Ker-pow – Wolverhampton comics sale will knock you out

The vast hoard includes comics and pulp literature dating back to the 1940s and boasts titles from DC, Marvel and the latter's forerunner Atlas.

More obscure and defunct names such as Charlton, ACG and Tower comics will also be up for grabs.

Auctioneers at Cuttlestones' Wolverhampton Auction Rooms say they expect the collection will get comic book fans 'hot under the collar'.

Sale room manager Tom Waldron said: "When we discovered this collection during a routine house clearance we couldn't quite believe our eyes.

"The comics and magazines have been exceptionally well preserved; kept in individual bags so that they are in almost pristine condition.

"The gentleman who amassed it was obviously a true collector and knew exactly what he was doing. Comics of the era from which the majority of examples date were printed in far smaller runs than they are today and are rare in any condition; let alone as good as this."

He said going through the huge collection had been an 'epic task' and they will have been split into more than 250 lots once the cataloguing is complete in time for the auction on May 9.

The collection includes DC characters such as Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, The Flash as well as Marvel heroes Spiderman, X-Men, Thor and Daredevil. The collection also features a number of first and early editions in which many of them made their debuts.

A 1963 Marvel Comics X Men #1, which is expected to fetch anywhere between £400 to £600.

The collection includes more than 50 lots of pulp magazines, annuals and cult genre books.

The full catalogue can be viewed online from May 2 with viewing taking place on May 8 and on the morning of the sale.

Live internet, phone and commission bidding options are available for people who cannot attend on the day.

For information, call 01902 421985. For video go to www.expressandstar.com