The year is 1938 and you're at a newsstand. You purchase a copy of a brand new comic book for 10 cents. Could you ever imagine that the very same comic you now hold in your hands could be worth millions someday? Comic books, especially rare ones and anything featuring a first, can skyrocket in price. See just how much these US comics sold for in recent years and keep in mind that they were originally purchased for pocket change.
10. ‘Marvel Comics #1’, Timely Comics, 1939, CGC 9.0 - €296,058
Launching a titan (or should we say Colossus?) of the comic industry, the first Marvel comic was actually published by Timely Comics. They later changed their name to Marvel Comics and continued to print success after success. In this comic, much like 'Captain America Comics #1', the Nazis are the villains, but this time they are fought by the Human Torch. Not the same Torch as the Fantastic Four, but a robot - which makes the name pretty strange.
9. ‘Tales of Suspense #39’, Marvel Comics, 1959, CGC 9.6 - €283,041
By now everyone has an idea of what Iron Man looks like: a man in a red-gold suit. As in the beginning of the first Iron Man movie, the first version of the suit looked quite different: like a man of iron. That's also how he is depicted on the cover of this comic. Probably largely thanks to the success of the movie franchise, this comic featuring Iron Man's debut sold for an impressive sum in 2012.
8. ‘Flash Comics #1’, D.C. Comics, 1940, CGC 9.6 - €329,490
The copy of 'Flash Comics #1' introducing Flash and Hawkman came from what came to be known as the "Church Collection". Edgar Church was an avid comic book collector and the basement in his Colorado home served as the perfect atmosphere to preserve his collection in near mint condition. The sale of this comic did indeed set a new record, breaking the one set just one month before, but as the comic market is in constant flux, the record was reset twice more in 2010.
7. ‘X-Men #1’, Marvel Comics, 1963, CGC 9.8 - €401,348
The first publication of the X-Men was not very popular, but on the other hand they didn't have Hugh Jackman yet. Nevertheless, someone held onto this first print and kept it in top condition - a good decision it turned out to be during an auction in 2012.
6. ‘Batman #1’, D.C. Comics, 1940, CGC 9.2 - €429,475
Despite what the name suggests, this is not the first time Batman appeared in print. However, in this edition he got a very different background and his arch enemy was introduced: the Joker.
Although Superman made his first appearance in 'Action Comics #1' the year before, in 1939 he got his own comic. It was originally intended to be a one-off, but ended up sparking one of the best known comic series of the golden age of D.C. Comics. Compared to the others on this list, you might notice that the condition of this comic is quite modest. While condition does play a significant role in value, in this case, rarity earned the comic such a high price and the number 4 spot on our list.
In 2017 this comic broke records with its impressive sale. Not only was it in very good condition, the story made this comic super valuable as it was the first appearance of Wonder Woman.
Image Source: Comicxology
2. ‘Detective Comics #27’, D.C. Comics, 1939, CGC 8.0 - €798,198
In Detective Comics #27, Batman began. This was his debut, hence this copy was sold for just over $1 million, or nearly €800,000, in 2010. Just 3 days after a copy of 'Action Comics #1' became the first comic book to sell for over $1 million, the record was broken by 'Detective Comics #27'. It's not a very rare issue, but this particular copy was in good condition.
1. ‘Action Comics #1’, D.C. Comics, 1938, CGC 9.0 - €2,416,516
It shouldn't surprise anyone that the first Superman takes the first place in this top ten. The comic has set multiple sales records. One particular copy was stolen from actor Nicolas Cage in 2001, and subsequently found in an abandoned storage container 10 years later, but the copy that hold the current sales record was purchased at an online auction in August, 2014 for $3.2 million. The seller of the comic chose to sell it at online auction because he believed he could reach a broader audience. Hopefully the next time this comic goes up for sale, the seller will choose Catawiki!
