Action Comics (1938 DC) comic books

Action Comics (1938 DC) 9 Front Cover Only

FRONT COVER ONLY.

Cover art by Fred Guardineer. Superman story, script by Jerry Siegel (as Jerome Siegel), art by Joe Shuster. Scoop Scanlon, Five Star Reporter story, art by Will Ely. Pep Morgan story, script by Gardner F. Fox, art by Fred Guardineer (as Gene Baxter). Adventures of Marco Polo story, art by Sven Elven. Tex Thomson story, art by Bernard Baily. Chuck Dawson story, art by Homer Fleming. The Mad Lama starring Zatara Master Magician, script by Gardner F. Fox, art by Fred Guardineer. Candid Comic Camera one-pager, art by Bob Kane. 68 Pages, Full Color. $.10 Cover price $0.10.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 45 Coverless

COVERLESS/INCOMPLETE. Multiple pages missing, interrupts art and story. Water spotting.

Cover art by Fred Ray. Superman story, script by Jerry Siegel, pencils by Leo Nowak (signed as Joe Shuster), inks by Ed Dobrotka. The Head starring The Vigilante with 1st app of Stuff (Vigilante's Asian sidekick), script by Mort Weisinger, pencils by Mort Meskin (signed as Mort Morton Jr.). Three Aces story, script by Gardner F. Fox, art by Chad Grothkopf. Mr. America story, script by Ken Fitch, art by Bernard Baily. Congo Bill story, art by Fred Ray. Zatara story, script by Gardner F. Fox, art by Joseph Sulman. 68 Pages, Full Color. $.10 Cover price $0.10.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 65 CGC 5.5

Paper: Cream to off white

Label #4766479003

Cover art by Jack Burnley. The Million-Dollar Marathon starring Superman, script by Don Cameron (signed as Jerry Siegel), pencils by Ed Dobrotka (signed as Joe Shuster), inks by George Roussos. The Bard of Banditry starring Vigilante, script by Don Cameron, art by Mort Meskin. Storm over the Bering starring Congo Bill, script by Joe Samachson, art by John Daly. Schickelgruber's Nightmare starring Americommando, script by Joseph Greene, art by Bernard Baily. The Riddle of the Tired Thespians starring Zatara, script by Gardner F. Fox, art by Joseph Sulman. 60 Pages, Full Color. $.10 Cover price $0.10.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 158 PR 0.5

INCOMPLETE. Centerfold missing, interrupts art and story. Cover detached.

Cover art by Wayne Boring and Stan Kaye. The Kid From Krypton starring Superman (retelling of origin), pencils by Wayne Boring, inks by Stan Kaye. The Kid From Krypton starring Superman, pencils by Wayne Boring, inks by Stan Kaye. The Secret of Planetoid X starring Tommy Tomorrow, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by John Fischetti. The Prairie Troubadour Takes Over starring Vigilante. 52 Pages, Full Color. $.10 Cover price $0.10.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 215 FR/GD 1.5

6" Cumulative spine split. Oxidation with chipping. Includes certificate from the Jerome Wenker Collection.

Cover pencils by Wayne Boring, inks by Stan Kaye. "The Superman of Tomorrow," pencils by Wayne Boring, inks by Stan Kaye; Craig King uses scientific gadgets in 2956 to duplicate Superman's powers but now he needs help to catch scientific bandits, so he beams a message across time to the Real Superman. "The Big Game Butterfly Hunter," art by Ed Smalle; Hector Doolittle unwittingly risks life and limb to collect rare butterflies. -page Bebe story by Henry Boltinoff. "Flying Rangers" text story by script by Jack Miller (as John Maxton), art by Raymond Perry. "The Mystery of the Stolen Worlds," script by Otto Binder, art by Jim Mooney; Giant hands out of nowhere move things around in space. 36 Pages, Full Color. $.10 Cover price $0.10.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 232 GD 2.0

Cover pencils by Curt Swan (1st Swan cover in Action), inks by Stan Kaye. "The Story of Superman, Junior," script by Jerry Coleman, pencils by Wayne Boring, inks by Stan Kaye; Johnny Kirk's father blasts him into space because he thinks Earth is soon to be destroyed by a meteor; After Superboy deflects the meteor, he asks him to find his son. One-page Ollie story by Henry Boltinoff. "Three Dives to Doom" starring Congo Bill, art by Howard Sherman. "Riddle of the Space Rainbow" script by Otto Binder, art by Jim Mooney; Tommy Tomorrow vs. "Nova" Norton. 36 Pages, Full Color. $.10 Cover price $0.10.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 240 GD/VG 3.0

Cover pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Stan Kaye. "The Secret of the Superman Sphinx," script by Otto Binder, pencils by Wayne Boring, inks by Stan Kaye; Lois discovers a Clark Kent robot in a closet at the Daily Planet, and a strange Sphinx with a Superman head and kryptonite vision goes into orbit around the Earth. One-page Ollie story by Henry Boltinoff. "The Trial of Tommy Tomorrow," script by Otto Binder, art by Jim Mooney; Tommy is on trial for the murder of Brent Wood. One-page Animal Wonderland cartoon by Martin Naydel. "Trapped in the Insect World" starring Congo Bill, art by Howard Sherman. 36 Pages, Full Color. $.10 Cover price $0.10.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 245 VG+ 4.5

Water damage.

