Auctions: comic books March 1962

Fantastic Four (1961 1st Series) 3 CGC 6.0

Paper: Cream to off white

Label #4708202003

First 12-cent issue. Cover pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Sol Brodsky. First appearance of the Miracle Man in "The Menace of the Miracle Man!", script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Sol Brodsky; The Miracle Man performs his super-villain debut at his magic show by humiliating the Thing. Johnny Storm the Human Torch! Pin-Up Page, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Sol Brodsky. Chapter II "The Monster Lives!"; Miracle Man declares war on humanity and animates a movie monster statue. Chapter III "The Flame that Died!"; Human Torch torches the animated Monster from Mars-statue and Invisible Girl stowes away on the atomic tank that Miracle Man has stolen. Chapter IV "In the Shadow of Defeat!"; The Thing recalls the origin of the Fantastic Four while the Invisible Girl is taken prisoner by Miracle Man. Chapter V "The Final Challenge!" This issue features the first appearances of the FF costumes and the Fantasticar. First FF letters page; letter to the editor from comics artist Alan Weiss. (For the original, unused Kirby/Dick Ayers cover to this issue, see Fantastic Four 224.) 36 pgs. $0.12. Cover price $0.12.

Fantastic Four (1961 1st Series) 3 CGC 3.5

Paper: Off white

Label #4335773017

First 12-cent issue. Cover pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Sol Brodsky. First appearance of the Miracle Man in "The Menace of the Miracle Man!", script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Sol Brodsky; The Miracle Man performs his super-villain debut at his magic show by humiliating the Thing. Johnny Storm the Human Torch! Pin-Up Page, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Sol Brodsky. Chapter II "The Monster Lives!"; Miracle Man declares war on humanity and animates a movie monster statue. Chapter III "The Flame that Died!"; Human Torch torches the animated Monster from Mars-statue and Invisible Girl stowes away on the atomic tank that Miracle Man has stolen. Chapter IV "In the Shadow of Defeat!"; The Thing recalls the origin of the Fantastic Four while the Invisible Girl is taken prisoner by Miracle Man. Chapter V "The Final Challenge!" This issue features the first appearances of the FF costumes and the Fantasticar. First FF letters page; letter to the editor from comics artist Alan Weiss. (For the original, unused Kirby/Dick Ayers cover to this issue, see Fantastic Four 224.) 36 pgs. $0.12. Cover price $0.12.

Green Lantern (1960 2nd Series DC) 11 FR/GD 1.5

Cover pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Joe Giella. The Strange Trial of Green Lantern!, script by John Broome, pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Joe Giella; Sinestro tries to mind control Hal Jordan. Hal's behavior gets him called before the Green Lantern Corps. Trail of the Missing Power Ring!, script by John Broome, pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Joe Giella; Hal Jordan loses his power ring and it's found by a child. Letter to the editor from comic artist Joe Staton. 36 pgs. $0.12. Cover price $0.12.

Strange Tales (1951 1st Series) 94 GD+ 2.5

Centerfold detached.

Cover pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers. "I Was a Decoy for Pildorr: The Plunderer from Outer Space!", pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Joe Sinnott; Earth sends a pilot to get an important cargo past attacking space pirates; He is caught and thrown into space, his cargo taken; The cargo is a cobalt bomb that destroys the pirates. "The Treasure" text story. "Save Me From the Weed!", pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers; A man urges his unambitious gardener to go into business for himself, but his humble diligence saves the world when he snips a radioactive telepathic weed while it rests. "He Came from Nowhere!", art by Joe Sinnott; A fugitive meets a man from the future who offers to switch places; When he arrives, however, he finds that the man was another criminal, a shape-shifting Uranian. "Help!", script by Stan Lee, art by Steve Ditko; A man gets a mysterious call for help but thinks it's a crank call and slams down the phone, breaking it; The caller is overjoyed, since it was a tiny alien spaceship trapped inside the phone receiver. 36 pgs., full color. Cover price $0.12.

Tales of Suspense (1959) UK Edition 27UK GD/VG 3.0

Centerfold detached at one staple. Cover oxidation.

UK edition. Identical to US edition, but has 9d cover price. Cover pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers. "Oog Lives Again!", pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers; An alien trapped in ice is freed and mocks the fearful humans as it waits to be rescued - "Invade you? You have nothing we want! We should quarantine you!" "From Outer Space" text story. "On the Trail of the Witch!", pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Dick Ayers; A witch is fearful of being pursued by a witch-hunter, but it turns out her fears are groundless as he is also a witch. "John Doe," pencils by Paul Reinman, inks by Joe Sinnott; An inventor creates a humanoid robot and treats it like a close friend; When the robot sacrifices itself to save him from a bear, his friends realize that the inventor is also a robot. "His Name Was... Merlin!", script by Stan Lee, art by Steve Ditko; An untalented magician who takes the name Merlin is visited by the spirit of the real Merlin in the form of a derelict and offers to teach him some tricks; When the man learns Merlin's last trick of completely disappearing, he stiffs Merlin his fee. 36 pgs., full color

World's Finest Comics (1941) 124 CGC 8.5

Paper: Off white to white

Label #4697725008

The Mystery of the Alien Super-Boy starring Superman and Batman, script by Jerry Coleman, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by George Klein; An alien super-hero mistakes Superman and Batman for criminals from his own planet. The Planeteers' Plutonian Passenger starring Tommy Tomorrow, script by Jack Miller, art by Jim Mooney. Homer humor page by Henry Boltinoff. The Case Of The Crime Specialists starring Green Arrow, script by Ed Herron, art by Lee Elias; The Mastermind is using criminals with special talents to perform "impossible" crimes. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.12.