Heritage is ready to kick off 2025 with their Comic & Comic Art Signature Auction on January 9-12. The auction will feature an array of impressive original art lots and key comics from across comic book eras.
It’s led by Al Milgrom’s The Amazing Spider-Man #194, introducing the Black Cat, who started as a villain, then became Spidey’s on again/off again love interest, and eventually an antiheroine. The exciting cover shows Black Cat leaping from the side of a building ready to attack Spider-Man. Milgrom created over 1,000 covers for DC and Marvel with this one considered among the best ones. The cover has never been offered at auction before now.
“As we saw with Rob Liefeld’s Deadpool debut in our last auction, where it sold for nearly $1 million, first appearances of major characters are hugely sought after by collectors and represent many of our strongest prices in every auction,” Heritage Executive Vice President Todd Hignite said. “Bidding on this cover will be very exciting.”
This auction includes two significant works by Jack Kirby. The Silver Surfer graphic novel cover by Kirby and Mike Royer features a powerful image of Silver Surfer and Galactus – two characters who are closely associated with Kirby. The Fantastic Four #83 title splash page by Kirby and Joe Sinnott has great visuals of Mr. Fantastic, Human Torch, and the Thing ready to take on the mad Maximus.
Daredevil is prominently featured in the auction, starting with Wally Wood’s Daredevil #5 pin-up illustration with the Man Without Fear walking a highwire, created in twice-up scale. Frank Miller and Klaus Janson’s Daredevil #166 story page 14 shows Daredevil in a brutal battle with Gladiator that takes place throughout a museum.
Miller’s work with Batman is also represented with the ‘Mazing Man #12 cover by Miller, Stefan DeStefano, and Karl Kesel featuring Batman and Robin/Carrie Kelly swooping into action.
The comics portion of the auction is led by the Lester Schlike Collection, which Heritage Vice President Barry Sandoval described as “an incredibly fresh-looking, original-owner Golden Age and even pre-Golden Age collection.” That includes Detective Comics #38 CGC 8.0, with the debut and origin of Robin, the Boy Wonder. Heritage stated that it is the best copy they have seen in over 15 years.
The Henry Morrison Collection is filled with Showcase comics. Some of the highlights are the high grade Showcase #20 CGC 9.4 with the origin and first appearance of time traveler Rip Hunter and Suspense Comics #3 CGC 4.0 with Alex Schomburg’s chilling cover of Nazis about to kill a woman.
