Two major American cultural artifacts are headed to auction this month from different houses, a high-grade restored copy of Action Comics #1 and the original Frazetta painting Death Dealer II.
The restored Action Comics #1 is graded 9.6 by CGC, with Off-White to White pages, and an A-5 restoration score. This is the highest grade for any copy of Action Comics #1, of which only around 100 copies are believed to exist. The price will not be the same as it would be for an unrestored copy, though; an A-5 restoration score means the restoration was “extensive.” The A grade in the restoration score means the restoration was “Excellent,” based on the material used, the color match, the quality of the piece fill and so on. The 5 grade in the restoration score refers to the extent of restoration, and this is where the “extensive” rating comes in. The 5 grade is applied if, “Any piece fill over 2″ x 2″ and/or color touch over 4″ x 4″; recreated interior pages or cover,” according to CGC.
The auction house estimate is $1 million or more, comparing it to a reported CGC 9.0 restored copy sold by ComicConnect last month for $1.3 million. An unrestored CGC 9.0 Action Comics #1 sold for $15 million earlier this year (see “$15 Million“).
The Action Comics #1 is being offered in a single lot auction, The Last Son of Krypton: Birth of an American Icon, on November 17 by Landry Pop Auctions, part of the Rago Wright network. The house is led by Travis Landry, former star of Toy Hunter and a fixture on American Roadshow. Rago Wright is a network of independently owned art and design houses, with over $100 million in annual sales.
Death Dealer II, Frank Frazetta’s second painting of the character, his own creation, was held by the artist from its creation in 1986 until his death, and was consigned to auction by the Frazetta estate. The painting has been on display at the Frazetta Art Museum, and will be shown during Miami Art Week, December 2-6.
Bidding will open at $6 million. The record for a Frazetta painting (or for any comic or fantasy artwork) was $13.5 million for his Conan novel cover painting Man-Ape, which sold for $13.5 million in September 2025 (see “$13.5 Million“).
Bidding will be open from November 23-December 9 through JOOPITER, “a global digital-first commerce platform” founded by singer and composer Pharrell Williams. They promise “original editorial, archival imagery and bespoke video content that takes viewers deep into the world of auctioned objects and the story that binds them together,” so hoping for a bumping track at some point during the auction process.
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Source: ICV2
