SHAH ALAM - A near-pristine copy of Superman No. 1 from 1939 has set a new world record after selling for US$11.9 million (around RM49,187 million) at Heritage Auctions, making it the highest-priced comic book ever sold.
The closing price makes it the most expensive comic book ever sold, surpassing previous record holders in the multimillion-dollar category.
The extraordinary find has a backstory "worthy of its own comic book narrative," after the issue surfaced in California earlier this year. It was discovered in 2024 by three brothers who were clearing their late mother's belongings.
The family had long known that their mother and uncle had collected comics but had never seen the full set.
The Superman No. 1 issue, along with several other titles had been stored for decades inside a box in the attic and forgotten.
The comic, published a year after Superman first appeared in Action Comics No. 1 in 1938, marked the Man of Steel’s first standalone series.
The launch of Superman No. 1 in 1939 cemented the character’s rising popularity following his breakout success in the anthology series.
Certified Guaranty Co. (CGC), which specialises in grading and authenticating collectibles, assessed the comic at 9.0, placing it among the highest-quality surviving copies.
Collectors value comic books based on a combination of rarity, condition and significance, particularly first appearances or major storyline events.
Other comics that have crossed into the multimillion-dollar bracket, according to CGC, include: Action Comics No. 1(US$6 million in 2024), Amazing Fantasy No. 15 — Spider-Man’s debut (US$3.6 million in 2021), Captain America Comics No. 1 (US$3.12 million in 2022) and Batman No. 1 (US$2.22 million in 2021).