An authentic print version of the comedian ebook that launched Superman bought at public sale this week for a record-breaking $6 million.
The sale occurred on Thursday, kicking off a four-day uncommon comedian ebook public sale organized by Texas-based Heritage Public sale. The public sale home described the uncommon discover, Motion Comics No. 1, revealed in June 1938, as one of many best copies on the earth of the prized problem.
As is customary with most public sale homes, Heritage didn’t disclose the vendor or purchaser.
The $6 million sale surpasses the earlier report of Superman #1 that bought privately in 2022 for $5.3 million.
“Thursday was a historic day for a historic comedian ebook, and we anticipated no much less,” Heritage Vice President Barry Sandoval informed Barrons. “The primary session of this four-day occasion will surpass $15 million — and we’ve not touched the comedian artwork that begins Friday, with quite a few items of significance forthcoming. Possibly there may be extra historical past nonetheless to be made.”
Million-dollar gross sales of authentic tremendous hero comedian books have turn into extra frequent in current historical past, with a duplicate of Captain America’s first problem promoting for $3.1 million in 2022, and the primary ever Marvel comedian promoting for $1.2 million in 2019. In 2021, Heritage additionally auctioned a top quality copy of Batman #1 for $2.2 million.
Religious superhero followers take into account Motion Comics No. 1 as one of many rarest and most influential comics ever printed — one which launched maybe probably the most well-known superhero in popular culture.
In it, a new child child boy is nestled into an area capsule by his father who then units the vessel’s vacation spot to Earth. Simply moments after the child is launched into area, his residence planet of Krypton erupts violently, killing all of its inhabitants. The child’s capsule crash lands on Earth and a motorist driving by occurs to note it.
The early story that later introduced us Clark Kent and Superman loved intense recognition between 1938 and 1956, a timeframe comedian ebook specialists discuss with because the Golden Age.
“With out Superman and Motion Comics No. 1, who is aware of whether or not there ever would have been a Golden Age of comics — or if the medium would have turn into what it’s at present,” Sandoval mentioned in a press release Thursday earlier than the sale.
Superman has been the central determine in hundreds extra comedian books, in addition to tv reveals, merchandise, cartoon sequence and films. Actors George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, Dean Cain, Henry Cavill, and Tyler Hoechlin have portrayed the Man of Metal both on TV or in movie. David Corenswet is ready to take the Superman mantle in James Gunn’s upcoming movie “Superman Legacy” in 2025.
Solely 200,000 copies of Motion Comics No. 1 have been printed in 1938 and there is seemingly solely 100 copies of them in existence at present, in keeping with Licensed Warranty Firm, the Florida-based comedian ebook grading service. Of these 100 surviving copies, 78 are in adequate situation to be bought or auctioned, in keeping with CGC.
