*Marvel: Lee & Romita were at the height of their creative powers on the Amazing Spider-Man when these two issues were produced. #51 features the first Kingpin storyline (and his first cover appearance) and #56 is the finale of the Dr Octopus quartet that ran from #53 onwards. Classic villains, classic covers, classic Spidey!
PICTURED: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
#51 GD/VG £100 Solid copy with some ‘crazing’ marks on the masthead box top and top and bottom right edges. Nice colour and pages. Bottom staple a little rusty and off centrefold.
#56 VG+ p £60 Pence stamped, solid copy with good colour, pages and staples. Some wear at spine; a few soft creases, but only breaking colour in the masthead box.

*Marvel: 1976’s Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #1 marked the second ongoing Spider-Man title published by Marvel, in what people feared might dilute the franchise – if only they knew! Intended originally to focus more on Spidey’s civilian alter ego, it rapidly evolved into an adjunct to, and frequent crossover with, Amazing Spider-Man, founding the practise which was to become industry standard in later decades. This copy of PPSM #1 is a superb NM- cents copy, with only a couple of the tiniest pressure marks at spine that do not break colour. What more could you want?  Listed in our catalogue under ‘Spider-Man, Spectacular’.
PICTURED: THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #1 NM- £50 SOLD

*Horror 1940-1959: From the Bute Collection this week, nine issues of Crestwood/Prize’s Black Magic. Although the vast majority of this title was published in the 1950s, the series lasted until 1962. We’ve decided to feature all issues of Black Magic in this category for consistency, even though some of them are later than 1959. These nine issues run from 1957 to 1961. The stories inside are very competently executed horror/mystery tales typical of the post-code era. Please consult our catalogue for full details.
PICTURED: BLACK MAGIC VOL 8 #4 VG+ £20 SOLD

*TV & Film Related Comics: Walt Disney’s Weekly commenced on 26th January 1959, renamed from the former Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse, itself a continuation of Mickey Mouse Weekly. Strips included Mickey himself, Donald Duck, Peter Pan etc as well as excellent adventure strips such as the cover-featured Zorro. High production values and great colours. This copy of the first issue is solid, but a little foxed with a few small tears. 
PICTURED: WALT DISNEY’S WEEKLY 26th January 1959 (#1) GD/VG £20 SOLD

*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 to conclude authors/editors beginning with ‘A’. A few anthologies edited by Isaac Asimov, including: Volume 3 of Before the Golden Age, stories from the 1930s; Tomorrow’s Children, stories of children in science fiction settings by some of the genre’s most famous authors; and the Science Fictional Solar System, an intriguing collection of stories about each planet of the solar system and more. Finally, the first Pan Ghost Book, edited by Lady Cynthia Asquith, stories of ghosts of all types, the first paperback edition of this classic volume. Full details in our catalogue.
PICTURED:
EDITED BY ISAAC ASIMOV:
BEFORE THE GOLDEN AGE VOL 3 GD/VG £5 1975 2nd UK PB
TOMORROW’S CHILDREN VG £10 1974 1st UK PB
THE SCIENCE FICTIONAL SOLAR SYSTEM (with others) GD/VG £5 1982 1st UK PB
EDITED BY LADY CYNTHIA ASQUITH:
THE GHOST BOOK VF £15 1970 1st UK PB

*DC: The latest in our Legion of Super-Heroes event is a superb copy of Adventure Comics #300, in which Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes replaced Tales of the Bizarro World as the regular back-up feature to Superboy and starred on the cover. Although the Legion had been around as supporting characters for a few years, it was really here and in the 80 issue run that followed that the lore of the Legion, so beloved by its fans (of which I’m one) really started. This is a truly fabulous high grade cents copy. Vibrant cover colour and gloss, totally unmarked, fresh and supple near white pages, clean staples tight and firm at spine and centrefold, square corners, looks unread and just off the newsstand. The only blemishes are a very faint 1.5 cm crease diagonally down from the lower staple which does not break colour and a couple of tiny pressure pinpoints just to the left of the 12 cents box. You’ll wait a long time to see a better copy of this conservatively graded milestone issue. As a dealer of 30+ years and a Legion fan of 60 years, I’ve never seen a nicer one. High resolution images are available on request.
PICTURED: ADVENTURE COMICS #300 VF+ £600
 

*Marvel: Our first visit to the Good Doctor Collection this week features the first of several cameo appearances of Mary Jane (her face was not shown until #42), as well as the debuts of Professor Smythe and his Spider Slayer, the first incarnation of which was a marvellously fluid Ditko invention. Virtually every issue of Amazing from these early years was a landmark! This mid-grade cents copy is reasonably appealing, with an intact if somewhat worn spine, but bright colours, firm staples and decent off-white to cream pages. Some corner blunting, a faint dust shadow across the very top edge, a little bit of handling wear and a minor crease or two, with only the shorter one breaking colour at bottom right corner.
PICTURED: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #25 VG+ £185

