HOLY GRAIL ART

Arthur Adams and Whilce Portacio Longshot #6 Longshot Revisits His Past (Origin Story) with Quark Page 15 Original Art (Marvel, 1985)

Longshot is incognito alongside his ram-horned companion Quark, as they race through the suburbs in search of Mojo and Spiral. Great composition and storytelling throughout, as we see both Longshot and Quark the page. What's equally great is thecontent as Longshot asks Qwark about his past, part of his origin story, learning he was a legend rebel leader against Mojo. This iconic limited series introduced Arthur Adams and his signature style to the comic book world, catapulting the artist's popularity into the stratosphere. Every Longshot issue is great, but later in the miniseries, especially as seen in this finale issue, #6, Adams really hit his stride with his cutting edge artistic style, as seen on this very page.

Rendered in ink over graphite and blue pencil on Bristol board with an image area of 10" x 15.5". The top edge and three corners are clipped, the board is slightly toned, and there is smudging and handling wear. In Excellent condition.

Neal Adams Pencils & Inks Brave & The Bold #85 PG 21 Original Art One of The Best Batman Pages From The Landmark Issue! (DC, 1969)

It was Neal Adams' revitalization of Batman, taking the character from the fun loving, cheesy 60’s TV series to the Dark, gritty character we know today. It’s said that many of the scenes Haney would write would take place during the day, but Adams would change it to night. Without Adams darker portrayal, we may have never seen Miller or Lee’s Dark Knight versions play out. For Adams, it was Batman that made the artist a favorite among fans and, very quickly, and eventually a living legend. The effect that Neal Adams had on the comic industry as it transitioned from the Silver Age to the Bronze Age was enormous. Every character he touched, were reinvigorated, and this is without a doubt the one of the most memorable issues the great artist ever crafted of the late silver age with the First appearance of the new Green Arrow costume! This being one of the most "Key" of all late Silver Age books. 

This key page is the finale scene, the last action page to the issue and arguably the best Batman page in the book with him swinging in the air! When reading this story again, this was by far the best Batman image in the entire issue, page 2 takes a close second with Batman leaping onto a truck. From this era to put it in perspective, an Adam’s Batman swinging in the center of the page would be the equivalent of a Mcfarlane Spider-Man swinging and jumping out of the page! Something only Neal Adams could do at this time, with his realism and movement that would practically jump out of the page. Panel 3 of Batman swinging goes into both panel 2 and panel 4 giving a sense of increased movement of the character. Perhaps best described by PencilInk.Blogspot about Adams art and this issue below…

Brave & The Bold #85-

“The artwork throughout is breathtaking, displaying a fresh realism rarely seen in comics. Adams also employs multiple angles and varying panels to increase movement and tension around the characters. Interestingly, a single loosely sketched panel on page 22 suggests a frozen moment in time, as Senators tally the final votes. This story was later reprinted in Best of Brave and the Bold #1.”

What makes this even more special is it’s 100% Neal Adams, providing his own inks to his pencils, an increasingly rare occurrence as demand for his skills increased. Batman pages from this early period in Adams' career are rarely pried out of private collections, so we were very lucky to have acquired this page. We’ve owned many Neal Adam’s original art pieces, but this one we’re pleased to have in our private collection. The art is in very good condition with some minimal liner notes along the top, a right top corner tear for printing purposes, whiteout corrections, and some scarce blue pencil markings. Overall page size is 10.5" x 16" with a 10" x 15" image area. A great page from one of the best issues in Neal's brief run on The Brave and The Bold in the late sixties. 

Jim Aparo “Knightfall Part 15” Batman #498 Enter Catwoman (Opening Scene) Summoned by Bane & The Infamous Kiss! The Issue Following "The Broken Bat" Original Art (DC, 1993)

After DC’s enormous success of The Death of Superman in late 1992 and early 1993 with the follow up Funeral for a Friend, just months later a new story arc was written by Acclaimed writers Denny O’Neill and Doug Moench, this time it was for Batman and it was called “Knightfall”. The story arc featured a new genius villain named Bane and similarly to Death of Superman, it was a tremendous success. One could argue with the arrival of Bane as an all new villain, he’s remained greater and more popular than Doomsday, making this arc more memorable over the years. Either way, DC did something we haven’t seen from either of the “Big 2” publishers in creating back to back classic story arcs merely months apart that have become iconic 30 years later. This particular page came from Batman #498 written by Doug Moench. Now let’s get to the art…

This Half Splash page is Catwoman’s first introduction into Knightfall when summoned by Bane by his goons not only set up Catwomans run with Jim Balent by establishing the look and the plot for Catwoman #1 and beyond, but it's existence in the Knightfall storyline as influence in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Rises helps to propel this page into the history books! As seen on the cover, not by choice, Catwoman reluctantly agrees to team up with Bane. 

You can see a broken Bruce Wayne in a body cast in the last few panels, attended by Shondra Kinsolving, his Doctor who has an ongoing crush on him. The last 2 panels you can see Bruce not only suprised, but the final panel reveals her feelings for Bruce as she kisses him! Shondra will be Bruce's love interest during this arc and will go on to cure Bruce later in the story, where he becomes Batman once again. An incredibly important page to the Knightfall story arc introducing Catwoman for the first time and the romance begins for Bruce and Shondra. 

Rick Burchett Inks over legendary Batman artist Jim Aparo pencils on Bristol board with an image area of 10" x 15". Signed by Aparo in lower area. The page has production hole-punches in the side margins, otherwise in Excellent condition. 

Jim Aparo “Knightfall Part 15” Batman #498 Historic Page Azrael's Debut as Batman and Don's The Suit For The First Time! The Issue Following "The Broken Bat" Original Art (DC, 1993)

With our previous page from this story arc having Bruce make the decision for Jean Paul Valley to take over the Bat Mantle, here is the very first page in which he Don's the Bat suit! Of course later in issue #500 Azbats new suit is revealed, where he battles and defeats Bane! Here we have a historic page ending issue #498 with Commissioner Gordon waiting for Batman with the Bat signal over Gotham and JPV and Robin show up swinging as Robin says to “Stick to the shadows and use your horse grating voice Bruce uses.” I love Aparo’s Gotham cityscape with the Bat signal in the sky. The best line has to be the close up of the new Batman at the end panel letting Gordon and the reader know despite Bruce’s wishes, he’s going for Bane! “…Bane will have He’ll itself to pay.” 

Setting up the showdown of what’s to come! A fitting page to match our page from above from the issue following the Breaking of the Bat! A major event that defined Batman for the 90's. A journey from failure of being broken to eventual triumph! Rick Burchett Inks over legendary Batman artist Jim Aparo pencils on Bristol board with an image area of 10" x 15". In Excellent condition.

Mark Bagley and Randy Emberlin The Amazing Spider-Man #375 Page 19 Spidey vs. Venom: The Final Confrontation & Anne Weying 1st Appearance Original Art (Marvel, 1993)

Stunning page from the classic 30th anniversary issue, featuring a classic Spidey vs. Venom battle from the story 'The Bride of Venom'. This is an extraordinary page, featuring nonstop action, from the absolute height of Bagley's original ASM run. This page also features Anne Weying in her 1st appearance, Eddie Brock's ex-wife and more importantly and as seen on the MCU, later becomes She-Venom. This key issue is also the very last issue before Venom takes on a new hat as more of an anti-hero and is the lead-in to Venom Lethal Protector #1, his 1st solo issue. 

These pages are held on to as if they were family treasures, and almost never come up for sale. Heritage has only offered 2 pages from this key anniversary issue ever, 1 recently sold and not as good with only 1 true venom battle panel, the rest as Eddie Brock, for $13k+ and one page as good if not better last year for $36K!

Ink and Zipatone over graphite and blue pencil on Marvel Bristol board with an image area of 10" x 15". Toned text paste-ups with some losing adherence and residue staining from a missing paste-up in Panel 1, staple holes in the top left corner, with light staining and handling wear. Signed by the art team in the bottom margin. In Very Good condition.

