Original Art by Artist Page 2 (Continued A-Z)...
Frank Miller
Frank Miller Pencils and Inks Elektra Lives Again Graphic Novel Iconic Half Splash Battle Sequence Page 29 Original Art (Marvel/Epic, 1990)
This is a stunning piece by Miller from his acclaimed Elektra graphic novel. This splash page is from the classic sequence depicting Elektra fighting a horde of ninjas in a cemetery. The movement and energy on display is staggering, truly the work of a genius at the top of his game. This very page was actually used as promotional material as seen on the cover of “Entertainment This Month #15”, and quite possibly other publications of the era. This scene is so memorable, as the page before this one, closely similar, was used as the promotional poster for the novel.
Miller's artwork in this book is considered by many as the best of his career, which is saying something. This prime era Miller art was done in between his acclaimed Dark Knight saga and a year before his Sin City work. Many believe he began drawing and writing this novel shortly after he left the Daredevil Series from issue #191, and took years for him to perfect and finish the work. As mentioned above, many critics believe this is Miller's greatest work of all time!
“Frank Miller was at the top of his game with Elektra Lives Again. This may be the best single work that Miller has done for Marvel. Written and with all line art by Miller, and with exquisite colors by Lynn Varley, it takes us back to the damaged life of Matt Murdock/Daredevil, haunted now by the ghost of the woman he loves. Elegant panel work. Sharp story telling.”-- Bud's Art Review
Pen and ink by Miller on vellum. Art is in excellent condition, there is a light horizontal stain about halfway up the page, this is the result of the previous page having been torn in half by Miller and taped back together with carpet tape which bled through into several of the pages underneath. Large Art, image size 12" x 16".
George Perez
George Perez Infinity Gauntlet #4 Splash Page 9 (Final Perez Page From Series) First Thanos Battle Page (Marvel, 1991)
For many of us proud owners of Infinity Gauntlet original art pages this speaks to the nostalgia of our childhood, perhaps our first moment of a saga or story arc that remains classic to this day. It simply doesn’t get much better than this.
This is the George Perez finale page to Infinity Gauntlet saga, a 6-part event series that has gone down in comic book history as one of the greatest Marvel stories ever told. It served, of course, as the basis for two of the biggest movies ever, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Infinity Gauntlet was a sequel of sorts to the "Thanos Saga" of the 1970s, written and illustrated by the master of cosmic sagas, Jim Starlin. This time Starlin served as the writer with the incredible George Perez drawing the first three issues and part of issue four, as seen here this being his final art page. Perez, having drawn DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths five years earlier, was the go-to “Rockstar” artist for huge events featuring dozens of characters. This momentous key page, which not only marks the first attack on Thanos (first true battle page in the saga), as mentioned above served as Perez’s last page.
It’s public knowledge Perez left the project due to time constraints on other projects with DC, and perhaps creative differences. Perez was also a storyteller, but we must remember this was Starlin and Lim’s show leading up to the saga. With that said, Marvel brought on Perez to be the lead, the rockstar artist if you will for such a grand project. With Perez’s departure midway through Issue 4, it makes us wonder why leave after this page? One can guess after a slower paced, content driven first 3 issues, issue 4 is the battle issue and he wanted to go out with a bang! It’s no coincidence this being the first Thanos battle page in the series and happens to be Perez’s last one, making this great page the only Perez Thanos battle page in the entire saga!
The cover says it all, “Let The Games Begin”. The subsequent 2 prior pages to this page has the second snap, essentially unfreezing the heroes in time to follow through with their attack, and Thanos says the classic line “Let the Battle Begin”, which leads us to this epic battle page. The top half splash is the heroes very first strike atempt at Thanos, it’s a clash of titans! You have both Hulk and Drax the Destroyer sneaking up and knocking the mad titan Thanos down. “Love and Godhood truly have befuddled his reason.” This is the first time what seems to be a full on successful assault on Thanos. Though in the ensuing lower panels we see Thanos is simply playing with them, as he blasts Drax with one devastating look. “They are but bothersome fleas to Thanos”.
Perez leaves his mark with a character-filled bottom panel with literally a dozen characters in total including Thanos, Hulk, Drax, Captain America, Iron Man, She-Hulk, Wolverine, Namor, Spider-Man, Nova, Quasar and even Mistress Death is there on the side watching on. One can only imagine after drawing this action filled battle page, he felt it was time to move on and pass the torch to Lim. Sure there are significant pages in the saga, but how about drawing the first Thanos battle page in the entire run and this being his final penciled page? If you want to see a Perez Gauntlet battle page with Thanos, well, look no further, as this is it! Not to mention Perez obviously loved the top splash panel so much he paid homage to the image again in 1993 for the acclaimed series Future Imperfect #2 double splash title page this time Hulk in Thanos' same pose being blasted by Maestro, his future self. Ink over graphite on Bristol board Large “Twice-Up” art 13x19, signed by both Perez & Rubinstein at bottom center. In Very Good condition.
H.G. Peter
H.G. Peter Wonder Woman #31 (Wonder Woman Co-Creator) Rare Golden Age Complete Page (Later Published) Original Art (DC, c. 1948)
Illustrated by Wonder Woman's co-creator H.G. Peter (1880-1958). Very little H. G. Peter original art is known to exist, despite the fact that the artist and co-creator drew Wonder Woman for more than 15 years. This is a rare full page by H.G. Peter originally slated for Wonder Woman #31 (1948), though unpublished at the time it was published later in a 'Then & Now' backup story in Wonder Woman #196 in 1971.
A completed Wonder Woman original art page is beyond exceedingly rare, as there are only a handful of full pages that are known to exist. This page is the second earliest story to surface, as one page from Wonder Woman #28 is known to exist. And I should add this full page is exquisite featuring the three entire tiers of Wonder Woman saving the day and Captain Trevor on the lower two panels. Ink over graphite on Bristol board with a large image area of 13" x 17.75". Cut into three tiers that are taped together on the back. Typical handling wear. Very Good condition. From the Ethan Roberts Estate Collection.
H.G. Peter Wonder Woman Co-Creator Rare Early Golden Age Ideal Wonder Woman Images Original Art (DC, c. mid 1940's)
This next image measures 7.5x13-3/8" on artboard has pen and ink original art for an unpublished comic story featuring Wonder Woman. Partial page from the story features two panels showing Wonder Woman in action rescuing a US Army truck that has run off road, her magic lasso wrapped around the large vehicle as Wonder Woman climbs up the steep incline. The handful of other original art published and unpublished Wonder Woman art from the 1940’s were smaller panels, and not featuring the Amazonian Princess in action with her lasso as seen here. This original art by the creator features a rare full body of "The Agile Amazon" (as the caption refers to her) in live action. Peter produced more than 4,000 pages of Wonder Woman art, but to date roughly 25 pieces have surfaced, and the small selection would be even smaller if not for partial pages like this one.
