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Amazing Fantasy #15 Curator pedigree (Marv...

Currency:USD Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:NA Estimated At:40,000.00 - 45,000.00 USD
Amazing Fantasy #15 Curator pedigree (Marv...
Amazing Fantasy #15 Curator pedigree (Marvel, 1962). "And so a legend is born, and a new name is added to the roster of those who make the world of fantasy the most exciting realm of all!" This purple passage was penned by Stan Lee to conclude the origin story of a new "long underwear character" he had cooked up with artist Steve Ditko. However, neither man could really have anticipated just how prescient those words would be, and that their hapless teenager-turned-superhero would have such a profound effect on pop culture, even coming to rival the DC icons -- Superman and Batman -- in popularity. Clearly, Lee and Ditko felt they were crafting something out of the ordinary, with Lee lamenting in the story's opening caption that superheroes are "a dime a dozen!" and promising "we think you may find our Spider-Man just a bit ... different!" But their uncertainty about the sales potential of this oddball kid in the red-and-blue tights was reflected in the decision to give the character a tryout in a floundering monster comic, rather than immediately launching him in his own magazine, as they had done previously with the Fantastic Four and the Hulk. The result, of course, was Amazing Fantasy #15, one of the most important comic books ever published, and certainly the single most important character launch since the Golden Age. Read today, the origin of Spider-Man is still as thrilling and heart-wrenching as it was in the '60s -- the "murdered parent" gimmick (in this case, Pete's beloved Uncle Ben) may have been reminiscent of Batman's origins, but it proved to be an ingenious motivating factor for Peter Parker's war against crime, and still resonates today, especially in Lee's beautifully-written admonition "With great power, there must also come great responsibility!" -- a litany that has passed into the consciousness of virtually every superhero fan on earth. Heritage Comics is proud to offer here a spectacular, amazing, and sensational example of this landmark Silver Age key, from the Curator collection. The condition on this copy is superb; there is some minor stress in small areas along the spine, but the color, pages, gloss and clean edges are all exceptional. The early publication date and the unforgiving color palate make Amazing Fantasy #15 a notoriously difficult to acquire in high-grade. This copy ranks among the top ten unrestored copies certified by CGC to date, and it is safe to assume it will always be in the top 1% highest-grade surviving copies. In other words, this is one for the ages. CGC VF/NM 9.0 Off-white to white pages. Overstreet 2001 NM 9.4 value = $35,000. Important notice: We expect to be auctioning lots at the rate of 200-250 per hour. Sometimes eBay Premier live bid software cannot keep up with that pace, so we strongly recommend that you place a realistic proxy bid now as insurance to avoid disappointment. Also please note that all Heritage/CAA lots purchased through eBay Premier carry a 20% Buyer's Premium.