The Beguiling will auction off “Holy Grail” of Spider-Man comics

In issues #698 through #700 of The Amazing Spider-Man, longtime arch-villain Dr. Octopus and Peter Parker (Spidey’s alter ego) swapped minds with one another. Don’t ask. It all ended with Parker dying and Dr. Octopus assuming the role of Spider-Man in Marvel’s Superior Spider-Man series. Naturally, the story upset plenty of easily upset comics fans. Just as naturally, Peter Parker is coming back, in a re-launched Amazing Spider-Man  series, due on shelves next Wednesday, conspicuously timed with the May 2 release of the new Amazing Spider-Man 2 movie.

Still reading? Well then this next bit will for sure interest you, you enormous nerd. To mark the exciting and highly calculated return of Peter Parker, Toronto comic shop The Beguiling is auctioning off two highly collectable Spidey back issues: 1963’s Amazing Fantasy #15 (which marked the first appearance of Spider-man) and Amazing Spider-Man #1 (the web-head’s first above-the-title appearance in his own book). Taken together, the pair of books is considered the “Holy Grail” of Spider-Man comics. Bids start at $5,000 Canadian for Amazing Fantasy #15  and $2,500 for Amazing Spider-Man #1. Considering a copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 currently appears on eBay with a starting bid of $18,000 U.S., we can expect the prices of The Beguiling’s books to raise substantially.

Anyone interested in bidding on the book is asked to show up at The Beguiling no later than 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30.

Apr. 30. The Beguiling (601 Markham St.), beguilingbooksandart.com