Can two dozen comments be not enough? Well, when you have an absolute bombshell of a beauty like this one, two dozen commens seem woefully inadequate. Claremont, Lee and Williams were at the top of their game, with not only spectacular covers, but each page being a treat for the eyes.  At the time, X-Men was the hottest title by far - so popular, that when they restarted the numbering for it, (according to internet numbers) they sold over 8 million copies of the first issue. By comparison, today, a blockbuster title would reach 1/100 of that number.  Congratulations on a truly uncanny acquisition.       

When you see something like this, the depth and interplay of light and shadows makes you realize once again that comic artists are ARTISTS who often times can draw anything but simply chose to make a living in the spandex universe because of the sense of wonder and adventure appealed to them so greatly. Then, you just sit back and marvel at it all feeling fortunate that these talented people chose this medium that fed our imaginations for all those years and is doing the same - abeit telling these stories through the medium of movies - for future generations. I also wonder how much more great art would we have been able to see if Quesada spent more time drawing than serving as Marvel EIC (and yes, I know it would have never made financial sense for him to do so).  Nevertheless, thanks so very much for sharing such a marvelous acquisition.

And this kids, is why you should never visit a prison unescorted. Because if the inmates can do tihs to the Batman, just imagine what they can do to you LOL!  All jokes aside, everything Adams touched has a sense of realism that just draws you in. Again, one Adams cover - amazing; two Adams covers - just incredible.  Congrats on sleuthing out a tremendous cover!

I have a soft spot for Marshall Rogers, possibly because I loved those old Englehart/Rogers Detective issues so very much.

However, whlie the Detective run may have been more seminal and may have had a bigger effect on the character, by the time they got to Dr. Strange, the amazing team of Rogers/Austin had gotten even better, and was creating even more spectacular imagery, including this quite iconic gem. Congratulations on a magical aquisition. 

So when is a commission not a noun? When its commissioned into a astonishing cover! Bermejo is underrated and amazing doesn't begin to cover it.  Sorry for the Spidey-title puns (all intended), and congratulations on your spectaular acquisition! 

The Avengers! A sentinel! Rich Buckler! Three of the many ingredients that went into the myriad of monthly masterpieces that made people scream Make Mine Marvel! Congrats on a mighty acquisition indeed!  

Ivan's work is sublime. He manages to squeeze so much into each page and make it look easy and effortless, like the endless ballet between good and evil in our four colored fan pages. I do have a question, it seems from these pictures that there are two covers, pencils and inks on separate boards, is that the case? or is something else going on here? In any event, congratulations on a Super acquisition (or two) :)

If you like Batman and Robin, and let's face it, who doesn't like Batman and Robin, it just doesn't get much better than this. I am most curious about those hyper-detailed backgrounds and how they replicated it almost line for line between the two drawings. They really may be the best Batman covers Lee has drawn.

And thanks for mentioning how great they look in person, perhaps you can loan them to a museum someday so that the rest of the world can appreciate how amazing they truly are.

Congratulations on a wonderful pair of acquisitions!

A good cover is well drawn. A great cover is well drawn and tells a story in a single image. And this is why Neal Adams was, is and always will be one of the all time masters of this unique American art form.

Congratulations on sleuthing out this magnificent cover!

It is so easy to agree with all that has been said before, and even all that praise may not even be enough for this cover. It is not easy to get 100 comments on CAF, and it is a reflection of this cover's magnitude that so many collectors, who themselves have amazing collections, were moved to speak out.

I also note that the "original" unpublished cover is slightly different and we can see it in Nelson Animated Ink's gallery (at least as of this writing, who knows who will show what piece at what time :). So we can get a rare glimpse behind the curtain of some of the decisions that were made in creating this masterpiece.

Congratulations on a truly uncannily historic acquisition!

Very sorry for your loss. That is, however, a great painting. Ms. Houdini could not ask for a better tribute.

This is beautiful, and of course quite comical, which makes it a special treat as we get a glimpse of Mr. Bolland's quite wondeful personality. Haven't really looked at a Bolland page in awhile, and almost forgot how amazing they are with literally thousands of little brush and pen marks all over, but not a single one out of place. Congratulations on a really unique piece of comics history.

Really? Only two comments for this prime Michael Golden plate that is reminiscent of an Alphonse Mucha painting, seems like there should be many more. Congratulations on a magical acquisition from Michael's golden period ;)

Agreed that we should all enjoy this really great art.

The comment was not intended as political commentary. Instead it was just a short hand way of saying that these pages are somewhat more expensive than they used to be. And I am very happy for this collector who has it in his collection. ;)

Bermejo is a master and this is one of his masterpieces. The best of Batman's rogues rarely looked as menacing in reality as he does right here.  Congratulations on a prince of an acquisition 

It's funny, some pages leave such an impression on you, that even when you don't see them for a decade or so, they instantly spring back to memory because they are just so great.  This is one of those pages, Neal and Tom at the top of their game, perfect anatomy and a reality and fluidity of movement that marks Adams as one of the best artists (if not the best) to ever grace the pages of the funny books.  Congratulations on a mighty awesome acquisition. 

