Iron Man #1 splash page by Gene Colan and Johnny Craig reaches $6,750 at Heritage Auctions

According to the source, the page was previously owned by David Maisel, the founding chairman of Marvel Studios. The same auction also features the cover of Detective Comics #68 from 1942 and the cover of Action Comics #22 from 1940.

The source describes the Iron Man #1 page as an opening splash, placing it right at the start of Iron Man’s first solo issue. That makes the auction lot notable not just for the character, but for its direct link to an early moment in the series’ publication history.

What happened

Heritage Auctions is selling an original opening splash from Iron Man #1, the first solo comic for Iron Man from 1968. IGN describes the piece as the first artwork from that debut solo title, making it a particularly early and complete Marvel page. It is not just a standalone illustration, but a page directly tied to the launch of the solo series.

The art is by penciler Gene Colan and inker Johnny Craig. According to the article, the page was previously owned by David Maisel, who is identified as the founding chairman of Marvel Studios. At the time of publication, bidding had reached $6,750. The source does not provide a full bidding history, but it does state that this was the standing bid when the article went live.

The same auction also includes two other historic comic covers: Jerry Robinson’s cover for Detective Comics #68 from 1942 and Joe Shuster’s cover for Action Comics #22 from 1940. The source notes that Detective Comics #68 is the second appearance of Two-Face. That means Heritage is not only offering Marvel material, but also two major Golden Age DC covers from 1940 and 1942.

The provided source calls the sale a Comic Art Signature Auction, but does not include a full catalog or an end date. So the only confirmed detail is that the Iron Man #1 page, the Detective Comics #68 cover, and the Action Comics #22 cover were all part of the same auction lineup at that time.

Background

Iron Man #1 is the first solo issue centered on Iron Man and was published in 1968. The auctioned page is the opening splash, which ties it directly to the start of that series and to the work of Gene Colan and Johnny Craig. As a splash page, it is a full-page piece that immediately pulls the reader into the story, which often makes it especially desirable to collectors of original comic art.

The page’s provenance is also important here. The source names David Maisel as a previous owner and describes him as the founding chairman of Marvel Studios. That adds interest not only because of the creators and the title, but also because of the piece’s ownership history. In the original comic art market, provenance can play a major role, especially when a work is linked to a well-known name from Marvel history.

Heritage Auctions is also offering Golden Age material in the same Comic Art Signature Auction, including Detective Comics #68 and Action Comics #22. The provided source does not include a full auction list or a closing date. What is clear is that the selection spans several decades of comic history, from 1940 and 1942 to 1968, and is aimed at multiple collector audiences.

The mix of an early Marvel page and two classic DC covers shows Heritage leaning on recognizable key pieces from American comic history in this sale. The source does not report a final result, only the bid level at publication. That means it remains to be seen whether the Iron Man #1 page ultimately climbs beyond the listed $6,750.

Sources

• IGN: "An Iconic Iron Man #1 Page And Other Historic Comic Book Art Head To Auction"