Art is clean and overall in excellent condition for the 2 tier example. It appears likely that art is among the partial-page Golden Age original art that was saved from oblivion by DC interns during the 1960’s. Story goes, like many other unpublished stories, it lay in DC's storeroom for many years. Sometime in the 1960s, some DC interns were asked to cut up these old stories and put them in the trash. The dutiful comic-fan interns followed the letter if not the intent of the order. They cut each page between tiers and put it in a trash can, which they returned to later and cleaned out before the trash pick-up came around. That is all that rescued this and other examples of fantastic late Golden Age material. Art is further enhanced by great mat created by artist Dan Makara, featuring collage style utilizing Golden Age Wonder Woman comic panels from Winder Woman 13, Summer of 1945, from the story “Slaves in the Electric Gardens”, estimated from the same era of the original art panels. From the Dan Makara Collection. This magnificent example eventually was published in The Alter Ego Collection as a bonus feature for an H.G. Peter Wonder Woman article in 2006.
Joe Quesada
Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti Daredevil #6 Double Page Title Splash "Guardian Devil Part 6" (Night of Karen's Death) Original Art (Marvel, 1999)
I’ve always wanted a page from Smith and Quesada’s “Guardian Devil Run”, these pages rarely come up let alone a double page title splash! This scene is quite memorable to the run as just a few pages earlier Matt's love, Karen is killed by Bullseye and now Daredevil must decide if he wants his life to continue. Literally the page earlier Matt has a gun to his head. The level of detail Quesada and Palmiotti are able to convey on this page is just incredible. Daredevil’s billy clubs are slammed into the shattered mirror and even stabbing the pillow of the bed they shared is alarming. We see Matt half in costume, arched over wrapped up in their sheets, while gripping the pillows and seemingly tearing them apart. Speaking of which, look at the extreme detail Quesada and Palmiotti put on the bed sheets— It’s all there— Everything is shattered— the window is shattered— the lamp is shattered— the computer is shattered— even the plant and pillows are torn to shreds and turned upside down, just as it is for Matt’s life with Karen gone.
On the published page (shown for comparison to the black and white art) other than the “Guardian Devil Part 6” and art / writing contributions the only content to the story reads a flashback from Karen in this very bed they lay saying— “When are you going to stop?” The following page she continues “Don’t ever quit… Never stop Matt… No matter what!” Matt repeats this to himself enough to get the courage again to put the mask back on and avenge Karen’s death. Truly an incredible piece of art from an epic run showcasing in one DPS the grief and anguish Matt is going through.
Heritage description:
An epic double-page title splash giving an overview of the results of Matt's grief over Karen's death. A poignant scene from the acclaimed art team of Quesada/Palmiotti created in 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, with light smudging and handling wear. Signed at the bottom by Palmiotti and writer Kevin Smith. In Excellent condition.
Frank Quitely
Frank Quitely "E Is For Extinction - Part 2" New X-Men #115 Story Page 4 Wolverine & Cyclops Original Art (Marvel, 2001)
From “E For Extinction Part 2” from Grant Morrison story & Frank Quitely’s art. This is the second issue of the acclaimed run that showcased Quitely’s storytelling mastery that brought a vital new vision to the fan-favorite mutants! This issue features Sentinels in the skies, which is the first page showcasing the deadly robots attacking the X ship. On the previous title page the hidden Ecuadorian Master Mold factory unit, Donald Trask (inspired by the radical ideas of Cassandra Nova) instructs the giant Wild Sentinels to commit mass mutant genocide.
Here we see Cyclops, Wolverine and the innocent civilian Ugly John fly above the factory on-board the X-Wing. They are then attacked by various miniature Sentinels and are soon brought forth to Cassandra Nova. With racial paranoia at an all-time high, the villain known only as Cassandra unleashes a legion of transfigured Sentinels on the world's mutant population! Their first target? The island nation of Genosha! Caught in the maelstrom are Cyclops and Wolverine—and one of them will have to make a terrible choice!
Frank Quitely pencils with both Tim Townsend credited inks. The image are is 10.5" x 14", and the art is in Excellent condition. X-ceptional art!
Humberto Ramos
Humberto Ramos Peter Parker Spider-Man #45 “A Death in the Family Part Two” (Spider-Man Implicated) Original Art (Marvel, 2002)
Here was a tough one to find… From the acclaimed Jenkins/Ramos run from “A Death in The Family” Spider-Man confronts Jonah Jameson in a rainstorm as he’s implicated for the murder of Gwen Stacy. At this time, Bagley was doing Ultimate, Romita Jr. was doing Amazing and Ramos was on Peter Parker. I felt Ramos at this time was breaking new walls with his fresh innovative styling of Spider-Man and I really wanted a prime example of his work. For some reason I really took to this page layout with great shots of Spidey hanging in the rain.
Ramos Pencils and Faucher inks. The art has an image area of approximately 10" X 15" and is in excellent condition.
John Romita Jr.
John Romita Jr. Spider-Man #67 Incredible Spidey Splash Page From The Story "Who Am I?" (Referenced on Page) Original Art
(Marvel, 1996)
A stunning and memorable splash page of Spider-Man swinging through the city as Peter Parker tries to find himself now that he is powerless and no longer Spider-Man. An emotional key page with the top left panel quoting the issues title "Who Am I?" a reflection period for Peter Parker overlooking the city, playing to an almost "Spider-Man No More" homage. The original art vs the published version shows the Spidey splash image as a silhouette flashback, brilliantly done by Romita Jr. as the outline of the buildings background is seen through Spider-Man in his glory days. This is the first time Romita draws the classic red and blue Spider-Man on his famed Mackey run, taking over the series a few issues earlier with #64 where Ben Reilly is now Spider-Man in a different suit in the clone saga. This is considered Romita Jr's peak period drawing the character with his all new style different from the house style of Spider-Man in the 80's.
Romita Jr. Pencils with Al Williamson Inks on Marvel Bristol board with an image area of 10.25" x 15.75", matted and Plexiglas-front framed to 15.25" x 21.25". Frame wear. Signed by Romita Jr. at the bottom. In Excellent condition.
John Romita Sr.
John Romita Sr. Amazing Spider-Man #59 Page 13 1st Mary Jane Cover & Feature Issue (MJ on all 5 Panels!) Original Art (Marvel, 1968)
From the very first appearance of Mary Jane on the cover and her first featured issue from Amazing Spiderman. Issue #59 is widely considered MJ’s breakthrough issue in look and style and this is one of the best pages in the entire book to feature her in all 5 panels by her co-creator John Romita Sr! And there’s only 1 other page in this MJ feature that has her on all panels, which is page 19, a 4 panel page. This issue ranks in CBR’s top 10 Best Spider-Man Comics Drawn By John Romita Sr., coming in at #9. Also take note, this is 1 of only 2 pages in this landmark issue to have Peter “Spider-Man” Parker, MJ, Gwen Stacy, Norman Osbourn along with Captain Stacy all featured on one page! — Face it, tigers, it's an art jackpot!