Alan Davis and Paul Neary Excalibur Special Edition #1 Page 7 X-Men Plus 1st Excalibur & Birth Page of The Warwolves Original Art (Marvel, 1987)

From the first appearance of the group Excalibur, this is the very page where the story arc's villains, the Warwolves are introduced for the first time (birth page). This one-shot issue was a hit, and #1 of the regular series came about half a year later, starting off a series that would run for a decade where the Warwolves would be the first story arc villains. 

Excalibur's original creative team, writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer Alan Davis, incorporated elements of two Marvel hottest properties, the X-Men and Captain Britain. On this page we see great images Rachel Summers aka Pheonix chained up by the X-Men, then freed by Kitty Pride. Xavier then tells Kitty she's been a naughty girl where we see the X-Men transform into the Warwolves for the first time inching closer to Kitty. An absolute stunning page, a rare occasion from this era where Davis illustrates the X-Men team only to transform them into the monstrous Warwolves!

Huge and iconic, this page is in ink on Marvel Bristol board with a Twice-Up image area of ​​12" x 17". In Excellent condition.

Jack Davis Haunt of Fear #28 From The Pre-Code Horror Final Issue & Last Story On Title "A Work of Art" Page 2 Original Art (EC, 1954)

This page, from Jack Davis's final New Trend horror story, "A Work of Art," concerns an elderly mortician who teaches his ham-handed son-in-law the family business. The old timer, appalled his son-in-law's inability to property embalm a cadaver, invents a do-it-yourself embalming machine and uses it to convert his own carcass into "a work of art."

"Davis's cartoony, brush-heavy style was a perfect match for Feldstein's gruesome but tongue-in-cheek horror tales.... Ultimately, Davis became one of EC's most popular and prolific artists.... his trademark frenetic style became ubiquitous in American popular media and burned itself into the American unconscious." — Home to Stay: The Complete Ray Bradbury EC Stories. 

Ink over pencil on Bristol board, measuring 15 x 22" (image area 13 x 18"), with top margin lightly printed "Haunt of Fear #28" written in pencil in the bottom margin, and rubberstamps on the verso for William M. Gaines, overall in very good condition.

Tony DeZuñiga Historic Marvel Preview #2 The Punisher First Solo Story & Origin Battle Page 3 Original Art (Marvel, 1975)

From the Punisher's first solo story and his first-ever origin story, Frank Castle interrogates a suspect after failing to assassinate him, who turns out to be a former military member. Pages from this key issue simply never come up as this is the only one that Heritage has offered in their 20+ year tenure and it's a good one at that, with Punisher all over the page in every panel. As a Punisher collector, to me, this issue is the biggest key after ASM #129 (Punisher's 1st Appearance), being the first solo and origin story.

Ink and wash over graphite on Bristol board with an image area of 10.5" x 15". Production stamp in the upper left, production notes/marks, whiteout, toning, and handling wear. In Very Good condition.

Mike Dringenberg and Malcolm Jones III Sandman #7 "Listen" Key Page 2 Morpheus Original Art (DC, 1989)

Mike Dringenberg's style vividly captures the ethereal and somber mood of writer Neil Gaiman's story, bringing depth and emotion to the characters. This issue is a pivotal point in the Sandman saga, where Dringenberg melds the surreal with the Gothic, enhancing the dream-like quality of the narrative. Morpheus' profile is seen in the last panel. But what's most striking about this page is the pain and anguish felt throughout the world as Morpheus tells us at the top and bottom of the page, "Listen". A great tie-in page to the issue titled "Sound and Fury" with the final page to the issue brings peace and happiness as Morpheus regains his Ruby and once again tells us to "Listen". 

Ink over graphite on Bristol board with an image area of 10" x 15". The large, top right panel is a printed paste-up, all text are stat paste-ups, one is coming loose, there are blue production marks, small spots of soiling, corner bends, and edge wear. In Very Good condition.

Will Eisner The Spirit #29 Ellen Dolan Wedding Cover Original Art (Kitchen Sink Press, 1987)

Ellen Dolan is giving the squink-eye to the Spirit on this original classic wedding cover created for a reprint issue containing the story from the 4-11-48 newspaper Spirit section. The master draftsman signed his work in the lower right of the image area, dated 1986. The art for these Spirit Kitchen Sink covers are thought to be as good or better than Eisner's original work on the title from 40's and 50's.

Rendered in ink over graphite on Bristol board with an image area of 9" x 14". The main image area is lightly sunstruck from a previous framing. Replacement logo and header affixed directly to the art page. In Very Good condition.

Frank Frazetta- Robert E. Howard Lone Star Fictioneer #4 Back Cover, (Spring 1976) Conan Pen & Ink Peak Period Original Art (c. 1970's)

The legendary Frank Frazetta illustrated this image of one of his signature characters, Robert E. Howard's Conan, with the world famous barbarian holding a shield in one hand and a battle axe in the other. This work is circa 1970's and was published as the Back Cover to Robert E. Howard's Lone Star Fictioneer #4, Spring 1976. Two years ago, Conan celebrated the 90th Anniversary of his first appearance in a 1932 issue of the Weird Tales pulp magazine. Along the way, he's been illustrated by a significant number of top artists, with the legendary master of fantasy art, Frank Frazetta leading the way. It was Frazetta's masterful Conan cover paintings created for the Lancer line of paperback books starting in 1966 that exposed a new generation of fans to Howard's long-lost pulp stories. Not only did Frazetta establish the design of Conan for the new era, but he created a new way of depicting the overall fantasy genre that inspired so many other great artists along the way. Frazetta's cover paintings captured the attention of Marvel's Roy Thomas, who became a big fan of Howard's stories and brought Conan to Marvel Comics as a licensed property starting in 1970. Conan has gone on to appear in over 1,000 comic books published over the past 50+ years, as well as in some high profile movies and video games.

The original work of Frank Frazetta is some of the most desirable for any discerning collector, and many pieces are valued at six or even seven figures. His illustrations are not only considered the best in the genre of fantasy art, but in the history of illustration as a whole. Frazetta oils are spectacular, commanding some of the highest prices in the medium, but there are something truly special about his pen and ink drawings, which we're showcasing here. Signed by the artist himself, this drawing is a highlight of any collection, an original Frazetta Conan! Previously held in the collection of Frazetta's manager for years, Rob Pistella! A highly coveted original Frank Frazetta drawing, this piece by the artist is in Very Good condition. Signed on the lower right, c. 1970's during Frazetta’s peak period. The art has an image area of approximately 8" x 8" in a 20.5" x 18.5" frame.

Ron Frenz and Kevin Dzuban Marvel Team-Up Annual #6 Page 21 First  New Mutants and Cloak & Dagger Meeting Spidey + X-Men 1st meeting Flashback Original Art (Marvel, 1983)

As I'm currently putting together my top Spider-Man artists, it dawned on me that Ron Frenz was most known for not only his run on Spider-Man in the 1980s, but his long tenure on Thor into the mid 1990's, so you'll see with this piece and the piece below, we have an earlier example and a later one not just with Thor, but with Spidey!

Great image of Spidey crawling on a Church wall in panel 1 but I especially love panel 3 with Frenz channeling the original X-Men team and Spidey reminiscing of their first meeting. The bottom panels are exquisite with the New mutants and Cloak and Dagger throughout. From the issue that partnered Spidey with the New Mutants and Cloak & Dagger for the first time. This also marks a very early New Mutants and Cloak & Dagger story, with the team's first appearance less than 6 months prior to this issue.

Ink over graphite on Bristol board with an image area of 10" x 15" and aside from overall paper aging and clipped margin corners, its condition is Very Good. 

Dave Gibbons Wonder Woman 1982 Annual Front & Back Endpapers Painted Illustrations Original Art (Egmont UK, 1982)

Truth be told I wanted a Gibbons representative example, and Watchmen was never my thing, perhaps because it came later from my collecting comics as a kid. Though I still love his art, I do collect Wonder Woman and I absolutely loved how Gibbons painted this beautiful double-page spread showcasing Diana Prince transforming into Wonder Woman. The piece  was used for the inside front and back endpapers for the hardcover annual. 

