Approximate
Condition Profile
GEMSTONE PUBLISHING · 7/94
UNIT ECA-010221
TWO-FISTED TALES #24
Gemstone's 1990s revival of EC's war anthology, reprinting classic Kurtzman-era Two-Fisted Tales material
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemstone Publishing | July 1994 | Modern | — | — | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
This is a 1990s Gemstone/EC reprint of the original 1951 Two-Fisted Tales #24, not the Golden Age original. The cover shows strong gloss, sharp corners, and no visible creases, tears, or spine stress; colors appear bright and unfaded. A faint vertical crease line is visible along the left edge near the spine area but does not break color. Interior and back cover were not assessed, and the book is in a protective sleeve which limits full surface inspection.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $2 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $4 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $55 |
// Archive commentary
Two-Fisted Tales #24 is part of Gemstone Publishing's 1990s continuation of the EC war-comics anthology originally shepherded by Harvey Kurtzman in the 1950s. This cover-dated July 1994 issue belongs to Gemstone's second volume of the title, which reprinted classic stories from the original EC run alongside period-appropriate packaging, letters pages, and editorial material aimed at reintroducing Kurtzman's war fiction to a new generation of readers. The anthology format means there is no continuing protagonist; instead each issue presents several short war-themed stories originally scripted and edited by Kurtzman with art from the EC bullpen, work long regarded by comics historians as some of the most disciplined and visually inventive war storytelling of the medium's early decades.
As a reprint vehicle rather than a source of new characters, first appearances, or landmark creator work, this issue carries no key distinction and trades essentially as a common back-issue book. Demand centers on EC completists, Kurtzman scholars, and readers assembling a full run of Gemstone's revival rather than speculative or character-driven buyers, and the absence of any published fair-market value reflects that narrow, steady niche rather than any market failure. Graded copies occasionally surface at a premium over raw examples, but that premium is driven by the relative scarcity of pristine submissions from a low-print-run 1990s reprint line, not by underlying collector urgency.
Collectors interested in this issue are typically EC/war-genre specialists filling out the Gemstone reprint series or readers who want Kurtzman's scripts in a modern, accessible format rather than hunting fragile 1950s originals. Raw copies in any reading condition are readily available and inexpensive, with little differentiation in price across low to mid grades. A high-grade slabbed copy holds modest appeal mainly for anthology-run completists pursuing a clean set, but it should not be mistaken for a book with independent key-issue demand.
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-010221 | ~9.4 | — | AVAILABLE |
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