Auctions: comic books August 1985

Amazing Spider-Man (1963 1st Series) 267 CGC 9.8

Paper: White

Label #4609484012

Direct Edition. "The Commuter Cometh!" Script by Peter David. Art by Bob McLeod. Cover by Mark Bright and Kyle Baker. The Amazing Spider-Man leaves the big city and travels to the suburbs to catch a robber! But once the web-slinger arrives in Scarsdale, he discovers that suburban life is nothing like his daily life in New York City! Out in suburbia there aren't any tall buildings for web-swinging or rooftops to leap over! So, Spidey has to travel by foot and avoid the neighborhood watch patrol! Fortunately, the proportionate speed, strength, and agility of a spider play just as well in the 'burbs as they do in Manhattan! And the web-slinger eventually gets his man! Cameo appearances by the Human Torch and Matt Murdock. (Note: Spider-Man wears both of his costumes in this issue -- first the black one and then the traditional red and blue.) 36 pgs. Cover price $0.65.

Amazing Spider-Man (1963 1st Series) 267 CGC 9.8

Paper: White

Label #4609484014

Direct Edition. "The Commuter Cometh!" Script by Peter David. Art by Bob McLeod. Cover by Mark Bright and Kyle Baker. The Amazing Spider-Man leaves the big city and travels to the suburbs to catch a robber! But once the web-slinger arrives in Scarsdale, he discovers that suburban life is nothing like his daily life in New York City! Out in suburbia there aren't any tall buildings for web-swinging or rooftops to leap over! So, Spidey has to travel by foot and avoid the neighborhood watch patrol! Fortunately, the proportionate speed, strength, and agility of a spider play just as well in the 'burbs as they do in Manhattan! And the web-slinger eventually gets his man! Cameo appearances by the Human Torch and Matt Murdock. (Note: Spider-Man wears both of his costumes in this issue -- first the black one and then the traditional red and blue.) 36 pgs. Cover price $0.65.

Batman (1940) 386 CGC 9.8

Paper: White

Label #4660165002

Direct Edition. Cover by Tom Mandrake. "Black Mask: Losing Face" starring Batman, Commissioner Gordon, Harvey Bullock, Black Mask (1st appearance and origin), and Lucius Fox, script: Doug Moench, art by Tom Mandrake; Roman Sionis loses his family's company, Janus Cosmetics, and turns to a life of crime as Black Mask. Part 1 of 3, continued in Detective Comics (1937) #553. Missive by letter hack T.M. Maple. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.75.

Batman (1940) 386 CGC 9.4

Paper: White

Label #4509715011

Direct Edition. Cover by Tom Mandrake. "Black Mask: Losing Face" starring Batman, Commissioner Gordon, Harvey Bullock, Black Mask (1st appearance and origin), and Lucius Fox, script: Doug Moench, art by Tom Mandrake; Roman Sionis loses his family's company, Janus Cosmetics, and turns to a life of crime as Black Mask. Part 1 of 3, continued in Detective Comics (1937) #553. Missive by letter hack T.M. Maple. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.75.

Jonah Hex (1977 1st Series) 92D FN/VF 7.0

Direct Edition. In this last issue of Jonah Hex, Jonah goes out in "A Blaze of Glory!" Hex faces off with villains in the West when he suddenly disappears from the late 1880's and reappears in the 21st century sometime after a nuclear war. Continues in Hex (1985) #1. Written by Michael Fleisher, with art by Gray Morrow. Cover by Denys Cowan and Klaus Janson. Cover price $0.75.

Marvel Tales (1964 Marvel) 178 CGC 9.8

Paper: White

Label #4609401016

Direct Edition. Reprints Amazing Spider-Man (1963 1st Series) #39. Cover art by John Romita, Sr. "How Green Was My Goblin!" Script by Stan Lee, pencils by John Romita, Sr. (who begins as regular penciler), inks by Mike Esposito [as Mickey Demeo] and John Romita, Sr. (touch-ups). Peter heads to the doctor with the sniffles and learns that Aunt May's health is very fragile; Spidey is roped into tangling with a bunch of goons who zap him with a mysterious gas; not realizing that the gas has weakened his spider sense, he changes into Peter Parker under the watchful gaze of the Green Goblin; the Goblin confronts Spidey outside of his home and captures him as Peter is worried that Aunt May might be overcome by the commotion; trussed up in the Goblin's lair, Peter is shocked when the Goblin takes off his mask and reveals himself to be Norman Osborn. According to Les Daniels in "Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics" (Abrams, 1991), artist Steve Ditko resigned because of a disagreement over the Goblin's identity. Ditko wanted it to be someone anonymous--a new, unknown guy; Lee wanted it to be a familiar character that would startle readers. Cover price $0.65.

Miracleman (1985) 1A CGC 9.8

Paper: White

Label #4044453006

Written by Alan Moore, with art by Gary Leach. Mickey Moran was just a regular bloke with a wife and a job, until one day he *remembered*...that he was Miracleman, a glistening new god with powers far beyond those of mortal ken. He also remembered that, years ago, he and his sidekicks -- Young Miracleman and Kid Miracleman -- were in a horrible accident that left Young Miracleman dead. When Moran goes to see Kid Miracleman to help him piece together his past, our hero finds that his youthful protege has changed...for the worse. Much worse. If you've never read this series, be assured it ranks right up there with Alan Moore's other classic, Watchmen. Cover price $0.75.

Miracleman (1985) 1A CGC 9.8

Paper: White

Label #4044453021

Written by Alan Moore, with art by Gary Leach. Mickey Moran was just a regular bloke with a wife and a job, until one day he *remembered*...that he was Miracleman, a glistening new god with powers far beyond those of mortal ken. He also remembered that, years ago, he and his sidekicks -- Young Miracleman and Kid Miracleman -- were in a horrible accident that left Young Miracleman dead. When Moran goes to see Kid Miracleman to help him piece together his past, our hero finds that his youthful protege has changed...for the worse. Much worse. If you've never read this series, be assured it ranks right up there with Alan Moore's other classic, Watchmen. Cover price $0.75.

Mr. Monster (1985 Eclipse) 2 CGC 9.8

Paper: White

Label #4609514023

"Hemo Boy." Mr. Monster battles one of the biggest monsters of them all: Communism. Script and pencils by Michael T. Gilbert, inks by William Messner Loebs. Cover by Dave Stevens. Cover price $1.75.

ROM (1979 Marvel) 69 CBCS 9.0

Paper: White

Direct Edition

Label #22-2D0A2F1-020

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Story by Bill Mantlo. Art by Steve Ditko and P. Craig Russell. Rom lands on a strange and extraordinary planet, the like of which he has never seen before. As he ventures into the bowels of the earth he finds Spaceknights and Dire Wraiths alike being held within. Rom must confront the one foe even mighty Galactus could not defeat, Ego the Living Planet. 32 pages. Cover price $0.65.

Secret Wars II (1985 Marvel) 2D CGC 9.8

Paper: White

Label #4640184020

Direct Edition. Part 2 of 9. "I'll take Manhattan...!" Story by Jim Shooter. Art by Al Milgrom, Steve Leialoha, and Joe Rubenstein. The Beyonder has taken human form (he cloned himself a body based on the perfect physique of Steve Rogers), and now he struggles with the meaning of common human necessities like money and indoor plumbing. Featuring Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and Power Man and Iron Fist.

Story continues in Web of Spider-Man #6, Amazing Spider-Man #268, and Fantastic Four #282.

Cover price $0.75.