Did you guys know that Heritage auctions off comic books and original art from time to time? Yes they do. Let's take a look at the comics and original art they're offering this month, shall we?
The Mile High Hits and Blue Ribbons are by far the most interesting comics to me. They're freshly graded and are killer copies (see above!)
There's a very good chance that this Detective Comics #32 (DC, 1939) CGC NM+ 9.6 Off-white pages is the best copy of this book. Normally, when the highest CGC graded copy is something like a 9.0 or 9.2, I just assume the Edgar Church copy is better. There's no guarantee the Church copy is as fresh and clean as this stunner. If it was a Batman cover if would be one of the most interesting individual comic auctions of the whole year.
Frank Miller and Klaus Janson Daredevil #158 Story Page 13 is a great early page. It features all the hallmarks of Miller's art on the title- dynamic figures, clever action, and dramatic, liberal use of black ink.
Barry Windsor-Smith and Herb Trimpe Machine Man #2 Page 2 is a nice page from a run that's kind of weird. Barry Windsor-Smith doing a Machine Man mini-series? What was up with that? The real grail art from this series is issue #4 where BWS inked himself.
There's a lot to like about the Bernie Wrightson Swamp Thing #6 Cover Original Art. For my money, I'd prefer a straight horror cover from Wrightson, but a Swamp Thing cover is a special thing regardless.
How many Golden Age Timely covers are floating around? Captain America Comics #68 Cover Original Art (Timely, 1948) is available and while it's not a prime example in the grand scheme of things (it's post-war and not exactly an iconic image even in that context) it is an example that you can buy and will see a lot of interest. If you've always dreamed of a Golden Age Captain America cover, this is your chance.
As of this writing it's already at $25,000 and we don't even know who the artist is.
In my memory, the 1990s started with this Longshot. The dynamic and detailed style visible in this Arthur Adams, Bill Anderson, and Whilce Portacio Longshot #1 made quite a splash when it was released and was, in my memory, the first step in an evolution of comic art that would eventually lead to the founding of Image Comics. Art Adams was the first guy I remember as a teenager who was putting this kind of detail into pieces so seeing people like Todd McFarlane and Jim Lee making a splash soon after seemed like part of one continuum in the development of comic art.
It's not quite as simple as I remember it, but that narrative still holds up in a lot of ways. Cool page.
The Brian Bolland Batman #447 Cover Original Art (DC, 1990) is a memorable image for me.
Frank Frazetta Thor's Flight Oil Painting Original Art (1968) isn't my favorite Frazetta painting, but it very well may be someone else's. I'm really interested to see where this one ends up.
This Dave McKean Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes Trade Paperback Cover basically requires a desire to display it. I can't imagine storing something like that for any stretch of time.
It's not from his period as a writer, but the Frank Miller and Klaus Janson Daredevil #165 Splash Page 1 is still an incredible image of Daredevil by one of the character's defining artists.
As this Keith Pollard Daredevil #235 Original Cover Art (Marvel, 1986) shows, there were a lot of great Daredevil covers post-Miller and pre-Romita jr.
And there you have it. I had lots of art to share! There weren't so many comics of interest this time around. Of course, that's fine as both ComicLink and ComicConnect are going to blow our doors off with comics over the next couple of months.