CGC-graded Superman #1 and Batman #1 Offered in Heritage Sale
Posted on 12/27/2023
Several of the hobby's most iconic grails are among nearly 500 comic books graded by Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®) in an upcoming Heritage Auctions sale. The competition is intense for key Golden Age and Silver Age issues as bidding continues for the Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction on January 11-14, 2024.
The auction’s top highlight is a Superman #1 graded CGC 7.0 (lot 91044). Published in 1939 by DC Comics, Superman #1 is the first issue of the hero’s solo series and the very first comic book devoted entirely to one hero. This same example was sold in 2021 for $2.6 million, and bidding in this auction had already exceeded $500,000 more than two weeks before the sale. The CGC Census contains only 179 examples of this book, but only 75 are in the coveted Universal grade and only two of those can boast a higher grade than this one.
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From the Silver Age, the auction offers an Amazing Spider-Man #1 with a Curator pedigree graded CGC 9.8 (lot 91026). This comic is one of the most desirable comic books of all time, and it’s rare that it has been found in this amazing grade. There are more than 4,700 graded copies of Amazing Spider-Man #1 in the CGC Census, but only two graded 9.8, with none higher. Bidding, which had already surpassed $300,000 two weeks before the sale, might set a new sales record for this title.
Also offered is a Batman #1 graded CGC 7.0 (lot 91030). Published in 1940 by DC Comics following the character’s Golden Age debut in Detective Comics a year earlier, Batman #1 is the first appearance of the Joker and Catwoman. The CGC Census lists 305 examples of this book, but fewer than half are in Universal grade, with a mere 15 of those graded higher.
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Representing another Silver Age icon rarely offered in high grade is a Showcase #4 graded CGC 9.6 (lot 91042). Published in 1956 by DC Comics, this book is the first appearance of the Silver Age Flash, Barry Allen. Among more than 500 graded copies in the CGC Census, this is the single highest-graded copy, and it holds the current sales record for this issue.
Other CGC-certified comics in this auction include:
- an All-Star Comics #8 graded CGC 9.4 (lot 91025)
- an Amazing Fantasy #15 graded CGC 5.0 (lot 94229)
- an Amazing Spider-Man #9 graded CGC 9.8 (lot 91028)
- an Avengers #4 graded CGC 9.8 (lot 91029)
- a Brave and the Bold #28 graded CGC 9.6 (lot 91033)
- a Fantastic Four #48 graded CGC 9.8 (lot 91036)
- a House of Secrets #92 graded CGC 9.8 (lot 91038)
- an Incredible Hulk #1 graded CGC 9.2 (lot 91039)
- an Incredible Hulk #181 graded CGC 9.8 (lot 91040)
- a Journey into Mystery #83 graded CGC 9.0 (lot 92120)
- a Silver Surfer #1 graded CGC 9.8 (lot 91043)
- a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 graded CGC 9.8 (lot 91045)
About CGC
Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for many other types of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for TCGs, sports cards and non-sports cards. CGC Video Games is dedicated to video game grading for the most popular consoles, including Nintendo, Sega, Atari, PlayStation and more. The newest division of CGC, CGC Home Video, provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of home media.
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