Officer Joan ‘Worrals’ Worralson and her sidekick Betty ‘Frecks; Lovell; these were created at the request of the Air Ministry to inspire young women to join the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. Dust jacket illustrations on these by the famous and accomplished Reginald Heade. 2 handsome hardcover volumes this week from our distinguished Arch Collection of books and comics. 
PICTURED: BY CAPTAIN W E JOHNS
WORRALS INVESTIGATES Lutterworth Press 1950 1st UK HC  GD/VG £30 in GD/VG DJ in removable archival film. 
A post-war adventure of Worrals and Frecks. The last Worrals novel. 
Cover art by Reginald Heade. Plus interior colour plates. Book has some mottling to blue boards, foxing at page edges. DJ has small tears. 
WORRALS OF THE W.A.A.F. Lutterworth Press 6th UK HC 1950
VG/FN £25 in VG DJ in removable archival film. 
The first Worrals novel. Cover art by Reginald Heade. Book is in excellent condition with tiny dinks top and bottom spine and slight foxing. DJ is bright with minor nicks. 

*DC: From the Midas Collection this week, two great Catwoman covers on issues #65 & #69 of Batman. Both these are set at a time when Selina Kyle seems to have reformed and gone straight. Both low grade and relatively cheap for classic Catwoman covers.
PICTURED: BATMAN BOTH SOLD
#65 FA £200 In the cover story, Selina Kyle has reformed from her criminal life and is now the owner of a pet shop. But when a series of crimes based on cats occurs, it is believed that Catwoman has returned to her criminal life. Also: Robin gets a shock when following an accident, he believes Batman is training his replacement; and Bruce Wayne becomes a crime reporter. Cover by Win Mortimer & Lew Sayre Schwartz; stories by Bill Finger, art by Bob Kane & Lew Sayre Schwartz and Dick Sprang. Reasonable cover image. Wear with chips out at top spine, top and right edges, which does not detract from central cover images, although a faint bookshop indicia stamped not too clearly on Catwoman’s face is off-putting. Front cover tears are sealed by tape inside cover. The covers are detached and held together by tape. Staples are sound (apart from the cover) and pages are a quite nice off-white. 
#69 FA £200 The cover story features Catwoman on a double throne alongside the King Of Cats. Batman and Robin face a new criminal who bases his crimes on cat-themes, and discover that he has a connection with reformed Catwoman Selina Kyle. Plus: Batman & Robin play themselves in a movie and the Blaze, a new villain strikes, who burns his victims with a flamethrower. Cover by Win Mortimer; stories by Walter Gibson and Bill Finger, art by Bob Kane & Lew Sayre Schwartz. Covers detached with lower spine splits and chunks out where both staples had been connected. The cover image is nicely intact with good colours, but there is additional edge wear with small tears and colour-breaking creases. A previous owner’s name is written in small letters in crayon near the upper staple area. Staples are good internally and pages are a decent off-white.

*DC: These early pre-distribution issues of Tales Of The Unexpected are not common over here in the UK. By this time, the title was veering closer to a pure science fiction title, with interplanetary adventure, aliens, robots, space ships with rivets, and a sleeping beauty of space. Perhaps this was in anticipation of the Space Ranger series which would take the lead in the title before too long. The stories feature work from many famous artists.
IN THIS UPDATE: TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED
#25 GD £16.25 SOLD Pieces of tape at spine and small corner off bottom right cover 
#26 VG £32
#27 VG £32 (PICTURED)
#29 FA £8.50 The Sleeping Beauty of Space. Covers detached and separated
#30 FA/GD £10.50 SOLD
#34 GD £13.75

*Marvel: Back in the early years of the Marvel Universe, when super-hero guest stars were something special, Spider-Man featured in Avengers #11, wherein the villainous Kang attempts to defeat the Avengers by using a robot replica of Spider-Man, until the real thing turns up! Plus a Kang pin-up. This CGC slabbed copy is graded at 6.0 (FN) and is a pence stamped copy. Unrestored blue label, case perfect, white to off-white pages. CGC Ref: 4307574006.
PICTURED: AVENGERS #11 CGC 6.0 FN p £225

