The introduction of Superman is widely acknowledged as jumpstarting both the Golden Age of Comics and the superhero genre as we know it. It has since changed hands again for $3.4 million in a private sale brokered by Goldin. 1 (1938) fetched $3.18 million, nearing the record for most-expensive comic book at auction, in January 2022. There are only two known copies of the issue with a higher grade, of 8.0, and most are “literally disintegrating,” Comic Connect cofounder Stephen Fisler, who created the industry standard grading scale, told the Chronicle. (A lifelong comic fan, Michaelson actually met his wife at Comic Connect’s booth at New York Comic Con, 10 years to the date of the sale-but didn’t tell her about his prized Superman comic until about two months before selling it.)īilled as “the complete story” of the alien superhero created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the 64-page book, originally intended as a standalone, clearly left readers clamoring for more. “Cherish it for 40 years, like I did,” he instructed the winning bidder, speaking to the Houston Chronicle. That’s a big mark up from the original 10-cent sticker price, but obviously nothing compared to the profit made by the man he sold it to, Mark Michaelson, who finally parted ways with the title in 2021. The original owner of this 7.0-grade copy of the first standalone appearance of Superman sold it in 1979 through his neighborhood comic book store for just $1,000. 1 (1939), the Man of Steel’s first standalone comic, sold for $2.6 million in December 2021 at Comic Connect. “Without question, this is the granddaddy of all Marvel Comics, without which we would not have the characters and stories we enjoy in today’s comics and feature films,” Heritage senior vice president Ed Jaster said in a statement.Ī copy of Superman No. The sale, which attracted 33 bids, topped the previous record for the title, set by a 9.4-grade book from the Windy City pedigree collection that sold at Heritage for $1.26 million in November 2019. “It’s an incredibly important look into the world and behind the scenes of the creation,” ComicConnect cofounder Vincent Zurzolo told the Associated Press. It’s unclear why the annotated book was saved, but it turned up in a filing cabinet around 1993. This 9.2-grade “pay copy” sold at Comic Connect is embellished with handwritten notes from the publisher notating how much the writers and artists were paid-Frank R. The first issue features the introduction of Marvel figures such as the original Human Torch and Angel, as well as Namor the Submariner, who will finally make his live-action debut in the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. 1 marks the origins of the Marvel superhero universe, which has since birthed the wildly popular MCU film series. Photo courtesy of Comic Connect.Ī major landmark in the history of comics, Marvel Comics No. 1 (1939) sold for $2.4 million in March 2022 at Comic Connect. The most expensive copy of Marvel Comics No. Proving the issue’s desirability, other copies sold at Heritage for $1.5 million in November 2020, $1.14 million in January 2022, and $1.13 million in June 2021, as well as an even $1 million-way back in February 2010. “This comic, in comparison to a trading card, is rarer than the T206 Honus Wagner, the holy grail of sports cards.” It was issued number 27-who knew that one of the most iconic superheroes of all time were going to be introduced in issue number 27?” Ken Goldin said in a video ahead of the sale. “What’s great about it and makes it so rare is it was not issue number one, which people may have saved back in the day. Only 36 unrestored copies of the issue, with its cover drawn by Bob Kane, are known to exist, and only eight of them have better grades than the one that currently holds the highest sales price. 1, and this historic comic where the world first met Bruce Wayne-better known as Batman. When it comes to Golden Age Comics, there are two contenders for the most significant issue ever released-Superman’s introduction in Action Comics No. 27, featuring the first appearance of Batman, sold for a $1.74 million in May 2022 at Goldin Auctions.
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