These Rare Superhero Comics Can be Worth Big Bucks
The world of superheroes has always been outsized, and one where you must often suspend your disbelief. As any fan of the old George Reeves 1950s Adventures of Superman series recalls, the Man of Steel would proudly stand there with a smile while hit with a hail of bullets … only to then duck when a bad guy threw an empty gun at him.
The world of superhero collectibles tells a similar story — it’s huge to the point where the prices for comic books that cost 10 cents when we were kids are now selling (in the right condition) for an unbelievable six or seven figures, having leapt higher than a tall building in recent years.
Heritage Auctions, HA.com
The tally for most valuable editions of superhero comic books keeps climbing, with the current leader being the 1939 Superman No. 1 edition; that’s based on how much individual copies have gone for at sales/auctions in recent years. The arbiter of quality is a book’s “CGC” grading; that refers to the quality measurement assigned by the Certified Guaranty Company, the leading impartial third-party grading/authentication/encapsulation service for comic books, trading cards, video games, magazines, posters and more. The higher the CGC grading, the bigger the house you’re going to be able to buy once you sell the item. Speaking of: For more info, and to submit collectibles of your own for grading and encapsulation, visit cgccomics.com. Below are some proven winners.
Amazing Fantasy No. 15
August 1962; features first appearance of Spider-Man
Heritage Auctions, HA.com
Spider-Man briefly overtook Superman for the first time in a comic book sale when a CGC 9.6 copy of Amazing Fantasy No. 15 sold for $3.6 million at Heritage Auctions in September 2021. This was the first time that a Silver Age comic book (produced from 1956-70) was valued more than a Golden Age (1938-56) one. A few months later, though, the Superman No. 1 comic reclaimed the title for Supe.
Action Comics No. 1
June 1938; features first appearance of Superman
Heritage Auctions, HA.com
In a 2022 private sale, a CGC 6.0 copy of this most famous Superman comic book was purchased for $3.2 million. These books aren’t flipped through anymore; they’re kept tightly sealed to protect a value that will only build. Sad, really, because readers miss the tale of Clark Kent discovering he can leap one-eighth mile and hurdle 20-story buildings, but decides he must “turn his titanic strength into channels that would benefit mankind … and so was created ‘Superman,’ champion of the oppressed.”
Captain America Comics No. 1
March 1941; first appearance of Captain America
Heritage Auctions, HA.com
At Heritage Auctions (ha.com) in 2022, the high bid for a remarkable CGC 9.4 copy of this comic book, with its famous cover depicting Cap punching out Adolf Hitler, was $3.12 million. That marked a massive bump from just three years earlier, when a similarly rated copy of the comic went for $915,000 at Heritage.
Marvel Comics No. 1
October 1939; first publication from Timely Comics, which would eventually become Marvel Comics; featured first appearances of the original Human Torch and Namor the Sub-Mariner
Heritage Auctions, HA.com
A CGC 9.2 edition of this comic went for $2.4 million in 2022 at the ComicConnect online marketplace (comicconnect.com).
Batman No. 1
Spring 1940; Batman’s first stand-alone comic title; features the first appearances of the Joker and Catwoman (known then as “the Cat”)
Heritage Auctions, HA.com
The Caped Crusader proved to be wildly popular upon his first introduction in Detective Comics No. 27 in May 1939 — so much so that a rare decision was made to launch a new title entirely devoted to Batman. That had only been done previously for Superman, but time has proved that the move was a good one. Batman No. 1 was released on April 25, 1940, illustrated by the legendary Bob Kane, and featuring, among other stories, two plots with that harlequin of hate, the Joker. And in 2021, a CGC 9.4 copy of Batman No. 1 sold for $2.22 million at Heritage Auctions.
Detective Comics No. 27
May 1939; features the first appearance of Batman
Heritage Auctions, HA.com
A 2022 Goldin auction of a CGC 6.5 copy of this issue had a winning bid of $1.74 million.