*Marvel: In 1974, Ka-Zar, ‘Lord Of The Hidden Jungle’ (AKA the Savage Land) got hist first ongoing series under his own name. Four consecutive issues featured here, all in really nice shape, all pence printed variant copies. 
IN THIS UPDATE: KA-ZAR ALL SOLD
#6 VF+ p £7.25
#7 VF+ p £7.25
#8 NM p £10.25 (PICTURED)
#9 VF p £6

*Horror/Mystery 1960-1980s: We present a complete set of the second series of Journey Into Mystery from 1972-1975. Many years after being subsumed into Thor, the series title returned, back to its roots with horror in Marvel’s Bronze Age revival. Issues #1-5 featured new material, including Robert E Howard and H P Lovecraft adaptations. From issue #6 onwards, it was classic reprints to the final issue #19. Along the way, we got art from Adams, Ditko, Starlin, Ploog, Everett, Kane, Kirby, Maneely, Orlando and many more. A rare opportunity here to get all 19 issues in one complete set in pretty nice shape. 
IN THIS UPDATE: JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY (2nd series 1972) Complete set #1-19 £135. Av. FN. #1 Pictured. SOLD 

*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: Comic Adventures was a US-sized comic from publisher Soloway in the 1940s, running to some 27 issues in that decade. Printed in black, white and red with 16 pages per issue. This anthology title featured all adventure series in these issues such as outer space thrills with Crash Carew, Daredevil of the Stratosphere, westerns with Redskin Rustlers and the Kansas Kid, aviation with Pacific Patrol, plus Ace Morgan of the Submarine Service and many more. We are offering five issues from this esoteric and distinctive series for one price, as shown below:
PICTURED: COMIC ADVENTURES SOLD
V4 #4
V5 #1
V6 #1
V6 #2
V6 #3
Av. VG/FN
All for £30

*Crime, Spies & Sleaze: We’ve been fortunate enough to acquire a selection of British Library Crime Classics, a contemporary series which reprints classic novels from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, bound in attractive uniform editions which feature period paintings as their covers. A celebration of famous and forgotten authors and a milestone in publishing for the British Library. All books are in like new, unread condition at a uniform price of £5 each. Further information is shown in our catalogue. Here’s four more of them, three novels (including one from the 19th Century!) plus an anthology of vintage crime, presided over by Martin Edwards, the series editor. 
PICTURED: BRITISH LIBRARY CRIME CLASSICS ALL SOLD
CHARLES WARREN ADAMS: THE NOTTING HILL MYSTERY 2015 UK PB Originally published 1865 Like New £5
MARTIN EDWARDS (Ed): CAPITAL CRIMES 2015 1st UK PB Like New £5
London Mysteries. Anthology with Conan Doyle, Wallace, Walpole, Allingham & many more
MICHAEL GILBERT: DEATH IN CAPTIVITY2019 UK PB Originally published 1952 Like New £5 A second world war mystery
E C R LORAC: MURDER IN THE MILL-RACE 2019 UK PB Originally published 1952 Like New £5 A Devon mystery

*DC: This week’s foray into the Midas Collection continues with two issues of Batman from 1945. 
PICTURED: BATMAN
#28 VG- £425 A simple but dynamic cover from Jack Burnley, with stories by Don C Cameron, Bill Finger and Al Schwartz, art by Jerry Robinson. Three Batman stories plus an Alfred short. In the lead story, the Joker cons several rich playboys and Batman decides to visit the villain’s lair. Not a bad copy, with a rich red cover background. Some spine wear with small upper and lower splits, and a looseness at the staples, which are still reasonably firmly attached. Slightly miscut on production, so that the bottom edge has a thin white line, with a corresponding amount off the top edge, but not trimmed as far as we can tell. Supple pages are a nice white to off-white. 
#29 GD+ £240 Zany Batman & Robin on penny farthing bicycles cover by Dick Sprang. Stories by Bill Finger and Don C Cameron, art by Dick Sprang & Jerry Robinson.  Three Batman stories plus an Alfred short. In one story, two detectives investigate a robbery at Wayne Mansion in the guise of Batman & Robin; in another Batman becomes a postman to foil the crimes of the Scuttler. Nice bright cover with good colours; light water damage at right edge. Cover detached at bottom staple. Decent white to off-white pages. 

