Kid Colt Outlaw #6: The Yaffa editions

Page Publications' digest-sized Kid Colt Outlaw #6 was published c.October 1981:

The cover is from Marvel Comics' Kid Colt Outlaw #167:

The contents of this issue are full reprints of Kid Colt Outlaw #'s 165-167. These issues reprinted Kid Colt features and other western stories from the 1950's. This issue includes black and white reprints of the covers from Kid Colt Outlaw #'s 165-166.  One page from these stories is omitted in the Yaffa edition - the opening page to the untitled story in Kid Colt Outlaw #166. Presumably the lack of a title page was the reason this chosen as the sacrificial page due to page limitations and the desire to include the cover of Kid Colt Outlaw #166. I note that the rear page of this issue is blank, so there was scope to include the missing page in this edition.

Page Publications published another Kid Colt Outlaw #6:

The cover of this issue is from Marvel Comics' Kid Colt Outlaw #168. Presumably the contents of this issue are drawn from Kid Colt Outlaw #'s 168-170. TBC.

This is not the first instance of issue numbering errors for this series. A few years ago I mused on the unnumbered fifth issue Kid Colt Outlaw. Clearly something went awry as far as this series is concerned.

So, the second Kid Colt Outlaw #6 is the 7th issue in the series. I have not seen a copy of #8 (the cover scan on AusReprints of #8 is actually a scan of #6). I assume the cover and contents to Kid Colt Outlaw #8 will be from Kid Colt Outlaw #'s 171-173. I do not think this will be a recycled issue because Kid Colt #9 is a reprint of Kid Colt Outlaw #1, and when Yaffa recycled issues within a series they tended to do so chronologically. But who knows - it might well end up being unnumbered, or otherwise incorrectly numbered. We shall see.

Superman Presents Wonder Comic Monthly #29

Colour Comics' Wonder Comic Monthly #29 has is cover-dated September 1967:

The cover is modified from DC Comics' The Atom #30:

The main feature contents are as follows:

Daze of the Bat-Knights!, originally published in The Atom #30, April-May 1967 

The Man Who Collected Excitement!, originally published in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #3, January-February 1955

The Electric Man!, originally published in Strange Adventures #54, March 1955

The Cage of Doom!, originally published in Wonder Woman #169, April 1967

The Queen and I, originally published in My Greatest Adventure #8, March-April 1956

The Caveman Ranger, originally published in Tomahawk #109, March-April 1967

Lieutenant Lois Lane, Army!, originally published in The Flash #109, October-November 1959

There are also a few filler strips in this issue such as Crime Punishment!, originally published in Mr. District Attorney #27, May-June 1952 (subsequently reprinted in The Brave and the Bold #59, April-May 1965, most likely related to this issue); The Expanding Universe, originally published in My Greatest Adventure #47,September 1960; Amazing Speeds!, originally published in The Flash #109, October-November 1959; and The Greatest Robberies of All Time!, originally published in Detective Comics #338, April 1965 

Some of the stories reprinted in this issue are contemporaneous with their original US publication, however many appear to be recycled from the K.G. Murray vaults. For example, The Man Who Collected Excitement! previously appeared in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #3; The Electric Man! previously appeared in Strange Adventures #12; the Queen and I previously appeared in My Greatest Adventure #16; and Lieutenant Lois Lane, Army! previously appeared in Giant Lois Lane Album #1.

This issue contains an in-house advertisement for Super Adventure Comic:

It's curious that two of the characters used to promote Super Adventure Comic at this time - Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane - should be selected for backup feature status in Wonder Comic rather than being reserved for Super Adventure Comic. The recycled Strange Adventures and My Greatest Adventures features make more sense, given these series had expired many years earlier, as had Five-Score Comic Monthly a year or so beforehand.

I said above this issue is cover-dated September 1967. This is not a legitimate cover date, but rather a proxy cover date based on the date code KGM.WC.967 for the Peter Hastings stamps advertisement on the inner front cover.

I completed my run of Wonder Comic Monthly some 10 years ago. My copy of Wonder Comic Monthly #29 was a placeholder - a coverless rebound copy in my Gigantic Annual #9. I secured this copy of Wonder Comic Monthly #29 yesterday, so my run of this series is now legitimately complete. This is on the heels of completing my runs of Mighty Comic and Century Comic in the last couple of weeks. And, I also completed my run of Giant Lois Lane Album around 4 weeks ago. It's weird - nothing 'new' for  years and years, and then a sudden rush of elusive issues  - that's just how things roll in the Junkyard.

Century The 100 Page Comic Monthly #24

Century The 100 Page Comic Monthly #24 was published c.May 1958:

It is recoloured and slightly modified version of the cover on DC Comics' The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #37:

The story contents:

[Untitled - begins "Chief, you always walk the dog!"], originally published in Tomahawk #51, September 1957

Rex of the Fighting Seventh! Cavalry!, originally published in The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #37, January-February 1958

The Man Who Talked to Animals, originally published in Action Comics #236, January 1958

The Creature of 1,000 Disguises, originally published in Action Comics #234, November 1957

Trap of the Sheriff's Hat!, originally published in All Star Western #99, February-March 1958

The Forbidden Game, originally published in Tales of the Unexpected #14, June 1957

[Untitled - begins "Hi, Peter! Going Antiquing?"], originally published in Peter Porkchops #52, October-November 1957

