It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s the world’s most expensive comic book! In January, a copy of Action Comics No. 1 sold for $15 million. That’s the most anyone has ever paid for a comic.
What makes Action Comics No. 1 so special? Published in 1938, it introduced the world to Superman. Writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster came up with the character when they were teenagers. Collectors say the comic launched the superhero genre.
“I think without that comic book being published, there’s a very good chance there’s no Batman, there’s no Wonder Woman,” Vincent Zurzolo told reporters. He’s the president of Metropolis Collectibles and ComicConnect, the company that helped arrange the sale.
Copies of Action Comics No. 1 are hard to find. Experts think fewer than 100 still exist. Serious collectors will pay big bucks for a copy that’s in near-perfect condition, like the $15 million comic.