*Marvel: Before the coming of Thor, Journey Into Mystery, which had started out in the pre-code horror era, was in full Big Panty Monster mode, where said monsters were out to conquer or destroy the Earth, provided, in many cases, that they were equipped with sufficiently capacious panties. Dominated by Kirby and Ditko, this is a great period to collect for fans of these two titans of the Marvel Age of Comics.
PICTURED: JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY
#74 VG+ p £85 SOLD With an unusual (not T&P) pence stamp. 2 Kirby stories plus Ditko and Heck. Decent copy with some spine wear breaking colour and also a small colour-breaking crease across the bottom right cover corner. Rich colours and good reflectivity. Good staples and near-white pages.
#76 VG/FN £90 SOLD 2 Kirby stories (including the delightfully titled Genie with the Light Brown Hair) plus Ditko and Heck. Nice copy with only minor edge and spine wear inc a tiny bit of colour break, with a colour-breaking crease across bottom right cover corner. Strong colours, good reflectivity, good staples and white to off-white pages. Slight tanning to inside cover edges. 
 

*Marvel: A quality mix of Marvel titles from the Silver & Bronze Ages.
IN THIS UPDATE: ALL SOLD
DAREDEVIL #257 VG/FN £8 With the Punisher
HULK #117 VG p £7.50
MARVEL FEATURE #3 GD/VG £7.50 3rd Defenders
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #134 App VG/FN £15 1st Tarantula; 2nd Punisher (cameo). Marvel Value stamp out, story not affected.
TALES OF SUSPENSE #68 FA+ p £4.25 Iron Man & Captain America
TALES TO ASTONISH #76 FA/GD £5 Sub-Mariner & the Hulk

*Miscellaneous 1940-1959: We get very few Chesler comics through our hands, so it’s a real pleasure to have a copy of Dynamic Comics from 1945 new in this week from the Bute Collection. An anthology title with super-hero Dynamic Man and Dynamic Boy (illustrated by Reuben Moreira), detective/humour with Ima Sloth, detective/gothic with Lucky Coyne and the Echo, crime with the Manhunters, occult adventure with Mister E and a couple of humour strips. A distinctive and unusual Lucky Coyne cover from Gus Ricca. From the outside this looks like quite a decent copy, good colours and not too much edge wear, with a small chip out bottom back cover. Unfortunately, on the inside the cover is taped down the spine of both inner front and back, suggesting that the pages have been off the staples at some point to apply the tape. However, it is questionable just how much this was needed since the staples are firm (and look original) at centrefold and may not have been loose on the outside spine. Pages are a nice supple off-white.
PICTURED: DYNAMIC COMICS #14 GD £125

*Alan Class Reprints: The pre-decimal priced Alan Class issues from the 1960s remain amongst the most sought-after from this famous British publisher. This week we feature 10 issues of Sinister Tales, commencing with #10, many of them awash with Kirby & Ditko, and featuring Captain America and that rarest of Marvel heroes Doctor Droom. These will be found in the regular stock section of this category, and don’t forget to check out our Rough Guide to Alan Class Reprints for more detail on the content of his issues. 
PICTURED: SINISTER TALES
#10 VG- £16.50 (PICTURED)
#11 VG+ £6.25 SOLD
#16 VG £16 Dr Droom
#17 VG+ £6.50 SOLD
#25 VG+ £5
#26 FN £6
#27 FN £5.75
#30 VG+ £6 SOLD
#37 FN £5.75
#39 VG £12.50 Captain America 

*Crime, Spies & Sleaze: Another visit this week to the dynamic world of James Bond. This week’s featured books need no introduction from me. Ian Fleming’s iconic creation is known worldwide thanks to the hugely successful movie franchise, but James Bond got his start in novels, so it is in this category that these books belong. And let me tell you, the books are darker and deeper than the films, less gadgety and more visceral. Three of the classic 1960s design covers from Raymond Hawkey this week, which are the ones I grew up with, plus a contemporary movie cover for From Russia With Love. More information, including condition notes, can be found in our catalogue.
PICTURED: ALL JAMES BOND BY IAN FLEMING ALL SOLD
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE Pan 1963 13th UK PB VG £7
LIVE AND LET DIE Pan 1963 12th UK PB VG £4
THE SPY WHO LOVED ME Pan 1967 1st UK PB VG £5
YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE Pan 1966 3rd UK PB VG £4