Philippe Druillet's legendary cover for Métal Hurlant No. 2, the centerpiece of the international Heritage Auctions sale from October 25–26, 2025!
- Kapow!
- Oct 15
- 4 min read
On October 25 and 26, Heritage Auctions brings together the elite of international comics for an extraordinary sale: Druillet, Giraud, Guarnido, Miller, Marini… and at the top, the legendary cover of Métal Hurlant n°2, a founding masterpiece of science fiction.
" A true cornerstone of the magazine that will be exported to the United States under the title Heavy Metal, this original work , more than a simple illustration, constitutes a true declaration of intent, both aesthetic and editorial. It will be among the highlights of our sale on October 25 and 26. » Olivier Delflas - Director of the International Comic Art & Anime Department
at Heritage Auctions
The other gems of this international sale.
After the record-breaking $175,000 sale of the first page of the first volume of Blueberry: Fort Navajo by Jean Giraud (Moebius) , Heritage Auctions is now offering the second page of this inaugural episode . It showcases all of Giraud 's narrative genius, with a perfect mastery of composition and rhythm. In just a few panels, he manages to condense the tension of a poker game until its inevitable denouement in a gunfight—a distillation of the cinematic style and dramatic flair that would make Blueberry a legendary series.
Six-time Eisner Award winner Juanjo Guarnido is unveiling several major pieces from his personal collection in this sale. Among them is the incredible pastel on Bristol board created for the cover of the deluxe edition of the first five volumes of Blacksad —a work that is both masterful and rare. The Spanish artist also includes an impressive original plate from volume 7 , as well as the cover illustration he created for the Megadeth edition of Batman: Death Metal #1 , thus crossing the worlds of animal thrillers, rock, and American comics.
Frank Miller is also among the headliners of this sale, with four remarkable works . For the very first time, the original plates 2 and 6 from his cult series Elektra Lives Again (1990) appear in an auction catalog. Created in ink and white paint, they demonstrate the graphic and emotional power that characterized Miller's dark and introspective world, at the height of his art.
A key figure in the international comics scene, Enrico Marini also occupies a prominent place in this sale. Collectors will have the rare opportunity to acquire all the original plates of a complete story from a major title in the Batman series. This exceptional lot of 24 pages comes from the sixth episode of Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween , produced in collaboration with Jeph Loeb .
These pieces are joined by the Mr. Freeze variant cover from the same issue, a sensual spread depicting Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle from Batman: The Dark Prince Charming #1 , and a striking illustration showing a bruised and vulnerable Batman in his Batcave —all works that reflect Marini 's graphic virtuosity and cinematic approach.
Finally , Mathieu Lauffray's spectacular panoramic cover for Star Wars: Heir to the Empire rounds off this exceptional selection. A true icon of the saga, this monumental illustration is one of the most iconic images in the Star Wars universe and remains a centerpiece of science fiction pop culture.
The art of manga enters the pantheon of the ninth art.
The upcoming sale will, as usual, feature a premium selection of original works from the United States and Europe, but for the first time, it will also include the largest selection ever offered of original manga works. This opening reflects the current dynamics of the market: the " manga wave," which has conquered collectors over the past two to three years—marked by rarity and difficulty of access—is now extending to the realm of original art.
Highlights in this section include Steve Oliff 's colorized Akira #18, #16, #28, # 41 and # 42 , and #37, #9 . Katsuhiro Otomo chose Oliff to create the hand-painted color guide based on the author's original pencils and inkings. Their groundbreaking collaboration resulted in the first digitally colored comic strip: Oliff hand-painted with watercolors and markers over Otomo 's printed lines, before his team at Olyoptics finalized the digital rendering.
A black-and-white page by Masanobu Asai from the Adventure King adaptation (the fourth Super Sentai series, later known in the West as Power Rangers ) immerses the viewer in a gripping action scene. Denjiman bursts through starbursts, protecting his teammate in a dynamic 1980s composition where dense inks and white highlights accentuate the visual power.
This is just a glimpse of the richness of this exceptional sale, as Olivier Delflas , Director of International Comic Art and Anime at Heritage Auctions , points out:
“ All the great classics will be represented, including the largest selection of premium works by Moebius, Hergé, Enki Bilal, Spanish masters such as Manuel Sanjulian and Pepe Gonzalez, as well as American legends like Hal Foster, Alex Raymond, John Byrne, John Buscema and Mike Mignola . ”
An edition that confirms more than ever Heritage Auctions ' place as a world reference in the field of comic book art and illustration.
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