Heritage held their Signature Showcase Auction this past week, featuring a curated selection of high-grade and key books from the Golden Age up to the present. Below are the key auction results establishing all-time sales records in grade.

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Low
$550
Mid
$1.6k
High
$5.5k

Key Facts

2nd appearance of Aquaman

2nd appearance of Green Arrow

2nd appearance of Speedy

Fiction House ⋅ 1944
Low
$350
Mid
$1.2k
High
$3.5k

Key Facts

Cover art by Lily Renee

DC ⋅ 1951
Low
$100
Mid
$300
High
$1.1k

Key Facts

1st cover appearance of Lex Luthor in the Superman title

St. John ⋅ 1954
Low
$600
Mid
$1.8k
High
$6k

Key Facts

Cover art by Matt Baker

DC ⋅ 1949
Low
$1.1k
Mid
$3.1k
High
$11k

Key Facts

First Superboy title series

Dell ⋅ 1948
Low
$120
Mid
$400
High
$1.2k

Key Facts

Premiere issue of the first Tarzan ongoing series

Atlas ⋅ 1953
Low
$300
Mid
$1k
High
$3k

Key Facts

Horror cover, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

Thoughts & Images ⋅ 1984
Low
$950
Mid
$3.2k
High
$9.5k

Key Facts

1st appearance of Usagi Yojimbo

Yojimbo is Japanese for bodyguard

An animated series set in the Usagi Yojimbo universe is in production for Netflix

Low
$290
Mid
$770
High
$2.8k

Key Facts

1st appearance of Dr. Droom, renamed Dr. Druid in the reprint Weird Wonder Tales #19 as to avoid confusion with Dr. Doom

1st appearance of an unnamed Lama who is later retconned into being the Ancient one in Avengers Spotlight #37

Low
$28.5k
Mid
$81k
High
$290k

Key Facts

1st appearance and origin of Wonder Woman

1st appearance of Hippolyta

1st appearance of Steve Trevor

Starman and Dr. Mid-Nite join the JSA

💰 In June 2022, a 9.4 sold for $1,620,000

Variant ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2009
Low
$200
Mid
$975
High
$2.5k

Key Facts

Variant black and white cover art by J. Scott Campbell

Fawcett ⋅ 1940
Low
$300
Mid
$1k
High
$3k

Key Facts

1st appearance of Bulletman

1st appearance of Susan Kent, later becomes Bulletgirl

Harvey ⋅ 1943
Low
$2k
Mid
$8k
High
$20k

Key Facts

Cover art by Alex Schomburg

DC ⋅ 1949
Low
$300
Mid
$1k
High
$3k

Key Facts

Cover art by Dick Sprang featuring the Joker

Lev Gleason ⋅ 1941
Low
$1.6k
Mid
$5.7k
High
$15k

Key Facts

Cover art by Charles Biro featuring Hitler

DC ⋅ 1942
Low
$1.4k
Mid
$3.2k
High
$9.3k

Key Facts

Cover art featuring Hitler and Hirohito

Prototype of the Fortress of Solitude, referred to as the secret citadel and mountain retreat

DC ⋅ 1942
Low
$600
Mid
$1.8k
High
$6k

Key Facts

1st appearance of the Batcave, unnamed, referred to as an underground hangar

Fawcett ⋅ 1942
Low
$580
Mid
$1.8k
High
$11k

Key Facts

Origin of Captain Marvel Jr. retold

Low
$350
Mid
$1.1k
High
$4.5k

Key Facts

First artwork in the superhero genre by Russ Heath

Editorial by Marvel defending comic book content against psychiatrist Dr Fredric Wertham, author of "Seduction of the Innocent"

Archie ⋅ 1942
Low
$1.4k
Mid
$4k
High
$12k

Key Facts

Cover art by Irv Novick

DC ⋅ 1940
Low
$610
Mid
$1.8k
High
$7.8k

Key Facts

Lex Luthor appears with grey hair

DC ⋅ 1943
Low
$640
Mid
$3.1k
High
$7.3k

Key Facts

World War II cover art with Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito

First cover art on Batman by Dick Sprang with layouts by Ed Kressy

Low
$480
Mid
$1.4k
High
$6.2k

Key Facts

1st appearance of the Mighty Destroyer

Low
$5.8k
Mid
$16.5k
High
$54k

Key Facts

Origin of the Joker, formerly a crook named the Red Hood who pulled a heist that led him through a vat of chemicals that caused his clown-like appearance