Created in opaque watercolor and airbrush on illustration board with an image area of 17.5" x 12.5". Signed by Gibbons in the lower right margin. In Excellent condition.

Klaus Janson Pencils and Inks Punisher #1 1st Ongoing Series Punisher vs Drug Dealer Half Splash Battle Page 15 (Marvel, 1987)

On this Klaus Janson page from the key issue Punisher #1 (1987), the Punisher lets loose on some dirtbag drug dealers who have been moving crack from South America to rock houses all over New York City. The large, central panel featuring the Punisher choking and electrocuting one of the drug dealers is especially impactful and illustrates in a single panel the way the Punisher operates in a darker world than most of the other Marvel heroes. Janson, the long-time finisher best known for his historic work with Frank Miller on Daredevil and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, took on the roles of both penciller and inker here and the high quality results demonstrate that Janson is just as good with a pencil as he is with an ink brush.

Given the Punisher's high level of popularity in the 1990's and beyond, it's interesting to consider that it took 13 years following his 1974 introduction in Amazing Spider-Man #129 before the Punisher received his first on-going title following the success of the Punisher Limited Series in 1986. This Klaus Janson page comes from the very first issue of that on-going series! Both Janson and the Punisher received wide exposure from their respective roles in Frank Miller's historic run on Daredevil, so it was a logical pairing to have Janson be assigned to the character's first story arc.

Rendered in ink over graphite, the art has an image are of approximately 10" x 15", light smudges, whiteout corrections, overall in excellent condition.

Kelley Jones Red Rain II (Bloodstorm) Diamond Preview Cover (Advance Comics #71) Joker & Catwoman Original Art (DC/Diamond, 1994)

The second part in the vampire trilogy, this cover illustration begins where Batman: Red Rain ended. Batman has destroyed Dracula but at the price of his own humanity. Now the famed protector of Gotham is a vampire himself and must battle his own bloodlust as he attempts to be the savior of the innocent. Struggling with his newly acquired dark nature and desire to kill, Batman must choose between the preservation of his own soul and the survival of Gotham. 

When on the hunt for the right Kelley Jones Batman piece, as much as I  appreciated his Batman (main title) run, and was certainly the darkest period I can remember, I really felt his most memorable and noteworthy works were his Batman Eleworlds graphic novel trilogy. It was from this trilogy, specifically Red Rain where he received both a Harvey Award and Eisner Award for his work. So when this cover came up from this critically acclaimed series, without hesitation I  

There's so much we can say about this cover, but really, does it get any better than this for a Jones Batman cover? Batman is in an incredibly heroic pose ready to stab a vampire with a wooden stake, that happens to also have silver on the inside to ensure it does the trick. Then we focus on Joker in the background with little rain bubbles presumably representing blood, hence the "Bloodstorm". Catwoman aka Selina Kyle is seen fighting off vampires on the left, this is the first time we see her as a Were-Cat, birth page of sorts. All of the covers for these Batman Elseworld stories by Jones are not nearly as detailed and intricate in artistic design. All or most of the covers have Batman coming up from the ground, a detailed macabre Batman face, or Batman perched in the shadows, nothing so dynamic and detailed as this piece. 

What makes this cover even more special is this is the only Batman Elseworlds cover art that has surfaced, as there are no other covers from this sought after trilogy that have reached public auction or even posted on Comic Art Fans. We know this cover was done early as we see the title as "Red Rain II" and not "Bloodstorm" indicating the name for the graphic novel was not fleshed out yet when this scene was created. This dynamic illustration by Jones was used as the cover of Advance Comics #71 & presumably for Diamond Previews / Capital City catalogue cover at that same time. 

From the dream team of Kelley Jones pencils with John Beatty inks. The image area measures 10.25" x 15.5" and the art is in Excellent condition.

Dan Jurgens Justice League America #69 Doomsday's 1st Epic Battle Scene with The JLA! (Death of Superman Part 2 DC, 1992)

This page represents our earliest Death of Superman page and a more important one to the overall series. I remember this issue as a kid being my first introduction to Doomsday and just how destructible he was. Nothing against Man of Steel #18 as Doomsday’s first appearance but we don’t get to see any battle within that issue, instead he arrives on Earth and begins to cause havoc on a highway. We really get a better understanding of how powerful this Kryptonian being is once he encounters the heroes here in Justice League #69. Let’s start at the top, let the battle begin!…

In previous pages just as this one, Superman is being interviewed by Cat Grant and questions are being asked by the audience, none more important than this one. “If there anything out there that really frightens you? I’d get scared facin’ all that stuff if I was you.” Superman responds saying it’s a good question, he’s afraid of failure, hurting innocent people, and of his own death. We may not see his answer on this page, but we do see what is the driving question to the saga and a prelude of what’s to come. The flow of Jurgens story and art is really top notch, with Superman taking questions while the onslaught of the League is currently taking place below. 

The following lower panels take us back to Doomsday’s first battle scene overall, as the monster takes on the JLA, and they’re manhandled one by one with ease. Here’s a memorable scene in which Doomsday punches Bloodwynd (who’s really Martian Manhunter by the way) so hard he explodes the through the oil tanker and catches on fire. We get a strong visual of Doomsdays claws exposed from his containment suit, soon to be slowly ripping off as he gets closer to Metropolis. 

The lower panel showcases nearly all of the team members less of course Superman and Guy Gardner as he was pummeled by Doomsday just a couple pages earlier. Maxima adds “Did you see that punch?”…”Where could a being so powerful have come from?” We get a great front facing visual of Doomsday in a dark eerie like shadow, as Fire blasts him, he’s unphased and Bloodwynd remains on fire. Booster Gold & Blue Beetle look in awe from above and Beetle says “Can Bloodwynd survive something line that?“ We should add this is the only page in the entire issue to feature 5 of the JLA team members present battling Doomsday, along with the cover, which also had 5 of the team members! Most of the battle pages featured 1-2 members with Doomsday present, so this page from a presentation standpoint is a real treat.

For the first time as a reader, based on the visual art, and the dialogue, we’re presented a villain larger than life, almost indestructible. A truly remarkable early Doomsday battle page showcasing the depths of his destruction. 

Joe Jusko The Punisher War Journal #31 "The Kamchatkan Konspiracy" Classic Ski Cover Original Art (Marvel, 1990)

Mixed media painting original art by renowned comic artist Joe Jusko, whose realistic painted fantasy, pin-up, and cover illustrations have graced countless comic book publications. Here we present you cover painting for "Punisher War Journal" Vol. 1 #31, published by Marvel in June 1991. Wonderfully detailed painting shows snowy scene with The Punisher flying through the air on skis, blasting attacker w/revolver as men fire upon him from pursuing snowmobile and other armed skiers give chase.   It almost seems a play on a James Bond spy film scene and is even more remarkable in person. 

With rich, vibrant colors and a smokey background, these characters come alive, thanks to Joe Jusko's awesome talent. This is truly a Marvel masterpiece, and we're honored to have in our collection. With this one, we now have 4 Punisher painted cover/portfolio plates including the Zeck / Zimelman Portfolio One plate 2, which later became a cover, the only Michael Golden Painted Punisher cover to Punisher War Journal 40 (also massive in size), the Stroman wraparound cover to Punisher Classic #1 from 1989 and now this one to complete the set!

Jusko has signed art at lower right and added "90" date. Back of board has had surface removed, but this does not affect art. Originally from the Jason Taulbee Collection. This massive piece has an image area of 18" x 25", and the art is in Excellent condition.

Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia The Amazing Spider-Man #101 Morbius 1st Appearance (Historic Birth Page In Costume as Vampire) Original Art (Marvel, 1971)

Not only is this page from Gil Kane's historic run on Amazing Spider-Man from 1971, this is also Morbius' birth Page as the Living Vampire, as we see him transforming into his costume for the very first time on the iconic bottom panel. That last panel has also been used for numerous card art and next to the cover is the most recognizable image of Morbius from his first issue. We should also add Morbius is not on the opening splash page, making this his first true birth page as the Living Vampire!

Morbius' is seen throughout the page fleeing from the ship crew, as they've realized he's at fault for a dead crew member. What's even better on this page are Morbius' thoughts as he's realizing his strength, heightened senses and movements for the first time. He also flashes back from the night before, as a reader we're getting a better sense of his overwhelming guilt and confusion of what he's become... 

"Ah, but when it gets Dark...When it's night...A Night like last night...No! I must not think of that. The memories would drive me mad. It was just a dream. It had to be a bad dream. But-- It was not." - Morbius 3rd and 4th panel.

Then we see him get away, the crew make the fateful mistake of leaving him on board and staying the night on the ship. "Yes...One Last Sleep..." with the full moon upon us, the Living Vampire appears in costume for the first time!

Fun fact, from the first appearance side of things for Spidey's villains, and in this case more on the anti-hero side, there's really not too much that has surfaced. I know there's rumors that ASM #3, first Doc Ock exists, but until it surfaces we'll leave it out. But for now, what has surfacedI is ASM #9 (1st Electro), sorry no Green Goblin, or Kraven exists.... So we skip all the way to ASM #41 (1st Rhino), then ASM #50 (1st Kingpin), then ASM #78 (1st Prowler, which we have the first birth Page of the character Hobie Brown from that issue), and then we jump to here, ASM #101 (our subject art), then always in comparison from this era would be ASM #129 (1st Punisher, which also exists). So really as far as key Spidey villain or anti-hero 1st appearances there's only 4 notable characters prior to this one that are known to exist, making it truly special.

Created in ink over graphite on Bristol board with an image area of 10" x 15". The page has editorial notes and light smudges, overall In Excellent condition.

Dale Keown Incredible Hulk #367 Page 4 Hulk Battles The Leader (Keown First Hulk Artwork & Battle Page) Original Art (Marvel, 1990)

If you recall, Walt Simonson did the cover to issue 367, this being the first issue of Keown art on Incredible Hulk with only 3 earlier pages and his very first battle page! You can see his unique art style early on, undeniably Keown. With a shocking opening scene of a deteriorating gray goliath from the final chapter of the "Countdown" storyline part 4 by Peter David. Poison ravages his system with only an hour to live as the Leader looks to use him to take down Madman, his brother. 

On this page Hulk is looking to hack the Leader's computer to locate Betty when the Leader and his cohorts return thinking Hulk is dead, only to be welcomed back with a Hulk "Thunder-Clap" getting blown back. The Leader returns fire with one of his "mind blasts", which Hulk is unphased by and we see in the large last panel Hulk slams Leader up against the wall ready and willing to snap his neck. A great early Keown example of Hulk battling the Leader with some great images of Hulk throughout the page. 

Not to mention one of my favorite Peter David Hulk stories where Banner/Hulk nearly dies. It's a brilliant tale where Hulk can't penetrate his skin with the serum, so in the final seconds he turns back to Banner to save his life, then leaving the Madman to die. A cold move by the gray Hulk -- luckily he lives and we get to see Keown become the regular artist on the series a couple issues later. 

Rendered in ink (Marie Severin) over graphite (Dale Keown) on Marvel Bristol. The art has an image area of 10" x 15", and it is in Excellent condition.

Sam Kieth Pencils & Inks X-Men Unlimited #9 Title Splash Page 1 Wolverine Claws Out Original Art (Marvel, 2005)

Here's an incredible well rendered page by the legendary Sam Kieth drawing one of his most recognizable characters associated with his work, Wolverine. The wonderfully surreal work of Sam Kieth has made a huge impact on comics. In addition to his work on his own creation The Maxx and his key role in kicking off Neil Gaiman's highly significant series The Sandman, Kieth made quite an impression on Marvel readers in the early 1990s with his work on Wolverine in the anthology Marvel Comics Presents as seen above. He returned to the character a couple of times in the early 21st century, first on the Wolverine/Hulk mini-series in 2002 and then on the story featuring this title page, X-Men Unlimited #9 (2005). The page features multiple vignettes with Wolverine including a 'claws-out' image taking on a dinosaur, plus samurai, wild horses and an outstanding final image of Logan on a motorcycle.

The art has an image area of approximately 10" x 15", signed by Kieth in the lower right. Art is in excellent condition.

Jack Kirby Fantastic Four #3 Page 3 Historic Earliest Fantastic Four / The Thing Panel Page & Marvel Age Original Art Known to Exist! (Marvel, 1961)

From The Earliest Marvel Age Super Hero art to surface and panel page known to exist from The Fantastic Four, featuring Marvel’s most enduring character... The Thing!

This Historic page hails from the earliest issue of original art of The Fantastic Four known to exist. With that said, this too means this is the earliest Marvel Age Super Hero Art known to exist in this very issue! Based on Marvel historians and countless research, this page is believed to be the first panel page original art for the Fantastic Four known to exist, and overall second page next to the title splash page 1. Jack Kirby pencils/Sol Brodsky inks; page 3; Produced in 1961, Published in 1962; Large art (twice up) image area 12.5" x 18".     

Read More About the "Beginnings of The Fantastic Four" & The Marvel Age as we know it! Featuring an in depth look a the earliest original art of Fantastic Four & The Marvel Age!

Jack Kirby The Incredible Hulk #3 -- (Earliest Hulk Art Known to Exist) Hulk To The Rescue! Page 20 Original Art (Marvel, 1962)

Here is what represents the earliest art of The Incredible Hulk, as mentioned above it’s widely known the art from issues #1 and #2 do not exist. Art from the first series of 6 issues is exceedingly rare, especially issue #3 being the earliest art of the character, therefore being the most desirable amongst collectors. Not to mention it's one of the best Hulk action pages in the book...

This appeared in the story "The Ringmaster", which features the first appearance of the Ringmaster and his Circus of Crime, supervillains who pose as circus performers. The Ringmaster uses his hypnosis on the crowds that come to see their shows, allowing the other criminals to rob the attendees of their money and jewelry. Rick Jones, the teenage boy responsible for the creation of Hulk due to his carelessly driving his car onto a gamma-bomb test site, has taken a break from helping Bruce Banner with his new monster-changing problem. Rick is attending the circus to get some relaxation time in when the Ringmaster attempts to hypnotize the entire audience. Rick apparently has some telepathic abilities as he's able to resist the Ringmaster's hypnosis and send out a mental distress message to the Hulk asking for help. The monster quickly leaps to the location of the circus tent and makes an entrance. The Ringmaster instructs the Human Cannonball to stop the green goliath. The Cannonball carries a hammer that resembles Thor's enchanted Mjolnir but apparently lacks its powers. One of his cronies aims the Cannonball toward the Hulk, but it appears he bounces right off of him and the force rips through the roof of the tent sending the Cannonball flying. However, on the following page, a firehose turns out to have the ability to down the Hulk for some reason. The Ringmaster captures the Hulk and turns him into a circus clown. 

Needless to say, original artwork from the Hulk's original early Silver Age run is rare on the open market. As all long-time Marvel collectors know, the Hulk initially appeared in just six issues of his own title, Incredible Hulk #1 thru #6, published in 1962 and 1963 during the early days of what came to be known as the Marvel Silver Age. Learn more about the Hulk's history and original art through the link below...

Adam Kubert and Mark Farmer Wolverine #75 "Fatal Attractions" Key Weapon X Nightmare Page 6 Original Art (Marvel, 1993)

From one of the most important issues in the Wolverine mythos and this is the Weapon X nightmare scene. Professor X and Jean Grey enter Wolverine's mind to help him endure the agony of Magneto ripping out his Adamantium skeleton, leaving him mortally wounded. Inside, they encounter a psychic phantom of the now bone-clawed Canadian mutant, who guides them on a journey through his fevered memories-first stop: Weapon X... 

