Colossal Comic #16 has a proxy cover date 1 January 1961 courtesy of an advertiser's date code. The cover is unsigned but certainly appears to be by Hart Amos:
Monday, June 23, 2025
Colossal Comic #16
Saturday, May 10, 2025
Batman #53: The Belgian edition
Batman #53 is another Belgian issue published by Interpresse which I picked up on my recent trip to Paris and Brussels:
Similarly to Batman #12, I picked up this sealed copy on the basis of recognising the cover image. In this instance, the image is sourced from the main contents:
“The reproduction of the linework is clearer on the Belgian copy - but this may be due to the age of my US copy.”
Nope. Age has nothing to do with reproduction – except for the stock yellowing.
Here’s a numbered comparison of one of the panels between the original printing and the Belgium reprint
1. The linework on Batman’s forearm where it joins the upper arm is ‘murky’
2. Some of the finer lines of the grass on the left of “2” are missing
3. The evidence of a moiré pattern on the rock (and throughout the panel) shows the (original) printing is misregistered
4. If anything, the Belgium printing is slightly heavier but is okay because the paper stock appears (marginally) better than the 1971 version where US publishers were using crap plates and crappier newsprint.
Conclusion: better stock, better printing. Belgium wins!
So, ultimately, Spiros is correct in stating “The reproduction of the linework is clearer on the Belgian copy”.
Mark Muller
Friday, May 9, 2025
Batman #12: The Belgian edition
As I was browsing through boxes and piles of vintage comics on my recent trip to Paris I spotted this issue of Interpresse's Batman #12, March 1973:
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Spectral #5 - Saga of the Swamp Thing #20: The French edition
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Spidey Super Stories: The Yaffa editions
Yaffa published two digest-sized editions of Spidey Super Stories: