Look! Up in the Sky! CGC-certified Superman #1 Breaks Issue Record at $2.6 Million

A copy of Superman #1 graded by Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®) recently soared to a new record price for the issue. It realized $2.604 million in a ComicConnect sale held on December 16, 2021 that also featured another Superman comic book that sold for over $1 million.

CGC-certified Superman #1: $2.6 million

The instant success of Superman inspired its publisher to combine stories from Action Comics #1-4 into an anthology of the superhero. Released during the summer of 1939, Superman #1 uncovered more of Superman’s origins, including the introduction to his foster parents and revealed the name Krypton as the planet where he was born.

Superman #1 graded CGC 7.0. Realized: $2.604 million Click images to enlarge.

This example, graded CGC 7.0, is one out of 70 examples with a Universal label recorded in the CGC Census, with a mere two copies earning higher grades. Previously, the highest price was $507,500 for a graded CGC 5.5 issue in a 2017 ComicLink sale.

CGC-certified Action Comics #1: $1.6 million

Another famous issue in the sale, an Action Comics #1 graded CGC 3.0 realized $1.6 million. This June 1938 issue that featured the first appearance of Superman is a “grail” among collectors as it launched the Golden Age of comic books.

Action Comics #1 graded CGC 3.0. Realized: $1.6 million Click images to enlarge.

With 70 graded issues recorded in the CGC Census, only 43 examples are certified in the Universal label. ComicConnect also negotiated the sale of an Action Comics #1 graded CGC 8.5 in April 2021 for a record price of $3.25 million.

These two issues join six other CGC-graded comic books that sold over the million-dollar mark in 2021. The list includes record-breaking prices, such as a copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 graded CGC 9.6 that realized $3.6 million in a Heritage Auctions sale. To see the entire list of CGC-graded comic books that realized prices over $1 million in 2021, click here.