Frank Miller and Klaus Janson Batman: The Dark Knight #3 Batman and Robin Iconic Splash Page 10 Original Art
The highlight of Heritage Auctions’ the Signature Vintage Comics and Comic Art Auction will be the original splash page from Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns.The iconic original art for the page 10 splash page from issue #3 of Frank Miller and Klaus Janson’s The Dark Knight Returns, the comic series that almost single-handedly re-vitalized Batman, and defined the best of 1980s comics already touched $100,000 in the art auction.
The amazing piece is a perfect stand-alone image of Batman and Robin (Carrie Kelley, the first female, full-time Robin) soaring high above Gotham City, an apt symbol of the entire intense storyline.
The Dark Knight Returns is universally acknowledged as one of the most important and influential superhero stories ever published, said Todd Hignite, Consignment Director for Comic & Illustration Art at Heritage. Miller is arguably the greatest superhero writer/artist to work during this period, and Dark Knight is his undisputed masterpiece.
To put it in perspective, our record for a piece of comic art was that we sold the cover art for Batman No. 11, which is from the 1940s, and that sold for more than $195,000, said Barry Sandoval, who heads up Heritage’s comics division. To think that an item from the 1980s could even approach the price of something from the 1940s is a pretty mind-boggling thought.
The Heritage auctions on Thursday will see several pieces from the comic art history. The Dark Knight art is in a class of its own but there are several other pieces with historical significance that are estimated to go for much lower prices. There will be The Amazing Spiderman No. 2 and works by R Crumb and Charles Schulz.
To keep up with the comic sales, head to the Heritage site, where the floor auction will be streaming Thursday.