'Superman' No. 1 Sold for $9.12m to Become The Most Expensive Comic Ever Sold

The highest-ever-graded copy of Superman No. 1 from 1939 which was found by a Northern California family in the attic of their late mother's home now holds the record as the world's most expensive comic book.

It sold for $9.12m at Heritage Auction's Comic Books auction.

"What a momentous day," said Heritage Auctions Vice President Lon Allen. "I'm thrilled for our consignor. Superman No. 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."

Despite being protected by only a stack of old newspapers in a cardboard box, the copy earned a 9.0 on a 10-point scale by CGC, the world's largest third-party comics grading service. The $9.12m final bid beat the previous comic value record set by an 8.5-graded copy of Action Comics No. 1 that sold for $6m through Heritage Auctions in 2024.

The record-holding copy is one of only seven known copies with a CGC grade of 6.0 or higher.