Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: human torch, marvel, Silver Age, spider-man, strange tales
Spider-Man and Human Torch in Strange Tales Annual #2, Up for Auction
Marvel kicked off its comic book annual tradition in July 1962 with Strange Tales Annual #1 ties with Millie the Model Annual #1. Silver Age Marvel was still taking shape at that point, and those first annuals hit the newsstands in 1962 about a week after the Human Torch took over the ongoing title itself with Strange Tales #101. Fantastic Four #7, Incredible Hulk #3, Tales to Astonish #36 (second issue of the Ant-Man series in the title, and 3rd appearance of Ant-Man overall), and Journey into Mystery #84 (second appearance of Thor) were on the stands at this time. That first Strange Tales Annual would contain no super-hero material — it was reprints of 1959-1960 pre-Hero Marvel stories. But the next year would be different. Strange Tales Annual #2 would feature the fourth appearance of Spider-Man (it hit newsstands at the same time as Amazing Spider-Man #4) and was also a crossover with the Human Torch. An important early moment in the Marvel Silver Age, there's a Strange Tales Annual #2 (Marvel, 1963) CGC VG/FN 5.0 White pages up for auction in this week's 2022 February 20-21 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122208 at Heritage Auctions.
In the story by Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and Stan Lee, Spider-Man is framed for stealing a newly-discovered Da Vinci painting from a museum. In standard superhero crossover fashion, Spider-Man and the Human Torch first come into conflict via a misunderstanding and then team up to fight the story's true villain. Strange Tales Annual #2 was also the first Marvel annual with superhero content (Fantastic Four Annual #1 would follow the next month), helping to establish a longstanding tradition at the publisher. A signature early moment in Marvel comics history, there's a Strange Tales Annual #2 (Marvel, 1963) CGC VG/FN 5.0 White pages up for auction in this week's 2022 February 20-21 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122208 at Heritage Auctions.
Strange Tales Annual #2 (Marvel, 1963) CGC VG/FN 5.0 White pages. Fourth appearance of Spider-Man, his first crossover. Invisible Girl appearance. Spidey battles the Human Torch. Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko cover and art (cover features Spider-Man drawn without his chest logo). Contains Atlas reprints by Kirby, Ditko, Don Heck, Joe Sinnott, John Buscema, and Dick Ayers. Overstreet 2021 VG 4.0 value = $228; FN 6.0 value = $342. CGC census 2/22: 54 in 5.0, 316 higher.
View the certification for CGC Certification ID 3835139002 and purchase grader's notes if available.