On the previous splash page they witness as Logan relives the pain of having the adamantium pulled out of his body by Magneto and suddenly find themselves in a flashback of Wolverine's time during the Weapon X program where his bones had adamantium grafted to them. The lower three panels you get a better view of Logan in the Weapon X containment lab. On the next page, realizing that they are seeing Wolverine's private memories that he wouldn't even share with his fellow X-Men, Jean finds their intrusion wrong and convinces the Professor to leave Logan's mind.

This piece is rendered in ink over graphite on Bristol board with an image area of 10" x 15.75". All text is paste-up, with residue stains, some of which have migrated into the overall image area, and there is a paste-up text correction in panel two. The board features blue pencil marks, whiteout, and handling wear. Signed by legendary X-Men artist Adam Kubert, and in Very Good condition.

Andy Kubert and Mark Pennington X-Men #20 Page 14 Wolverine Claws Out "Snikr" Key Issue Psylocke Returns Original Art (Marvel, 1993)

Andy Kubert became a superstar in the early 1990s when he took over as the primary artist on X-Men after Jim Lee left Marvel to form Image Comics. His dynamic work kept the title in the #1 sales spot for years. This page from X-Men #20 (1993) features a great claws out Wolverine page as he slashes through a tree to take out his frustrations. Great dialogue between Logan and Jubilee discussing all the hardships they've recently endured including the loss of Mariko, Jean & Scott's baby and more. I especially love the lower middle panel where Logan's on to a scent, only to find it's Betsy in the shadows aka Psylocke, and "Snikr" (not snikt) his adamantium claws appear ready for battle! Speaking of Psylocke in her return issue, this infamous storyline from issues #20-23 tries to reveal that Psylocke has been with the team since Acts of Vengeance isn't the real Psylocke after we later discover she's switched bodies with an assassin code named named Revanche! 

SuperMegaMonkey.net outlines our page and early reveal below-

"There's a couple of hints sprinkled throughout the issue that, in hindsight, foreshadow the Revanche revelation: first, while talking to Jubilee outside, Wolverine smells Psylocke, but Jubilee finds that hard to believe, given the cold and the dress Psylocke was wearing."

The art has an image area of approximately 10"x 15". Signed and inscribed by Andy on the lower margin. Art is in excellent condition.

Joe Kubert Sgt Rock #136 Classic "Make Me A Hero" Earliest Known Kubert War Cover Known To Exist Original Art (DC, 1963)

The legendary Joe Kubert spent decades illustrating the gritty adventures of Sgt. Rock and Easy Co., stories that took place in a seemingly endless World War II and published in the pages of DC's Our Army At War (which later changed its name to Sgt. Rock). This 'Twice-up' (large art) cover was published on Our Army At War #136 (1963). It features a full-figured image of Rock firing a machine gun at some enemy soldiers as he attempts to avoid falling through the ice on a frozen body of water. This was the third of four consecutive covers Kubert designed in which the design was divided into three columns, with only the middle column featuring the artwork (with a bit of spill over into the other columns). The two outside columns featured a solid color. Because there are only four covers in the long run that used this unique design, this one is well known to DC war collectors.

Now onto our research, since I thought to look to see if there are any other three column Kubert covers around, and there was nothing. So naturally I looked for earlier war covers by Kubert on all the auction sites, CAF, Google searches and also nothing. I then contacted Charlie Weiss who handles much of the Joe Kubert estate and he concurred he hasn't seen anything earlier as well. We should add DC twice-up covers much like Marvel covers pre-1965 are extremely rare already, this one being from 1963. To put it in perspective, Heritage's earliest Kubert war cover offered was from 1966, three years after this one! Maybe there's earlier Kubert war covers hiding in someone's attic, but for now this looks to be the earliest known example to exist!

The art has an image area of approximately 12.5" x 18.5". The title and Comic Code logo are stats. The center background stat is an art stat aka art over the stat, so the soldiers seen there are original art. Some minor glue staining in center image and paste-ups.The cover is signed by Joe Kubert and is in very good condition, especially considering it's age. 

Harvey Kurtzman Time Magazine "Cop and Radical" Published Illustration Original Art (Time/Life, 1972) 

Kurtzman not only created MAD in 1950, but his work is noted for its satire and parody of popular culture, social critique, and attention to detail. He was also a huge demonstrator of pushing the envelope using his cartoon skills to put messages across in the political circuit. This piece was Kurtzman's only Time Life artwork, in which the radical who was loosely based off a known activist at the time. Despite a "Kill The Pigs" button on her chest, she gets chummy with the cop, though they share distinctive differences, they put them aside during a time to promote peace and love. A beautiful piece showcasing Kurtzman's political satire at that time.

Grey wash and ink illustration on Bristol, with an approximate image area of 3.25" x 5.25", in Excellent condition. Matted to an overall size of 8.75" x 11.25". Comes with a copy of the printed article illustration page. Formerly part of the Kitchen Sink Collection.

Erik Larsen and Mike Machlan The Amazing Spider-Man #331 Cover Scene Splash Page 19 Punisher & Spider-Man Original Art (Marvel, 1990)

Here was one at the top of my list for a while now, an Erik Larsen ASM Spidey page and teaming up with the Punisher was a huge bonus! On this page we have Spidey swinging & The Punisher (Frank Castle) stands atop a pile of destroyed robot parts as he joins our favorite webhead in pursuit of the world's largest stash of drugs at a U.S. Military Academy. A great splash & cover scene image of the duo just before one of the robots gets a shot in on the Punisher on this action-packed page by Image co-founder Erik Larsen. A rare offering, as pre-1991 Larsen originals are hard to find since a house fire destroyed all of the art still in his possession. 

Ink and screentone over graphite and blue pencil on Marvel Bristol board with an image area of 10" x 15.75". Signed by Larsen at the bottom right. Slight toning, pinholes in the margins, yellowing of the shading film, discolored page number paste-up and small spot stain at the bottom, with light smudging and handling wear; otherwise, in Excellent condition. 

Jim Lee and Scott Williams The Uncanny X-Men #275 "Zaladane's Citadel" Magneto Splash Page 23 (From Jim Lee's Personal Collection) Original Art (Marvel, 1991)

This has to be my modern grail. Like many other collectors in todays world, I grew up with Jim Lee’s version of X-Men, I still have this book and many others in a long box since the early 90’s off the shelf. I’ve been searching for the right Jim Lee X-Men page for quite some time now. I’ve had my chances, but most recently with the enormous rise in values, I’ve been on the sidelines or outbid to an ungodly number. When I saw Jim chose a few X-Men pages to be auctioned off from his personal collection I thought once again there was no chance, especially meaningful pages he’d been holding onto for 30+ years. Besides a Wolverine claws out or full team page by Lee, like many of my other modern story arcs in my collection I want the villain, so the obvious choice was a Magneto page. Side note: prior to the auction the month prior I almost came to a deal on Jim Lee X-Men page featuring Magneto, but the seller was reluctant and I couldn’t blame him. But instead, with patience and sheer luck, I was able to pick up this amazing 2/3 splash from the landmark giant sized anniversary issue #275 featuring none other than Master of Magnetism, Magneto! 

Page Breakdown-

Jim Lee provides a powerful 2/3 splash panel establishing the opening scene in Zaladane’s Citadel of villains, who is queen and high priestess of the Sun People, inhabitants of the Savage Land. Magneto has been placed on a glowing platform, and Zaladane stands on a similar device where she attempts to steal Magneto's powers with the help of Brainchild of the Savage Land Mutates. On the bottom panel, Brainchild explains to Semyanov (SHIELD Colonel) that the machine transfers every spark of magnetism inside Magneto into Zaladane. Magneto tries to resist, but can't stop the process.