I confess that, when I re-read the old Lee/Romita Spidey stories, I generally skip over the Spidey fight scenes and focus on the drama in Peter's life that made his character so sympathetic and relatable to generations. In this case to see the ongoing love triangle between Peter, Gwen & MJ was more entertaining than Spidey battling the Brainwasher a few pages later.
Page Breakdown- Mary Jane plays photographer during her debut at the Gloom Room A-Go-Go, acting as an unknowing accomplice of the Brainwasher, who we later find out is really Kingpin! All of MJ’s friends come out to support her including Peter “Spider-Man” Parker, Gwen Stacy, and Harry Osborn. Plus, the city councilman and Captain Stacy are in attendance and are zinged by MJ’s camera, feeling ill instantly.
The trademark Romita style is on full display, with beautiful shots of Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy, coming through in the legendary artist's layouts for Don Heck, with finishes by Mike Esposito. Or as Marvel at the time put it; art by John Romita, enchantment by Don Heck and embellishment by Mickey Dimeo aka Mike Esposito.
Ink over graphite and blue pencil on Bristol board with an image area of 10" x 15". Slight toning, trimmed right side edge, punched holes in the top and bottom margins, tape abrasion on the bottom left corner into Panel 4, marginal notes, whiteout corrections, taped paste-up at the bottom right, with spot staining and handling wear. In Very Good condition.
John Romita Sr. Amazing Spider-Man #75 "Death Without Warning" Iconic Battle Scene Spidey vs. Marko Original Art (Marvel, 1969)
Spider-Man battles the Maggia enforcer super-villain known as Man Mountain Marko in the well remembered classic story titled "Death Without Warning!" from Amazing Spider-Man #75 (1969) in four large panels on this original artwork page. It's the work of the legendary John Romita, and Jim Mooney, who many consider the best inker of Spider-Man of this era, as Mooney's inks are so incredibly detailed, complimenting Romita. Romita's work on Spider-Man from the late Silver Age is among the most revered by original art collectors. This is an excellent example of his prime era work featuring a Great Spider-Man battle scene, including three full-body images of the world's most popular superhero in motion battling Marko. In the Amazing final panel we hear an unseen character exclaiming that he's getting younger. This was Marko's elderly mob boss, Silvermane, after he has taken a potion that de-ages him. In a memorable scene in this story featuring this page, Silvermane de-ages past infancy and ceases to exist! Absolutely great content from a classic story and some of the best action art panels in the book! Heritage has only offered 2 other pages from this issue at auction over the last couple years, one of which was the page prior to this one, which sold for $43,200 on 4/22 and page 18 on 6/21 for $45,600! But most recently and eye opening, a similar 4 panel battle page with Kingpin from issue #69 sold for a record $143,000! This page and issue #75's art is featured in John Romita's Amazing Spider-Man Artist's Edition.
John Romita, along with Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko, is considered one of the two most important artists to ever work on Spider-Man, the #1 Marvel character now for over five decades. Romita famously took over the Amazing Spider-Man title with 1966's issue #39, providing Spider-Man and Peter Parker with a fresh, more optimistic look that vaulted the character to a new level of popularity, assuring that Spidey would become arguably the biggest character in the history of the industry. Amazing Spider-Man is by far the most collected title in the hobby and Romita is a big part of the reason for that. Romita, who is now 93, is retired from comic books.
This art has an image area of approximately 10" x 15", an approximate 1" tear is located in the upper right corner. Minor staining is present in panels 2, 3, and 4. Opaque white is utilized in all four panels to make minor to moderate corrections. An approximate 3.5" piece of tape has been affixed to the board and slightly enters the art area in panel 4. This tape is less than 0.5". Art is in Excellent condition.
Alex Ross
Alex Ross Paradise XX Finale Issue To Earth X Saga Painted Cover Modern Masterpiece Captain Marvel Original Art (Marvel, 2003)
Painted in watercolor and airbrush on board, this is the Alex Ross painted cover to the final issue of his multi-year trilogy which began with Earth X, continued with Universe X and concluded with Paradise X. The sensational cover features Captain Marvel, the cosmic Kree Captain Mar-Vell who became one of Earth's greatest heroes and helped to defeat Thanos during the original "Thanos Saga" of the 1970s. Although Mar-Vell famously passed away in the classic 1982 Death of Captain Marvel graphic novel and unlike most heroes has stayed deceased, Paradise X involved all of the deceased heroes coming back to life after Death herself was eliminated from existence.
Art image is 10x15 in Excellent condition. After Alex Ross completed his monumental dark vision of the future of the DC Universe in the 1996 series Kingdom Come, Wizard Magazine asked him to come up with a similar concept for Marvel's future as part of a fun exercise. Ross came up with rough designs for Earth X which appeared in the well-read magazine. The response was so positive that Marvel ended up turning Earth X into a best-selling maxi-series based on Ross' notes and using his character designs. Ross provided covers for the original series and its two sequels, Universe X and Paradise X. Earth-X is a possible future of the Marvel Universe where all humans receive superpowers from Terrigen Mists. It was a very ambitious project that made extensive use of Marvel history. The series and its two sequels went in some interesting directions. By the third sequel, Paradise X, Death herself has been eliminated and mankind had become immortal.
After first establishing himself as a superstar with 1994's Marvels, Alex Ross cemented his reputation with his classic work on the 1996 4-part Kingdom Come series telling the shocking future of the DC Universe. This led directly to Ross' creation of The Earth X saga, which showed the future of the Marvel Universe. Ross' elegant and powerful painted work on the series established him as one of the most significant and sought after artists of the Modern era. His work is respected for both its realism and dynamic compositions.
TIm Sale
Tim Sale Batman: Madness A Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special Splash Page 13 (Best Batman Full Splash In Book) Original Art (DC, 1994)
This story "Madness" takes place during Batman's early career, and focuses on the Mad Hatter's (Jervis Tetch) abduction of a young Barbara Gordon, taking her to a house filled with all of his bizarrely warped reenactments and interpretations of Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland. Writer Jeph Loeb created an eerie environment for this story and his frequent collaborator and legendary artist, the late Tim Sale, provided the suspenseful scenery in his trademark chiaroscuro style. On this splash page, we find Batman fallen from the train tracks after he’s shot by Hatter, battered and bruised as he puts together the pieces of this maddening tale. This is arguably the best Batman splash pages in the book, the playing cards in the background are a wonderful addition by Sale. Shortly after this Halloween Special, Loeb and Sale teamed up again for The Long Halloween.
An incredible piece from an award-winning comic book artist that created stunning imagery for every series he touched. Sale passed away suddenly on June 16th, 2022. Ink over graphite on Bristol board with an image area of 10.5" x 15.5". in Excellent condition.
