Gallery: Bidding for Dark Knight Returns Art Hits $100,000
01The-Dark-Knight-Batman-and-Robin
*__Update:__ Frank Miller's splash page from* The Dark Knight Returns *[sold at Heritage's auction for an astounding $448,125](http://comics.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=7033&Lot_No=92134&ic=rightcolumn-dark-knight-050611).* Bidding has hit $100,000 for an original splash page from Frank Miller's [*The Dark Knight Returns*](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_Returns), one of many highly collectible comics in a New York auction. The [Batman artwork](http://comics.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=7033&LotIdNo=45001), from Miller's 1986 limited series, is being offered as part of Heritage Auctions' New York [Signature Vintage Comics and Comic Art Auction](http://comics.ha.com/common/auction/catalog.php?SaleNo=7033) being held Thursday. With an estimated value of $125,000, it's one of the most valuable pieces of comic book art to go up under the gavel in years, according to the auctioneer. "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, in a phone interview with Wired.com. "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 *Dark Knight* art is just one piece of comics history that on the block in the Heritage auction. Click through Wired.com's gallery to see more collectibles up for bidding, from *The Amazing Spider-Man* No. 2 to works by [R. Crumb](http://www.crumbproducts.com/) and [Charles Schulz](http://www.schulzmuseum.org/). Some even have prices you might -- stress, *might* -- be able to afford. To keep up with the comic sales, head to the [Heritage site](http://www.ha.com/c/index.zx), where the floor auction will be streaming Thursday. *Hat tip to [ArtsBeat](http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/22/dark-knight-returns-splash-page-up-for-auction/)*
02the-amazing-spider-man-no-2
*The Amazing Spider-Man* No. 2 ------------------------------ This incredibly well-maintained copy of *The Amazing Spider-Man* No. 2, a Marvel Comics edition from 1963, really impressed the Heritage staff when it came to the auction house. It was part of a collection held by Gary Dahlberg, who died last July in a fire that consumed his home (but not the two rooms where he stashed his comic books). Dahlberg was a bus driver who had been [collecting since childhood](http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/120255039.html). His entire stockpile was recently valued at more than $1 million. __Estimated value:__ $75,000+
03the-uncanny-x-men-cyclops-vs-wolverine
*The Uncanny X-Men* No. 127: Cyclops vs. Wolverine -------------------------------------------------- This 1979 face-off between Marvel Comics characters Wolverine, Cyclops and Nightcrawler is an epic moment for many *X-Men* fans, straight from the combo of John Byrne and Terry Austin. __Estimated value:__ $4,000+
04Charles Schulz Unprecedented, Unpublished Pre-Peanuts Daily Try-Out Comic Strip Original Art (c. 1949)
Charles Schulz Unpublished Pre-*Peanuts* Comic Strip (circa late 1940s) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This strip, previously unpublished, comes from the era when Charles Schulz was producing a comic called *[Li'l Folks](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li'l_Folks)* and shows the kinds of characters that would end up in *Peanuts*. *L'il Folks* ran in the *St. Paul Pioneer Press* from about 1947 until 1950, when Schulz began producing *[Peanuts](http://peanuts.com/)*. It's presumed this piece was a try-out strip for his now-famous comic. __Estimated value:__ $25,000+
05batman-no-171
*Batman* No. 171 ---------------- Another comic from Gary Dahlberg's collection, Heritage says this Riddler-themed 1965 issue might be the most desirable DC Comics title from the deceased collector's massive stockpile. __Estimated value:__ $15,000+
06gobbledygook-no-1
*Gobbledygook* No. 1 -------------------- Very few copies of this 1984 comic were ever produced. Because all of them were made on a photocopier, validating various issues has proven challenging for collectors, but this one comes with a letter of authenticity from publisher Mirage Studios. Fun fact: There is an ad for a new comic called *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles* on the back cover of *Gobbledygook* No. 1. __Estimated value:__ $11,000+
07dick-sprangs-batman-no-30-cover
Dick Sprang's *Batman* No. 30 Cover ----------------------------------- This 1945 original from legendary *Batman* artist Dick Sprang is the last of the DC Comics covers to promote war loans during World War II. The image comes with a written description by DC editor Whitney Ellsworth. __Estimated value:__ $40,000+
08Robert Crumb Morse's Funnies Cover Original Art (Albert Morse, 1974)
R. Crumb's *Morse's Funnies* Cover ---------------------------------- This obscure cover was created for R. Crumb's lawyer, Albert Morse, and comes from the attorney's own collection. Morse, known for his legal defense of comic artists, sued many manufacturers on Crumb's behalf for their unauthorized use of his [famous "Keep on Truckin'" drawing](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keep_on_Truckin'_(comic)). The artist drew this image of the lawyer when Morse asked him to create a cover for a very limited-edition comic: *Morse's Funnies.* __Estimated value:__ $25,000+
09thor-4
Jack Kirby *Journey Into Mystery* No. 110 Thor Pin-Up Page ---------------------------------------------------------- This 1964 pin-up is considered by Heritage to be one of the largest images Jack Kirby drew of Marvel Comics' character Thor. __Estimated value:__ $30,000+
10the-savage-sword-of-conan-no-2
Neal Adams Hand-Colored *The Savage Sword of Conan* No. 2 Cover Art ------------------------------------------------------------------- This piece, according to Heritage, has been in private hands for quite some time. The 1974 cover for Marvel Comics' *The Savage Sword of Conan* was inked and colored by comic art legend Neal Adams. __Estimated value:__ $20,000+
