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Superlibrary

One of the Johnny Nero issues.

Fleetway Super Library was a comic published by Fleetway from 1967 to 1968. As its title suggests it followed the picture library format, albeit on a chunkier scale than usual: each issue was 132 pages long, containing a 122-page main story alongside back-up material such as a quiz or reprints of humour strips.

The Fleetway Super Library series was itself split into three smaller series, each with two protagonists. Stupendous, which was called Fantastic during the first month of its existence, followed the exploits of the Steel Claw (from Valiant) and the Spider (from Lion); the military-themed Front Line starred Maddock's Marauders and Top-Sergeant Ironside, both of whom would migrate to Battle Picture Library following the demise of Super Library; and finally Secret Agent told the stories of Johnny Nero and the Lion hero Barracuda.

Super Library was not long-lived: it ended in January 1968 after a total of 78 issues, 26 for each sub-series. Steve Holland has argued that it could be regarded as Britain's first series of graphic novels.

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