A masterpiece painted by a legend, an early version of a famous video game, and a boxed set of early gaming cards, joined hundreds of original comic art pieces and comic books in Heritage’s Comics & Comic Art Auction. Successful is an understatement for the four-day sale that ended on September 10-13, 2020, which grossed $9,509,226.

Not only did the sale near the $10 million mark, it saw bidding from almost 4,400 collectors.

“Of the 1,074 lots offered in the sale, not a single one went unsold,” James Halperin, co-founder of Heritage, said. “That means we are bringing the right pieces to market at just the right time.”

The auction began with Frank Frazetta’s very recognizable The Princess of Mars painting that soared to $1.2 million. Following that sale was Lee Elias’ iconic original cover art for Chamber of Chills #19 that brought almost twice its estimate when it sold for $174,000.

Also breaking the six-figure plane was Jack Kirby and inker Chic Stone’s Journey Into Mystery #112 page 9 of Hulk and Thor that grabbed $120,000. Another important Marvel art sale was John Buscema and George Klein’s The Avengers #58 splash page of Black Panther that hammered for $90,000.

Top comic sales included Superman #1 CGC 4.5 for $348,000, Action Comics #7 CGC 5.5 for $204,000, and The Incredible Hulk #181 CGC 9.8 for $49,200.

Outside the world of comics, a Pokémon First Edition Base Set sealed booster box reached $198,000, soaring beyond the preauction estimate of $80,000. The first set ever made, this booster box comes from a very low print and includes 396 cards spread through 36 booster packs, each of which contains 11 cards. Because the set is unopened, it is likely that most or all of the cards are in Gem Mint condition.

“Sets like this one, especially in such extraordinary condition and sealed in shrinkwrap, have become undeniable rarities,” Jesus Garcia, Assistant Comics & Comic Art Operations Supervisor at Heritage, said. “The previous record, of $78,000, at Heritage Auctions was set in February 2019. To see this result – more than doubling the previous mark – just shows the popularity and demand for these cards show no sign of slowing down.”

A few of the other auction highlights were The Q-Collection Comic Book Preservation Project single lot of 700-plus items for $120,000, Batman #1 CGC 2.5 for $102,000, Alex Raymond Flash Gordon and Jungle Jim Sunday comic strips original art dated November 19, 1939 for $96,000, and Captain America Comics #1 CGC 2.0 for $90,000.

Heritage’s next Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction is scheduled for November 19-21 with consignments accepted through September 29. Bidding will open approximately October 30 on HA.com.