Archive for March, 2010

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March 29, 2010: "Action Comics #1" Sells for $1.5 Million

Superman has once again surpassed Batman, with “Action Comics #1″ from June 1938 selling for US$1.5 million.

A copy of the 1938 edition of Action Comics No. 1 sold Monday for $1.5 million on the auction Web site ComicConnect.com. The issue, which features Superman’s debut and originally sold for 10 cents, is widely considered the Holy Grail of comic books.

The same issue sold in February for $1 million, though that copy wasn’t in as good condition as the issue that sold Monday. That number was bested just days later when a 1939 comic book featuring Batman’s debut sold for $75,000 more at an auction in Dallas.

There are about 100 copies of Action Comics No. 1 believed to be in existence, and only a handful in good condition. The issue that sold Monday was rated slightly higher than the one that sold in February; it had been tucked inside an old movie magazine for years before being discovered.

The issue was bought from a private collector and then sold by Stephen Fishler and Vincent Zurzolo, the co-owners of ComicConnect.com. It was bought minutes after being posted Monday at the asking price of $1.5 million by “a hardcore comic book fan,” Fishler said.

“There’s been a lot of attempts to acquire this book over the last 15 years,” he said. “The recent activity, I guess, did the trick.”

Fishler speculated that the sudden burst of record-priced sales are due to “pent-up demand.” Issues of such prized comic books rarely become available for purchase. Rarer still are issues in such good condition.

“I can’t imagine another book coming on the market that exists that would top this,” Fishler said. “This may be the final say – at least for the next 10 or 20 years – for a record price of a comic book.”

Source: The Associated Press

March 29, 2010: Careers Built on Superman – Geoff Johns and Kevin Fiege

Newsarama.com has an article discussing the career paths of Geoff Johns and Kevin Fiege, and how their positions in the comic book entertainment history are all thanks to the Man of Steel. Here’s an excerpt from the article…

“When Geoff walked in the door he knew more about Superman than I did,” Richard Donner told Newsarama. “I knew he’d go far, because in the first week on the job, Geoff totaled my new car. But he walked away from it and opened his shirt, and he had a big ‘S’ under there. The writing was on the wall.”

Read the complete report at Newsarama.com.

March 29, 2010: Superman Homage on "Batman: The Brave and the Bold"

By Barry Freiman

The creators of the animated series “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” are clearly aware the Superman fans are out there and we’re waiting for the real thing, but the March 26th episode “The Super Batman of Planet X!” based on a 1950s comic book story with that title was a really good tease. The episode was a Superman love-fest and an honest adaptation of a documented period in Batman’s history – whether he really did it or it’s just in his mind and his “Black Casebook”.

Laced with Superman references from “Look Up in the Sky” to bending steel bars, flying, the whole bit – even “It tickles” – the episode had Batman on another planet where humans have super powers. On this upside down world where a human Batman is a Super Batman, Bats has freeze vision like a Bizarro instead of heat vision and is weakened by quartz instead of Kryptonite; but otherwise he’s all Bat-Man of Steel.

Click “Read More” below to view Barry’s complete review/report on this episode.

SMALLVILLE: "Escape" Clip Released

The CW have released a teaser clip for the upcoming Smallville episode entitled “Escape” which airs Friday, April 2nd at 8:00pm. Check out the site to view the clip.

A look at some Chris Sprouse RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE pages

You’ve seen the covers. You’ve seen a few of the variants. You’ve seen the character sketches. Now it’s time for more. Specifically, a few black and white pages from the first issue, put on the page by the highy-talented Chris Sprouse and Karl Story. Can you say Caveman Batman? Sure. Well, now you can see [...]

UPDATED: Diane Nelson, Jim Lee, Dan DiDio and Geoff Johns on Dick Giordano

“Dick Giordano has left a lasting legacy as a comic book artist and as a DC Comics executive,” said Diane Nelson, President, DC Entertainment. “I join the industry in recognizing his tremendous contribution to DC Comics and send my sympathy to his family and friends.”
“When I was just trying to break [...]

The JLA regroups in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #43

Following the decision that occurred in JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE and the events of JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE RISE AND FALL SPECIAL #1, the World’s Greatest Heroes must come to terms with who they are and what they represent. Meanwhile, an all-new danger threatens the existence of everything past and present in the exciting finale [...]

Superman Comic Sells for $1.5M, Setting Record

The record price for a comic book, already broken twice this year, has been shattered again.
A copy of the 1938 edition of Action Comics No. 1 sold Monday for $1.5 million on the auction Web site ComicConnect.com. The issue, which features Superman’s debut and originally sold for 10 cents, is widely considered the Holy Grail of comic books.
The same issue sold in February for $1 million, though that copy wasn’t in as good condition as the issue that sold Monday. That number was bested just days later when a 1939 comic book featuring Batman’s debut sold for $75,000 more at an auction in Dallas.
There are about 100 copies of Action Comics No. 1 believed to be in existence, and only a handful in good condition. The issue that sold Monday was rated slightly higher than the one that sold in February; it had been tucked inside an old movie magazine for years before being discovered.

March 28, 2010: "Smallville" Season 9, Episode 16 – "Escape" Video

The CW has released a preview web clip for “Escape”, the 16th episode of Season 9 of “Smallville”.

“Escape” airs on Friday, April 2nd at 8.00pm on The CW.

Meanwhile, Michael McKean posted two photos (#1 and #2) from his final night shooting his return to “Smallville” on Twitter.