The Comic That Introduced Superman Sells for $6 Million at Auction
It’s been a super week in the world of comics.
On Thursday, a copy of Action Comics No. 1—in which Superman appears for the first time—sold for a record-setting $6 million. The 1938 issue, offered by Heritage Auctions, is now the most valuable comic on the planet.
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“The first three lots today would be tough to beat when it comes to exciting bidding wars—the all-time record for a comic book, bracketed by two absolutely stunning surprises,” Barry Sandoval, the vice president of the auction house, said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to have made history today with an auction that’s rich in history, encompassing everything from a pre-Golden Age Superman artifact to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. We couldn’t be happier for our consignors and those winning bidders who acquired items without equal.”
The comic, part of Heritage Auctions’s Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction, is an unrestored copy graded CGC Very Fine+ 8.5. Only two other unrestored versions have been given a higher grade, and just 78 copies total exist in CGC’s population report. With its $6 million price tag, Action Comics No. 1 beat the prior auction record for a comic book: A CGC Near Mint+ 9.6 copy of Amazing Fantasy No. 15, with the debut of Spider-Man, sold for $3.6 million in September 2021. And the most valuable comic book had previously been a copy of Superman No. 1 that was sold privately for $5.3 million in 2022.
Elsewhere, the Heritage Auctions sale set a number of other records: A restored copy of the same Action Comics No. 1 achieved the highest price tag for any restored comic book, selling for $576,000. A copy of The Avengers from 1963 led to a bidding war, eventually hammering down for a record-breaking $432,000. And the highest-graded copy of Sensation Comics No. 1, with Wonder Woman’s second-ever appearance, crossed the block for an all-time high of $420,000.
Heritage Auctions continues its blockbuster comics sale through April 7, and the rest of the lots are currently being led by pieces of original art. One depicting Iron Man’s origin story, for example, has already reached bids of $155,000. We’ll just have to wait and see what other records may fall throughout the weekend.
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