Atlas Comics Library HC (2023 Fantagraphics) comic books

Add to cart Near Mint $31.00

Add to cart Near Mint $31.00

Volume 4 - 1st printing. "War Comics!" Collects War Comics (1950-1957 Atlas) #1-8. Cover by Carl Burgos and Sal Bradsky. Back cover by Al Hartley. Introduction by Dr. Michael J. Vassallo. Continuing Fantagraphics' project to reprint Marvel Comics' 1950s genre titles, this volume compiles the first of what became the industry's largest line of war books. Produced by veterans of WWII, the eight issues here feature future mainstream comics stalwarts such as Gene Colan, Russ Heath, Joe Maneely, and more. Forged in the crucible of the Korean War, and produced by veterans of the Second World War, this volume's eight issues present the brutality and grimness of armed combat by some of Atlas' most notable war artists and future comics stars including Gene Colan, Russ Heath, Joe Maneely, Dave Berg, Jay Scott Pike, Mike Sekowsky, Vern Henkel, Allen Bellman, Pete Morisi and Norman Steinberg. Propaganda abounds from the very first story, published in War Comics #1 in September 1950: "Peril in Korea," a primer explaining why the U.S. joined the conflict. Other highlights include Colan's "The Chips are Down" and "Victory," Heath's "Alone" and "No Survivors," Maneely's "Stormy Weather," Henkel's "Total Destruction," and Berg's "The Infantry's War." Originally a trial spun off from the publisher's "Men's Adventure" publications, in the nine years to follow Atlas went on to produce 533 comic book issues with war content, across 34 different titles. War Comics is where it all began, unseen in decades, scanned from the original books, restored, and packaged as one large, beautiful hardcover volume. Hardcover, 8-in. x 11-in., 180 pages, full color. Cover price $34.99.

Add to cart Near Mint $44.99

Add to cart Near Mint $44.99

Volume 5 - 1st printing. "Police Action!" Collects Police Action (1954 Atlas) #1-7 and Police Badge #479 (1955) #5. Featuring tories by Dick Ayers, Mannie Banks, Vic Carrabotta, Tony Dipreta, Bob Forgione, John Forte, Ed Goldfarb, Ed Moline, Seymour Moskowitz, George Olesen, Art Peddy, Bob Powell, Paul Reinman, Robert Q. Sale, and Carl Wessler. Introduction by Dr. Michael J. Vassallo. Before focusing on tales of justice via superheroes under the Marvel banner, the publisher covered groundlevel crime across a range of comics titles and truecrime magazines. Under the Timely imprint from 1947, and Atlas from 1951, up to eleven graphic series including Justice Comics, Official True Crime Cases, AllTrue Crime, Crime Cases, Crime Can't Win, Crime Must Lose, and Crime Exposed all muscled each other and competitors for space on the newsstands.For the first crimethemed volume in Fantagraphics' ongoing project to restore and resurrect preMarvel pulp classics, the Atlas Library has selected a book that debuted as the genre peaked, just before a Senate hearing and the institution of the Comics Code banned the use of the word "Crime" from even appearing in a comic's title. Escaping that fate, Police Action had a sevenissue run of violent and noirish morality plays, pitting the officers of the law against the forces of urban malevolence, and was produced by the cream of the Atlas freelance roster, including Joe Maneely, Robert Q. Sale, Gene Colan, Art Peddy, Mort Lawrence, Werner Roth and Bob Powell.Rounding the volume off, also presented is a postCode oneshot, Police Badge #479, a snapshot of the industry's attempts to adapt to new strictures on the genre: here we view "our boys in blue" in the fight against rank corruption, highlighting the work of Don Heck and Joe Maneely. Hardcover, 8-in. x 11-in., 254 pages, full color. Cover price $44.99.

Add to cart Near Mint $34.95

Add to cart Near Mint $34.95

Volume 7 - 1st printing. "Girl Comics!" Collects Girl Comics (1949-1952) #1-12. Written by John Buscema, Bill Everett, Carl Wessler, Michael Dean, and Russ Heath. Art by Pete Tumlinson, George Klein, Al Hartley, Jerry Fasano, Bill Williams, John Buscema, Mike Sekowsky, Christopher Rule, Gene Colan, Hy Rosen, Joe Kubert, Sam Cooper, Bob Brown, Joe Maneely, Chu Hing, Syd Shore, Mike Becker, Marion Sitton, Bill Everett, Werner Roth, Joan, Bill Wash, Vern Henkel, Russ Heath, Bill LaCava, Carl Burgos, Mike Esposito, Ken Rice, Ann Brewster, John Tartagilone, Sol Brodsky, Allen Bellman, Dick Rockwell, Warren Broderick, Nina Albright, Cal Massey, Chic Stone, Morris Weiss, Frank R. Sieminski, Dan LoPrieno, Bill Savage, and Bernard Krigstein. Cover by Russ Heath, Pete Tumlinson, George Klein, Bill LaCava, Mike Esposito, and Al Hartley. Back Cover by Al Hartley. Introduction by Dr. Michael J. Vassallo. This new volume in Fantagraphics' and Marvels collaborative Atlas Library presents Girl Comics #1-12, a long unseen subversion of romance comics beautifully designed for a new generation of readers! In 1950, Timely/Atlas/Marvel took a typical romance title called Girl Comics and turned it into a sister companion to its successful men's-adventure comics: an empowering girls-adventure comic! Mystery, adventure and suspense was promised and delivered! At the hands of a stellar artistic line-up, including John Buscema, Mike Sekowsky, Bill Everett, Joe Maneely, Russ Heath, and Bernard Krigstein, Girl Comics evolved from heart-stricken love stories to hair-raising girl-power thrill rides like The Death Plunge!, The House of Shadows!, I was a Murderers Daughter!, They Called me a Spy!, The Dead Hands at the Controls, and The Dark Hallway. This volume also features the story behind the stories, with editor Dr. Michael J. Vassallo's essays on Marvel publisher Martin Goodman's enthusiastic relationship with romance comics and magazines at a time when the artform was cementing itself into American youth culture! Hardcover, 8-in. x 11-in., 336 pages, full color. Cover price $49.99.