Tim Sale Daredevil: Yellow #2 "The Man Without Fear" Half Splash Page 16 Original Art (Marvel, 2001)
A stunning origin splash page confirming the man who killed his father (The Fixer) is in fact dead and in his ode to Karen Page writing, "Karen. You were the first one to call me "The Man Without Fear". The brilliant second panel shows Daredevil lifting the dead Fixer (different angle from panel 1) in the shadows with the large "D" focused and the subway train moving in the background elaborating more about Karen's calling him The Man Without Fear adding, "I liked that -- even reveled in it." The bottom half splash depicts an extremely well detailed portrait of Daredevil, with the subway train in the background, stating his similarities to his father, after finally getting justice for his murder writing a chilling line, "I was -- am -- will always be -- so much like my Dad.". Two great shots of Daredevil in his original costume and all important Daredevil dialogue on this page from the Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale series telling the origin story of the blind lawyer Matt Murdock becoming the costumed crimefighter.
An incredible piece from an award-winning comic book artist that created stunning imagery for every series he touched. Sale passed away suddenly on June 16th, 2022. Ink and wash over graphite on Marvel Bristol board with an image area of 9" x 14". Signed by Sale in the top right. In Excellent condition.
Bill Sienkiewicz
Bill Sienkiewicz Pencils & Inks Marvel Preview #21 Story Page 23 (1st Moon Knight Solo Story/Predates Moon Knight #1) Original Art (Marvel, 1980)
Here is a rare page from Sienkiewicz first solo Moon Knight story (Spring 1980, sources peg first week of February '80 release), which pre-dates Moon Knight #1 dated November 1980, which is also his next appearance in his own series. This OA page is actually the only page from this issue Heritage has offered! Now to this rare important Sienkiewicz original art page…
Bill Sienkiewicz was already known as an extremely talented artist at this time; however, it was his take on Moon Knight where he really came into his own as an experimental comic book artist. On this page we see Moon Knight in every panel on the go chasing the bad guys before they’re trapped and Marlene crashes. The bottom panels we see Moon Knight contorting and flipping similar to what we would see with Spider-Man! The expressions on the peoples faces in the middle panel are classic Sienkiewicz!
Ink over graphite on Bristol board with an image area of 10" x 15". Mild toning, spots of whiteout corrections, edge and corner wear, and marginal tape. Signed by Sienkiewicz and writer Doug Moench. In Excellent condition.
Bill Sienkiewicz The New Mutants #24 Story Page 11 (Cloak & Dagger with Sunspot) Original Art (Marvel, 1985)
What Sienkiewicz is most known for or acclaimed for is his run on New Mutants where his style really evolved doing mixed media painted covers, and really pushed the envelope with his expressionist art style. Here’s a great example of his work on that run with a charged up panel page featuring Cloak and Dagger and Sunspot. A very important page to the issue and run as Cloak and Dagger are powerless but want to help out those in need at the bus terminal. While at the bus terminal Tyrone & Tandy shooed away a pimp who was scouting for lost runaways. They realised how powerless they were, leaving him to recruit other children. The last panel shows New Mutant Sunspot aka Roberto at St. Anne’s crying to Father Bowen as he thinks he killed Colossus! But don’t worry, in the following pages we soon find out Colossus lives! Great example of Sienkiewicz body of work at this time. I especially love his thick blotchy inks over his pencils and the emotions he’s able to convey through his art.
Ink over graphite on Bristol board with an image area of 10" x 15". Some toning, chopped corners, irregular trimming on upper margin, paste-up text balloons, staining, and light smudging/handling wear. In Very Good condition.
Bill Sienkiewicz Elektra Assassin #2 Page 7 Elektra Battle Page Original Art (Marvel/Epic, 1986)
Elektra first appeared during the famed Frank Miller run on Daredevil, and was later defined in the iconic Elektra: Assassin, a 1986 masterpiece limited series by artist Bill Sienkiewicz and his avant-garde approach to mixed media materials.
This painted Bill Sienkiewicz page featuring Elektra in action comes from Elektra: Assassin #2, with breathtaking artwork by Sienkiewicz, and is one of the best-remembered accomplishments of its era. Stunning sequential art from Bill Sienkiewicz for the iconic eight-issue limited series taking place before her introduction in Daredevil #168, focusing on Elektra trying to recover her memory while at the same time being chased by S.H.I.E.L.D. This flashback battle shows her strength... and weakness. After her escape from a South American asylum, she experiences the beauty and harshness of the jungle, while trying to shut out the teachings of the Hand. The third panel (blankness) is when she lapses consciousness from being part or removed from her surroundings, with the following panels flashing back to a battle and training in become a ninja. The following page continues the battle and shows the man (presuming a Hand Sensei) losing and presenting her his sword in shame. A remarkable page from the limited series of Elektra in battle, and her origins in becoming the ninja as we all know her.
Sienkiewicz is one of the most distinctive and acclaimed creators in Modern comic art and this series is an important example from the height of his career. Mixed Media crafted in ink and gouache over graphite on Bristol board with an image area of 10" x 15". Toned adhesive tape in the margins.. In Excellent condition.
Joe Shuster
Joe Shuster Historic Superman Character Study From The Beginnings of Superman (c. 1937-1938)
Superman figure study Original Art by Creator Joe Shuster. This piece was found in a hidden space behind a false wall in a newly purchased home. After much research we believe this incredible art piece is from the Beginnings of Superman, pre-Action #1 as a working study leading up to the book, the only such art known to exist from this period.
Originally sold by Metropolis / ComicConnect, who is one of the leading Superman comic auction houses setting multiple record sales for both Action Comics #1 and Superman #1. Accompanied by a Metropolis/ComicConnect COA. Image on 10.75"x12" brown paper mounted on heavy black board. Signed by Shuster. See our link below as we go into detail on this piece as we break it down scientifically down to the characteristics of the suit and even to the paper to determine the era of this incredibly rare piece of art.
Joe Simon
Joe Simon Historic Captain America / Sentinels of Liberty Ad Illustration Original Art (Marvel/Timely, c. 1939-1940)
Here is a truly Historic piece of Captain America and Marvel history from the beginnings of Captain America c. 1939-40. Joe Simon has previously examined this piece and verified that it is his artwork and lettering, and said "It must have been done in 1939" in a direct email to Joe Mannarino (collector/dealer) in 2004, suggesting this was not only one of the very first ad renderings, but one of the earliest illustrations of Captain America. Simon stated that he did this same piece several times and different versions, one of which showed up in Captain America Comics #1, which hit newsstands in late 1940 and would also suggest he did these ads as early as mentioned above in 1939 into 1940 prior to Cap's first appearance in Captain America #1! This ad art is nearly identical to the ad that ran in All-Winners Comics #1, Captain America Comics #5, and USA Comics #1 all published in 1941.
Created in ink on Bristol board, personalized and signed by Joe Simon just below the 7.5" x 6" image area. After winning the item via Heritage Auctions, I decided to have it removed from the frame for a closer inspection. My Heritage rep who is an original art expert, went a step further, personally examined the piece and discovered it’s on thick artist board. He looked at the line work and the detail in the art to find it as mentioned above, nearly identical to the printed version, but with some slight variations. One big missing piece is the shield, but the straps are present. Prior to the co-creator Simon statement above we already thought this may be the preliminary ad piece or the art was more than likely an ad to be printed in another comic or magazine for USO propaganda purposes. The paper is consistent for the era as well as the blue editor pencil notation on the right corner. After his examination, my rep discovered a misplaced letter documenting the ownership of this piece as well as an original xerox copy of the art showing "4/18/43" post auction. The artist board is toned and soiled in spots, also consistent for the era. We believe the blue pencil "4/18/43" date in the right corner was from the date it was returned or filed / marked by the publisher, or was added later by an unknown hand.