All Star Comics No. 8
December 1941; first appearance of Wonder Woman
Heritage Auctions, HA.com
Heritage had a CGC 9.4 copy of this edition up for auction in 2022, and it went for $1.62 million. In the book, an eight-page inserted story introduced the character as a test to see if fans would buy into the heroine. They needn’t have worried, and DC’s Sensation Comics line began by placing her on the cover of issue No. 1.
Fantastic Four No. 1
November 1961; the superhero team’s first comic book, featuring their first overall appearance
Heritage Auctions, HA.com
A CGC 9.2 copy of this comic book fetched a fantastic price of $1.5 million at Heritage in 2022.
Other Valuable First Appearances in Superhero Comics
Heritage Auctions, HA.com
The X-Men No. 1 (September 1963) — $871,999 in 2022 (CGC 9.6)
Journey Into Mystery No. 83 (August 1962; first appearance of Thor) — $432,000 in 2022 (CGC 9.4)
Tales of Suspense No. 39 (March 1963; first appearance of Iron Man) — $375,000 in 2012 (CGC 9.6)
The Avengers No. 1 (September 1963) — $369,000 in 2021 (CGC 9.6)
The Amazing Spider-Man No. 1 (March 1963; Spidey’s first stand-alone comic title) — $336,000 in 2022 (CGC 9.6)
The Incredible Hulk No. 1 (May 1962) — $336,000 in 2018 (CGC 9.2)
Beyond the Books
Comics aren’t the only sought-after items among collectors. Here are three other legendary finds that made a lot of noise on the market.
1954-58 George Reeves Event-Used Superman Costume
Courtesy Everett Collection; Credit: Goldin
Goldin Auctions had this cool outfit, which it describes as “the holy grail” of superhero costumes, was up for bid from May 14-June 14, 2023. It’s the outfit that Reeves wore during promotional tours for his 1952-58 TV series during the years when the series began airing in color, so this costume — which had been tinted differently during the earlier black-and-white seasons — features the familiar red, yellow and blue coloring we expect from Supe’s outfit.
The starting bid on the costume was $50,000; the final, winning bid was $65,000, and with the buyer’s premium, the sale totaled $78,000. A fitting cost for something worn by the man who could change the course of mighty rivers!
Atari 2600 Superman Game (one Sears Tele-Games variant)
Heritage Auctions, HA.com
If you remember playing the 1979 Superman game for the Atari Video Computer System (2600) back in the day, you’ll recall it was enjoyable enough. But was that fun worth paying thousands of dollars for? That’s the range where one version of this cartridge has been valued.
Part of the valuation comes from the 2600 Superman being notable as one of the first games based not only on a superhero, but on any licensed property, period. And yet, the standard and more common Atari version of the cartridge, as well as some of its Sears Tele-Games variants, can be gotten relatively inexpensively, perhaps for $10 or so on eBay. So, why a big spike here?
The reason: One Tele-Games version of the Superman cartridge has the game’s title in yellow text along with a picture of the Man of Steel on it. Just the cartridge itself can go for a few grand. In late 2012, one of these cartridges that was for some reason packaged in a blue box — making it even more rare, given that the game most often came in a red box — sold for more than $10,000 on eBay.
Christopher Reeve Superman Costume
Courtesy Everett Collection; Credit: Propstore
The tagline seemed to say it all: “You’ll Believe a Man Can Fly.” Just as Superman the action figure and crime fighter ushered in the whole superhero Golden Age in 1938, Supe did it again 40 years later when the 1978 film, starring little-known 26-year-old theater actor Christopher Reeve (who got third billing after Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman), jump-started the genre, sending it to heights that have only risen in the decades since.
The same can be said for the value of the costume Reeve wore in three of the franchise films — including the 1978 original. In November 2022, the complete outfit — tunic, cape, belt, a pair of trunks, leggings, boots and that classic “S” woven into the costume’s chest — was sold to a private collector by Propstore Auction for over $350,000. There was minor wear and tear on the outfit, but no doubt it’s still the only thing to put on when you’re busy fighting a never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way.
Top Dollar Collectibles
August 2023
Find the most valuable — and fun — keepsakes in the worlds of sports, toys and superheroes
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