Pokémon Expert, Dubsy, & Vincent Zurzolo, the $15 Million Man of comic books, Will Be at Dubai CardExposition

From New York City to Dubai, comics, cards and collectibles know no boundaries.

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, October 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ —

Comic books may have started as an American phenomenon in the 1930s, but that’s ancient history. Comic books and pop culture collectibles in general generate interest, and sales, worldwide.

Exhibit A is Vincent Zurzolo, president of Metropolis Collectibles and its sister company, ComicConnect, in New York City. Zurzolo’s passport records trips across five continents, as he’s traveled buying, selling and exhibiting comic books – and reconnecting with old friends. His next trip will take him once again to Dubai for the CardExposition Oct. 23 and 24 at Studio City.

He will be bringing with him a group of very high-end vintage comics to exhibit to card buyers looking for another collectible to invest in. His inventory will include Action Comics #1, which introduced audiences to Superman in 1938, and Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962), the first appearance of Spider-Man.

“Superheroes translate into every language,” he says. “Everyone loves Superman and Spider-Man.”

Zurzolo recently brokered the private sale of Action Comics #1 for a record-setting $15 million. The copy, graded a 9.0, was once owned and later stolen from actor Nicolas Cage. The sale surpassed the previous record for a comic book, and was soon followed by the record-breaking $5 million sale of a 7.0 Action #1.

Joining him will be Marwan Alkhaja, a passionate collector who first met Zurzolo in 2009. Known as Dubsy, he is the collector known for selling a rare Pokémon card to Logan Paul. “I contacted Vincent to purchase comics he was selling, and we stayed in touch,” Alkhaja says.

“When the first Dubai comic con took place in 2012, we collaborated and Vincent sent vintage comics from the U.S. for my booth. Two years later he came to Dubai himself and we did the third comic con together, which was a great success. We’ve remained friends ever since.”

Though they grew up on opposite sides of the world, Zurzolo and Alkhaja trace their love of comic books to childhood.

Zurzolo’s roots in the business go back to age 5, when he begged his mother and dug through sofa cushions for spare change to buy. By 15, he was buying and selling comics with a friend and had earned a nickname at school: “the comic book kid.”

In 1991, Alkhaja’s mother bought him a copy of Batman #463 at a grocery store. “I was a very introverted kid and spent a lot of time at home, so comic books, video games and Lego were almost like my best friends,” he recalls “I’ve been hooked on collecting ever since.”

He says most of his collection is in a safe and not for sale. “I’m actually much less public about my comic collection because I’m very attached to those pieces – I almost think of them as my children.”

As Zurzolo says, “Comic books are a tangible asset that collectors can get passionate about. They can see the appreciation. And they’re fun.”

Alkhaja has became known as one of the top collectors of Pokémon cards. “The Pikachu Illustrator was the first ever Pokémon card I collected, and since then I’ve always been particularly drawn to rare and unusual Pikachu cards,” he says.

“Pokémon has an audience far larger than most collectible hobbies, and it appeals across generations – from children to adults who grew up with it,” he adds. “It’s also very accessible: You can enjoy collecting whether you’re spending a few dollars or pursuing extremely rare cards.”

You will find Zurzolo and Alkhaja enjoying the show together, walking the floor, seeing what people have brought, meeting collectors and, of course, catching up with friends.

“We have so many great clients, collectors and investors in the region who are incredibly passionate about comics and comic art,” Zurzolo says. “I’m very excited to be returning to the Dubai CardExposition.”

Joanne Levine
Lekas & Levine PR
joannepr@aol.com

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