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LOT #81005 |
Current Bid: $700
Jon Bogdanove and Dennis Janke Superman: The Man of Steel #5 Cover Original Art (DC, 1991).
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Description
Jon Bogdanove and Dennis Janke Superman: The Man of Steel #5 Cover Original Art (DC, 1991). This cover is a pitch-perfect homage to vintage movie serial posters, right down to the bold, pulpy title treatment reading "Curse of the Atomic Skull". A surviving margin note from Jon Bogdanove to inker Dennis Janke details the intended finish, offering a rare peek at the craft behind this serial-inspired design.The spectacle is instantly gripping: Superman strains in the Atomic Skull's chokehold while a reel of film coils around them, framing the action like scenes from a cliffhanger matinee. Within that reel, a panel of the Skull applying the same hold on Rocketman appears again and again, with stats (not included) used to fill the blank frames. It's a smart visual trick that mirrors the way the story unfolds: one page shows scenes from an Atomic Skull movie serial, the next shows Superman's real fight with the villain, each echoing the other in a special sideways issue. The gimmick works because Atomic Skull is portrayed as mentally locked into an old movie-serial persona, parroting vintage dialogue and replaying film scenes as if he's trapped inside them. He even mistakes Superman for the serial hero Rocketman, turning their battle into a delirious mix of cinema fantasy and real-world destruction as the fight crashes through a theater and into a full-on showdown.
Ink and grease pencil over graphite on DC Bristol board with an image area of 10.5" x 15.5". Minor smudging, whiteout corrections, production notes, marginal editorial notes, marginal tape residue and spot stain, and corner/handling wear. Signed and dated by the artists in the center left image area. In Excellent condition.
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Auction Info
2026 April 4 Comic Cover Art Showcase Auction #40355 (go to Auction Home page)
Proxy Bidding Ends
April
4th
Saturday
5:50 pm CT
Auction Dates
April
4th
Saturday
Proxy Bidding Time Remaining
3 Days
15h 5m 27s
Internet/Mail Bids: 19
Lot Tracking Activity: 101
Page Views: 296
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
25% of the successful bid (minimum $29) per lot.
This lot is in: 1 -
Comic Cover Art Showcase Auction Session
(Lots 81001-81078) - 6:00 PM Central Time, Saturday, April 4, 2026.
[Proxy bidding ends ten minutes prior to the session start time. Live Proxy bidding on Heritage Live now starts within 2 hours of when the auction opens for proxy bidding and continues through the live session.]
Additional Location Info:
Heritage Auctions - Dallas
2801 W. Airport Freeway
Dallas, TX 75261
Jerry Weist's Comic Art Price Guide 2011
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