There are certain images that are burned into the minds of comic collectors
worldwide. Say Action #1 to a comic book aficionado, and instantly an
image of Superman hoisting a green car above his head appears. “Amazing
Fantasy #15” brings with it the sight of Spider-Man swinging high above
the rooftops, a panicked burglar tucked effortlessly under his right arm.

But there are few images that carry with them such emotional weight and
resonance as the classic cover to Suspense Comics #3, masterfully
rendered by the great Alex Schomburg. Once seen, with its bizarre and
frightening image of a helpless woman threatened by a scarlet-robed,
sword-wielding Grand Inquisitor in a costume eerily reminiscent of the KKK, it
is a cover that can never be forgotten.

“This is one of the most
hotly-desired comics in the history of our hobby,” said Ed Jaster,
Vice-President of Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries in a recent press
release. “It doesn’t feature the origin or the first appearance of a
popular character, and most people couldn’t identify a single story that appears
inside, but it easily makes the list of Overstreet’s Top 100 Golden Age Comics
by virtue of its unforgettable cover alone.”

“This comic
came to prominence about 15 years ago, when it was featured as the frontispiece
to Ernie Gerber’s Photo-Journal Guide to Comic Books,” said Jaster.
“Suddenly, everyone wanted a copy of this incredible book. Adding to its
mystique was its scarceness in the marketplace. Even legendary hoards like the
Mile High Collection lacked a copy. One theory holds that the cover image itself
may have proved too controversial for wide distribution in 1944, thus keeping it
off of many newsstands. Until now, collectors typically had to make do with
low-to mid-grade copies of this desirable book, if they could find one at
all.”

“Now, however, we’re proud to offer the finest known
copy of this classic comic book to the collecting public,” Jaster said.
“Hailing from the legendary ‘D Copy’ collection, this is the single
highest-graded copy of this scarce book known to exist, and the only copy to
come from a recognized pedigree collection. This is, without a doubt, the book
that advanced Golden Age collectors have been hoping to find for many years, and
it is sure to fetch a record price once the hammer falls and the new owner is
finally determined. Interested parties should bid early and often, as the
opportunity to own this stellar specimen may never again be repeated.”

Suspense Comics #3 Davis Crippen (‘D” Copy) pedigree (Continental
Magazines, 1944) CGC VF 8.0 Off-white pages will be offered in Heritage Auction
Galleries’ upcoming Comics Signature Auction, to be held August 10 -12, 2006 in
Dallas, Texas.