Cover pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Stan Kaye. "The Shrinking Superman!", script by Otto Binder, pencils by Wayne Boring, inks by Stan Kaye; Lois accidentally releases from Kandor the criminal Zak-Kul, who traps Superman in Kandor and takes over his life; Lois marries Zak-Kul thinking him Kal-El, but he tries to kill Lois because she keeps asking him Kal-El's secret id. "The Interplanetary Scarecrow," script by Otto Binder, art by Jim Mooney. -page Casey the Cop story by Henry Boltinoff. "Secret of the Super Animals," script by Jack Miller, art by Howard Sherman. 36 Pages, Full Color. $.10 Cover price $0.10.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 255 VG- 3.5

Water damage, cover oxidation.

Cover pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Stan Kaye. 1st appearance of Bizarro Lois Lane (cover & story) in "The Bride of Bizarro!", script by Otto Binder, art by Al Plastino; Bizarro keeps the real Superman from revealing to Lois that she has been proposed to by Bizarro's duplicate, whom he calls New Bizarro, with a kryptonite meteorite, but Lois realizes New Bizarro is not the true Man of Steel; The New Bizarro doesn't give up easily, and the duplicates fight each other. "The Abominable Snowman!", script by Robert Bernstein, art by Howard Sherman; Congo Bill vs. The Abominable Snowman. Half-page Jerry the Jitterbug story by Henry Boltinoff. "Supergirl Visits the 21st Century!", script by Otto Binder, art by Jim Mooney; Supergirl takes her first flight across the time-barrier from 1959 into the future, about a hundred years; hence, she secretly observes a brilliant young orphan named Tommy on an asteroid orphanage. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 263 GD/VG 3.0

Cover detached at one staple. Cover oxidation. Water damage, staple rust/migration.

Cover pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Stan Kaye. "The World of Bizarros!", script by Otto Binder, pencils by Wayne Boring, inks by Stan Kaye; Bizarro and Bizarro-Lois move to another world which Bizarro populates with a duplicator ray; Superman visits and discovers Bizarros do everything backwards; Superman is sent to prison for violating the Bizarro code. 2/3-page Little Pete story by Henry Boltinoff. "Supergirl's Darkest Day!", script by Otto Binder, art by Jim Mooney; Supergirl rescues a boy with amnesia found lost at sea; He stays at the orphanage until Linda can figure out where he's really from. 36 Pages, Full Color. $.10 Cover price $0.10.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 264 GD 2.0

Water damage.

Cover pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Stan Kaye. "The Superman Bizarro!", script by Otto Binder, pencils by Wayne Boring, inks by Stan Kaye; Captured by the Bizarros on Bizarro World, Superman is sentenced to be turned into a Bizarro himself; He dreams what it would be like if the sentence was carried out. 2/3-page Ollie story by Henry Boltinoff. "Supergirl Gets Adopted!", script by Jerry Siegel, art by Jim Mooney; Linda has to scheme to prevent herself from being adopted to protect her secret identity; She spends 30 days with the Wilkins. One-page Professor Eureka story by Henry Boltinoff. 36 Pages, Full Color. $.10 "This is Part 2 of 4 of a running gag of covers that homage each other by legendary Superman artist Curt Swan that ran from 1958 to 1963. It is a series of covers I'm calling "The Desk Smash," and they appeared on the covers for Action Comics #237, 264, 284, and 302." – Odinson, mycomicshop.com Archivist. Cover price $0.10.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 267 FR/GD 1.5

4" Cumulative spine split. Cover detached.

Cover pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Stan Kaye. "Hercules in the 20th Century!", script by Otto Binder, pencils by Wayne Boring, inks by Stan Kaye; Lex Luthor builds a time-machine to bring Hercules to the present to use him to stop Superman; Hercules gets wise to Luthor's plan and helps Superman stop Luthor and then decides to stay in the present and falls in love with Lois Lane. 3rd appearance of Legion of Super-Heroes, 1st appearance of Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, and Invisible Kid in the Supergirl story "The Three Super-Heroes!", script by Jerry Siegel, art by Jim Mooney; The Legion comes to the 20th century to meet Supergirl and invites her to come to the 30th Century to apply to join the Legion. One-page Ollie story by Henry Boltinoff. 36 Pages, Full Color. $.10 Cover price $0.10.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 276 GD/VG 3.0

