Batman items of slain Fla. millionaire to be sold

[October 27, 2011]  MIAMI (AP) -- An extensive collection of Batman memorabilia once owned by a slain Florida millionaire will be auctioned next month.

Heritage Auctions said Wednesday it expects the sale of Ben Novack Jr.'s collection to generate more than $1 million. It will be held Nov. 15-17 in Beverly Hills, Calif.

The items include a copy of DC Comics' first Batman edition from 1940 and a 1939 comic in which "The Batman" first appeared. Novack's replica Batmobile is not part of the auction.

Novack was slain in 2009 at a hotel in upstate New York. His wife, Narcy Novack, and her brother have pleaded not guilty to murder charges.

Under Florida law, Narcy Novack cannot inherit her husband's estate if she is convicted of murder.

Novack's father built Miami Beach's Fontainebleau Hotel.

[Associated Press]

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