NEW YORK — A 1938 copy of the comic strip that first introduced Superman to the world has sold for a record $6 million, the auctioneer who handled the purchase said last week.
According to Heritage Auctions, the rare copy of Action Comics No. 1 sold on Thursday to an anonymous buyer. The six million dollar price tag makes the book the most expensive comic ever sold at auction, the campaign house said.
Heritage Auctions hails Action Comics No. 1 as “the most important comic ever published” – noting that the Superman who first appeared in the Spring 1938 issue is “remarkably similar” to the version still seen in comics and on the big screen today. In addition to the Man of Steel’s first appearance, the book also introduced central love interest Lois Lane.
A report from the comic book appraisal service Certified Guaranty Company, cited by Heritage Auctions, estimates that only 100 copies of Action Comics No. 1 survive today – out of 200,000 printed by National Allied Publications, the predecessor to DC Comics.
The example sold last week, from the Kansas City Pedigree, has a CGC “Very Fine+” rating of 8.5 – with only two other unrestored numbers scoring higher, Heritage Auctions noted.
Although not as high as $6 million, other rare copies of Action Comics No. 1 has also sold for millions at auction in recent years, including a 6.0-rated issue that sold for $3.56 million via ComicConnect last year.
Thursday’s record sale surpasses the previous title holder for the most expensive comic book ever sold – a copy of another comic starring Superman, Superman No. 1, which was sold privately in 2022 for $5.3 million, according to CGC.
The Action Comics No. 1 sale was part of a four-day comic book auction event featuring several major superheroes and rare comics featuring them. According to Heritage Auctions, the event raised more than $28 million on Sunday.