DC Comics just broke its own record for the most expensive comic ever, as a pristine copy of Superman #1 has sold for over $9 million dollars. The discovery of the comic in virtually mint condition, and now its high-bar-setting sale at auction, rank among the wildest pop culture stories of the year.
The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that the Heritage auction for the recently-rediscovered copy of 1938’s Superman #1 concluded with a final price of $9.12 million.
The comic’s high value was the result of its unprecedented level of maintenance, with the issue preserved almost flawlessly for 87 years.
A Near-Perfect Copy Of DC’s “Superman #1” Sets A New Record With $9.12 Auction Sale
The Freshly-Uncovered Comic Was Purchased In 1938 For Ten Cents
Superman #1 sold for ten cents when it was published in 1938. Now, a copy of the issue has sold for nearly ten million dollars. It is a truly incredible story for comic book collectors and vintage media enthusiasts, and for the trio of brothers who found the comic among their late mother’s possessions, it is life-altering money.
In a single bound, the brothers’ copy of Superman #1 leaps over the previous “priciest collectors’ comic” record-holder: another Superman first, his official debut in Action Comics #1, which sold for $6 million last year. Previously, another copy of Superman #1 sold for $5 million. This latest $9.12 million milestone will be difficult to top.
There’s a chance it will happen, just given the escalating nature of high-value art collections. Yet the latest Superman #1’s 9.0 preservation rating is also unheard of, and unlikely to be equaled anytime soon. As such, the freshly-sold comic truly constitutes the rarest of the rare finds in comic collecting.
The 9-Mil Price Tag On “Superman #1” Will Be Hard For Another Vintage Comic To Top
The Comic Is A Miracle Of Media Preservation
The original owner of the now-$9.12 million-dollar Superman #1 bought the book when she was nine years old. She reportedly passed away several years ago, but it took time for her family to go through her belongings. When they did, they discovered a treasure trove of comics untouched for decades.
It is unclear how, exactly, the issue of Superman #1 and the rest of the woman’s collection were kept in such immaculate condition. However, it does show that the books were cared for, even revered, even if they were eventually tucked away in an attic for years and all-but-forgotten about.
Early 20th-century physical media like Superman #1 and other surviving comics of that era are historical artifacts. They provide a tangible link to the foundations of the current pop-culture-obsessed era. The $9.12 million price tag on DC Comics’ original Superman comic is a testament to the urgency of preserving such items.