1993 Wizard: The Guide to Comics #21 (Direct Edition) - EX

Catalog a key early-1990s Image Comics launch-era publication for your archival inventory: Wizard: The Guide to Comics #21! Published by Wizard Entertainment, this unbagged direct newsstand/store issue features stylized, high-contrast front cover artwork by Jae Lee (signed "JAE LEE / MCNABB" in the lower right foreground), depicting Image Comics' Youngblood strike team members Chapel, Diehard, and Shaft in dramatic shadow-heavy poses. The cover design is framed beneath bold yellow-to-orange gradient WIZARD title typography, top header feature callouts ("ROB LIEFELD & JAE LEE INTERVIEWED", "CABLE CONTEST WINNERS INSIDE", "MAXX #1/2 EXCLUSIVE OFFER"), and the yellow issue indicator box "No. 21".

The back cover features a full-page commercial video game advertisement from U.S. Gold and Delphine Software International for Flashback: The Quest for Identity on Sega Genesis ("The First CD-ROM Game in a Cartridge!"). The ad showcases five in-game gameplay screenshots ("Planet Titan", "Death Tower", "Paradise Club", "Earth", "Planet Morphs") alongside Sega Genesis retail box photography calling out an "Exclusive 14-page Marvel Comic Book included inside this package". A standout centerpiece entry for 1990s comic industry archivists, Jae Lee & Rob Liefeld / Youngblood completionists, The Maxx #1/2 mail-away historians, and 16-bit Sega Genesis retro gaming catalogers!

Structural & Visual Inspection

• Cover & Spine Condition - EXCELLENT (EX): Original high-gloss cover retains vibrant yellow-to-orange title typography, deep neon green and magenta shading, and razor-sharp line work across Jae Lee's Youngblood cover illustration with zero surface scuffs or color breaks. Spine is flat, square, and tight with precise staple positioning and minimal stress; corners remain sharp and intact.

• Interior & Back Cover Integrity: Interior high-grade newsprint pages remain clean, flat, and un-marred. The back cover featuring the U.S. Gold / Delphine Software Flashback commercial ad maintains crisp black headline typography, vibrant in-game screen captures, and square edge margins with no creasing, surface wear, or foxing.

Item Specific Details