*Marvel: We turn now to the early career of the Golden Avenger Iron Man, back when he really was gold. In Tales of Suspense #41, in his third ever appearance, Iron Man encountered Dr Strange, but not the one you’re thinking of. This one was a super-villain who could control electricity with his mind, pre-dating the Master of the Mystic Arts; unsurprisngly, Carl Strange has not reappeared since. Issue #47 featured the debut of a more famous member of Iron Man’s rogues’ gallery, the Melter, who would return many times to plague both Iron Man and the Avengers as a member of the Masters of Evil.
PICTURED: TALES OF SUSPENSE
#41 FA+ p £115 Pence printed, worn spine with chip out and off both staples leading to staples-sized holes. Cover image unmarked but for faint dust shadow along right edge. Pages attached at centrefold. Tanned edges to interior covers; pages are pretty good. SOLD
#47 GD- p £115 Pence printed, cover and spine worn with small colour-breaking creases. Staples attached throughout. Pages are okay with some wear and foxing at edges. Tanned edges to interior covers. A tired copy. 

*Harvey: Back in the 1940s and 1950s, Linda Turner was the only Black Cat in comics, ‘Hollywood Star and America’s Sweetheart’ turned costumed crime-fighter and judo expert. We have two issues from the Bute Collection this week, the first #19, from the short period when the title was renamed Black Cat Western and had a modern Western tale, and the second #24, complete but for one feature page. Plenty of back-up features in both.
IN THIS UPDATE:
BLACK CAT (WESTERN) #19 VG+ £60 (PICTURED) Nice solid copy with just moderate edge wear; top staple off cover.
BLACK CAT #24 INCOMPLETE £5 Low grade anyway, but missing ‘Fashion Forecasts’ page. SOLD

*Horror 1940-1959: Three Atlas pre-code horror issues this week, two of which have been through the wars, but all containing the superior brand of horror that Atlas purveyed.
IN THIS UPDATE:
ASTONISHING #22 PR £14 Pre-code. Covers detached and separated; several chips out bottom edge.
ASTONISHING #24 VG- £75 (PICTURED) Pre-code. Minor corner creasing and slight spine roll, but solid copy with firm staples, cover gloss and decent creamy pages.
SUSPENSE #7 INCOMPLETE £16 Pre-code. Centrefold out, so 1 story page missing. Otherwise reasonable copy with front cover off staple and staple-sized hole in spine.

*Boys’ Adventure & War Comics: At the beginning of 1977, around the onset of punk music, a comic was launched that captured the zeitgeist of the times, more anarchic and anti-establishment than anything that had come before it in British comics. This update, we present dozens of issues fresh in between #31 and #99 (not a consecutive run). A great period for the title, with the debut of Inferno, the merger with Starlord and the beginning of Brian Bolland’s long association on the title, probably it’s most iconic artist.
PICTURED: 2000 AD #44 VG/FN £12 Christmas issue SOLD

*Girls’ Picture Libraries: We’re firmly in the early 1070s with this week’s release of Love Story Picture Library, the longest running romance picture library from Fleetway, comprising 25 issues in the above number range. The same high standards and look of the series are maintained as we move out of the swinging sixties, with 70s fashion looks beginning to creep in. These new additions average very nice condition, nearly all better than FN, with many VF. Small degree of staple rust only on very few, but most rust-free. Full details as always in our catalogue.
PICTURED: LOVE STORY PICTURE LIBRARY #1253 VF £7 SOLD

*TV/Film Tie-Ins: We’re continuing to introduce the new layout for our books categories, with an image for each book. This week, we return to our TV/Film Tie-Ins category, where the TV show or film pre-dated the book. Included are a true vintage Book Of the Film, Cannon the corpulent detective, Captain Scarlet and Danger Man John Drake. See our catalogue for full details.
PICTURED: ALL SOLD
BOOK OF THE FILM: WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS GD/VG £5 1947 1st UK PB
CANNON: I’VE GOT YOU COVERED GD £3 1973 1st UK PB
CAPTAIN SCARLET AND THE MYSTERONS (#1) VG £25 1967 1st UK PB
CAPTAIN SCARLET AND THE SILENT SABOTEUR (#2) GD/VG £15 1967 1st UK PB (2 available, same grade and price)
DANGER MAN: HELL FOR TOMORROW GD £10 1965 1st UK PB