Cover pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Stan Kaye. "The War Between Supergirl and the Supermen Emergency Squad!", script by Robert Bernstein, pencils by Wayne Boring, inks by Stan Kaye; John Kiley tricks Superman into revealing he's Clark Kent; After trapping Clark Kent with Kryptonite, Supergirl and the Superman Emergency Squad spring into action. One-page Varsity Vic story by Henry Boltinoff. 1st appearance of Brainiac 5, Phantom Girl, Triplicate Girl, Bouncing Boy, Sun Boy, and Shrinking Violet in "Supergirl's Three Super Girl-Friends!", script by Jerry Siegel, art by Jim Mooney; Supergirl and Brainiac 5 join the Legion. 36 Pages, Full Color. $.10 Cover price $0.10.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 278 CGC 3.0

Paper: Off white to white

Label #4512457013

Cover pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Stan Kaye. "The Super-Powers of Perry White!", script by Jerry Coleman, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Stan Kaye; After being infected by an alien plant, Perry White gains super powers and goes after Superman. One-page Casey the Cop story by Henry Boltinoff. One-page Moolah the Mystic story by Henry Boltinoff. "The Unknown Supergirl!", script by Jerry Siegel, art by Jim Mooney; Superman is ready to announce Supergirl's existence to the world, but she mysteriously loses her powers at the last minute; 6th Legion of Super-Heroes appearance. Batman and Robin ad. Superman ad. Secret Origins ad. 36 Pages, Full Color. $.10 Cover price $0.10.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 307 CGC 3.0

Paper: Off white to white

Label #4687374008

Cover pencils by Curt Swan, inks by George Klein. "Clark Kent - Target for Murder!", pencils by Curt Swan, inks by George Klein; Clark Kent writes a series of articles that anger crime boss King Kobra, so he hires assassins to murder Clark. The Untold Stories of Superman ad. Batman and Robin's Most Thrilling Mystery Cases ad. "Supergirl's Wedding Day!", script by Leo Dorfman, art by Jim Mooney; The Kryptonian criminal Tor-An escapes from the Phantom Zone and attempts to humiliate Superman's family by marrying Supergirl but is foiled when Supergirl's telepathic friends enlist the aid of Saturn Girl. Supermen of America ad. Action Comics ad. 36 Pages, Full Color. $0.12 Cover price $0.12.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 340 GD+ 2.5

Centerfold detached.

Cover pencils by Curt Swan, inks by George Klein. Origin and 1st appearance of Parasite in "Power of the Parasite!", script by Jim Shooter, art by Al Plastino; Exposed to radioactive waste, lab worker Jensen becomes the Parasite, who has the ability to absorb energy from all living beings, including Superman. Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen ad. "The Supergirl Identity Hunt!", art by Jim Mooney; The Fact Finder, a professional blackmailer, has deduced that Supergirl was once associated with the Midvale Orphanago, and he uses the opportunity of a reunion there to try and figure out her secret identity. Superman centerspread pin-up by Curt Swan. 36 Pages, Full Color. $0.12 Cover price $0.12.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 418 CGC 8.5

Paper: White

Label #4745257001

Cover by Nick Cardy. "The Attack of the Phantom Super-Foes!", script by Leo Dorfman, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Murphy Anderson; Superman signs a peace accord with his four foes, not knowing the three phantom Supermen have secretly been created by the Marauder; Lex Luthor believes that all four of them are tricking Superman into a trap, not knowing the other three have plans for him, as well. "The Fountain of Death!", script by Bob Haney, art by John Calnan; Simon Stagg fakes his own death in order to cause Metamorpho, thru a clause in Staggs will, to bring back a rare element which he thinks will restore his lost youth. 36 Pages, Full Color. $0.20 Cover price $0.20.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 419 VF 8.0

Cover pencils by Neal Adams, inks by Murphy Anderson, fumetti photo by Jack Adler. "The Most Dangerous Man on Earth!", script by Cary Bates, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Murphy Anderson; Moe Malloy fishes a strange glowing gun and pair of shoes out of Metropolis harbor which give him super powers. First Appearance of the Human Target in "The Assassin-Express Contract!", script by Len Wein, pencils by Carmine Infantino and Dick Giordano, inks by Dick Giordano; The Human Target poses as a businessman on a train to stop an assassination. Letter to the editor from comics writer Bob Rozakis. 36 Pages, Full Color. $0.20 Cover price $0.20.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 427 CGC 8.0

Paper: White

Label #4745257002

Cover by Nick Cardy. "The Man Who Never Lived!", script by Cary Bates, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Murphy Anderson; A programmed assassin of the 21st Century sets in motion a plan for an ancestor of his to encounter Superman and prevent his future existence. "The Time Thief Strikes But Once!", script by Elliot S! Maggin, pencils by Dick Dillin, inks by Dick Giordano; Chronos breaks jail and issues a challenge to the Atom to try and stop his next crime before he can commit murder. Letter to the editor from comics writer Bob Rozakis. 36 Pages, Full Color. $0.20 Cover price $0.20.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 430 CGC 8.0

