GoCollect Blog: More Creepy Atlas Comics Horror Covers (more-creepy-atlas-comics-horror-covers )

More Halloween fun! More Golden Age Atlas Horror Covers! What more could you want? Join us as we look back at some classic pre-code horror comics.

Men’s Adventures

Sandwiched between the early war issues and a revival of the Golden Age Human Torch were six issues of Men’s Adventures focused on horror with some great covers. This weird yet cool Bill Everett cover for Men’s Adventures #21 does a great job of encapsulating the bizarre nature of many Atlas comics in the 1950s.

There are few recorded sales of graded copies of this book, the highest being a 6.0 selling in a September 2020 Heritage auction for $780. Men’s Adventures #24, Men’s Adventures #25, and Men’s Adventures #26 also contain great horror covers.

Mystery Tales

A long-running Atlas horror title that, unfortunately, contained many generic covers, the Harry Anderson cover of Mystery Tales #19 really stands out. It’s a favorite among Atlas horror collectors. An 8.5 graded copy sold in a Heritage auction in September 2021 for $14,400.

Mystic

The Atlas folks just couldn’t stop publishing horror titles during the early 1950s, and Mystic was another of their titles that sold well during that time. Bill Everett’s depiction of the Russian Devil on the cover of Mystic #18 is an all-time classic. The highest price paid this year was $3,840 for a 7.0 graded copy in a June 20 Heritage auction. Other classic covers in this series include Mystic #19, Mystic #26, and Mystic #28.

Spellbound

While not the most well-known of Marvel horror titles, Spellbound holds its own in terms of creepy covers. Bill Everett gives us a nice look at a woman having a very bad day on the cover of Spellbound #17. In the low grades, it’s a somewhat affordable book. A 2.5 graded copy sold in an eBay auction on August 21 for $544. Other covers to check out: Spellbound #3 and Spellbound #4.

Strange Tales

A title that would eventually feature the Human Torch and serve as the first appearances of Dr. Strange, Nick Fury, Wong, Gamora, and Pip the Troll (among many others), Strange Tales started out as a horror title.

I’m partial to the Harry Anderson cover for Strange Tales #28. If someone’s inviting me to come into their coffin, my answer will most assuredly be, “no.” This is a pricy one. While some low grades have sold this year, even they are at or near four figures. Want a better copy? Let the sale of the lone 7.5 graded copy – the second highest graded copy – serve as a guide. This Northford Collection copy went for $9,000 in a July 12 Heritage auction. Strange Tales #11 and Strange Tales #27 would also make worthy additions to any collection.

Suspense

Despite a generic-sounding series title, covers for Suspense were anything but. Check out the Carl Burgos cover of Suspense #29. Being buried alive is a fear right near the top for just about anyone, and Burgos captures the terror of the moment quite well.

Despite only 12 graded copies in the CGC census, this one’s quite affordable. A 3.5 sold for a slashed $200 on September 25. The Bill Everett cover for Suspense #22 is also worth consideration.

Uncanny Tales

One of the longer running horror titles, Uncanny Tales sports one of the best collections of horror covers of any Atlas series. I can’t decide between two issues, each very different in terms of theme yet both by the amazing Russ Heath.

First, there’s Uncanny Tales #18 with its ingenious use of a clock as an execution device. Cheap in terms of pre-code horror, a 4.5 graded copy sold on February 22 for only $456 in a Heritage auction.

Then there’s the Heath cover for Uncanny Tales #23, depicting two shrouded death dealers. This is a unique little microcosm of a book in that gives us a look into how the venue within which a book is purchased can drive price. We have two 5.0 graded copies of this book selling exactly two months apart – one on August 16, the other on October 16. The first sold in a Heritage auction for $751; the second sold in an eBay auction for $280.

While the latter is definitely a bargain, the first could be a case of overpayment. It’s hard to tell, but it isn’t unheard of for issues to fetch more in a Heritage auction than on other auction sites. In any event, easily half of the pre-code issues in this series are graced by remarkable horror covers that are worth checking out.

Venus

And now we come to the greatest of all Atlas horror covers. Venus began as a weird superhero/romance hybrid comic but morphed into a horror title as Atlas chased changing tastes. Covers became more and more horror-focused as the series went on. Bill Everett was at a creative peak when he penciled and inked the covers for Venus #17 and Venus #18. It was with Venus #19, however, that he created a masterpiece.

This is the crème-de-la-crème of Atlas horror covers. A 5.5 graded copy sold in a July 11 ComicConnect auction for an incredible $28,750. If you have the means, I highly recommend it.