*DC: It wasn’t in his first appearance here in Strange Adventures #180 that Buddy Baker gained his super-hero name and costume, but it was here that he got his super-powers and was dubbed ‘The Man With Animal Powers’, in his origin story beautifully illustrated by Carmine Infantino. A lovely copy in new this week, pence stamped with a vibrant, glossy black and white cover background. Staples firm at spine and centrefold and supple white to off-white pages. Only very slight corner blunting, very minor edge wear with just a couple of spine ticks marginally breaking colour. From an original owner collection and new to the market.
PICTURED: STRANGE ADVENTURES #180 FN+ p £240 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. Stan Lee rather controversially decided to feature a drugs plot in Amazing Spider-Man #96-98, a Green Goblin trilogy when Norman Osborn remembers his sinister alter ego. This meant the Comics Code Authority seal was not used on these issues. There’s a whole load of interaction between Peter Parker’s growing cast and a story with a social conscience, culminating in an epic showdown with the Goblin. The art by Kane and Romita don’t hurt none, either.
PICTURED: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
#96 VF+ £150 Flat and glossy, with only the tiniest handling wear at spine. Square corners, tight, firm staples, supple off-white pages.
#97 VF/NM £225 Almost a perfect copy. Flat, tight and glossy. Supple white to off-white pages. Just a couple of faint, short crease marks at the upper staple (not breaking colour) and a slight, faint tanning to the edges of the inside covers.
#98 VF+ £135 Flat, tight and glossy. Supple white to off-white pages. Tiny wear at corner extremities, very tiny signs of wear visible at spine.

*Marvel: This one-off Spidey special just pre-dated the regular Giant-Size Spider-Man series of the 1970s. Here Spidey comes up against both Morbius and the Man-Wolf, plus extra features. A great copy, flat and firmly-bound with tight staples, great cover gloss and only the tiniest amount of wear. Pages are a supple off-white to cream. There is a slight mis-cut visible at the spine, which is slightly wider at the bottom.
PICTURED: GIANT-SIZE SUPER-HEROES FEATURING SPIDER-MAN #1 VF £75

*Horror 1940-1959: From the Bute Collection this week, six early issues of ACG’s Adventures Into The Unknown. This series, starting in 1948, was the first on-going continuous horror comic. Readers of my generation, raised perhaps on ACG’s Silver Age output of rather charming fantasy and whimsy, may not be familiar with just how hard-hitting and horrific their pre-code material was, as well as being well-crafted both in terms of story and art. All the traditionals are here: vampires, zombies, phantoms, skeletons, things from the swamp, monsters… and a heap of dinosaurs as well. Without the reputation of some of their more notorious competition, Adventures Into The Unknown remains quality at a relative bargain price. 
PICTURED: ADVENTURES INTO THE UNKNOWN
#13 GD/VG £40 Tiny splits at top and bottom spine. A little tanned. Tiny corner off back cover. SOLD
#17 VG £60 Nice clean copy with only minor wear and small markings.
#18 VG/FN £67 Clean with excellent pages and staples. Only minor wear.
#21 VG- £38 Slight spine roll, wear and creasing (non colour breaking)
#24 VG- £38 Tiny upper spine split; wear at staples, but flat and attractive. SOLD
#28 GD/VG £33 Slight spine roll, small corner off top right, wear at right edge. SOLD

*Annuals: If you’re like me, you just love these imagined futures from the 1950s and 1960s, when spaceships had rivets, saucers were flying, women were princesses and aliens were green. Two great examples in this update. Outer Space features mainly the strips of Captain Future that originally appeared in the British 1950s comic Spaceman; illustrated by Norman Light, and not to be confused with the American space hero of the same name. The one-off Planet Adventure Book from Atlas 1962 (card covers) reprinted classic sci-fi from the pages of Fiction House’s Planet Comics, the leading US science-fiction comic of the 40s and 50s. 
PICTURED:
OUTER SPACE VG £20 SOLD
PLANET ADVENTURE BOOK FN £35 SOLD

*Boys’ Adventure & War Picture Libraries: A late entry into the picture library annals, Starblazer lasted a very respectable 281 issues from 1970 to 1991. And it does just what it says on the strapline. Ten early issues new in between #2 and #25. As cheap as microchips (which are probably cheaper than proper chips these days). Full details as always in our catalogue.
PICTURED: STARBLAZER #2 VG/FN £4.50

*Book Art Books: In our newest category this week, a lavish full colour illustrated book of the celebrated fantasy and science fiction artist Josh Kirby, responsible for a great number of book covers and, in particular, the works of Terry Pratchett. Only very minor edge wear. Foreword by Brian Aldiss. 
PICTURED: IN THE GARDEN OF UNEARTHLY DELIGHTS: THE PAINTINGS OF JOSH KIRBY FN/VF £25 Text by NIGEL SUCKLING Paper Tiger 1995 3rd UK softcover

