Batman and Superman Under the Hammer
Jerry Robinson's original cover artwork to Detective Comics #69 (Nov 1942).
ICONS comics
ICONS comics
The market for original artworks used to create Batman, Superman and other classic early comic books is catching up with already thriving sales of the books themselves.
Last February an individual comic book sold privately for $1 million. On Wednesday, the comics market will be tested again with the auction of two original pieces of cover art—the patriotic Superman No. 14 and Detective Comics No. 69 featuring a large image of Batman's nemesis, the Joker.
"When the recession hit, the market took off," said Stephen Fishler, chief executive officer of ComicConnect, the online marketplace that will offer the works through Dec. 1. "A lot of people who maybe looked towards traditional investments now felt that they were on incredibly shaky ground."
Zap! Pow! Sold!
Some market champions:
$1 Million(February); $1.5 Million (March)
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ICONS comics
ComicConnect/MetropolisComics
Superman's 1938 debut sold privately through ComicConnect for seven figures in February; the next month, a copy in better condition sold for a higher price.
ICONS comics
ICONS comics
$1,075,000
[batman] Heritage Auctions
This 1939 Detective Comics No. 27, the first to feature Batman, set a comic-book auction record in February.
A comic book's value depends on how many copies remain, its historical significance, the quality of its condition and the characters' current relevance. The art created for the covers of these books, on the other hand, can't be evaluated in the same way: The artworks are one of a kind and extremely rare because most were destroyed after the comic went to the printer.
The two drawings up for auction in the sales that begin Wednesday were only saved because of 88-year-old Jerry Robinson, who started working on the original "Batman" comic book series in 1939. Earlier this week, Mr. Robinson spoke of toiling beside comic-book greats Jack Kirby, Fred Ray and Joe Shuster: "I think we knew we were working on something unique." Whenever he thought the works were exceptional, he'd call the printer and ask for the covers to be returned as a keepsake.
"Americans somehow feel if it's too popular, it can't be art," he said.
In 1942 Mr. Robinson drew Detective Comics No. 69, with the Joker hovering over Batman and Robin. More recently, Heath Ledger's performance in "The Dark Knight," for which he won a posthumous Oscar in 2009, has sparked renewed interest in the Joker. The art is expected to sell for at least $400,000.
As for the 1942 Superman No. 14 cover—the other art being auctioned—it's one of the most reproduced images of the character. It was drawn by Fred Ray and shows the hero with an eagle on his arm, set against a backdrop of a stars-and-stripes shield. Mr. Fishler predicts it will sell for more than the Joker cover.
With comic-book sales now topping $1 million apiece, dealers think there's room for their individual cover prices to fly. Among the highest prices so far is a $380,000 cover drawing from Weird Science.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704462704575590693620844462.html?mod=WSJ_ArtsEnt_LifestyleArtEnt_2