Paper: White

Label #4719573002

Cover by Nick Cardy. "Bus-Ride to Nowhere!", script by Cary Bates, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Murphy Anderson; Superman is warned about a lizard-being from the 420th Century, the Quakerer, who has the power to change his own appearance or that of other beings or objects, and who has come back to the 20th Century to find a weapon that will destroy the humans of the future; The Quakerer is disguised as one of Clarks neighbors, but he does not know who. "Up Pops The Atom" starring Atom, Hawkman, Batman, the Flash, and Green Lantern, script by Elliot S! Maggin, pencils by Dick Dillin, inks by Dick Giordano; While taking Jeans nephew to an amusement park, Ray Palmer has to become the Atom to trap two spies. Letter from comics writer Bob Rozakis. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.20.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 438 CGC 5.5

Paper: Off white to white

Label #4716101011

Cover by Nick Cardy. Superman promo ad with Pat Broderick art. "A Monster Named Lois Lane!", script by Cary Bates, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Bob Oksner; A jewel from space turns Lois Lane into a super-powered beast-woman. Superman pretends to develop similar monster-like symptoms in order to trap and subdue her but she sees through his disguise; Finally Superman realizes that Lois developed the condition only because she had a cold which lowered her immunity to the space jewel. "The Man Who Tape-Recorded the Atom!", script by Martin Pasko, pencils by Dick Dillin, inks by Tex Blaisdell; Jean Loring is kidnapped by the evil scientist Dr. Myles Adrian who wishes to force Ray Palmer to show him how to reverse the side-effects of a shrinking experiment which threatens to shrink him to infinitesimal size; When the Atom travels through the phone wires after receiving a distress call from Jean, Professor Adrian traps the Atom in an answering machine and threatens to erase him forever unless he reveals the secret of his shrinking reversal powers. 36 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.20.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 595D CGC 9.6

Paper: White

Label #4000808002

Direct Edition. Cover art by John Byrne. The Ghost of Superman starring Superman and the Martian Manhunter, script and pencils by John Byrne, inks by Keith Williams; to stop the Silver Banshee, Superman fakes his death. 36 Pages, Full Color, $0.75. Cover price $0.75.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 595D CGC 9.6

Paper: White

Label #4099940001

Direct Edition. Cover art by John Byrne. The Ghost of Superman starring Superman and the Martian Manhunter, script and pencils by John Byrne, inks by Keith Williams; to stop the Silver Banshee, Superman fakes his death. 36 Pages, Full Color, $0.75. Cover price $0.75.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 609 CGC 9.8

Paper: White

Label #4698071015

Cover by Brian Bolland. "Bitter Fruit" (Part 1), script by Sharon Wright, pencils by Randy DuBurke, inks by Pablo Marcos; Problems for an acquaintance of Dinah Lance involve crop dusting and immigration; Dinah burns the Black Canary costume with the large black collar. "Faux Pas" (Chapter 9), script by Mike Baron, pencils by Dan Jurgens, inks by Tony DeZuniga; Deadman and Yakin battle in the bodies of President Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, and their wives. "Canned In Boston," script by Martin Pasko, art by Dan Spiegle; Vic Sommers ends his previous life when he fights with his ex-wife's husband, Rafael DiRienzi is kidnapped by Mockingbird, and the Secret Six begins its 2nd assignment. "And There Will Be A Sign!", script by Roger Stern, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by John Beatty; Clark Kent questions Bob Galt for information on his attackers. "Red Pencil" (Moral Stand Chapter 9), script by Max Collins, pencils by Terry Beatty, inks by John Nyberg; Wild Dog captures B. Lyle Layman and thwarts his final terrorist act. "Cutting Remarks," script by Peter David, pencils by Tod Smith, inks by Dan Bulanadi; Hal Jordan tries to explain his fearlessness on Oprah while the first victim of a mind ray goes on a killing rampage. 52 pages, Full Color, $1.50. Cover price $1.50.

Action Comics (1938 DC) 689D CGC 9.8

Paper: White

Label #4698392016

Direct Edition. The 'Reign of the Supermen' continues from Adventures of Superman (1939) #502. The Last Son of Krypton squares off against the Man of Steel for the right to be Superman. Continued in Superman The Man of Steel (1991) #24. All the Superman titles now use a new, upgraded color process that employs an increased color palette. Written by Roger Stern, with art by Jackson Guice and Denis Rodier. Cover by Ed Hannigan, Kerry Gammill and Guice. 36 pages, Full Color, $1.50. Cover price $1.50.