Superman and Batman Debut Issues Sold for $3m at Auction
The cover of Detective Comics #27
Two key copies of comic collecting Action Comics No. 1 and Detective Comics No. 27 each surpassed the $1m mark in Heritage Auctions’ latest Comic Books auction.
These marked the first appearance of Superman and the introduction of Batman respectively. The Action Comics No. 1 copy sold for $1,403,000 and Batman's debut made $1,525,000.
The Action Comics No. 1 book was sold by a longtime collector who bought it as a young man in the mid-1980s. He entrusted the copy to California comics writer and shop owner Timmy Heague to broker the sale. Heague donated a portion of his commission from the sale to three different comics and publishing industry charities and organizations, the Hero Initiative, the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, and Comics Professional Retail Organization.
Other highglights included:
- the John Romita Sr. cover for The Amazing Spider-Man No. 41 (sold for $656,250) with a bold depiction of the Rhino introduced to the Marvel Universe
- newly discovered Action Comics cover art by Joe Shuster, co-creator of Superman, ($450,000)
- 30 Al Williamson Star Wars comic strip original artworks consigned by the artist’s estate ($465,312) led by the April 26, 1981, Sunday strip with its portrait of Darth Vader and detailed depictions of C-3PO and R2-D2 ($75,000)
- Jim Starlin’s original art for story page 14 of Iron Man No. 55, the half-splash first full reveal of Thanos ($325,000)
- Joe Madureira’s original art from the wraparound gatefold cover of The Uncanny X-Men No. 350 ($275,000)
- Jim Lee’s X-Men II Keepsake Collection portfolio cover original art, subsequently used on posters ($212,500)