This piece was not only was examined thoroughly by Heritage Auctions experts, but also has great provenance with the inscription from Joe Simon to "Vince", being Vince Oliva, one of the largest collectors in the medium who received this piece and letter from European collector Gerry Langley, who detailed the earlier ownership including the email correspondence with Joe & Nadia Mannarino of All-Star Auctions at the time verifying the piece with Co-Creator, Joe Simon himself. Vince later had Joe sign it and personalize it in 2004.
This early Captain America ad art is considered one of the earliest known period pieces intended to be published, "a working" piece of Captain America from the Golden Age. The only other known art of Cap this early are the Simon concept sketch from 1939 in the Library of Congress and Joe Mannarino's concept costume change from early 1941 after issue #1, both being concept pieces not intended to be published. Published or not, we would argue this is one of the most historically significant early Captain America pieces by his co-creator to exist in the comic art medium.
Walt Simonson
Walt Simonson Thor #271 (Thor & Iron Man) Battle Page 14 Original Art (Marvel, 1978)
Walt Simonson published Thor pages are extremely rare in the marketplace. Here we have a great battle page with some amazing images of Thor and Iron Man against the out-of-control orbital computer F.A.U.S.T.. Though early in his career, you can see Simonson's unique art style forming before his infamous second run on title.
Ink over graphite on Bristol board with an image area of 10" x 15". Slight toning, Panel 2 is stripped-in, as well as text in Panel 1, held by tape on the back. Discolored tape on the bottom edge, blue pencil editorial marks and whiteout corrections, with oil staining and handling wear. Walt Simonson pencils (breakdowns, closer to finished art) and Tony DeZuniga (finished art, inks). In Very Good condition.
Frank Springer
Frank Springer Transformers #1 First Appearance of The Autobots & Decepticons Page 19 Featuring Bumblebee & Megatron Original Art (Marvel, 1984)
Some events in history are so incredible, that they’ve gone down in legend—epic tales of epic heroes and villains. Transformers #1 is one of those epic storylines and iconic in it’s origin and place in history.
Transformers; Today's household name and storied franchise, nearly 40 years later after its inception, before the first cartoon, and toyline, came the comic book. Though it’s widely suggested both the cartoon and comic went into production right around the same time, the comic came first, including the Autobots and Decepticons origin and the names Optimus, Bumblebee, Megatron, Starscream and others actually came from the editors of the comic series at Marvel. We won’t give you a long drawn out history lesson on the robots in disguise here, instead we'll now dive into our original art from Transformers #1.
What we’ve already established above and what makes any original art page form Transformers #1 truly special, is that it predates anything Transformers related! The art is seemingly incredibly rare as there have only been 3 pages seen from internet scans (includes this page), the other 2 coming from Comicartfans private collections. To put this in context, Heritage has only offered a Transformers #2 page, which sold in 2022 for over $10k. For that matter, Comiclink and Comicconnect have never offered a Transformers #1 original art page along with Heritage making this exceedingly rare to come to market. I would argue every art page from this issue would have its own importance, but let’s talk about the significance of our story page 19. First off, you’ll see all five Autobots as “robots in disguise” for the very first time on Earth, this also marks their first mission on Earth.
As a recap, the first few pages of this book outline the origin and struggle of the Autobots and Deceptions on Cybertron, when they crash on Earth avoiding a meteor explosion. While laying dormant for millions of years in a mountain on Earth, it’s only after a volcano explosion they awaken. Optimus sends out the 5 autobots on a recon mission to see what’s on the planet and to learn more about the earthlings. Now back to out subject art, page 19…
You’ll see the Autobots, more specifically Bumblebee in only his second page as Bumblebee, the infamous VW Bug, confused why the earthlings are at a drive-in theatre to watch what he calls a “ritual”. The most fascinating take at this point is the Autobots think the earthlings are the vehicles / machines they see in relation to them, but will soon find out the people in the vehicles are the earthlings. So this page is the autobots first visual encounter with the earthlings and draws more questions. This scene being the autobots first time out on Earth, has the Decepticons watching the autobots moves from above, where Laserbeak reports back to Magatron with concern they’re gaining attempting to gain allies with the earthlings. On the last panel, in historic fashion, this page is the climactic point before the first transformers battle on Earth. More importantly, it marks the first time Megatron declares war on Earth and instructs his Decepticons, to destroy the Autobots!
There may be no battle or action on the page, but the content is truly epic! Not only do we have fan favorite Bumblebee in his opening scene, and their first view of “earthlings”, but also the Decepticons including Megatron and Starscream proclaiming war on the Autobots for the first time on Earth! Transformers #1 1984 page 19 Frank Springer Pencils Kim DeMulder Inks. 16 1/2" x 11" on Bristol Board. one word balloon in the last panel is missing.
Jim Starlin
Jim Starlin and Dave Cockrum Captain Marvel #26 Page 10 (The Trap) "Thanos Saga Begins" (1st Death, 2nd Thanos Issue!) Original Art (Marvel, 1973)
Thanos Saga Begins Here!.... Thanos' plot to destroy Captain Mar-Vell and his counterpart, Rick Jones, begins with this scene from Captain Marvel #26. In this page Lou-Ann (RIck Jone's girlfriend) who's controlled by Thanos and the Skrull's with her every move, has now set the trap for Marv-vell/Rick to go to Thanos' hideout. As Rick Jone's smashes the door down, the last text panel adds "But Two Flights Upstairs--", and the very next panel shows Thanos in the shadows and the Skrulls watching him enter. A key page in the beginning of the 'Thanos Saga', as we'll soon find out who this mysterious being is! Keep in mind there is only 20 pages in this key book, and Thanos is weaving an intricate web of twists and turns to plot against Mar-vell, or so we thought, only to find out the one he really wants is RIck Jones who carries the answers to where the Cosmic Cube is! (Spoiler Alert!)
This magical and magnificent Marvel masterpiece is also pencilled by Starlin and inked by Dave Cockrum, which is the only issue he inked during the run. The Captain Marvel vs. Thanos storyline proceeds until issue #34 and many consider it the greatest of Starlin's cosmic stories.
The overall page size is 10.5" x 15.75" with an image area of 10" x 15". The art is tremendous, with Starlin's blue line pencilling showing through and zipatone used for panels 6 and 7 for the effect. With the exception of tape staining along all four edges, the work is impeccable. Signed by Jim Starlin at the bottom left in between numerous plot notes presumably by Starlin himself.
