Heritage Auctions’ Comic Art Signature Auction is anchored by one of Marvel’s biggest comic and film stars. Gene Colan and Johnny Craig’s Iron Man #1 opening splash is being offered in the auction, and it was consigned by David Maisel, the founding Chairman of Marvel Studios. The auction is scheduled for September 25-27, 2026, and is happening at the same time as the Comic Book Signature Auction on September 24-26.

Maisel played a pivotal role in developing the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He chose Iron Man to be the MCU’s foundational character because Tony Stark is a complex character who would appeal to a wide audience. Factors that contributed to his decision are on display in the splash page from Iron Man’s historic first issue, which sees the hero flying into a chamber in an AIM ship.

“Gene created two things,” Maisel said. “He made the suit expressive and almost limber, and he was very cinematic in his art, and almost foreseeing the MCU at some point in time, almost 40 years later. The combination of it being the historic first page of the first issue, the big art of a Page 1 splash, the fun ‘What a way to start out in your own mag’ and Gene’s art was something I couldn’t say no to.”

Heritage is offering this key splash just months after they sold the first page of Iron Man’s debut. The Tales of Suspense #39 page 1 sold for $3.875 million in Heritage’s July 2026 auction and set a new auction record for original comic art.

Batman, another hero who uses his intelligence and gadgets instead of superpowers, is featured in the auction. Jerry Robinson’s Detective Comics #68 cover presents a cinematic scene with Two-Face framed in a tower window. Batman holds an unconscious thug below and Robin is on a highwire connected to the tower.

“It’s notable that this artwork even survived at all,” Heritage Vice President Barry Sandoval said. “For anything from the early ’40s to still exist is amazing, and that it’s a notable issue is all the more impressive. Jerry Robinson was one of the key early Batman creators. Early on with Batman, the only credit was to Bob Kane, but over the years, there were other creators involved. It’s no coincidence that ‘Robin’ sounds like ‘Robinson.’ Suffice to say he was heavily involved in Batman’s formative years.”

Golden Age offerings continue with the Action Comics #22 cover by Superman co-creator Joe Shuster. The cover shows the Man of Steel lifting a steam shovel to prevent it from crushing a man. A featured lot from the Silver Age is Jack Kirby’s Fantastic Four #56 cover. Klaw looms largely as he captures Invisible Girl, the Thing, and Mr. Fantastic in the Baxter Building.

Art auction highlights continue with seven pages from Frank Miller’s run on Daredevil from the 1970s and ‘80s. Notable examples are Daredevil #168 page 4, Elektra’s first story page; and Daredevil #181 page 35 showing Daredevil’s rooftop showdown with Bullseye after he killed Elektra.

A Modern era highlight is Jim Lee’s X-Men #6 that puts Psylocke and Sabretooth in the spotlight.

The Comic Book Signature Auction presents Captain America #1 CGC 9.0, with the first appearances of Captain America, Bucky, and Red Skull. This copy is one of only two graded at 9.0 with just six graded higher. It is joined by the second-finest known copy Captain America #3 CGC 9.4 with a text story by Stan Lee. Both books come from the Merrimack Valley Collection.

“This is a really, really exciting collection,” Heritage Vice President Aaron White said. “It’s an original-owner collection, recently discovered, that was stored for the last 75 or 80 years in a brown cardboard box. Every book is terrific – the colors are stunning.”

The comic auction also includes the first nine issues of Batman. Eight of them are graded 6.5 or higher, and issues 5, 7, and 9 are all graded 9.0.