Most Expensive Piece of American Comic Art Ever Sold

Guess what you're looking at? Ok, so the title gave it away. This is the single most valuable piece of American comic art ever to sell. The original art from Page 10, issue #3 of Frank Miller and Klaus Janson’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (DC, 1986) was recently brought for $448,125 as part of Heritage Auctions’ May 5 Vintage Comics and Comic Art Auction.

“Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns defined the best of 1980s comics, and has since been universally acknowledged as one of the most important and influential stories ever published ,” said Ed Jaster, Senior Vice President of Heritage Auctions, “and no image from that important comic series is more iconic than this Splash Page. It’s a little surprising, yes, but fitting that this piece is now the most expensive piece of American comic art ever sold at auction.”

"I've always loved that drawing,” commented Miller, when asked before the auction what his thoughts on its imminent sale were. “Danced around my studio like a fool when I drew it. I hope it finds a good home."

Showing the caped crusader with his trusty sidekick soaring high above Gotham City, the drawing is emblematic of the entire Batman storyline.

So who plunked down the almost half a million dollars for this original drawing? The buyer is an anonymous collector. (How fitting.)