Promise Collection Pedigree

Billed as likely the last great original owner Golden Age comic book collection find and frequently ranked as second only to the famed Mile High/Edgar Church pedigree I can’t say a whole lot about the Promise Collection that hasn’t already been said.

It took the comic collecting world by storm in June 2021 with books for sale on Heritage Auctions.

Certified Guaranty Company (CGC) summarized the backstory like this:

“In the early 1950s, a young man by the name of Robert was drafted by the Army to fight in Korea. His younger brother, Junie, enlisted in the hopes of keeping watch over Robert. Junie told his brother that if anything should happen to him in battle, Robert should take care of his beloved collection of comic books.

Knowing how much his brother treasured the collection, Robert promised to look after his comics should anything happen to him. Tragically, Junie died in battle shortly after at the age of 21.

Eventually, Robert came home from the war and fulfilled his promise to his brother. He assembled the comic books and meticulously packed them and stored them away in an attic for over half a century.”

Private First Class Clarence Whitmore, voice radio operator, 24th Infantry Regiment, reads the latest news. NARA – 541945

Men and equipment being parachuted to earth in an operation conducted by United Nations airborne units. Ca. 1951. Defense Dept. (USIA) NARA FILE #: 306-PS-51-5924

A lot of collecting community sleuthing based on various signatures on the covers, distributor stamps and a promotional book that was only available locally eventually narrowed the origin of the collection down to two brothers in Cleveland, Ohio with the surname Mezzopera. Regardless of the last name of Robert and his brother Junie the story is a touching one of love for family and the real life tragedies of war.

A year and a half after the pedigree’s introduction sales are now nearing the end of the collection’s 5,000 books – breaking many records for both high grades and prices along the way.