DALLAS, TX.- If the premiere issue of Métal Hurlant in December 1974 signaled a seismic shift in the landscape of graphic storytelling, Issue No. 2 confirmed the magazine's bold new vision for science-fiction. The cover for that issue is a visual manifesto from the standard-bearer of this new wave, Phillippe Druillet. With its impossible architectures and symmetrical, colossal figures evoking divine machine idols, it epitomized Druillet's style and marked a turning point in European graphic sci-fi.

This cornerstone of the magazine that would be exported to the United States under the name Heavy Metal has been extensively reproduced. More than an illustration, it is a declaration of a new aesthetic and editorial intent. The original image, produced in acrylic, ink and ecoline, is among the highlights of Heritage Auctions' October 25-26 International Comic Art Signature® Auction.

"This upcoming Signature International Auction in Dallas will feature its usual premium selection of original artworks from the U.S. and Europe, but for the first time it will also include the largest selection ever of original Manga artworks," says Olivier Delflas, Heritage's Director of International Comic Art and Anime. "The Manga wave that has swept collectors over the past two to three years — marked by scarcity and difficulty of access — has now fully extended into the field of original art."

Exciting Manga works in this auction include Steve Oliff's story page 16 from Akira No. 18; story pages 41 and 42 from Akira No. 28 and story page 9 from Akira No. 37. Katsuhiro Otomo chose Oliff to create the hand-painted color guide for this iconic series from prints of Otomo's original inks and pencils. Their groundbreaking collaboration led to the first digitally colored comic. Oliff hand-colored the printed linework on paper using watercolor and felt pens, which was then sent to his digital coloring team at Olyoptics for final rendering.A black-and-white page from Masanobu Asai's Adventure King adaptation of the fourth Super Sentai series, later adapted in the West as Power Rangers, plunges the viewer into a thrilling, dynamic scene. Denjiman bursts forward through explosive starbursts, shielding his comrade in a stunning full-bleed 1980 composition, heavy inks and white paint effects maximizing the impact.

Six-time Eisner Award winner Juanjo Guarnido has consigned from his private collection the incredible pastel on Bristol board image created for the cover of the deluxe edition that brought together the first five volumes of Blacksad in one sweeping cinematic anthology along with an arresting story page from Blacksad No. 7 and the Megadeth Edition cover art for Batman Death Metal No. 1.Following the record-breaking $175,000 sale of page 1 of Blueberry: Fort Navajo, the first Lieutenant Blueberry volume by Jean Giraud (Moebius), Heritage offers Giraud's original art for page 2 of the debut issue. With total command over the composition and visual rhythm, he captures the tension at a poker table ratcheting up panel by panel until the inevitable cinematic burst of gunfire.

Enrico Marini, a cornerstone of the international comics scene is well represented in this auction. Collectors have the rare opportunity to purchase the complete original artwork for a complete story from a marquee Batman title. This 24-page set is from Batman: The Long Halloween — The Last Halloween No. 6 from his collaboration with Jeph Loeb. Also offered: the Mr. Freeze variant cover of that same issue as well as a sensual page with Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle from Batman: The Dark Prince Charming No. 1 and an illustration of the bruised, battered and unguarded Wayne in his Batcave.

Four stunning works by Frank Miller include, for the very first time in a catalog, page 2 and page 6 from his landmark 1990 series Elektra Lives Again.Mathieu Lauffray's spectacular wraparound cover art for Star Wars: Heir to the Empire is one of the most recognizable Star Wars images and is a cornerstone of galactic pop culture.

That is just a sampling of the exceptional comic art on offer, Delflas says: "All the great classics will be represented, including the largest premium selection of works by Moebius, Hergé, Enki Bilal, Spanish masters such as Manuel Sanjulián and Pepe Gonzalez, as well as U.S. legends like Hal Foster, Alex Raymond, John Byrne, John Buscema and Mike Mignola."