About the item: 


From the George Pérez Collection... This copy of Superman #423  is both graded and certified by CGC as from the personal collection of George Pérez.  It received an 7.5 Universal Grade on CGC's custom George Pérez "self-portrait" label, which notes "From the Collection of George Pérez."  

Of note, of a career full of highlights, Mr. Pérez said of Superman #423 "that although he was only the inker in the story, it was one of the best moments of his career."  

Please see below for more information about this story, Mr. Pérez, and his collection.

About "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow:

This is an imaginary story (which may never happen, but then again may), about a perfect man who came from the sky and only did good. It tells of his twilight, when the great battles were over and the great miracles long since performed. Of how his enemies conspired against him and of that final war in the snow blind wastes in the Northern Lights. Of the women he loved and of the choice he made between them. Of how he broke his most sacred oath, and how finally all the things he had were taken from him save one.  It ends with a wink. It begins in a quiet midwestern town one summer afternoon in the quiet midwestern future.  Away in the big city, people still sometimes glance up hopefully from the sidewalks, glimpsing a distant speck in the sky... but no: it's only a bird, only a plane. Superman died ten years ago. This is an imaginary story. Aren't they all?


So begins the final story featuring the Silver Age Superman. Printed in two parts, beginning in Superman 423 and concluding in Action Comics #583, the story was the end of an era and Man of Steel fans finally got to see the first, and greatest, super hero get his 'happily ever after,' even if it was a jarring ride getting there.  With Crisis on Infinite Earths underway, and the John Byrne Superman reboot just around the corner, Alan Moore delivered a touching tribute, tying up loose ends in the last days of the Last Son of Krypton.  In this issue, Curt Swan’s talent is on full display, showing why he was the definitive Superman artist for generations. Joining Swan for the cover was long-time collaborator Murphy Anderson, the pair having become so closely associated as the artist team for Superman that they collectively became known as “Swanderson” to fans.  Swan also provided the interior artwork, with inks provided by the fan-favorite illustrator of New Teen Titans and Crisis on Infinite Earths, George Pérez.  "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow" was the last pre-Crisis Superman story and it consistently ranks at or near the top of 'best' Superman story lists (and is high on 'best' comic story lists in general).  Poignant and powerful, it was a fitting end to that era's Superman and, in many ways, was the final, if belated, end of the Silver Age itself.


The George Pérez Collection


Vault Collectibles is honored to bring George Pérez’s personal comic book collection to and to share his tremendous legacy with his countless fans and collectors.  The listings will appear under our userid - empire.auctions (search keywords George Perez Pedigree under that ID) - beginning September 29.  They will run in a ten-day auction format to end Sunday evenings with new listings beginning every Thursday until the final lot appears in mid-December.  

The Collection includes approximately 600 items; comic books, graphic novels, magazines, and miscellanea that Mr. Pérez kept over the years and stored in his studio.  Over 100 items will be offered ‘raw’ and include a Vault Collectibles Certificate of Authenticity.  These include graphic novels, independent publisher titles, as well as price guides, magazines, and more.  The remainder have been graded and certified by the comic industry's preeminent grading service, Comics Guaranty Company (CGC). 

Fans will have a wide variety to choose from in these auctions and will see not only the depth and scope of Mr. Pérez's contributions to the unique art form of comics but his tremendous accomplishments in the field as well. 


About George Pérez


George Pérez’s amazing career spans five decades, beginning in 1974 with a 2-page spread in Astonishing Tales #25. Since that time he helped revolutionize and revitalize several characters and titles, including The New Teen Titans (also co-creating several of the new members with writer Marv Wolfman), Wonder WomanThe Avengers, and the entire DC Universe itself in the landmark Crisis on Infinite Earths series (again with Wolfman) and its companion piece, the History of the DC Universe.  More recently, he again helped redefine DC through Infinite Crisis and the relaunch of Superman under DC’s New 52. 

In addition to ground-breaking events, Pérez has provided fantastic work for many other titles including The Justice League of America, The Infinity Gauntlet, The Hulk: Future Imperfect, Batman, The X-Men, Superman, The Fantastic Four, and the personal dream project JLA/Avengers that brought together DC and Marvel’s preeminent super teams. Many of his contributions have made it onto the silver screen, including strong influences on DC’s Wonder Woman films (indeed, Pérez's Wonder Woman work was the very basis of the first film) and in Marvel’s cinematic universe (Pérez's influence can be seen in everything from the gauntlet ‘snap’ - which Pérez first illustrated - to the main Age of Ultron fight scene which was specifically based on Perez’s artwork).  

A true humanitarian as well, Pérez helped raise funds for numerous charities over the course of his career and also co-founded A.C.T.O.R. (now known as the Hero Initiative), the first federally recognized not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping comic book creators in need.    

Recognized by industry professionals as well as fans, Pérez has won multiple awards and honors, including several Eagle Awards (one along with Jim Shooter, Sal Buscema, and David Wenzel) for Best Continued Story on The Avengers, one for Best Cover for Avengers #185, and one for Favorite Artist (penciler) in 1986. He won the Inkpot Award in 1983 and his work along with Wolfman on Crisis on Infinite Earths won the 1985 and 1986 Jack Kirby Awards for Best Finite Series. He has also won numerous Comic Buyer’s Guide Fan Awards. In 1985, Pérez was included as an honoree among the most influential contributors to DC Comics’ history in the company’s 50th-anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great.  Most recently, Pérez received the Inkwell Awards Stacey Aragon Special Recognition Award for his lifetime achievement in inking.