The Phantom (Frew, 1956 series) #331

Part 1 of a possible ongoing series of missing issues

There are a few Australian comics that collectors look for that, most likely, were never published.

One well-documented case is The Phantom (Frew, 1948 series) #330 from 1966.11Editor Jim Shepherd, "Index: The First 50 Years of The Phantom", 1989, page 33....   The artwork was irretrievably damaged prior to printing and the following issue (#331) was brought forward to fill the gap. However, due to an oversight, the issue numbering was not updated, leaving a gap (although there was no break in publication).

Super Heroes Album (Murray, 1977 series) #17

Another issue that was probably never published is Super Heroes Album (Murray, 1977 series) #18.

None of the serious KG Murray collectors has been able to sent me a cover scan and there are indications that someone at Murray Publishers stuffed up.

The adjacent issues #17 and 19 reprint sequential issues of Justice League of America. That doesn't guarantee anything as stories were often reprinted out of order, but there is no obvious missing Justice League story to fill the gap.

Super Heroes Album (Murray, 1977 series) #19

Super Heroes Album had also recently changed randomly from reprinting Legion of Super-Heroes in issue #14 to Justice League of America in issue #15. It looks like an error as Justice League stories continue almost directly from Super Adventure Album #14, which ceases at that issue.

I say "almost" because Super Action Album #15 is part of the confusion. That series began with issue #15 and looks like a continuation of Super Adventure Album. The single Justice League story turns up in that new series before it settles into its ongoing roster of DC's World's Finest stories.

Clearly, somone couldn't separate their Super Action from their Super Adventure and their Super Heroes.

Super Action Album (Murray, 1980 series) #1980 [18] (December 1980)

And if there is still any doubt that someone wasn't paying enough attention, Super Action Album (Murray, 1980 series) #18 is another missing issue. On AusReprints I've filled the gap with Super Action Album 1980, which fits based on the reprinted stories. But there is no real issue #18.

So there it is: two likely missing issues, both published at the end of 1980. This is the time where Murray moved into printing one-shots, rather than numbered series—suggesting they just didn't care to get the numbering right.

Have you seen either of these issues? Were they ever published?

Based on the evidence, I wouldn't spend too much time looking—but let me know quickly if you do find them!