Jim Starlin Iconic "The Death of Captain Marvel" TPB "1st Edition" Cover Original Art (Marvel, 1994)
Captain Mar-vell dies in what's perhaps the most poignant book in comic history, Marvel's first graphic novel, The Death of Captain Marvel. Since then, Marvel has kept Captain Mar-vell dead now for over 40+ years and it was unheard of for a cosmic super-hero like Mar-vell to die, especially from something so relatable to us as human beings, a disease like cancer. Starlin's own story hits home for the title as he wrote the novel based on the loss of his own father from cancer pouring everything he had into the art and story. It still remains one of the all time classic stories of our time, and Starlin's both writing and drawing Marv-vell at the end was only fitting.
The TPB "1st Edition" cover to The Death of Captain Marvel pencils and inks by Jim Starlin, is a true masterpiece of original art. The original cover, which played homage to Michaelangelo's "Pietra", (also a masterpiece of art), depicted Death holding Mar-vell, but the 10 heroes shown in the background are in their mightiest form; Thor's hammer out, Hulk's ready to smash, Cap's shield out, Spidey in a web shooting pose etc. It's said that Starlin created this alternate cover (image left) to show the same A-List heroes, with the exception of swapping Colassus for his creation Drax (more fitting), in an entirely different scene, in which you feel each hero's heartache and grief by Mar-vell's side as he passed on to the afterlife. Thus, this alternate cover depicts grief and sorrow throughout, with no hero at their mightiest.
The roots of the "Death of Captain Marvel" began two decades before Jim Starlin produced this cover. In Captain Marvel #34 (1974), Starlin ended his brief but highly memorable run on the title that began with #25 by exposing Mar-Vell to a nerve gas called Compound 13 while fighting the villain Nitro. The nerve gas initially caused Mar-Vell to collapse. While he appeared to recover, we learn in "The Death of Captain Marvel" that the nerve gas gave Mar-Vell cancer, which eight years later led to his tragic demise.
Other than the original cover image and a reprint of Captain Marvel #34, as mentioned above, this TPB cover was the only original alternate cover used for the title. SInce then, this alternate cover has been used in nearly every reprint for the title, whether it was The Life & Death of Captain Marvel Ultimate Edition as the cover in 2019, or the "End Page" to the most recent Death of Captain Marvel HC Gallery Edition, in what we've counted it's been used in at least 6 different editions over the last 30 years. In a lot of ways it's now a cover that's almost synonymous with the original cover from 1982.
If you're like me, collecting comics from the early 90's into the 2000's, this was the cover you were more than likely introduced to. First off, I was 3 years old when the original cover was released, but I've heard from older collectors, even then it was hard to obtain, always sold out and was a pretty penny shortly after it's release. Not to mention the original book was in large format, not on the comic spinner racks so to speak. This TPB cover was in comic format, and was the first version ever to hit the rack and was an almost reintroduction to this storyline in the 90's. At a time for me where I dealt with my own loss of a parent within that same year of this release, this version of the book I grabbed onto, and was something I could relate to at a young age.
It's also public knowledge that the original cover (Pietra version) was retouched (re-inked) by Bob Mcleod sometime in the 90's when the marker inks severely faded, just as a lot of the interior pages had. Re-inking / altering a piece after publication is frowned upon by collectors, especially not in the hand of it's creator in this case. Though the original cover still exists, it's been altered from its original state, which means this cover (right), is now the only existing original art cover for The Death of Captain Marvel unaltered in it's original form. A truly stunning cover that is held dearly in our personal collection.
Jim Starlin and Terry Austin Silver Surfer / Warlock: Resurrection #4 Key Story Page 19 Silver Surfer & Shalla Bal Reunite Original Art (Marvel, 1993)
A Starlin cosmic page has been at the top of my list for a while now and this page certainly fits the bill and in the realm of our collection. Starlin’s original cosmic work from the 70’s into the 80’s is regarded as some of the best art of its day. After his acclaimed work on The Death of Captain Marvel Graphic Novel in 1982, Starlin wrote cosmic but did not draw cosmic again until this mini series in 1993. Starlin wouldn’t go back to drawing duties in the cosmic world again until the early 2000’s with Captain Marvel. So this page is a rarity to have a Starlin cosmic page featuring Surfer, Warlock and the Infinity Watch at this time. Not to mention the page is inked by none other than Terry Austin, which was a great pairing over Starlin's pencils.
From the final issue of the mini-series where Surfer is finally reunited with Shaka Bal! This cosmic character full page features Adam Warlock and the Infinity Watch (Moondragon, Drax, Gamora, and Pip the Troll) watch as Silver Surfer is reunited with his love, though short lived! Shalla Bal still has duties as the empress of Zen-La, so theypart with the same status that they've had since the Surfer has been free of Earth.
Ink and white paint over graphite on Marvel Bristol board with an image area of 10.25" x 14.5". Staple holes at the top left, blue pencil editorial notes/marks and whiteout corrections, with light handling wear. Signed by Starlin at the bottom left and in Excellent condition. Includes separate page with Panel 1 starfield effect.
Jim Steranko
Jim Steranko Pencils and Frank Giacoia Inks, Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #2 Battle Page 15 Original Art (Marvel, 1968)
A published Nick Fury Steranko, what more is there to say? This was the artist near the top of my list that eluded me when going after the right published piece without breaking the bank. Granted Albert offered me a couple of his Steranko pieces, which were amazing but were well into the six figures, which I couldn't justify at the time. This one seemed to have it all, Fury all over the page battling a dinosaur in different contorting positions, swimming and getting sucked into quicksand. Mind you a couple of pages later this dinosaur and King Kong go head to head in classic Steranko fashion!
Page Details- Marvel top-spy, Nick Fury, is on the scene as the story "So Shall Ye Reap... Death!" There are very few Steranko S.H.I.E.L.D. pages on the collector's market, and even fewer featuring Fury in action in nearly ever panel! Nick Fury is knocked out of the Heli-Carrier, faces a ferocious monster, then ends up on a volcanic island! All on this page from "So Shall Ye Reap... Death". It's intrigue and action starring secret agent Fury of which Steranko would become most well-known for during his stay at Marvel Comics. Steranko's run on this book changed the game for this character and helped usher in the beginnings of what would become the big bold Bronze Age of Marvel Comics.
From CBR (2012) - Greatest Comic of All Time | Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #2:
“It's a sci-fi comic, with the evolution of all life of Earth recapped in four panels before a fifth brings us into the future with a terrifying doomsday scenario. And it's an old-school jungle action comic, as, I swear to God, King Kong and dinosaurs end up saving the day when the efforts of our heroes prove futile. Of course, it's an underground comic and it's an experimental comic throughout as well, with Steranko's vacuum-packed psychedelic spreads matching any of the West Coast's Zap Comix crew for sheer immensity of vision (occasionally presaging the great Rob Liefeld in their overwhelming lust for filling space with line), his layouts constantly moving from one previously unseen form to the next, chopping tiers of panels to ribbons before breaking free with full-page vistas of destruction. There isn't really a succinct way to adequately describe S.H.I.E.L.D. #2 -- rather than sum it up, one can only look at its pictures and catalog its vast array of different parts. In the end, as with every Steranko comic, those parts don't add up to a whole greater than their sum, but it's impossible not to be taken in by the sheer creative energy powering a cartoonist willing to try so much, and at such a dizzying pace. Whole careers in comics have showed less range than Steranko does in these 20 pages.”
