diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 525bf58..dcabf89 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 
 - Titles are now parsed only if they occur after the series token AND after
   either issue, year or volume.
+- Issue numbers that start with a '#' character may contain alphabetical
+  characters.
 
 ## v0.1.4
 
diff --git a/comicfn2dict/regex.py b/comicfn2dict/regex.py
index d49273d..73fdc45 100644
--- a/comicfn2dict/regex.py
+++ b/comicfn2dict/regex.py
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ ORIGINAL_FORMAT_PATTERNS = (
 
 # CLEAN
 NON_SPACE_DIVIDER_RE = re_compile(r"[_\+]")
-DASH_SPLIT_RE = re_compile(r"\s-\s")
 EXTRA_SPACES_RE = re_compile(r"\s\s+")
 
 # PAREN GROUPS
@@ -64,8 +63,9 @@ ORIGINAL_FORMAT_SCAN_INFO_RE = re_compile(
 
 # REGULAR TOKENS
 VOLUME_RE = re_compile(r"((?:v(?:ol(?:ume)?)?\.?)\s*(?P<volume>\d+))")
+_ISSUE_NUMBER_RE_EXP = r"(?P<issue>[\w½]+\.?\d*\w*)"
+ISSUE_NUMBER_RE = re_compile(r"(#" + _ISSUE_NUMBER_RE_EXP + r")")
 _ISSUE_RE_EXP = r"(?P<issue>[\d½]+\.?\d*\w*)"
-ISSUE_NUMBER_RE = re_compile(r"(#" + _ISSUE_RE_EXP + r")")
 ISSUE_TOKEN_RE = re_compile(r"^(" + _ISSUE_RE_EXP + r")$")
 ISSUE_END_RE = re_compile(r"\b(" + _ISSUE_RE_EXP + r")$")
 ISSUE_BEGIN_RE = re_compile(r"^(" + _ISSUE_RE_EXP + r")\b")
diff --git a/tests/comic_filenames.py b/tests/comic_filenames.py
index 3700d65..67e8ac5 100644
--- a/tests/comic_filenames.py
+++ b/tests/comic_filenames.py
@@ -251,18 +251,20 @@ FNS.update(  # Newly fixed.
             "series": "Batman - Superman - World's Finest",
             "year": "2024",
         },
-    }
-)
-
-FNS.update(
-    {
         # Issue number starting with a letter requested in https://github.com/comictagger/comictagger/issues/543
         "batman #B01 title.cbz": {
             "ext": "cbz",
             "issue": "B01",
             "series": "batman",
             "title": "title",
-        },  # Leading issue number is usually an alternate sequence number
+        },
+    }
+)
+
+
+FNS.update(
+    {
+        # Leading issue number is usually an alternate sequence number
         "52 action comics #2024.cbz": {
             "ext": "cbz",
             "issue": "2024",