Secret of the Moon Sphinx!, originally published in Mystery In Space #36, February-March 1957

The Treasure of Thunder Island!, originally published in The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #37, January-February 1958

Duel of the Twin Indians!, originally published in All Star Western #99, February-March 1958

The Man With Nine Lives, originally published in House of Mystery #70, January 1958

The Prisoner from Pluto!, originally published in Strange Adventures #65, February 1956

Aquaman, Outlaw of the Sea, originally published in Adventure Comics #218, November 1955

Quiz Diz, originally published in Buzzy #70, March-April 1956

The Signalman [of Crime], originally published in Batman #112, Dec 1957 

[The Atom Smasher], originally published in House of Secrets #5, July-August 1957

Why Summer is Hot and Winter is Cold, originally published in Strange Adventures #17, February 1952 

Some notes:

Interesting to see the variety of genres - superhero, western, mystery and sci fi, funny animal  - and Buzzy!

Curiously, this issue begins with a single page filler - an inauspicious opening gambit.

There are two exclamation marks in the title Rex of the Fighting Seventh! Cavalry!. This not an error on my part.

This issue does not appear to have the extensive art modifications we've come to expect from such issues, however there are two notable exceptions. 

Firstly, for some reason, the title of The Signalman of Crime has been modified - compare the splash page in Century #24 with a scan of the page from Batman #112:

Secondly, as mentioned at the outset, the cover image has minor touchups, which I believe may have been done by none other than Hart Amos. Many years ago I was contacted by a member of his family via this blog, and one of the things I received via email was a scan of the cover proof to Century #24 which was in the family's possession. Indeed, I believe this is the image which has been on AusReprints for many years (James can correct me if I am mistaken - unfortunately I can't verify this as my computer at the time died and I lost all such files and contact details). 

Ironically, Century #24 turned out to be the last issue I needed to complete my run of this series. And who would have thought that after eluding me for so many years, it would be sourced at the same time as Mighty #29, which completed my collection of that series. That's just how things roll in the Junkyard.

Thanks to Mark Cannon and Mark Muller for supplying me with scans of House of Mystery #70.

Mighty Comic #29

Colour Comic's Mighty Comic #29 was published c.May 1962:

The cover is from DC Comics' Justice League of America #8:

The story contents:

For Sale--The Justice League!, originally published in Justice League of America #8, December 1961-January 1962

[Untitled - begins "Mebbe this'll show yuh it's smart to do..."], originally published in Blazing West #10, March-April 1950

Prisoners of the Dinosaur Zoo!, originally published in The Brave and the Bold #39, December-January 1961-1962

The Boss of the Saturnian Legion, originally published in Tales of the Unexpected #58, February 1961

Cosmic Catastrophes for Sale, originally published in Tales of the Unexpected #67, November 1961

[Untitled - begins "It is not!" "It is! I know!"], originally published in Action Comics #242, July 1958

Vengeance of the Angle Man!, originally published in Wonder Woman #128, February 1962

[Untitled - begins "Hard-bitten outlaws of the old West..."], originally published in Blazing West #10, March-April 1950

Parade of the Space-Toys!, originally published in Strange Adventures #137, February 1962 

All of these stories are from DC Comics apart from the two ACG stories from Blazing West #10. Most of the printings in this issue have been modified, typically with art extensions to fit onto a whole page. The single-page Little Pete feature was originally published in Action Comics #242 - clearly the main reason this issue is remembered by fans (sic) - but this version is most likely associated with the later reprint in Action Comics #277. (My thanks to Mark Muller for identifying this story at short notice).

Mighty Comic #29 is a very difficult issue to find. In over 20 years of collecting these comics this copy is the only one I have seen with the front cover intact. For many years I had a coverless rebound copy in one of my copies of Gigantic Annual #4 which served as a placeholder in my collection, but with this acquisition, I have completed my run of this key silver age K.G. Murray series. 

The Amazing Spider-Man #210: The Yaffa edition

Page Publications' The Amazing Spider-Man #210 was published c.January 1981:

The cover is from Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man #210:

The contents:

The Prophecy of Madame Web!, originally published in The Amazing Spider-Man #210, November 1980 

Spider-Man Goes Mad!, originally published in The Amazing Spider-Man #24, May 1965 

The Yaffa edition of The Amazing Spider-Man #210 is the first issue of the third phase of Yaffa's iteration of The Amazing Spider-Man series and as such it is formatted rather idiosyncratically. The Prophecy of Madame Web! is reprinted in full. The first seven pages and the last eight pages are printed in full colour, the rest in black and white. Spider-Man Goes Mad! is a partial reprint - only the first nine pages of this story are in this edition, and it is continued in the following issue. 

My collection of Marvel's The Amazing Spider-Man is huge. Some issues date to the 1960's, many are from the 1970's, and the run is complete from late-1980 to the current issue. This means I have a complete run of the title spanning more than 40 years. Specifically, my run is complete from The Amazing Spider-Man #211. I do not have the Amazing Spider-Man #210. This issue - and two others - would complete my run from #200 onwards. A cursory search on eBay suggests The Amazing Spider-Man #210 is now valued over $100 for a mid to high grade copy. Well, FMD, I ain't paying that much for that! Maybe one day I'll find a cheap low grade copy for under $10 just to fill in the gap. Otherwise I'm settling for this cheaply made low standard edition.