This fantastic page was created in Ink over graphite on Bristol board with an image area of 10" X 15". Light overall toning, marginal production hole punches, with smudging. In Excellent condition.
Mark Texeira
Mark Texeira Ghost Rider #24 Cover Scene Ideal Image Half Splash Page 14 Original Art (Marvel, 1992)
I'll first start out growing up in comics in the early 90's, what I call the dark period, my three top anti-heroes were of course Wolverine, Punisher and Ghost Rider! Just as Jim Lee did with X-Men/Punisher, and Mcfarlane did with Spidey in that same era, I would put Texeira in the same category with Ghost Rider. I've been on the hunt for the right Tex published Ghost Rider piece for a while now, thought I was going to win the cover art to issue #23 in 2022, only to see it soar far past expectations to nearly $50k!
Since then I raised my Tex Ghost Rider or (GR) art expectation substantially waiting for the right piece and here it was, the stars aligned and I won it with room to spare, well at least what I was willing to pay. These Tex GR pages rarely come up, or a good one at that being all Tex. Nothing against Javier Saltares, who is great, but I truly wanted a pure Tex GR page, which is even more rare as he did pencils and inks only for issues 5, 7, 13-19 and 22-24. This one has even more significance, which I'm glad was not mentioned in the description as the last issue of Tex's great run on GR and is the cover scene splash! And is everything you want from a Tex GR page, GR is coming at you on his infamous flaming bike busting through a wall with his chain out! More detailed description of the page itself below...
In this climactic page Ghost Rider (Daniel Ketch) battles the villainous trio Deathwatch, Hag, and Troll, with Snowblind being tortured! Soon after this climactic scene will come to a dramatic end with all of the villains dead and Ghost Rider wondering what's to come after all his foes are gone. A fitting way for Texeira to leave the series, while a new chapter begins. Created in ink over graphite on Marvel Bristol board with an image area of 10.5" x 15.75". Corner dings, editorial marks/notes, spot staining, and light smudging/handling wear. In Very Good condition.
Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith Historic First Conan Concept Illustration (Pre-Conan #1) Original Art (c. 1969/1970)
Barry Windsor Smith - Conan #1, First Conceptual Drawing (Marvel, 1969/1970)... Barry Windsor Smith has risen in the ranks of the medium's elite artists, and Conan the Barbarian was his vehicle to stardom. This is a very early conceptual piece. We have electronic confirmation by both co-creators (Barry Smith Studio and Roy Thomas) this is Conan’s concept drawing, which essentially launched the Bronze Age of comics in 1970. In 2005 Alex Bialy, Windsor Smith’s studio assistant confirmed the piece being a test drawing circa 1970 for Conan #1. Just recently (2021), Roy Thomas, co-creator of Conan and former Editor in Chief of Marvel verified the story of the piece being 1 of 2 known Conan concept pieces from 1969/1970. The other known piece is believed to be a prelim for this piece, or perhaps was done right after this piece based on the notes of the backside of this drawing. The other drawing was not as robust or refined, or a finished image as this one, it was a loose pencil sketch. Though the pose is strikingly similar and the serpent headpiece was also present on the other drawing, this was the only time we saw the serpent crown drawn on Conan per Roy Thomas.
What makes this piece even more interesting is the backside, which has the serpent crown concept pitch and notes to Roy Thomas. Windsor Smith comments “I’ll find reference for a particular snake when we start”. “When we start” is undoubtedly reference to starting Conan #1 and the many notes on the backside of the image are continual plays to Thomas of advancing the character with this very image. Making this piece either the very first Conan concept drawing, or certainly the first intended Conan published drawing, which was most likely submitted for editorial review during the developmental stages of the character. Roy Thomas believed this drawing in his own words was done by Windsor Smith in late 1969 or early January 1970.
The drawing of Conan itself is quite dynamic and is a finished figure. A pulse-pounding portrait of Conan, the Cimmerian -- the brawling barbarian has his sword drawn, and stands ready to crush his enemies, see them driven before him, and hear the lamentation of their women. Signed Barry Smith below the figure, also annotated in pencil are the words "Inks by Rich Buckler". Roy Thomas believes he had a hand in having Rich Buckler ink the piece and makes mention of it. The background texture was left un-inked and part of it was erased to give more contrast to the figure, to separate it visually from the patterned background. The image area of this work measures approximately 8.5" x 11", and there are a few touches of white-out; otherwise the art is in Excellent condition. professionally matted and framed. Truly a historical piece by the legend Barry Windsor Smith, and this very image marks the start of the Bronze Age of comics!
Wally Wood
Wally Wood Historic Daredevil Red & Black Costume Re-Design (1st Panel from Daredevil #7) & Iconic Cane + Cable Original Concept Art (Marvel, c. 1964)
I'll lead off with this being perhaps one of our most historically significant pieces of art in our collection, Wally Wood's original concept art for Daredevil's costume re-design including his cane & cable! While you can see below, Heritage Auctions description of the art and while they got most of it right, they did fail to add a few extremely important pieces to the puzzle. You can't blame them as there is a lot going on in this page, but first and why we showed the art as a collage, it's nearly identical in the pose to the iconic issue #7's new suit reveal, and by all accounts and from our research this is the drawing that fleshes out the new re-designed costume before the model sheets. Let's start at the top right, "Black Suit", also identified by many as the "Red & Black" suit, interestingly enough that may be due to the fact that there is generally more black "noir" tones throughout this issue and future issues with Wood's art. Next, "Red Eyes", this is the first time in issue #7 that the red eyes are revealed, going more in line with the demonic nature of Daredevil and since the black surround s the cowl, the red becomes a much better contrast. Previous issues Daredevil had black eyes, also a demonic feature, but may be too associated with blindness, and thus the possibility of giving up Matt's true identity. The new redesigned suit is now a fitted formed costume playing to Matt's muscular build vs. the baggy "old" style yellow suit, which is associated with cowardice. Lastly, and perhaps the most important concept added here is the "Cane + Cable", which will become a staple and "mortar" (as mentioned) or weapon. Wood also incorporates that the cane + cable can be used as a "smoke screen", which he uses against Sub-Mariner in their iconic battle scene. Note the cane + cable is positioned on the lower left hip of the sketch, roughly at the same point of the published first image suit reveal. This costume concept re-design we see here has stuck with Daredevil from this drawing to today, and regarded as one of the crowning achievements by Wood, along with the issue it's most associated with (Daredevil #7) one of the defining moments in comic history.