Dormammu! Doctor Strange! And a ultra-resolute Clea!  Face it true believer, this page has got it all!  Congrats on Cleopatra-worthy addition to your collection!

It is befuddling that a Starlin Captain Marvel Thanos War page only has one comment.  A situation that is now remedied, but that should never have existed in the first place (and yes, I know, its sister page has a few more).  Still, way too few comments for these little gems.  Congratulations on a pair of marvelous acquisitions!

It's so easy to get wrapped up in Bolland's technical excellence, that sometimes we miss out on how great an artist he actually is.  If you look at art as communication, this cover speaks volumes.  The bathroom, well kept, but showing a few signs of age, and used by virtue of the slight cracks in the wall tile and the half-full trash can.  The humanity, not just the face, that's easy, but the hands, palming the pills, reaching for his family, and the toes, the spastic humanity of toes moving in opposite directions.  All of the anguish is laid out here to see, in Bolland's typical technically excellent rendering.  Congratulations on a wonderful study of the human condition. 

The amazing thing about Miller's writing on DD was that even when the page had no action, so very much was happening.  Like this page here.  It's not every day that two psychotic alpha-male assassins on the opposite side of the fence meet in a prison and have a nice conversation where no one gets killed.  But that's exactly what happens here.  And even though neither one of these two physical specimens is known for their savvy, by having one try to outwit the other, Miller gives himself a nice set up for the tragedy to befall Elektra later.  Congrats on a page so good, a blind person could see it!

Well this is a blast from the past.  Based on Bill's character placement, use of foreshortening (love that outstretched hand) and general style at the time, this page (and the issue generally) makes me think of what if Neal Adams drew the X-Men.  Great bronze age splash from a super-hot title at the time. Congratulations on an uncanny acquisition!

In composition and execution this is one of the most memorable Adams covers, and perhaps one of the most memorable Flash covers of all time. Just love the elegant simplicity and power of it.  Congratulations on catching lightning in a bottle with this acquisition.

Prime Byrne.  While I have to say that I love Austin's inks on Byrne (and others) above all else, I think Marcos did a great job on this issue.  Especially that bottom panel, the inks are just great, especially on Cap and Witch's hair, really a sweet panel overall.  Congratulations on a mighty acquisition!

While Rogers clearly had a bit of Neal Adams influence, I also think one of his less obvious influences was Steve Ditko (although there is clearly alot of Ditko influence in this piece), especially in the way that characters moved and in storytelling. In a video tribute to Steve Ditko, a comics professional (and I don't remember who it was) said that Ditko was a true "artist."  The explanation was that Ditko's vision of different worlds and unusual characters, brought new worlds to life, which not too many comic creators can do. 

I feel that Rogers was one of those creators, who, when given free reign could create those different worlds and bring comics to life in a way that not all creators could. While Rogers' Detective run was a seminal event of the 70s that I treasure as one of my favorite Batman runs, I feel that Rogers' Dr. Strange run let him flex his creative muscles and show expansive worlds beyond the bricks and mortar of Gotham. I've seen this commission several times and each time it blows me away.

Congratulations on a strange and magical acquisition. 

A wonderful depiction of the good doctor, complete with the full Rogers billowing cape treatment. Just love Rogers' pencils and layouts generally, especially with Austin inks. Congratulations on a magical acquisition!

I guess if you have a hole in  your wall that you don't want people to see, then this is an okay cover for that.  However, I'm happy to fix that hole in your wall and take this off your hands.  Finch is one of those artists who blew out of the gates and was great early on in his career, but then never let up.  His Marvel work was fantastic, and I feel he pushed himself even harder at DC creating many especially iconic images in his Dark Knight run.  This great cover (another 13) is not only great itself, but a harbinger of things to come.  Congratulations on an uncanny acquisition!

I completely agree with my West Coast friend over here.  This is just insane.  Love Perez. Love this cover. And the only thing that makes this tolerable is that you post these beauties for everyone to see, and that you are a tremendous fan of the medium and truly, truly love the art form. Congratulations on a Titanic acquisition!

The fact that you have two Romita Sr. Spidey covers leaves me speechless.  The fact that you have two GREAT Romita Sr. Spidey covers is unfair and makes me want to cry. Congratulations on your AMAZING acquisitions!

This is a classic Marvel cover in so many ways, and may have been one of Colan's best examples.  Love the villain in the foreground looking at the hero through a screen trope. It is oft-used because it works so well, and especially well in the hands of a master like Colan, here.  You could be blind and still appreciate this cover (sorry, I had to).  Congratulations on an excellent acquisition!

It seems like everyone is wrong, and that "13" is actually a lucky number.  As in whoever has this cover is quite lucky indeed.  Agree with your assessment that Windsor Smith's style was evolving, and that he starts to show that here, as he tried to come out from Kirby's extremely large shadow (and despite Stan's urging) to ultimately become an artist who pursues his own vision.  Tremendous cover.  Congratulations!

