DALLAS, TX.- The new year hasnt even begun, yet it wouldnt be hyperbole to call
Heritages January 11-14 Comics & Comic Art Signature® Auction the event of 2024 or, perhaps, of a lifetime.
Collectors will find among its superpowered offerings numerous iconic covers soaring alongside key Golden and Silver Age comic books in impossibly high grades, each one as stunning as it is significant. These books dont look a day older than Kal-El when he crash-landed in a cornfield or Peter Parker when he was bitten by that radioactive spider or Wonder Woman when a warplane fell onto Paradise Island. They all look like a million bucks or, likely and deservedly, much more than that.
Among their historic ranks is one of only two copies of The Amazing Spider-Man No. 1 graded CGC Near Mint/Mint 9.8, an auction first at Heritage or, it appears, anywhere else, as GPAnalysis does not list a single recorded sale of Stan Lee and Steve Ditkos Marvel in the highest grade awarded this Silver Age key. That makes this a likely once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own this book from CGCs Curator Pedigree, which a former museum worker assembled from the 1950s well into the 1980s (hence the name) and stored in the institutions vaults until a collector acquired them in the 1990s. The Curator Pedigree is one of the best Silver Age collections ever discovered, says CGC. This stunning Spidey swings to the very top of that historic assemblage.
That Amazing Spider-Man alone would make this auction significant; seeing this 60-year-old book look like it just leaped off the newsstands is breathtaking. But it has some esteemed and highly coveted company.
That fresh-faced Spidey is joined in this event by one of the worlds finest copies of Superman No. 1, one of only two in the world graded Fine/Very Fine 7.0 by Certified Guaranty Company. Throughout its history as the worlds premier comic-book auction house, Heritage has never auctioned an unrestored copy of this historic book bearing such high marks.
Another platinum offering from the Golden Age is the single highest-graded copy of 1942s All Star Comics No. 8, in which Wonder Woman debuted in a book also featuring Starman and Dr. Mid-Nite joining the Justice Society of America. This record-holding CGC Near Mint 9.4 copy is the best in the world, the brightest star among the most important All Stars.
The roster of all-stars throughout this auction is unparalleled: Here, collectors will find the worlds highest-graded copy of The Brave and the Bold No. 28, in which the Justice League of America makes its debut. As the catalog notes, it has been 15 years since Heritage offered a copy graded 9.2 and back then, collectors raced to Heritage HQ to lay eyes on the Silver Age grail before sparking a bidding war for the ages. This ones even better: a CGC Near Mint+ 9.6 copy, which may never again surface following this event.
In this event, collectors will also find the sole highest-graded example of one of comicdoms most defining moments: 1956s Showcase No. 4, which kicked off the Silver Age by introducing Barry Allens Flash, graded a CGC Near Mint+ 9.6.
And the list of historic must-haves in this auction only grows: Here, too, is of only three copies of Batman No. 1 graded CGC Fine/Very Fine 7.0. And: one of the worlds most incredible copies of The Incredible Hulk No. 1, a CGC Near Mint- 9.2 with but a single copy ever graded higher.. And: one of the four highest-graded, CGC Near Mint- 9.2 copies of Action Comics No. 252, in which Supergirl makes her first flight.
Heres one indicator of how special this auction is: It has taken this long to mention the CGC Near Mint/Mint 9.8 copy of 1964s The Avengers No. 4, in which Captain America was defrosted and made Marvel-ous again. Only six copies of this historic book have received such high marks. And for the EC enthusiast, heres one of the three highest-graded copies of the landmark Crypt of Terror No. 17 just the second Heritage has ever offered in a CGC Near Mint/Mint 9.8.
The catalog of legendary books in this auction isnt limited to comics: Heritage has offered but a handful of copies of the October 1912 All-Story, all of which proved to be record-setting given the scarcity of this historic issue in which Edgar Rice Burroughs introduced readers to Tarzan King of the Jungle. But the Very Good copy of the All-Story in this auction is the highest-graded unrestored copy Heritage has ever offered. One might say its the King of the Pulps.
Again, the books on the block alone will make this an event to remember. But Heritages Comics and Comic Art events regularly set comic-art auction records as these important, iconic originals head to auction, many for the first and last time. And there are countless pieces in this auction deserving of attention if not time on a museums wall.
Chief among their offerings is John Romita Sr.s unforgettable cover of The Amazing Spider-Man No. 87, which concluded a long-running storyline in which Peter Parker appeared to be losing his powers. He revealed himself as Spider-Man in Unmasked At Last! only to realize and, eventually, undo that dreadful decision. Romita did as much to define the look of Spider-Man and Peter Parker as his co-creator Steve Ditko, from whom he took the reins in 1966, elevating the title to Marvels best-selling book. As his son John Romita Jr. told The New York Times earlier this year, upon his fathers death at 93, His version of the characters became the format for the characters in international editions and merchandise.
Theres also an early 1965 Ditko original here: Page 15 from The Amazing Spider-Man No. 29, a spry piece of work showcasing Ditkos loose-limbed kineticism as Spidey wrangles with the Scorpion for only the second time.
This event also teems with numerous classic DC covers, among them one of the most iconic from the spinner-rack era: Ernie Chans art for Justice League of America No. 125, in which Two-Face seemingly joins the JLA (over Flashs objections). Its one entry in a holy trinity of early JLA covers, which also includes Dick Dillin and Joe Giellas Justice League of America No. 65, featuring T.O. Morrow gloating that hes killed off the League, and Neal Adams and Dick Giordanos classic Justice League of America No. 92, with Solomon Grundy holding a limp Superman as the zombie villain towers over other fallen Leaguers.
Heres another coveted Adams classic: His original cover for Detective Comics No. 404, in which Batman seemingly squares off against Rittmeister Hans Von Hammer, better known as Enemy Ace who, as it turns out, is a descendant of the German pilot determined to shut down Bruce Waynes movie about the Enemy Ace. Its not simply a great Adams cover they all are, after all but a significant one, too, in that it paid homage to Enemy Aces co-creator Joe Kubert, who is represented here with numerous significant pieces, among them the covers of Sgt. Rock No. 368 and 1975s 1st Issue Special starring Dr. Fate.
Everyones here to begin the year: from Jack Kirby (with a 1973 Mister Miracle cover, no less) to Murphy Anderson (Hawkman No. 3!), Jim Lee (Black Canary guesting on the cover of All Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder No. 3) to George Pérez (with his all-star-studded cover or The Official Crisis On Infinite Earths Index No. 1), Charlie Brown (with a baseball and blockhead strip from 1963) to Alfred E. Neuman singing and dancing his way across Jack Rickards classic 1976 MAD cover with Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock. A heck of a way to trek into 2024.