FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) - August 1, 2010
Mike Wheat of Fairbanks has put the 1940 comic book on the auction block through Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries, where it's expected to fetch more than $40,000. Online bids already have climbed to $35,000 for the book, believed to be one of fewer than 300 still in existence.
Online bids will compete with a live auction set for Thursday.
The second and fourth Batman issues also will be part of Thursday's auction. They are expected to bring more than $5,000 combined.
Wheat, a retired city wastewater treatment plant operator, says he considers the Batman comics an investment. He says it feels like the right time to sell.