Note the left side notes are also concepts that do in fact come to fruition in future issues as mentioned below in Heritage's description. Adding to the arts provenance, it was confirmed prior to auction this historic concept art was originally from The Wallace Wood Estate. The most interesting may be the mention of "Matt vs Spider-Man" on the lower left from issue #16, but instead of Matt following Peter Parker and discovering his true identity as proposed, Lee and Romita reverse this plot concept and Parker follows Matt to his law office and thinks Foggy is Daredevil. Interestingly since Wood left Marvel after issue #11, and had no hand in issue #16, this is the only surviving sketch or mention of Spider-Man and Daredevil in his hand that we can find. Talk about historic all on one page!
Heritage description- Wally Wood - Daredevil Costume Re-Design Sketch Original Art (Marvel, c. 1964)
A page of rough sketches and notes. The notes on the "Black Suit" put this design page at approximately the last quarter of 1964. Given production time, the elements of this page started showing up in Wood's second issue on the title. The "Masked Crook" looks very much like Mr. Fear from Issue #6, and the "Black" (Red) costume shows up in Issue #7. The 'whole gang in identical costumes' and the 'DD vs. Spider-Man' notes could well be references to Issues #14 and #16, which were after Wood had already abruptly left the title. This historic page was created in graphite on 8.5" x 11" paper. The page is toned, has a diagonal crease across it, and minor rips and creases in the bottom edge. In Very Good condition.
Wally Wood Pencils and Inks Astonishing Tales #2 Story Page 7 Dr. Doom "The Time Has Come To Meet Force With Force!" Original Art (Marvel, 1970)
Astonishing Tales #2, From The First Ever DR. DOOM SOLO SERIES (Second Story Art). After gaining popularity in the pages of Fantastic Four and seen as one of Marvel's best villains, Dr. Doom branched out into his first solo story months earlier in Marvel Super-Heroes #20 as a test run for his feature series in Astonishing Tales (seen here). This Great page by legendary artist Wally Wood has Doom facing resistance from ousted Prince Rudolfo over rulership of Latveria. Epic storytelling and page layout by the revered artist, with an ideal first panel image of Doom saying "Then, the time has come to Meet Force with Force! This Night Decides Whether Latveria is Ruled by Dr. Doom-- or the Schemer Rodolfo!" And let the battle begin with Rudolfo and his army versus the Doombots!
This story arc was some of Wally Wood's best work for Marvel. If you want Wally Wood pencils and inks Marvel Super-Hero Art, you’re limited to his Daredevil work from issues 5-8 and this series, Astonishing Tales 1-4 featuring Dr. Doom. The only other Marvel work Wood penciled was his Tower of Shadows stint in 1970, but this channeled more of his Wizard King work and not superhero related. The other Marvel Superhero related Wally Wood art would be limited to his inks and not pencils, so the pages are limited and rarely come up. This story from Astonishing Tales #2 was later reprinted in the Marvel Comics Art of Wally Wood. Ink over graphite on Bristol board with an image area of 10" x 15". Slight toning, pinholes in the right margin, whiteout corrections, marginal notes, and light oil staining. In Very Good condition.
Bernie Wrightson
Bernie Wrightson Frankenstein Alive, Alive! #3 Page 13 Last Published Work Original Art (IDW, 2014)
The master creates a masterpiece as it’s one of the best pages in the book. The Monster of Frankenstein has a touching scene over the deceased Dolly, Dr. Ingles wife. He thinks she’s dead from his doing, fainting earlier when she sees the sight of the monster. You can feel the empathy and compassion for him in this pivotal scene, while seeing he has feelings and a heart as he prays over her body. The dialogue to himself and to Dolly is striking from the printed page; “A wave of remorse and self loathing washed over me…”Forgive me”…This was my fault. I knew it had to be. The very sight of me had killed this woman, had shocked her into irreversible decline…I wanted to pray…But I did not know how, or to whom…I let my guilt and shame and remorse engulf me…I could do nothing but weep bitterly.” You feel the monster's grief from Wrightson’s art without even reading the dialogue, it’s simply breathtaking how he does it. It's a key scene in the story, as it leads to his understanding of exactly what Doctor Ingles is up to. He soon finds out the real monster is Ingles and he is more human than any of his counterparts in this story. The reviews of the book and art are already infamous and have been dubbed a modern masterpiece. This was Wrightson’s last published work before his passing in 2017 and is regarded as one of his best. Check out one of the many rave reviews seen below, which exemplifies Wrightson’s incredible work and the monster’s compassion and humanness, which is felt in every way from this very page.
“The beauty of this series lies in more than just Wrightson’s stunning pencils. Niles has expertly crafted a tale that exposes the essence of who Frankenstein could, and should, be. Whereas a lot of the other attempts at Frankenstein are character assassination or modern interpretations, this story is a direct continuation that really drives home one basic point: Despite our Monster’s appearance and nature, his internal struggle with his continued existence, guilt and shame give us a character that at his core is more human than the human beings he’s surrounded by. Dr. Ingles has no issues with murder to revive the corpse of his wife, just as the patrons of the sideshow have no compunction about pelting him with rotten veggies solely based on his appearance. He possesses more soul and compassion than any of the human counterparts in this story, and all he truly wants is for his existence on this world to end. You really feel for the guy by the end of each issue. And yes, there is beauty in Wrightson’s pencils. So much. Every page is a masterpiece. If you’ve ever been privileged enough to read the original Wrightson Frankenstein book, you know exactly what to expect. Breathtaking panels on every page, the level of detail so minute you can pick out the bubbles and gooey bits in every flask and beaker. I’m so glad this book is being published in the unadulterated pencils with no attempt to digitally ink or color it. This book is presented in the perfect format for a sequel to the original Shelley story. I think I’ve reread each issue three or four times just to soak it all in. I really like this series, and this issue in particular, for it’s insight into the heart of Frankenstein’s Monster and how he’s in constant battle with his nature. Also, it drives home the point of how man, in his arrogance, could create and belittle a creature that proves to have more integrity and compassion than we do. Good stuff indeed. -Frank Lanza (Nerds on the Rocks).
The art is in ink and bluish grey hue wash on Bristol board, for an overall image size of 12" x 18". Excellent condition. Signed in the lower right.
Mike Zeck
Mike Zeck Captain America #276 Story Page 3 Falcon Origin Story & 1st Cap Meeting Retold Original Art (Marvel, 1982)
In this flashback panel page from the story titled "Snapping! Part 1", we see Sarah Wilson telling Carol Davis the dark history of Sam Wilson (Falcon) and his relationship with Captain America (Steve Rogers) and Red Skull! Marvel clears Sam Wilson’s name in this issue highlighting as he was formerly depicted as a drug dealing thug pre/Falcon, which we learn was fabricated by none other than Red Skull. Great early origin and recap of Falcon’s first meeting with Cap and how it all began for the legendary duo.
Page was created in ink over graphite on Bristol board with an image area of 10" x 15". Slight toning, chopped corners, editorial marks/notes, and light edge smudging/handling wear. Mike Zeck pencils and John Beatty inks. In Very Good condition.