This incredibly detailed page features futuristic tech facilitating the energy transfer from the Master of Magnetism to the empowered sorceress, as well as a mind-controlled Shanna the She-Devil and Nereel, powerlessly observing in the background. Though powerless, with Lee’s pencils and Williams strong inks you’re immediately drawn to the large Magneto image. It’s a gripping page featuring a rogue of villains with Zaladane at the helm. Ink over graphite and blue pencil on Marvel Bristol board with an image area of 10" x 15.25". Punched holes in the side margins. In Excellent condition.

Jim Lee Punisher War Journal #18 Page 3 Classic "Kahuna" Hawaii Issue (Punisher & Microchip) Original Art (Marvel, 1990)

The Punisher and Microchip are in Hawaii to save a little girl from drug dealers. I remember this issue as a kid and loved it, being the "Kahuna" Hawaii issue. I especially love the first panel with the Hawaii mountains in the background while Microchip sets up the scene. This page has it all, a Hawaii setting with Punisher and Microchip guns blazing taking fire from the bad guys! And though you can't see it in this angle of taking fire, The Punisher has his classic skull suit under his Hawaii shirt as shown on the cover! 

An early Jim Lee page that put him on the map as an all-star artist, soon to get the X-Men title! With Al Milgrom inks and Don Hudson background inks over graphite on Marvel Bristol board with an image area of 10" x 15.25". Slight toning, text paste-ups and residue staining from missing paste-ups, staple holes in the top left, whiteout corrections, and light handling wear. In Very Good condition.

Jim Lee and Scott Williams Iconic Action Comics #1 Cover From The New 52 Launch (From Jim Lee's Personal Collection) Original Art (DC, 2011)

When you think of Jim Lee’s incredible body of work now spanning over 35+ years, there’s quite a bit to look at, but one could argue his New 52 era was some of his greatest art. While some would say The New 52 overall failed lasting 5 years, others like myself would say it was a huge gamble and overall a success. I believe in years and decades to come we’ll look back at The New 52 as the most revolutionary era for DC since the beginning of Superman and Batman incarnation in 1938/39, similarly to Crisis on Earth in the 80’s and quite possibly as large as The Death of Superman saga in the early '90's. 

We’re talking the first time since 1938 from Action Comics #1 to issue #904, to have a complete reset to an all new Action Comics #1, with an all new Superman look created by none other than Jim Lee! The art was cutting edge, with an all new Superman suit, and a younger look, Jim Lee took all his artistic queues and influences from years earlier and applied it to this art. You can see in the details of the art how important it was to Lee for this launch to be successful. We can’t put into words the importance of this title to the comic book community, and the all new Action Comics #1 Variant Cover by Jim Lee. There were a few different versions of Action Comics #1 for the New 52 by various artists, but this was the Jim Lee version, the most talked about and most sought after, and the only version to showcase Superman in his all new suit and overall look designed by Lee! Lee puts Superman in his classic stoic pose of strength and confidence, and plays homage to the Golden Age era with Max Fleischer’s Mechanical Robots from the 1941 cartoon in the background. 

Many of Jim Lee’s covers become available for purchase shortly after they’re created, while other covers stay with him in his own personal collection, as was the case with this cover. After holding onto the Action #1 cover for over a decade, Jim decided to part with it and I was able to acquire the piece through private sale.

From the great Alex Sinclair (colorist) shed light on this cover on a blog back in 2011: “By now most of you have seen the progression of this cover. Jim went through a few sketches before ending on this composition. Somewhere along the line Robots were suggested and how much we all liked the Fleischer cartoons. Jim threw in his version of them in the background and I did my best to pay an homage to them by simplifying the rendering and going really heavy on atmosphere. Pretty happy with the results--hope you are too.”

Jim Lee Pencils, Scott Williams Inks on 11x17 DC Bristol Board. 

Batman Hush is quite possibly the greatest story arc that’s come out of comics in the last 20 years. Launching in 2003 with Batman #608, for the first time Jim Lee teamed up with acclaimed writer Jeph Loeb, at the time most known for his Batman Long Halloween work with artist Tim Sale. The art collaboration between Jim Lee and Scott Williams along with the storytelling of Loeb was an instant success. Batman Hush ran for a 12 issue series from Batman 608-619 and a Wizard interlude recognized as 616A with record sales across the board and where the storyline has been reprinted numerous times as well as a hit animated movie and he most recent Batman movie in 2022 inspired by the Hush series.

For the first time in nearly 20 years since since Batman 619 released September 2003, 5 new pages have been released from the same creative team of Jeph Loeb writing with Jim Lee and Scott Williams art. The hype on these new story pages hit every major comic publication worldwide with articles coming out from everywhere from Bleeding Cool to Screen Rant and IGN to name a few. Similar to the interlude released in the Wizard #0, also referred as 616A, these new story pages immediately follow the end of issue 619, titled as “Prologue The Aftermath”. As IGN reported prior to the release of the book, the 5 added pages are part of the original story…

“DC's upcoming Batman: Hush 20th Anniversary Edition hardcover will feature the 12-part series written by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by Jim Lee, as well as tons of bonus material. And as revealed by IGN, that includes five new pages that have been added to the original story.” 

Jim Lee and Scott Williams Batman Hush '20th Anniversary' Splash Page 1 "Into The River" (DC, 2022)

We kick off the story directly following the events of Batman #619 Bruce goes back to the bridge every night to search for Tommy Elliott aka Hush… As mentioned above this is an incredible opening page of Batman diving into the river with the rain pounding at night reminiscent to the finale Hush Battle scene in Batman #619, similar to our page from the issue above. I especially love the subtle homage on the bridge on the lower left to Infantino and Miller, though later for print Miller was replaced with the great Tim Sale after his passing in June 2022.

Jim Lee and Scott Williams Batman Hush '20th Anniversary' Page 2 "The Search for Hush" (DC, 2022)

Batman searches the river to come across a lead hull vessel and references in #619 where Clark checked the river with his x-ray vision with no trace of Hush. But the lead hull would block Clark’s scan of the river and Batman goes inside to check it out where he finds dead bodies. He also references this river to be a known mob drop spot for the dead. Then we see a dead Lex Corp employee, apparently stabbed in the eye. Someone once told me the real Jim Lee Batman collectors come out when you can see the lugs on the boots...Well check out panel 1, there you go! Also, check out panel 2 and 3, which is almost Dark Knight Milleresque in look and feel. Great detail and flow throughout this page…

Jim Lee and Scott Williams Batman Hush '20th Anniversary' Half Splash Page 4 "Hush Surfaces From The Gotham River" (DC, 2022)

Hush is revealed in this half splash exit in the river after being shot, hiding in a sunken ship where he repaired himself. The top half splash not only has Hush getting out of the river for the first time, but showcases a nicely detailed rocky Gotham cityscape by Lee and Williams. The bottom half splash has a great frontal view of Hush, dripping in water, bandaged up with a menacing look only to be greeted by…

Jim Lee and Scott Williams Batman Hush '20th Anniversary' End Splash Page 5 "Revenge is a Dish Best Served Shot in the Head" (DC, 2022)

Here’s the finale splash page, which I might add is a cover quality splash page, a rogue gallery of sorts featuring none other than Hush himself (exiting the river), greeted by both Harley and Joker in classic Jim Lee poses. Once again an industrial Gotham backdrop off the river tops off the detail in the page. Joker holds a gun to Hush’s head, cracks a joke, which is not very funny saying “What’s the old saying? Revenge is a dish best served…Shot in the head! Haha HeHeee” What we do know is Hush ends up surviving as he’s seen in various stories proceeding the aftermath of Batman #619. But what’s most interesting is the bottom portion, which we don’t see on the art that says “To Be Continued…!” Will there be a sequel? It’s hard to say if and when that would happen and if it did, would it follow from this point or modern day Batman? Will it be Hush 25th Anniversary? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see…

Either way, Hush is an incredible classic modern storyline that continues to spark interest amongst young and old Batman fans. But I would argue what made Hush so successful 20 years ago and still today, is perhaps less the story itself but the art behind it, with Lee and Williams incredible artwork. It’s rare to see artists get better with age, but it’s safe to say these two artists are like a fine wine in relation to their artistic talents. What we’re witnessing is something quite rare for an artistic team of Lee and Williams who have been consistently putting out acclaimed artwork for 30+ years. In comparison, Miller arguably was in his prime in the 80’s and early 90’s, Mcfarlane in the late 80’s and early 90’s and the list goes on. Many would think X-Men Lee was his prime era in the early 90’s only to create Hush a decade later in the early 2000’s. Then another 10 years later Lee spearheads The New 52 Justice League and other titles in that era, to now still put out quality covers and in this case, which is extremely rare for Lee to do interior pages. 

