Heritage Auctions is offers collectors some of Marvel’s most prized comics, including the 1961 issue of Fantastic Four #1 that launched Marvel Comics into the Silver Age. Doctor Doom’s first solo title is among the other offerings.

Heritage Auctions’ Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction will take place Sept. 12-15, and the company boasts that bidders will hear the phrase “none higher” almost 200 times during the auctions. The phrase refers to the best of the best, signaling the highest grade a comic issue can be expected to receive. The auction includes the first book of the Silver Age, The Fantastic Four #1, at an impressive 9.6 Near-Mint grade — one of only two copies to receive such a high grading. Another standout in the auction is one of five copies graded at CGC NM/MT 9.8 for Marvel Superheroes #20, the 1969 book in which Doctor Doom makes his solo debut. Other lots include a copy of the 1928 magazine that introduced Buck Rogers and a bestselling Marvel comic book starring the rock band KISS.

FANTASTIC FOUR #1

Written by STAN LEE Art by JACK KIRBY Published Nov. 1, 1961

The highly-graded comics are expected to fetch very high prices at the auction. Heritage notes that a previous copy of The Fantastic Four #1, graded at only 9.2, sold for $1.5 million in 2022. “Most copies of this Marvel landmark didn’t look this clean and crisp, this impressively immaculate, when they rolled off the printing press, fell off the distributors’ truck and landed on newsstands 63 years ago. It’s the Silver Age dipped in platinum, a sonically sealed time machine heading to auction for the first time,” the auction company said, adding, “In more than two decades as the world’s premier comic book auction house, Heritage has never offered so highly graded – and coveted – a copy of the first Fantastic Four as this one.”

Heritage Auction will also have several other rare Marvel titles up for auction during the event, including John Buscema’s original artwork from the first issue of 1988’s Wolverine, the inaugural solo series starring Logan. Deadpool is also a part of the auction alongside Wolverine and other X-Men, drawn by Deadpool’s co-creator Rob Liefeld for a variant cover of 2021’s X-Men #1.

Tales of Suspense #39, which shows Tony Stark’s first steps in his Iron Man suit, is also up for auction, alongside Page 3 of 193’s The Avengers #1 by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers. The auction also features the book that introduced Spider-Man following The Fantastic Four’s first fight: 1962’s Amazing Fantasy #15 at a grade of Very Fine/Near Mint (9.0). The auction house also expects the world’s single finest copy of Marvel Comics Super Special #1 — starring KISS and graded 9.9 — to fetch well into the five figures.

Heritage Auctions’ Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction will take place Sept. 12-15.

Source: Heritage Aucions