Best of 2023 :: Published/Unpublished Comic Book Splashes, Title Pages

Daredevil #10, page 1 (Title Page by Wally Wood)

Owner: Comicart Boston
Artists: Bob Powell (Layouts) , Wally Wood (Finisher)

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Daredevil #10, page 1 Prelim

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Artwork Details

Title:	Daredevil #10, page 1 (Title Page by Wally Wood)
Artist:	Bob Powell (Layouts)
Artist:	Wally Wood (Finisher)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Title Page
Views:	560
Likes on CAF:	19 20
Added to Site:	12/30/2023

Description

This is the most I have ever spent on a single piece of original artwork but the raw amount is, admittedly, due to the fact that prices of original comic artwork have, as we all know, skyrocketed during recent times (in other words, this piece would have cost much, much less, say, two decades ago). Still, what made me take the plunge on this particular piece at this particular time (and leaving very little, if anything, for future art purchases the following year)?

I hope that you will bear with me but let me summarize for those who don’t want to read a long story – nostalgia and availability.

Nostalgia – I grew up with Wood Daredevil. Unfortunately, as most of us know, Wood didn’t stay long on the title. That goes to the issue of availability which I will elaborate upon in a moment. Despite my young age then, I was quite fascinated by Wood’s artwork – little did I know what a tortured genius he in fact was. It is very sad and unfortunate that he left us so early. But I loved his run on Daredevil – as well as everything else his inks touched on the other Marvel titles as well. He was an inker par excellence and could turn virtually anybody else’s pencils into a Wally Wood product – often beautifying the work in the process. So that is why I have a lot of Wood artwork in my CAF Gallery.

Availability – although I have a fair amount of Wood DD artwork, I never had a title splash (I had long given up on the idea of owing a Wood DD cover as that was a bridge too far even decades ago and is, of course, an impossibility now). Most of us have a fair idea of where the known covers are and, unsurprisingly, they are with the biggest collectors in the hobby. Furthermore, this title splash has, to the best of my knowledge, never been on the market till now – almost six decades have passed since the issue itself was published.

Of the title splashes available, there are only seven simply because there were only seven issues of Wood Daredevil. Two are of DD in yellow costume and have large images of the hero – which, given the twice-up format, are really impressive. One of them – from the first issue that Wood pencilled and inked – was sold fairly recently for a six figure sum at ComicLink (having been sold prior to that on Heritage for a sum just under six figures).

Of the remaining five, ironically, the iconic issue seven has (only?) the Submariner in the title splash while issue nine only has DD’s back to the reader (I found the next page much more interesting and not just because I happen to have it). Issues eight and eleven have DD in red costume in the title splash (the latter is on a prominent collector’s CAF Gallery). And that left the present piece of artwork.

However, it has no DD on it – well, it does, but in the form of a shadow cast over the villains. The villains themselves are rather off-beat – this is in fact the very first appearance of Wood’s Ani-Men. Then there is of course their leader, the Organizer (who is simply a hooded villain). So, nostalgia aside, this is not one the most impressive of title splashes based on the content alone. Also, it is not pure Wood (although it is the first issue where Wood is credited with the writing (note, though, the instruction “Extra Set of Stats for Stan” in the margin of the piece, together with a staple which presumably held that extra set of stats; this was for Stan Lee who is credited as the Editor)). Indeed, these were reasons that I had proffered to myself in order to justify NOT bidding for it.

But our hobby is a rather strange one – often, I believe that the heart rules over the head but it would be financially disastrous (if nothing else) if one actually lost one’s head! Nevertheless, with the quite heavy pull of nostalgia and the fact that the Wood finishes/inks on this particular piece of artwork (over Bob Powell layouts) are really quite lush and splendid (even the high-resolution scan I borrowed from Heritage here doesn’t do it full justice), I finally took the plunge and almost didn’t obtain it as the final hammer price did (coincidentally) hit the maximum that I was personally prepared to bid on it. Nostalgia aside, the inks on this piece actually seem more impressive (and, if that is possible, sophisticated) than even Wood’s inks on Wood in his earliest issue (with the Matador); the brush strokes and use of blacks are even more amazing, especially given that this is a title splash with really large images. Artistically speaking, this is classic Wood and has to be viewed in person in order to truly appreciate it. To take just one example, even the ostensibly straightforward image of the Organizer is so striking: just look at his eyes and the folds on his hood. The overall design and presentation of the page is also fantastic. Even the shadow and silhouette of Daredevil, simple as it is, adds to the overall dramatic effect.

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About the Owner

	Comicart Boston ( 1 ) Premium Gallery Owner
Joined:	April 2010
Last Login:	September 2025
Country:	UNITED STATES
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