The cover of issue No. 2 of “The Dark Knight Returns†will be sold next month by Heritage Auctions. Officials are estimating that it could sell for more than $500,000. “The Dark Knight Returns,†written and illustrated by Frank Miller, was published in 1986 and it, along with “Watchmen,†by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, ushered in a new era of storytelling in comic books.
“The Dark Knight Returns†imagines the future of Gotham City, where crime and corruption are at an all-time high and Batman must come out of retirement to save his hometown. But this older Dark Knight has not mellowed with age. Along the way he picks up a new Robin, Carrie Kelley, who was the first female in the role. “The Dark Knight Returns†led to a creative revival for Batman that paved the way to the film franchise.
“For fans of modern comics, this drawing is where everything really begins,†Todd Hignite, the vice president at Heritage Auctions,said in a statement. He noted that the cover of “The Dark Knight Returns†No. 3, featuring Batman and his new Robin, sold for $448,125 in 2011. The market for original comic book art, as well as original comic books, continues to boom. In 2011 a copy of “Action Comics†No. 1 sold for $2.16 million.
