86 Years After Its Release, a Rare Superman Comic Just Became the Most Expensive Ever (By a Huge Margin)

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Collectible comic books have become increasingly valuable over the last fifteen years. This rise in price isn’t accidental, as highly-rated, well-preserved issues featuring popular characters from Marvel, DC, and Image consistently sell for a lot of money. This is largely due to the huge success of movies and TV shows based on these comics, like those in the Marvel and DC universes. Even relatively recent comics, like Edge of the Spider-Verse #2 (where Spider-Gwen first appeared), can sell for over $1000 because of the character’s popularity in the Spider-Verse films. And with recent news, this trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

As a comic book fan, even I know Superman’s first appearance in 1938’s Action Comics #1 is legendary – and expensive! It’s consistently broken auction records, actually. Just last year, a copy graded 8.5 sold for a staggering $6 million, making it only the second comic to ever reach that $5 million+ mark. Believe it or not, Action Comics #1 itself set that original record back in 2022. But now, Superman’s done it again, though this time it’s a different comic that’s taken the crown!

Superman #1 Becomes the Most Valuable Comic Book of All-Time

Last October, Heritage Auctions revealed a collection of rare comic books they would be selling, highlighted by a nearly perfect copy of Superman #1 from 1939. The comic grading company, CGC, gave it a score of 9.0 out of 10, noting its vibrant colors, sharp edges, and strong spine. It was a first edition of this incredibly popular comic. What made this copy even more special was its history – it had been stored in an attic in Northern California along with other valuable Superman comics, including issues 9, 12, 15, 18, and 21, all of which were also up for auction.

Superman #1, a highly sought-after comic, was recently sold at auction for a record-breaking $9.12 million – the most ever paid for a single comic book. Interestingly, despite being considered a key issue, Superman had already appeared in the first 12 issues of Action Comics when Superman #1 was first published. The comic’s pristine, near-mint condition likely contributed to the high price, and it may be difficult to see another comic fetch as much, especially since copies of Action Comics #1 or Detective Comics #27 haven’t been graded as highly. The timing of the sale, following the success of the 2025 James Gunn film, was also a significant factor.

While a copy of Superman #1 sold for a remarkable $9 million, other comics at the auction also brought in high prices, though none reached seven figures. A 9.4-graded copy of Action Comics #15 was the next most expensive at $264,000, followed by Captain America Comics #1 (graded 5.0) at $204,000. Amazing Fantasy #15 – the first appearance of Spider-Man, graded 7.5 – sold for $144,000, and Tales of Suspense #39 (the first appearance of Iron Man, graded 9.2) went for $108,000.

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2025-11-21 19:41