DALLAS, TX.- Heritage Auctions will close out February and head into March with a monumental pair of comics auctions offering rare opportunities to own original art from the most legendary creators in the genre and top-condition key issues — including the three titles at the pinnacle of the collecting hobby.

Headlining the Feb. 27–March 1 Comic Art Signature® Auction is the cover of Action Comics No. 21, drawn by Joe Shuster, who co-created the character Superman with Jerry Siegel.

“Joe Shuster didn’t actually draw Superman all that long,” Heritage Vice President Aaron White says. “After just a few years, he had various assistants take over a lot of the drawing, so there was never too much original art by him. And then on top of that, a lot of comic art from the old days just got tossed. So to have an original like this, a World War II cover, is crazy. We had no idea this had even survived. It’s so early that Superman didn’t even fly at that point — he took flying leaps. This piece is a sensational find.”

A Shuster-penciled Action Comics page from a few issues later, Story Page 11 from No. 24 with inking by Paul Cassidy, is also up for bids, as is a Shuster illustration of a confidently smiling Superman in profile on the artist’s own letterhead.

The Feb. 26–28 Comic Books Signature ®Auction features copies of 11 of the top 20 most valuable Golden Age comic book issues of all time, according to the latest Overstreet Comic Price Guide, including the top three. Action Comics No. 1, released in June 1938, introduced Superman to the world and has been at or near the top of priciest collectible issues for decades.

The 1939 debut issue of Superman’s title comic book is another extremely desirable issue, and this 6.5 Superman No. 1 copy is in outstanding condition, with only five graded higher by CGC — one of which, of course, is the 9.0 example sold in November by Heritage for a then-record comic book price of $9.12 million. Adding to the significance of this lot: It is the very copy that resided in the Smithsonian Institution American History Museum for the Superman: Many Lives, Many Worlds display from June 24, 1987, through September 1, 1988, bracketed by the release of Superman IV: The Quest for Peace — Christopher Reeve’s last appearance as the superhero — and the 50th anniversary of Action Comics No. 1.

The May 1939 introduction of Batman to the world, Detective Comics No. 27, is consistently in the top three titles according to Overstreet, and only six copies have ever been graded higher by CGC than this 7.0 specimen. In fact, this is not the first time this copy has sold through Heritage. It went for $1.5 million in 2020.

“At the time, that was our highest-ever comic book price,” says Heritage Vice President Barry Sandoval. “That shows you how quickly things have been moving in the comics collecting hobby.”

Other titles from the 20 most valuable Golden Age comic books in Overstreet’s annual ranking include:

• Batman No. 1 (ranked No. 5)
• Captain America Comics No. 1 (ranked No. 7)
• Action Comics No. 7 (ranked No. 8)
• Detective Comics No. 31 (ranked No. 9)
• Detective Comics No. 29 (ranked No. 14)
• All Star Comics No. 8 (ranked No. 15)
• More Fun Comics No. 52 (ranked No. 16)
• Detective Comics No. 33 (ranked No. 18)
• Sensation Comics No. 1 (ranked No. 20)

Collectors looking for the debut of Frank Castle, aka the Punisher, have not one, not two but three opportunities to pick up The Amazing Spider-Man No. 129 from 1974 — as well as an original art page from that issue, which also introduced the Jackal. On offer are a CGC 9.8 copy of the book, representing the very peak available condition, with none higher; a 9.6 copy; and a 9.6 copy signed by writers Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas. And Ross Andru, Frank Giacola and Dave Hunt’s original story art from the epic Page 18 of this key issue, showing Spidey kicking the black-clad vigilante into dreamland and then the two of them getting to the bottom of the Jackal’s duplicity after the Punisher is revived, is among the event’s offerings.

The importance of another original page for comics, pop culture and Black history cannot be overstated. George Tuska and Billy Graham’s Hero for Hire Page 1 marks the introduction of Luke Cage, Marvel’s first self-titled series led by a Black hero.

Six selections from the Richard Pujol EC Art Collection will draw the attention of knowledgeable and discerning original art collectors. Comprising dozens of covers and complete stories representing every major artist in the EC stable, this collection is undoubtedly the largest and finest remaining group of EC art.

“We’re beyond thrilled to debut highlights from the finest original-owner EC art collection in existence — the kind of legendary and historically important comic art that collectors dream about,” says Todd Hignite, Executive Vice President, who first met Pujol as a young teenager in the 1980s. “It’s a true honor for us to share these masterpieces that have resided in Pujol’s collection for over four decades with our worldwide audience.”

Frank Frazetta’s cover painting for Vampirella No. 1 is another top Comic Art lot. Keen-eyed observers might notice a difference between how the character appears on the cover of the issue and how she now appears on canvas. Frazetta was known to tinker with his originals even after they had already been published elsewhere, such as on the cover of a book or album. In this case, he painted over the Drakulon Queen’s outfit and boots to leave her wearing nothing but an armband and a bracelet.

One of Frazetta’s promotional paintings for the Battlestar Galactica TV series, published in TV Guide and also used as the wraparound cover art for Battlestar Galactica 2: The Cylon Death Machine, is available to fans of Frazetta or the classic sci-fi franchise.

Highlights from both auctions will be on display Feb. 9–13 at Heritage Auctions’ New York offices, located in Manhattan at 445 Park Ave.