#5681186 - 05/14/1207:48 PMRe: McFarlane at his best at Heritage Auctions!
[Re: delekkerste]
BrontyBronty You know that guy that shows up an hour early for parties? Yah. I'm him.
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Originally Posted By: delekkerste
Originally Posted By: gambron
Couldn't agree more Gene. For a 90's collector this piece is the ULTIMATE trophy piece. I think it would surpass the Hulk #340 cover as well as the ASM #316 cover in an open auction even though i'd much prefer to own those pieces.
Ken, I think you're absolutely right - this is THE trophy piece as far as 1990s art is concerned. To me, this is a rare, true A+ piece of comic artwork that has hit the public auction block. The DKR #3 splash and the FF #55 page were solid A pieces, but I don't grade on a curve and neither were A+'s in my book. The DD #188 cover, which perhaps opened the door for the subsequent 6-figure sales (both public and private) that followed, was probably an A- minus piece all things considered (under my strict criteria, the only A+ Miller DD cover is #181, the best of the rest are solid As).
I have always been somewhat indifferent about McFarlane, though I have to admit that my appreciation for his work has grown over the past couple years to the point where I would actually consider trying to get a nice example at some point (preferably one that costs less than $200K+ ). That said, covers like Spidey #1 and Hulk #340 are true A+ standouts that I agree would interest other people like myself who aren't even huge McFarlane admirers (as well as his most rabid fans, of course).
Like Scott, I think this has become a great spectator sport and I'm also looking forward to seeing the fireworks fly in July.
Gene
everyone's mileage will vary but I never cared for this cover (let alone this awful unreadable series) much. Don't get me wrong, would love to have it, blah blah blah, but..... its kind of a soulless cover to a soulless series. (I DARE you to actually read an issue - worst five minutes (three words a page) of your life). This piece may have a lot of things going for it valuation wise but there are so many better choices out there if one just likes comics and comic art IMO.
Not to hate on those who do like it, but that's my opinion and its not my cup of tea. Doesn't mean someone else can't appreciate it for other reasons. I'd personally take 313 or 316 of ASM or hulk 340 eleven times out of ten.
Its hard to argue with calling it an A+ piece because of the recognition the image and book have with people, but to me it represents the beginning of the massive downward slide of the industry in the early 90s
I don't remember the storylines from the Spiderman series either. This, however, was right when I was fading out of reading comics. When people buy McFarlane art, are they buying it for the story and the art, or just the art?
#5681209 - 05/14/1207:56 PMRe: McFarlane at his best at Heritage Auctions!
[Re: pinupcartoonguy]
BrontyBronty You know that guy that shows up an hour early for parties? Yah. I'm him.
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I've never bought a mcfarlane although I've considered it at times; personally I would only buy pages from issues that I remember fondly, and those are generally from issues of ASM, key reason being he didn't blow up til the middle of that run so he (thankfully) didn't have the clout to write the book yet like he did with the adjectiveless title. For reasons similar to what you're describing I personally have no nostalgic pull for the adjectiveless title whatsoever. I thought they were poorly written at the time and I still do
#5681222 - 05/14/1207:59 PMRe: McFarlane at his best at Heritage Auctions!
[Re: evanc]
BrontyBronty You know that guy that shows up an hour early for parties? Yah. I'm him.
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Originally Posted By: evanc
Does anyone else love HA because of the huge scans? I save a lot of them. I can't think for the life of me how they will come in handy one day, but they sure are purdy.
for sure, its really nice to be able to look at all of those wonderful things on one database
#5681264 - 05/14/1208:12 PMRe: McFarlane at his best at Heritage Auctions!
[Re: Bronty]
delekkerstedelekkerste James Bond wears a Rolex...the rest is just product placement.
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Originally Posted By: Bronty
everyone's mileage will vary but I never cared for this cover (let alone this awful unreadable series) much. Don't get me wrong, would love to have it, blah blah blah, but..... its kind of a soulless cover to a soulless series. (I DARE you to actually read an issue - worst five minutes (three words a page) of your life). This piece may have a lot of things going for it valuation wise but there are so many better choices out there if one just likes comics and comic art IMO.
I don't disagree with you at all - I've said it on these Boards many times that I thought ASM #298-#328 was not only over-rated, but also simply downright terrible. It went against everything that Spidey was supposed to be (supermodel girlfriend, doing book signing tours, fighting alien symbiotes and celebrity stalker kidnappers - yeah, that's the essence of Peter Parker and Spider-Man NOT). The spin-off series was, as you said, even worse (from what I could tell from the little I could stand to read of it, that is).
That said, I would drop 6-figures for the Spidey #1 cover in a heartbeat anyway (though not likely nearly enough to win it) - I think it's that good/important/iconic and I'm not even a McSpidey fan.
_________________________ "No asset is so good that it can't become a bad investment if bought at too high a price." - Howard Marks
Price is what you pay, value is what you get.
It's better to be thought a fool than to open your wallet and remove all doubt.
#5681297 - 05/14/1208:21 PMRe: McFarlane at his best at Heritage Auctions!
[Re: delekkerste]
BrontyBronty You know that guy that shows up an hour early for parties? Yah. I'm him.
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Registered: 03/26/02
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yeah it sounds like we view it the same way. Its got an undeniable place in the pantheon (even if I would put it a few mcfarlane covers below where you rank it) but dear lord its not exactly comic storytelling at its finest
The ASM series itself I haven't read in many years but I *thoroughly* enjoyed at the time (mind you I was 15 tops). I know what you are saying about the storyline being incongruous with the heart of the character though
#5681300 - 05/14/1208:22 PMRe: McFarlane at his best at Heritage Auctions!
[Re: delekkerste]
Bill CBill C
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Count me in with the others that appreciate the huge scans at HA
_________________________
Always looking for John Broome/Gardner Fox manuscripts from the silver age "Flash" comic (Infantino used these to pencil the series). Also always interested in Jim Valentino art from "Guardians of the Galaxy"
(I DARE you to actually read an issue - worst five minutes (three words a page) of your life).
Maybe that's part of the reason even people who disliked the 2nd series still love that cover. We all saw it for months and months before we actually got to crack one open and read it. (assuming of course, you bought 11 of them, so that you didn't ruin your ten sealed investment copies)
). That said, covers like Spidey #1 and Hulk #340 are true A+ standouts that I agree would interest other people like myself who aren't even huge McFarlane admirers (as well as his most rabid fans, of course). 
well said!