It's funny, over time, many of these vintage artists change their styles, only want to draw certain characters or just simply don't put their heart into it as they did when they were trying to prove themselves as the hot new artist on a book way back when. But Steranko hasn't lost a step.  This cover quality piece, along with a couple of some variant covers by him that you will see here and there, show that he's still creating some fine artwork. An excellent addition to an awesome collection.

Congratulations on a great Cap commission!

In leaked footage that someone told me about, the THANOS COPTER features prominently in Avengers: Infinity War Endgame. The Avengers just couldn't find a way to defeat it.  The leaked footage also revealed that THANOS put his name on the COPTER so no one would take it, just like you would do with your 5th grade lunchbox.  Congratulations on an instant classic!

There is a subtlety to pencils that you don't get with the inked work. Of course, some of the pencillers take more advantage of this than others, and Ivan Reis's work shows just how incredible an artist he is. While I think that Oclair Albert does a terrific job inking Reis, it is amazing to see the grace and majesty of these unvarnished pencils. Congratulations on getting a Super acquisition!

Where do you get this stuff? While some (ahem) collectors have to work so hard just to find a crappy Darkstars page, you post an early issue first run classic Buscema Avengers cover! This is killing me. Congratulations on a well-assembled acquisition!

It is not easy following the legendary creators who drew these original books, but Lightle did a great job on the covers for this series and established a new identity for the reprint books while making tem his own. And, yes, for someone who drew the high profile Legion book after Keith Giffen, these Classic-in-their-own-right X-men covers and many other memorable series, Lightle is quite overlooked.  Congratulations on an uncanny acquisition.

A great Perez page for a great Perez Avengers collector. Congratulations on a Mighty fine acquisition Robert!

He Man never looked so good!  Congratulations on another stud cover!

Finch and Batman are like peanut butter and jelly. They were always destined to be together, even if they did not know it.

It is amazing to see how Finch has developed as an artist -- for the better -- when you compare this piece to a page from when he first drew the character in that Batman/Darkness crossover all those years ago. While Finch started off strong, the evolution of his command of perspective, light and shadow, and his love of drawing detailed, enveloping and engaging backgrounds have propelled him into a class by himself.

It must be amazing having this on your wall. Congratulations!

Signature artist + signature hero and villain = signature piece for any collection. Love the interplay of light and shadow in this piece. Kelly Jones is a true comic art original stylist and this is a wonderful example of his work.  Congratulations!

Can the word "underrated" apply to an established artist like Lee Bermejo? He just makes everything look great with his photorealistic style that somehow never lets you forget that you are looking at a comic book. Congratulations on a wonderful acquisition!

I don't like commissions, the uncertainty, the randomness, they are all foreign concepts to me when thinking of buying art - which I often think of as buying an image, not the idea of a potential image. Barring one exception, I don't own any commissions (which itself is a contradition, but that's a story for another time).

However, this particular little commission is like looking at unicorn. The odds are overwhelmingly against its existence, and yet here it is in all its glory. And like the unicorn, it is wonderful and magical to behold.

I don't know how you did it, but congratulations on a truly magical acquision.

There are some covers that strike you because they are well drawn and are memorable for that reason. Others persist in your mind because they have such an unusual, yet appealing layout, which makes you wonder why no one else had thought of it before. And yet another group of covers literally stun you with their lightning in a bottle creativity. 

This is one of those extremely rare covers that combines all three.  The best thing about it is that it couldn't be in the collection of a nicer guy. Congratulations on owning a very memorable piece of comics history. 

Sometimes, there's a rawness and a power to pencil studies that, for whatever reason, just never translates to the final inked version.  This may be one of those times.  This is such a pure piece that just emanates energy.  Congratulations on a magical acquisition! 

Adams + Batman = Classic!  Congratulations and, borrowing from Mr. Excelsior himself, ‘Nuff Said!

A classic piece that highlights so many things that make Frazetta great.  The depth, the humanity, the mastery of brush and making the complex seem effortless.  Congratulations on a beautiful piece.

Just saw this highlighted on CAF.  Did I mention I hate you for owning this piece?  Well, I did and I still do.  But am happy for you still the same.  Comic art generates such conflicting emotions ;)  Congratulations again my friend. 

A babe, a brute and a beaten up Wolverine.  Can't ask for much more from a Jim Lee X-Men cover.  Congratulations on an Uncanny acquisition!

Please invite me to your next lunch with Walter, as I clearly need new friends.  This piece is particularly incredible because, I believe, and I don't think I am alone in this, that outside of Thor (and not discounting any of the spectacular work that Walter has done on Batman, X-Factor, X-Men/Teen Titans, etc.) I think that Manhunter is his best work.  Certainly a fantastic character who I thought would have exploded into mega-popularity after the Goodwin and Simonson epic.  Congratulations on a wonderful acquisition! 

ASM Doc Ock covers are like a Royal Flush, they just can't be beat.  Congratulations on a great piece and a beautiful collection.