Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers will ring in 2022 with a 20-lot New Year’s Day Premier Comic Auction on Saturday, January 1st. It’s a modest group of comics, but don’t let the size fool you. These books are from a single-owner Midwest collection (Bruneau & Co. sold the bulk of them this past year); what remains are his last, final comics, to be sold without reserves.
All 20 lots are rare, highly desirable Marvel comics from the Silver and Bronze Age, to include Amazing Fantasy #15 CGC 5.5, Amazing Spider-Man #1 CGC 7.5, Fantastic Four #1 CGC 8.0, Strange Tales #110 CGC 9.2, Incredible Hulk #1 CGC 6.5, and Werewolf By Night #1 CGC 9.8. Comics of this caliber rarely come up at auction. Serious collectors need to mark their calendars.
“This is an incredible opportunity and honor to handle a collection of books of this caliber, especially as some are of the finest examples available,” said Travis Landry, a Bruneau & Co. auctioneer and the firm’s Director of Pop Culture. “This is going to be the most exciting New Year’s Day I’ve had in a long time.” Mr. Landry is an appraiser on PBS’s Antiques Roadshow.
Kevin Bruneau, Bruneau & Co’s president and an auctioneer, added, “It’s amazing to see how an auction can only be twenty lots of comic books and produce the same results as a fine art auction. It just shows you how strong the market is for this property and where the collecting interests are today.” Bruneau & Co. has become an industry leader in auctioning comic books.
Three comics carry estimates of $50,000-$80,000. One is lot 11: a copy of Tales of Suspense #39 (March 1963), graded CGC 8.5. The comic features the origin and first appearance of Iron Man, plus an iconic cover by Marvel legend Jack Kirby. Two other examples of the comic in the sale, but with lesser grades of 5.5 and 5.0, are estimated at $15,000-$20,000 and $12,000-$18,000.
The second is a copy of Fantasy Four #1 (Nov. 1961), graded CGC 8.0, the comic that arguably brought the entire Marvel Universe into existence. Featuring the origin and first appearance of the Fantastic Four and Moleman (Marvel’s first-ever superhero team), the book sports one of the most famous covers by Jack Kirby in comic history. This is a must-have for dedicated collectors.
The third is a copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1964), graded CGC 5.5, featuring the origin and first appearance of Spider-Man and the first appearance of Aunt May and Uncle Ben. The cover art is a collaboration between Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, helping it land in the number one spot atop Overstreet’s list of Top 50 Silver Age Comics. It’s a true Holy Grail collectible.
A copy of Amazing Spider-Man #1 (March 1963), graded CGC 7.5 (estimate: $30,000-$50,000), a spinoff of the 11-page feature in Amazing Fantasy #15, features the second appearance of Spider-Man, plus a retelling of his origin, and the first appearance of J. Jonah Jameson and the Chameleon – the first Fantastic Four crossover. The cover art is by Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko.
A copy of Tales to Astonish #27 (Jan. 1962), graded CGC 9.0, released on newsstands just two months after Fantastic Four #1, is expected to reach $40,000-$60,000. The book features the first appearance of the Ant-Man, with cover artwork by Jack Kirby and interior artwork by Kirby and Steve Ditko. Two other copies in the sale, both graded 6.0, have estimates of $6,000-$9,000.
A copy of Strange Tales #110 (July 1963), graded CGC 9.2, an important comic from Marvel’s Silver Age, features the first appearance of Doctor Strange, Ancient One, Nightmare and Wong, as well as the first Paste-Pot Pete and Wizard team-up (estimate: $30,000-$50,000). Doctor Strange (The Sorcerer Supreme) is the new face of the Avengers through phase 4 of the MCU.
A copy of Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962), graded CGC 6.5, features the origin and first appearance of the Incredible Hulk and the first appearance of Rick Jones, Betty Ross and General Ross (estimate: $30,000-$50,000). Also in the sale is Incredible Hulk #5 (Jan. 1963), CGC 9.2 (estimate: $7,000-$10,000); and #2 (July 1962), CGC 6.0 (estimate: $3,000-$5,000).
A copy of Journey Into Mystery #83 (Aug. 1962), graded CGC 7.0, featuring the origin and first appearance of Thor, with cover art by Jack Kirby and interior art by Kirby and Steve Ditko, should bring $20,000-$40,000. Being a 1962 key comic, it’s nearly impossible to find a copy in any condition, let alone a CGC 7.0. Whoever holds this comic shall possess the power of Thor!
A preview is available by appointment the week of and day of sale, with doors opening at 9 am Eastern time. The auction will begin at 12 noon. Bidding is available via in-person, absentee, telephone or Internet, with a 20% buyer’s premium (or 18% with cash, check or wire transfer).
Internet bidding will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com, Bidsquare.com, bidLIVE.Bruneauandco.com and the mobile app “Bruneau & Co.” on iTunes or GooglePlay. To learn more about Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers and the 20-lot New Year’s Day Premier Comic Auction on Saturday, January 1st, please visit www.bruneauandco.com.