Romantic Secrets #35

A wintry Valentine's Day mood hangs over this 1961 Charlton romance issue, where a stylish young redhead clutches a heart-shaped box while a handsome stranger in a belted trench coat appears in her doorway, asking softly, "Miss… could you help me?" The heart-shaped caption panel hints at complicated feelings about the holiday, setting a perfectly bittersweet tone for the lead story, "The Eyes Of Love." Cover inks by Vince Colletta give the scene a clean, warm expressiveness that makes this ten-cent gem a genuine snapshot of early-'60s romance comics at their most heartfelt.