Needless to say we’re extremely pleased to have these 5 new pages that have been added to the original story of Batman Hush, concluding Volume 1 by Jim Lee and Scott Williams in our personal collection. With that said, and newly added to our collection are the 4 page complete story of Hush Volume 2, 'The Promise'...

Jim Lee and Scott Williams Batman Hush Prelude "The Promise" Page 1  (DC, 2024)

Let's pickup right where we left off with the Hush Vol. 1 finale pages above, with the "Hush Prelude" 4 page complete story as seen here with page 1. The new story begins with a bang showing Batman and his closest allies as chess characters on a board. A striking image of Hush is revealed on panel 2 as he begins to move the chess players as we begin to learn of his new targets. The background detail is off the charts, as well as the watered down inks (ink wash) for the chess players, setting up an incredible scene in the following pages...

Jim Lee and Scott Williams Batman Hush Prelude "The Promise" Incredibly Detailed DPS Title Pages 3-4 Featuring Batman's Heroes and Villains (DC, 2024)

Which leads us to quite possibly one of, if not the most detailed DPS illustration I've witnessed from the all-star art team of Jim Lee and Scott Williams. Not to mention, this may be the most character driven Batman related published piece, especially Hush related that Jim has ever done. The only other Batman Hush related piece that comes to mind is the Batman 619 Gatefold covers, one for the heroes and the other cover for the villains, thus it wasn't one image, but two separate covers. We should also add the hero cover sold for a Jim Lee auction record of $500k+ in 2022!

In this case, previewing the Hush "The Promise", every hero and villain related to the upcoming story is featured here on this DPS! Also including a new villain named "Silence" (Upper right), and if you can't find the Clown Prince himself, it's only due to Hush stabbing his picture on the lower right. Look closely, the rogue gallery is all there with the exception of one villain from Hush Vol 1,  Ra's Al Ghul, but Talia this time is present. Though Jim could've easily had used stat images from the previous pages or work, believe it or not,  this is all hand drawn art by both Jim and Scott. 

THe other interesting thing is Hush's new costume, revealed here for the first time. We actually get a glimpse of the new look from the previous Epilogue pages from the 20th Anniversary. Hush's look is more sleek, more refined then before, with the old withered trench coat and bandages seemingly removed. There you have it, the pages that ended Batman Hush Volume 1, to the pages that start the much anticipated Volume 2 of Batman Hush, 'The Promise'.

This incredible DPS is on two boards (22x34) taped together from the back, signed by the art team of Jim Lee and Scott Williams in the lower margin and is in excellent condition. 

Ron Lim Silver Surfer #34 Page 21 Thanos Resurrection Issue (Thanos First Dialogue & First Silver Surfer Encounter Page) Original Art (Marvel, 1990)

Silver Surfer believes this was all a dream, and talks to himself about what dreams mean and his existence. He hears a voice suggesting that his dream was a premonition. The nightmare has just begun…  In this key page by Ron Lim with Surfer in every panel, and great dialogue by Starlin, he questions whether this was all a dream or something more? He begins to reflect on his life and existence as a human underneath the silver shell. “So The question still remains… What was that dream all about?” Surfer says. The last panel a voice says “Perhaps it was a Premonition.” Surfer responds “Who?” And looks to see who it is. The last panel of this page is the first dialogue of Thanos in physical form to Surfer, and this premonition would start his quest for the infinity stones and wiping out half the population of the universe.  

When looking for a Lim / Starlin Surfer page, there are so few pages from this key issue #34, so much so I’ve literally counted the number on my hand in CAF galleries and auction results. Lim’s page layout and surfer images are great, especially of him in the middle on his board. Not to mention Starlin’s dialogue and Surfer’s reflection of himself, and the bottom panel importance of Thanos’ first dialogue in physical form. A Truly historic grail page reintroducing Thanos and the start of the Infinity Gauntlet Starlin/Lim story arc! 

Ron Lim Thanos Quest #1 Battle Page 28 Thanos vs The Champion To Acquire The Power Gem (Thanos/Champion on all 5 Panels!) (Marvel, 1990)

Thanos Quest #1 Page 28 - Thanos battles the Champion with the intention of obtaining the Elder of the Universe's 'Soul Gem' known as the Power Gem on this 'Twice-up' (large art) illustrated by the team of Ron Lim (pencils) and John Beatty (inks). Beautiful 5 panel battle page with both Thanos & Champion visible on all 5 panels!

On this page from Thanos Quest #1, Thanos confronts the Champion, one of the ancient Elders of the Universe. The Champion was introduced in Marvel Two-in-One Annual #7 (1982). Following the Grandmaster's failed plan to kill Galactus, the Champion came into possession of the Power Gem. The Power Gem provides its owner with merely all of the power and energy that ever has or will exist! What's great is how Thanos finds the elders weakness, exploits it, in this case as shown on our page, he frustrates the Champion with a force field, where he ends up getting so enraged he blows up his own planet and eventually hands over the power gem to Thanos. Thanos knew he was no match for the Champion in an all out brawl, so he found another way to obtain the soul gem.

I think the best part of this page for me was the bottom left panel in which Thanos thinks- "In many ways I assume this is what it would be like battling the Terran behemoth, the Hulk... A conflict I've sought to avoid over the years." Interesting Thanos would make a comment saying he's avoided the Hulk. Well, what a great tie in since our first Infinity Gauntlet #4 page is in fact his first encounter and battle with the Hulk!

Note: The text blurbs on this page are paste-ups. However, the word balloons and text in the upper panel are inked directly on the board.

Ron Lim Thanos Quest #2 Page 11 The Origin of The Infinity Gems Revealed For The First Time Original Art (Marvel, 1990)

Ron Lim (pencils) and John Beatty (inks) collaborated on this incredibly important 'Twice-up' page from Thanos Quest #2. Thanos has gone on a quest to obtain six Infinity Gems that together will give him the power to impress his beloved personification of Death by murdering 50% of all living beings in the universe. On this page, Thanos has used his technology to locate the Runner, an Elder who possesses the Space Gem and demands that he turn it over to the Mad Titan. The Runner demands to know why Thanos seeks the Infinity Gems, and Thanos reveals the origin of the gems for the first time...

Prior to this page, we saw but knew little about the origin of the gems and for the first time on this very page we learn about their origin. The gems were once part of an omniscient being who existed before all time and space. This being "was all that was and all that was, was it."  says Thanos. As Ron Lim notates on the right side, to fade "God" into space, which is why there is only a pencil outline of the sentient being (see bottom panel darkened to show from original lighter scan). This being, however, was lonely, and ended its own existence. Its limitless power was reincarnated in the six Infinity Gems. This being we later find out is Nemesis, but here is referred to as God. The published page has a painted space background over the middle and lower panel by Tom Vincent. 

When acquiring this page, the content and context of the page outweighed the art or lack thereof. From the art perspective, I should add you still get a great Thanos image, a great Runner image with the space gem, and the two of them floating in space on the larger middle panel. Not to mention the pencil outline of the sentient being referred to as "God", later recognized as Nemesis! Overall, An incredibly important page to the Infinity Gauntlet saga, as we learn for the first time of the Infinity Gems origin! 

This large art has an image area of approximately 11.75" x 17.75", light smudges and artist notes along the border. 