Low
$2k
Mid
$8k
High
$25k

Key Facts

Iconic cover art by L.B. Cole, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

Fox ⋅ 1947
Low
$70
Mid
$200
High
$750

Key Facts

1st appearance of Black Fury, unnamed

DC ⋅ 1963
Low
$55
Mid
$235
High
$1.1k

Key Facts

1st appearance of Mera, Queen of Atlantis and future wife of Aquaman

Low
$300
Mid
$1k
High
$3k

Key Facts

First appearance of Batman and Superman in a story together

Batman and Superman join the JSA as honorary members

Low
$1k
Mid
$3k
High
$10k

Key Facts

Horror cover, published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

Low
$800
Mid
$2k
High
$8k

Key Facts

1st appearance and origin of Sandman

1st appearance of Betty Brant, a secretary at the Daily Bugle

Spider-Man refers to himself as 'The Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' for the first time

1st cameo appearance of Jessica Jones, a spectator of the Sandman versus Spider-Man fight - this appearance is retconned as revealed in The Amazing Spider-Man #601

[July 2024 - Sandman rumored for the Spider-Noir TV series]

Low
$335
Mid
$1.4k
High
$6.1k

Key Facts

1st appearance and origin of Electro

DC ⋅ 1940
Low
$72k
Mid
$205k
High
$1.5M

Key Facts

1st appearance of the Joker

1st appearance of the Cat, Selina Kyle, later becomes Catwoman

Debut of the first Batplane which has multiple designs from one issue to the next including Batman #3 and Batman #4

💰 Batman #1 sold for over one million dollars 3x with a record-high in 9.4 for $2,220,000

DC ⋅ 1939
Low
$4.7k
Mid
$12.8k
High
$39k

Key Facts

Cover art by Joe Shuster

Harvey ⋅ 1953
Values Coming Soon

Key Facts

Cover art by Howard Nostrand

DC ⋅ 1940
Low
$800
Mid
$2.8k
High
$8.5k

Key Facts

First use of a splash page in a Superman comic

Stanley Morse ⋅ 1953
Low
$2.3k
Mid
$9.4k
High
$23k

Key Facts

Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority

Low
$1.5k
Mid
$5k
High
$15k

Key Facts

1st appearance of Supergirl

1st appearance of Metallo

1st appearance of Zor-El, the father of Supergirl

[December 2023 - Milly Alcock as Supergirl rumored to be introduced in Superman]

DC ⋅ 1939
Low
$3.2k
Mid
$9.2k
High
$28k

Key Facts

Cover art by Joe Shuster

Eastern Color ⋅ 1954
Low
$280
Mid
$850
High
$2.8k

Key Facts

Cover art by Frank Frazetta featuring Buck Rogers

Low
$22.2k
Mid
$63k
High
$160k

Key Facts

1st appearance and origin of Robin

St. John ⋅ 1954
Low
$6k
Mid
$18k
High
$60k

Key Facts

Cover art by Matt Baker

DC ⋅ 1959
Low
$300
Mid
$1k
High
$3k

Key Facts

1st appearance of Kid Flash, Wally West

1st appearance of Weather Wizard

Marvel ⋅ 1964
Low
$180
Mid
$650
High
$1.8k

Key Facts

Namor is confirmed to be a mutant in this issue making him the first mutant to appear in Marvel Comics having been introduced in 1939

3rd team appearance of The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants: Magneto, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Mastermind, Toad

Archie ⋅ 1942
Low
$1k
Mid
$3k
High
$10k

Key Facts

Cover art by Harry Lucey

Quality ⋅ 1950
Low
$200
Mid
$800
High
$2k

Key Facts

Cover art by Gil Fox

Low
$5k
Mid
$15k
High
$50k

Key Facts

1st appearance Godzilla in a manga publication

122-page black and white adaptation of the first Godzilla movie (1954)

Included as an insert in a 1954 issue of Omoshiro Book

Star ⋅ 1953
Values Coming Soon

Key Facts

Cover art by L. B. Cole

Archie ⋅ 1942
Low
$275
Mid
$835
High
$3.4k

Key Facts

Hangman battles Nazis

Harvey ⋅ 1944
Low
$1k
Mid
$3k
High
$10k

Key Facts

Bondage cover art by Alex Schomburg

Timely ⋅ 1942
Low
$2.8k
Mid
$9k
High
$28k

Key Facts

Cover art by Al Gabriele featuring Hitler

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