Frank Miller and Lynn Varley Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1
I am disappointed with this result. The auction itself was also anti-climactic, having only a single bid during the live auction. I know that this is a big number, at the end of the day. That said, the fact that the cover to the most important comic book of my lifetime, by the most important comic book artist of my lifetime* couldn't beat a non-key panel page by Mike Zeck is silly. Obviously, whoever bought the Secret Wars #8 page, the 475th appearance of the black costume, wasn't exactly discerning, but it doesn't take a genius to recognize the importance of Dark Knight Returns #1. Maybe the Secret Wars #8 page was the final deposit of silly Bitcoin money? Inflation and a looming recession can't have helped either, but this is still hard for me to digest. Based on the prices we've seen recently, I thought that this page was going to see $5,000,000 or more.
At the end of the day it couldn't beat a Mike Zeck panel page.
Have I mentioned that original art is weird?
Outside influences are weird, too.
* While it's true I was alive while Jack Kirby was alive, Frank Miller has had more impact while I was alive than Kirby did, although Jack Kirby is the clearly greatest comic book creator (artist/writer/whatever) of all time. JACK KING KIRBY ALL DAY.
By vfighter June 21, 2022 - 9:07 am
I don't know why I thought that Secret Wars was the first black costume. I knew it was ASM #252, but just kind of brain farted on it. That is weird it would go for so much then. It is kind of a classic pose/page, but I don't know if it is THAT classic.