Metropolis Gallery is excited to host the Second City Collection, a preview of ComicConnect's amazing upcoming auction opening THIS FRIDAY from 7pm-9pm!  ComicConnect's auction begins May 7th and ends the week of June 11th.

ComicConnect, the premier vintage comic auction house, is delighted to announce The Second City Collection, an impressive assortment of rare comics, important key appearances, and exciting memorabilia, assembled by a lifelong comics fan who turned an obsession into something special. “This collection is like a love letter to pop culture, and it really shows the dedicated personality of its owner,” said ComicConnect COO Vincent Zurzolo. “The Second City Collection is comprised of some of the most carefully and meticulously curated comics we’ve had the pleasure to work with.”

Amassed by a true comic book and movie fan from the Chicago area over the course of decades, the Second City Collection displays the breadth and dedication of his passionate interests. A sharp-minded individual, inveterate thrill seeker, and a collector of interesting paraphernalia, this comics fan was detail-obsessed, a voracious reader, traveler, and philanthropist. “I helped put a lot of his collection together, and got to know him pretty well,” said Zurzolo. “He was a remarkable guy, kind of shy, but very open to new experiences and ideas, and when he fell in love with something, boy did he go all the way.”

Determined to build a world-class private library of comic book treasures, he eventually obtained a collector’s dream lineup of major keys and first appearances. “The Action Comics #1 CGC 8.5 with bright white pages is a real treasure, and in fact, until we sold the 9.0 from the Nicolas Cage Collection for over $2 million, the 8.5 unrestored CGC copy was the most expensive comic sold to that point.” This record-breaking copy of the first appearance of Superman takes a place of pride in this auction alongside a restored 8.5 CGC Detective Comics #27, the first appearance of Batman; a 7.5 Amazing Fantasy #15, featuring the debut of Spider-Man; and an unrestored 7.5 Captain America Comics #1, featuring the premiere appearance of what may have been this comic fan’s favorite hero.

“He loved Cap so much, he ended up buying the costume worn by Chris Evans in Captain America: The First Avenger, which is an auction I actually helped him out with,” recalled Zurzolo. “I remember how excited he was winning that costume, he was like a big kid, it made me so happy to be able to share that moment with him, and seeing Cap’s suit again brings back very warm memories.”

The screen-worn costume is not only part of this auction, but also one of the central displays in the opening at ComicConnect’s midtown Manhattan Metropolis Gallery, which will display a group of Second City Collection highlights, open to the public starting April 13th. “He would have loved this,” stated Zurzolo, “and it makes me very happy to be able to share this wonderful collection of comics and memorabilia with other fans before they find their eventual home come hammer-time.”

Other highlights in the auction include the highest-graded run of the Avengers, including a dazzling copy of Avengers #1 highest-graded CGC 9.6, and the highest-graded #2 CGC 9.8; an unrestored CGC 9.2 copy of the super-rare Detective Comics #33, featuring the first-ever origin story of the legendary Batman; and a complete run of the extremely scarce pre-Marvel horror anthology Mystery Tales. “I think this might have been his favorite-ever comic,” said ComicConnect Consignment Director Rob Reynolds. “He especially loved issue #40 which was prominently featured on the TV show Lost. He knew how rare this title was and would snap up low and high-grade examples including many pedigree copies." In recent years, early Marvel comics horror and mystery anthology books have exploded in demand and value, as savvy comics fans come to realize that the foundations for the Marvel comics Silver Age revolution are laid out in these issues. “All the artists and writers who made Marvel into a powerhouse in the 1960s cut their teeth and honed their style in these horror comics,” continued Reynolds. “They’re so rarely seen that anyone who really cares about the history of Marvel, or the history of comics in general gets extremely excited when these books come to market. You can trace how Marvel became Marvel by reading these titles and watching them slowly morph from horror comic knockoffs to a very specific and sharp style all their own.”
 

Join us for the opening of the Second City Collection show, Friday, April 13th from 7pm - 9pm, to view this amazing collection.   After the opening the gallery will be open to the public Tuesday - Friday from 12-5pm.  

Because Metropolis Gallery is located at 36 West 37th Street, 6th Floor --a central location in midtown Manhattan, it is easy to get to from NY Pennstation and the subway system!   

Click here to view art for sale at Metropolis Gallery.

To view the gallery by appointment, call Vincent Zurzolo at 212-260-4147 or 1-800-229-6387.