A copy of the primary ever challenge of “Superman,” found in a Californian attic final 12 months, has grow to be the most expensive comic ever sold, fetching $9.12 million at auction.
Three brothers from northern California found the problem of “Superman #1” whereas clearing out their mom’s attic after her demise. The 1939 comic had been saved in a cardboard field, protected by only a pile of outdated newspapers.
Nevertheless the comic, which initially sold for 10 cents, was found to be so properly preserved that it was deemed the “highest ever graded copy” by Dallas-based public sale home Heritage Auctions, which made the record-breaking sale on Thursday.
The brothers, who haven’t been named, found a set of outdated comics whereas clearing out their mom’s property over the vacation season final 12 months, the public sale home stated in a press statement issued earlier than the sale. Their mom had at all times instructed them she had a worthwhile assortment of comics, however that they had by no means seen the prized editions for themselves.
Up in the attic they found 5 early problems with “Action Comics,” the anthology from National Allied Publications that first launched Superman to the world. But it was the copy of “Superman #1,” the primary time Clark Kent’s alias appeared in his personal devoted comic after National Allied grew to become Detective Comics, Inc. — or DC as it’s now famously identified — that proved most promising.
The late proprietor had purchased the comics along with her brother between the Great Depression and World War II and later in life the pair had determined to move them on to her sons, because the brother by no means married or had youngsters.
The youngest of the three brothers, who’re in their 50s and 60s, stated in the public sale home assertion: “This was never just about a collectible. This is a testament to memory, family and the unexpected ways the past finds its way back to us.”
The comics had been a “treasured refuge” for the siblings who had grown up in a cramped house with few luxuries, he stated. “But they had each other and a shared love for comic books,” he stated.
He stated the field had been hidden in the “recess of the attic,” including: “But as the years unfolded, life brought about a series of losses and changes. The demands of everyday survival took center stage, and the box of comics, once set aside with care and intention, was forgotten. Until last Christmas.”
What set the comic’s valuation so excessive was not simply its superior situation, however the truth that it had been a part of DC’s first print run of half one million copies, the public sale home stated.
Lon Allen, vp of Heritage Auctions, stated in a statement printed after the sale that he was “thrilled” by the consequence, including: “Superman #1 is a milestone in pop culture history, and this copy is not only in unprecedented condition, but it has a movie-worthy story behind it. I was glad to see the price reflect that and am honored Heritage was entrusted with this iconic book.”
The earlier file was held by a copy of “Action Comics No. 1,” which launched Superman in 1938, which was sold by the identical public sale home for $6 million final 12 months.
Prior to that, one other challenge of the Man of Steel’s adventures in “Superman #1” took the crown in 2022, fetching $5.3 million in a personal sale.
In the years since his first look, Superman has grow to be one of many most recognizable and enduring characters in American popular culture, spawning blockbuster motion pictures, books, toys and even bubble gum.