Auctions: comic books March 1955

Dark Mysteries (1951) 22 CGC 4.0

Paper: Cream to off white

Label #4210732021

"Hand of Destiny"; Archeologist Reid Cragg uncovers an Egyptian tomb and finds therein the "hand of destiny"; The mummified hand of the long-dead chief executioner; The hand can be commanded to kill. "Spectral Lighthouse"; On a sailing trip Bob and Ann Dart discover an abandoned lighthouse; They are greeted by ghostly pirates of the past, but can escape thanks to their modern outboard motor. "Haunted Voice"; Korean war veteran Mark Sterling has lost his hearing in the war; When he purchases a new hearing aid, a ghostly voice starts talking to him; The voice informs him of a crime and leads him to the scene. "When Witches Walked" article; facts about witches. "The Malignant Pearls" article; The pearl as malign omen. "Pal Trouble," art by Tony Tallarico; Two hobos are partners in crime; But Pete always beats Mike and one day throws him out of a freight train to die. 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.10.

Secret Mysteries (1954) 17 GD/VG 3.0

Cover detached at one staple.

Cover by Myron Fass. Stories and art by Edvard Moritz and others. Crime and horror comics with detective heroes, an unusual mix. A movie director ignores warnings and sets up for his next film inside a haunted castle. Private eye Dan is supposed to expose a phony medium, but after a strange experience, he's not so sure he's phony. Marty seeks a woman's killer who was seen wearing a Santa Claus outfit, in a story that predates the film "Black Christmas" by two decades. Plus a vintage PSA, "Better Schools Make Better Communities." The Deadly Diamond; Keeper of the Castle; Out of This World; No Soul of Her Own; Sinister Santa Claus. 32 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.