Auctions: comic books March 1953

Batman (1940) 75 GD/VG 3.0 (R)

Restored (see item notes)

RESTORATION. Tear seal. Water damage.

Gorilla story issue! Cover by Win Mortimer (Batman and Robin figures only) and Lew Sayre Schwartz. The Holiday Spirit! public service announcement with Superboy, script by Jack Schiff, art by Win Mortimer. "Outlaw Town, U.S.A.!", script by David Vern, pencils by Dick Sprang, inks by Charles Paris; The town of Silver Vein is run by criminals and is a hideout for bad guys;. When some criminals from Gotham City go to Silver Vein, Batman and Robin follow them. Half-page Little Pete story by Henry Boltinoff. "Mr. Roulette's Greatest Gamble," script by David Vern, pencils by Dick Sprang, inks by Charles Paris; Mr. Roulette has been gambling with his life but Batman and Robin try to stop him. One-page Casey the Cop story by Henry Boltinoff. "Stone Walls and Iron Bars" article by Jack Miller, art by Raymond Perry. Half-page Jerry the Jitterbug story by Henry Boltinoff. "The Gorilla Boss of Gotham City!", script by David Vern, pencils by Bob Kane (Batman and Robin figures only) and Lew Sayre Schwartz (as Bob Kane), inks by Charles Paris; Boss Dyke is executed in the gas chambers for his crimes, and his body is taken to a doctor who transplants the criminal's brain into that of a large gorilla; The gorilla communicates to the doctor that after he and his gang have secured needed funds, he wants his brain then transplanted into that of the Batman, and Batman's brain put into the gorilla. 44 Pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Mister Mystery (1951) 10 0.3

Comic is complete other than being coverless. Water damage. Centerfold detached at one staple.

Cover by Bernard Baily. Stories and art by Ross Andru, Moe Marcus, Rocco "Rocke" Mastroserio, Ed Robbins, Charles Stern and Eugene E. Hughes. Pre-Code horror tales from Aragon, an imprint of Stanley Morse Publications. A mad furniture designer seeks revenge on his unfaithful wife by turning her into furniture. A pianist who steals other people's music is hired by a mysterious figure to create an original funeral dirge, leading to an ironic comeuppance. A scientist seeking the secret of immortality has an unexpected breakthrough, but it has a tragic catch. Capsule; Modern Design; Ghosts...What About Them?; The Last Chord; Immortality; The Unexpected. 36 pages, Full Color. Cover price $0.10.

Mystic (1951 Atlas) 18 CGC 5.0

Paper: Off white to white

Label #4684693004

Mystic #18 features a memorable Bill Everett horror cover for "The Russian Devil!" The cover depicts skeletal communist party official literally dragging the corpse of an unfortunate citizen from his grave. "Get up, Ivan!" shouts the commie, "You can't escape us by dying! We're not through with you yet!" Fortunately, this story was written by a red-blooded American comic creator so the commie villain comes to a bad--and eternal--end. In Old Baghdad; A woman brought to the city as a slave schemes to become the wife of the Sultan but she is unaware of the the custom of that country to throw the Sultan's wife to the lions when he dies. The Drowning Man, art by Carrabotta; A thief cast overboard mistakes the back of a whale for a raft. The Perfect Mold text story. Tom-Tom!; Natives skin a cruel plantation owner and use him for their drums. Charley's Crime, art by Jack Abel; A thief comes back as a ghost to rob a bank but the ghost of the guard he killed stops him. The Russian Devil; The communist overseer of a labor camp is glad when he is told by his doctor that he has not long to live because he has spent his whole life killing and is weary; Death wants an assistant however and refuses to allow him to rest in peace. 36 pgs. $0.10. Cover price $0.10.