Set Description:
Synopsis: This is a complete set of all 68 books with a minimum grade of 9.4 featuring 38 9.8s, 26 9.6s and just four 9.4s. Forty-six of our books are highest graded examples, including five single highest graded, and over 40% of our books come from Pedigree collections, including 13 Pacific Coasts.
The highlights of this set are the single highest graded example of the first Ant-Man in a costume (#35 9.6 Western Penn), and the single highest graded example of the first Giant-Man (#49 9.8). The set also features a highest graded example (1/2) of the first Wasp (#44 9.8) and single highest graded copies of Issues #46 and #48, the latter of which marked the first appearance of the Porcupine.
Background: The primary title bearing the name Tales To Astonish was published from January 1959 to March 1968 and was a sister title to Tales of Suspense. It began as a science-fiction anthology that served as a showcase for such artists as Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, then featured Silver Age superheroes.
Tales to Astonish and Tales of Suspense were both launched with a January 1959 cover date. The early run of the first volume of Tales to Astonish ran from issues #1–34 (January 1959 – August 1962), initially under Atlas Comics, the 1950s forerunner of Marvel. The publication fell under the Marvel banner with Issue #21 (July 1961), the first with a cover sporting the early "MC" box. It contained science-fiction mystery/suspense stories written primarily by editor-in-chief Stan Lee and his brother, Larry Lieber, with artists including Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Dick Ayers, Don Heck and Paul Reinman. One such story, "The Man in the Ant Hill", in Issue #27 (January 1962), introduced the character Henry Pym, who would return in Issue #35 (September 1962) donning a cybernetic helmet and red costume, and using size-changing technology to debut as the insect-sized hero Ant-Man.. Issue #44 introduced Ant-Man's costar the Wasp in June 1963. And Issue #49 introduced Giant-Man, Pym’s growing version of himself in November 1963. The series was plotted by Lee and scripted by Lieber, with penciling first by Kirby and later by Heck and others.
Ant-Man and Giant-Man, along with the Wasp, starred in 13-page and later 18-page adventures, with the rest of Tales to Astonish devoted to the anthological science fiction and fantasy stories the comic normally ran. Anthological stories continued to appear as backups until Tales to Astonish became a superhero "split book" in 1964, when it began featuring one story each of Giant-Man and the Hulk.
Marvel had cancelled The Incredible Hulk after a six-issue run in 1962–63-hard to believe in light of the popularity of those six books now. But The Hulk had proven a popular guest-star in three issues of Fantastic Four and an issue of The Amazing Spider-Man, so after having the Hulk appear in Issue #59 as Giant-Man's antagonist in a full-length story, Marvel decided to drop the science fiction back-up stories in favor of Hulk stories. Tales to Astonish thus became a split book with Issue #60 (October 1964). His new stories here were initially scripted by Lee and illustrated by the team of penciler Steve Ditko and inker George Roussos. This early part of the Hulk's run introduced the Leader, who would become the Hulk's nemesis, and this run additionally made the Hulk's identity known, initially only to the military and then later publicly.
The Abomination first appeared in Tales to Astonish No. 90, and is introduced as a KGB agent and spy. Stan Lee chose the name "the Abomination," which he realized belonged to no other character, before conceiving the character's background and appearance. Lee recalled that he simply told artist Gil Kane to "make him bigger and stronger than the Hulk and we'll have a lot of fun with him."
Namor the Sub-Mariner received his first feature in a decade beginning with Issue #70 (August 1965). The Golden Age character Byrrah was reintroduced in Issue #90 (April 1967). After the final issue of Tales to Astonish (which became the solo magazine The Incredible Hulk with issue No. 102, April 1968), the Sub-Mariner co-starred in the split-book one-shot Iron Man and Sub-Mariner No. 1 before going on to his own 72-issue series.
Giant-Man and Wasp were featured prominently in the Sub-Mariner stories in issues #77-78, steering their return to The Avengers in Issue #26 of that series. Stan Lee had originally removed all Avengers with their own series/serials from the team ten issues earlier to make continuity easier to maintain. Wasp had been at a cruise ship swimming pool when she went to alert the Avengers of Namor's activities in #77, explaining why she was dressed for swimming in The Avengers #26.
Tales To Astonish became The Incredible Hulk with Issue #102 (April 1968).
Our Collection: Tales to Astonish is probably the toughest Marvel set to assemble in high grade, as there are frequently just one or two books topping the census. It also remains a somewhat weird set. We started collecting it for Ant-Man, then Giant-Man stories, but then he goes from sharing the book with Hulk to disappearing altogether when Sub-Mariner tales his place in Issue #70.
While we have all the books, including some that are among the gems of our entire collection, this set could still use some work and we are likely only #1 in the registry because the top collection is unregistered. That being said, the four highlights in this set are special:
Issue #35 9.6, which comes from the Western Penn Pedigree and is the single highest graded copy of first real Ant-Man issue;
Issue #36 9.8, which also comes from Western Penn Collection and is 1/2 highest graded;
Issue #44 9.8, which comes from the Northland Pedigree and is 1/2 highest graded featuring the first appearance of Wasp; and
Issue #49 9.8, which is the single highest graded copy of the first appearance of Giant-Man.
Our copies of Issues #46, #48 and #81 are also single highest grade examples as of this writing.
But while there are no blank slots, there are several books we would love the opportunity to upgrade. Also, our #27, while a 9.4, is restored-although I somewhat feel like that book does not really belong in this set since it is separated in time and predates Hank Pym becoming Ant-Man.
Our goal here is to complete a 9.6/9.8 run outside of Issue #27. There are no such copies of that issue and we really are not inclined to spend what it would take to acquire one of the two currently unrestored 9.4s, even if one were to become available. We are currently three books away, needing a 9.6 or 9.8 of Issues #40, #42, and #77. If you have one in 9.6/9.8 and would entertain an offer, please send us a message.
Current Stats:
68/68 Books
38 9.8s-All Highest Graded
26 9.6s-7 Highest Graded
4 9.4s-1 Highest Graded
35 WP
29 OW/W
4 OW
5 Single Highest Graded
46 Highest Graded
21 Second Highest Graded
1 Third Highest Graded
31 Pedigrees
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