*DC: Three of the most famous comics of all time reprinted in DC’s Famous First Edition tabloid size series from the 1970s: Action Comics #1 (1st appearance of Superman), Superman #1 and Flash Comics #1 (1st appearance of the original Jay Garrick Flash). 
PICTURED: FAMOUS FIRST EDITION ALL SOLD
C26 VG+ £20 Reprints Action Comics #1
C61 GD/VG p £15 Reprints Superman #1
F8 VG+ £15 Reprints Flash Comics #1

*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. This week, we feature the three issue sequence in which Spidey takes on Kraven the Hunter (#47), then the Vulture (#48) and finally the two combined (#49), with Lee & Romita at their best. This is the time that Blackie Drago took over (temporarily) from Adrian Toomes as the Vulture. As well as lots of action, there’s also plenty of developments with Peter Parker’s gang of supporting characters.
PICTURED: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
#47 VF £270 Lovely flat copy with firm, tight staples, great colour on a white background and nice gloss. Just the tiniest amount of wear at corners, edges and around staples precludes higher grade. Excellent white to off-white pages.
#48 VF £200 Lovely flat copy with firm, tight staples, great colour and nice gloss. Miniscule handling and edge wear. Excellent off white pages. Top and bottom edges of inside covers have slight tan lines across.
#49 VF- £130 Beautiful copy with vibrant colour cover and gloss. Tight, firm staples, square corners and tiny amounts of edge wear. Off-white to white pages. There’s a tiny pen mark bottom right cover corner, a very faint crease in that corner not breaking colour and a tiny dink at that corner’s extremity. SOLD

*Marvel: Also from the Good Doctor Collection this week, Sub-Mariner #8 features one of those classic covers with two opposing figures set on a black background, in this case Subby and Ben Grimm. Art by John Buscema at the height of his powers, more than ably inked by Dan Adkins. Roy Thomas spins a potent and poignant tale of Sub-Mariner and women in his life against a backdrop of a battle with the Thing. These covers are notoriously difficult to get in high grade, since the glossy black shows every fault. However, this copy is as good as we’ve ever seen. Glossy and vibrant, looking like it’s just come off the presses. Corners are square, staples are firm and tight at spine and centrefold, pages are white. It’s not a perfect copy: there’s one short crease above the bottom staple which does not break colour, and it’s slightly mis-cut so that there’s a thin white edge at the bottom. For those that are bothered about such things, there’s a pence stamp on Subby’s body (there aren’t many other places they could have put it where it would have showed up!). But a fabulous high grade copy — it’ll be a long time until you see another in such a great state of preservation.  
PICTURED: SUB-MARINER #8 VF+ p £215

*Miscellaneous 1940-1959: Ah, jungle comics, the forgotten genre of comics’ Golden Age. Inspired by Tarzan, the 1940s and 50s gave rise to a whole horde of jungle denizens (you wonder how they all fitted into the jungle!). Fiction House were among those who did the genre proud in various titles, and this week’s Bute Collection selection highlights three of their titles. Fight Comics and Jumbo Comics were anthology titles that for long periods cover-starred jungle girls Tiger Girl and Sheena (the original Queen of the Jungle) respectively, alongside adventure strips from other genres. Jungle Comics starring Ka’a’nga, Lord of the Jungle and his rather prosaically named mate Ann was pure jungle back to front with many other jungle denizens headlining. Two issues (Fight #73 and Jungle #138) cover feature the gorgeous art of Maurice Whitman, my favourite cover artist of the genre with exquisite composition and luminous colours. 
PICTURED:
FIGHT COMICS #73 FN £50 Nice solid copy with great colour; minor spine and edge wear SOLD
JUMBO COMICS #144 VG+ £44 Solid copy with some marking along spine; small arrival date.
JUNGLE COMICS
#117 FN+ £69 Superior copy with little wear; small pencil mark on cover.
#138 VG £33 3 cm lower spine split, top edge wear, otherwise nice.

*Modern Reprints: Three large format classic EC reprints from two different series this week. First up, from 1992 Tales From The Crypt Extra-Large comic #1 (of 6), a tabloid/treasury sized compendium of full colour classics. Then, two issues of EC Classics, the magazine-sized reprint series from 1985 with 8 stories on high quality paper, also in full colour. 
IN THIS UPDATE:
TALES FROM THE CRYPT #1 EXTRA-LARGE COMIC GD £12.50 Clear-taped spine.
EC CLASSICS: BOTH SOLD
#1 VF+ £8 TALES FROM THE CRYPT VF+ £8
#2 NM £8 WEIRD SCIENCE-FANTASY NM £8