Ron Lim Thanos Quest #2 Page 23 Thanos Matches Wits with The Grandmaster For The Final Gem... The Mind Gem! Original Art (Marvel, 1990)

Ron Lim (pencils) and John Beatty (inks) collaborated on this incredibly important 'Twice-up' page from Thanos Quest #2. I felt it was a must to have a Thanos / Grandmaster page, undoubtedly his most challenging and worthy opponent. This of course is the last of the elders in obtaining the 6th and final gem. On this page he visits the Elder of the Universe known as the Grandmaster, who is in possession of the last of the six gems. The Grandmaster isn't willing to just give it up, so he creates a complex series of challenges that Thanos must overcome in order to possess the prized gem. 

The final gem, the mind gem giving one control over anyone’s thoughts, is in the hands of The Grandmaster. The Grandmaster unlike the others is fully aware of what the gem is, why Thanos wants it, and is fully prepared for him when he arrives. The Grandmaster is obsessed with games and puts forth a challenge to Thanos, beat him in a game of his choosing and he gets the gem, lose and he dies. Thanos agrees to this. They compete in the game going back in forth in their battle until Thanos appears to get the drop on the Grandmaster. The Grandmaster however cheats and coats Thanos in a lethal fungal coating that utterly destroys him. Unfortunately for the Grandmaster Thanos was also cheating, it wasn't him competing at all but a robot. Thanos destroys the device that creates the gamespace and destroys the Grandmasters mind with it. And with that Thanos has obtained all 6 gems and with them. Thanos has achieved his long sought after goal of godhood. 

This large art has an image area of approximately 11.75" x 17.75", light smudges and artist notes along the border. Which then leads to the biggest, arguably most important saga of our time, The Infinity Gauntlet finale scene to the six issue series...

Infinity Gauntlet #6 Page 38 ("Farewell Titan")

The second of the four “Farmer Thanos” pages is one of our favorites featuring great dialogue between Thanos and Warlock, while Gamora and Pip the Troll look on. We see great up close images of both Thanos and Warlock, but by far the best image and another famous one is Thanos at the top of the steps with his arms folded talking with Warlock about the importance of the gauntlet and where Warlock seeks advice from the former Mad Titan who says with conviction to either “endure or surrender the power”, from his experience with the gauntlet. Thanos goes on to mention his three failures with the gauntlet being enough for him and in the last panel he wisely says “A quiet life will allow me to digest and incorporate the lessons the past has forced upon me.” Warlock wishes the titan best of luck and farewell. Now onto the third page…

Infinity Gauntlet #6 Page 39 (Thanos Reflection of Power)

Another magnificent page with Pip The Troll and Gamora questioning Warlock why they’re leaving the Mad Titan on this remote planet without being punished. Warlock explains essentially this is how the universe is to be “...Without Thanos, the picture is incomplete.” In the last panel, Thanos looks out to the sky seeing his visitors leave and reflects on his past follies... 

“Power. Such an ephemeral commodity, hard to gain, easy to lose. And I once thought I understood it. What vanity.” These are remarkable reflective words coming from the former Mad Titan, as he questions his life work, accomplishments and most notably his recent failures. 

Joe Madureira and John Dell The Uncanny X-Men #336 Double Page Spread 5-6 Apocalypse Original Art (Marvel, 1996)

Here's a tough one to find , a Joe Mad X-Men page from his run in the mid- 90's! Apocalypse joins the Watcher in observing the chaos erupting in New York City during the coming of Onslaught! An epic double-pager from Phase 2 of the "Onslaught" event storyline, which led into "Heroes Reborn". 

Ink over graphite on two conjoined Marvel Bristol boards with a combined image area of 20.25" x 15.75". Held together by tape on the back tape on the top edge, marginal notes, whiteout touch-ups, with light handling wear. Signed by Madureira in the bottom image area and in Excellent condition.

Todd McFarlane and Fred Fredericks The Incredible Hulk #332 Intelligent Gray Hulk (Bruce Banner) vs Green Hulk (Rick Jones) Plus The Leader Battle Page 20 Original Art (Marvel, 1987)

Todd McFarlane was in the early days of his now legendary tenure at Marvel when he illustrated this action-packed page from Incredible Hulk #332 (1987) featuring the Bruce Banner Intelligent Gray Hulk in only his 2nd appearance battling the Rick Jones Green Hulk. Also appearing here is the Hulk's #1 enemy, the Leader (Samuel Sterns), shown in his non-Gamma irradiated form. The artwork is packed with extensive detail and features a great final panel with the two Hulks engaged in fisticuffs.

McFarlane had taken over as the penciler on Incredible Hulk just two issues previously, #330 and writer Peter David had just begun his incredible 12-year run in #331. Rick Jones of course made his debut way back in Incredible Hulk #1 (1962) as the teenager who caused the incident that led to Bruce Banner being exposed to gamma radiation and becoming the Hulk. 25 years later, Jones was turned into a new version of the Hulk that is shown in this scene. McFarlane is inked here by Fred Fredericks, a veteran artist at the time known for work on the comic strips Mandrake the Magician and The Phantom.

McFarlane would continue to evolve his style during his year and a half on Incredible Hulk. This led to the young artist taking over Amazing Spider-Man, where he would make comic book history as one of the most innovative and beloved talents of his generation.

Early McFarlane art created in ink over graphite and blue pencil on Bristol board with an image area of 10" x 15". Slight toning, trimmed top edge, text paste-ups, tape and abrasions on the top and bottom edges, ink fading, with light staining and handling wear. Signed by Fredericks in the bottom margin and in Very Good condition.

Dave McKean A1 #1 Mister X Story Title Page 1 Neil Gaiman Story Large Art (Atomeka Press, 1989)

Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean produced the story "Heartsprings & Watchstops", which featured Mister X (originally created by Dean Motter). Here is an incredible title page splash by Mckean to the short story done by Gaiman. 

Produced in oil on Bristol board with an oversized image area of 16" x 25". The text is created with stats affixed to a clear acetate overlay. A Highbrow piece in our collection, in Excellent condition.
Property From the Collection of Darren Shan

Mike Mignola A Year of Monsters Sketchbook Cover Hellboy & Villains Original Art (Emerald City, 2013)

Here is one of Mignola’s most memorable and desirable sketchbook covers ever, which says a lot! The Year of Monsters in 2012 was a major event for Dark Horse and Mignola, which brought him back to doing a series of covers featuring characters created by Mignola pitted against a famous monster. These series of variant cover comics are now some of the most desirable of the era and command premium prices in the marketplace. To commemorate the year of monsters in January 2013, Mignola created this memorable cover and sketchbook showcasing all 12 variant covers in their original in colored art form. The sketchbook if you can find it, will run north of $200+, perhaps more depending on condition, making it one of Mignola’s most desirable Hellboy books in the marketplace. 

From Hellboy Wiki- 

“After Hellboy: The Fury concluded, it was announced that Mike Mignola would return as artist to the ongoing Hellboy stories in Hellboy in Hell. However, this workload would mean he would no longer be able to do as many covers as he had in the past. Aside from the covers for Hellboy in Hell or other Hellboy comics, Mike Mignola would no longer be doing any covers for singles. As a farewell to covers, the "Year of Monsters" cover variants were created, with one cover released for every month of the year 2012. These variants feature characters created by Mignola pitted against a famous monster of some sort. The covers have no relation to the story contained within the issue. The following year, 2013, Mignola's convention sketchbook, A Year of Monsters, highlighted his uncolored art from the series of variant covers.”

The cover art is spectacular, starting with the title, which is all drawn art, a rarity for a Mignola cover piece. A full figure Hellboy is front and center surrounded by some of Mignola’s most recognizable monsters, with Frankenstein, a Vampire and Death, and of course his trademark of bats surrounding! An incredible Mignola work of art showcasing his “Year of Monsters” in one memorable cover image. Rendered in pen and ink on 9x12 board in excellent condition, signed and dated by Mignola in the lower right center. Note- The scan was done with the mylar in place and shows a plastic line along the "M" and down the page, will attempt to get a better scan soon!