John Buscema’s Black Panther-focused homage to Will Eisner’s “The Spirit” for “The Avengers” up for auction

By John Freeman on September 4, 2020 • ( 2 )

Avengers #58 - Splash Page Original Art by John Buscema and George Klein — *The splash page for Avengers #58, offers in auction by Heritage Auctions*

It’s been said that this splash page featuring the Black Panther for Marvel’s Avengers #58 by John Buscema, inked by George Klein, published in 1968, is one of the earliest occasions Marvel incorporated the story title into the artwork a la Will Eisner‘s “The Spirit”.

It’s also just the second solo Black Panther splash, in any series, the character making his debut just two years earlier in Fantastic Four #52 (July 1966), created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

The page opened the classic Roy Thomas tale “Even An Android Can Cry” which gave the Avengers (and readers) background information on the Vision, artwork currently up for auction through Heritage Auctions with bidding at present at the $31,000 mark with six days to go.

*The cover and opening pages of* Avengers #58, published in 1968. Images: Marvel

Back Panther may have dominated the splash, but the cover led with appearances by Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor – the Avengers’ “Big Three”, who Alan Stewart notes series writer Roy Thomas wasn’t allowed to use as regular team members by the fiat of editor Stan Lee, but whom he nevertheless shoehorned into the book every chance he got.

In the story, reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers Volume 6 (which is a darn sight cheaper than the art board at auction!), the Avengers consider the Vision’s wishes to become an team member, so Captain America, Thor and Iron Man all attack him to test him. The resulting battle sees his successful entrance into the team, but also throws up a number of mysteries involving arch villain Ultron and the Vision’s origins…

The Avengers - Marvel Masterworks Volume 6 — *“Even an Android can Cry” is reprinted in The Avengers Marvel Masterworks Volume 6*

It’s certainly one of Black Panther’s appearances that stuck in my mind, although I’m not sure if that’s because of this original publication, or a reprint in an early 1970’s Marvel UK title. (Seeing this in black and white jiggles more faded memory cells than the page in colour, so I suspect the latter!)

• Check out The Avengers #58 splash art here on Heritage Auctions

• Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers Volume 6 (AmazonUK Affiliate Link – using this helps support downthetubes, thanks)

• Alan Stewart delves into the history of both the Vision and DC rival Red Tornado here on his informative 50 Year Old Comics Blog

With thanks to Ernesto Guevara for spotting this

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.