DARK MYSTERIES #1 * CGC 4.5 * Wally WOOD & Joe ORLANDO

Heading:
Author:
Title: DARK MYSTERIES No. 1
Place Published:
Publisher:Story, aka Master/Merit [Indicia: Master Comics, Inc.]
Date Published: June-July, 1951
Description:

CCG certified: VG+ (4.5). White pages. Cover: Joe Orlando, Wally Wood. No story credits. Art by Wally Wood, Lou Cameron, others. According to Grand Comics Database, penciller Joe Orlando and inker Wally Wood hid their initials on the cover between the man's legs ("O+W"). GPAnalysis: No reported sales in this grade in seven years ($300 in 2014); a 4.0 sold for $333 in April 2021.

Aside from an effective cover by Wally Wood and Joe Orlando and a solid eight-pager by Woody, Dark Mysteries got off to a fairly tepid start, barely hinting at the horrors yet to come. It's appropriate that the title was launched under a cover illustrated by two of EC's top talents, as publisher Master-Merit, also known as Story, was notorious for ripping off EC's general aesthetic (although Master-Merit-Story didn't begin aping EC in earnest until early-mid 1953, when the company introduced half-assed horror hosts, Leroy mechanical lettering, and other elements clearly cribbed from EC).

A deluxe limited edition of 12 hardcover catalogues is available, in addition to a small number of softcovers. 400 lots, fully illustrated. Fun reference, great keepsake. Softcover $40, deluxe hardcover with dust jacket and limitation plate $200. Eight of the 12 hardcovers are pre-ordered and the rest will go quickly, so reserve yours now. To order, contact ivan@pbagalleries.com.

Consignments welcome for PBA's Spring 2022 Comic Book sale. Top prices for Pre-Code Horror, Golden Age, Silver Age, original art and ephemera. Find out why PBA is the new fan-fave of comics auctioneers. "This is some of the best commentary I've yet seen on the quality of the content of comic books... Priceless." — R. Crumb. Send inquiries to ivan@pbagalleries.com.