- Who
- Action Comics #1
- What
- 4.62 million US dollar(s)
- Where
- Not Applicable ()
- When
As of January 2019, the most valuable comic is Action Comics #1 (June 1938) at $4,620,000 (£3,576,470), according to the Nostomania comic-book price guide. This seminal book features the first appearance of Superman, Clark Kent, Lois Lane and the Daily Planet. It is widely regarded as the first “superhero” comic, ushering in an era that persists to this day.
As of the same date, the second-most valuable comic was Detective Comics #27 (May 1939), which introduced Batman, valued at $3,420,000 (£2,654,440). In third place is Superman #1 (summer 1939) at $2,050,000 (£1,591,110).
Action Comics #1 is also the most expensive comic, with one copy selling for $3,207,852 (£2,014,450; €2,526,800) to Metropolis Collectibles (USA) during an online eBay auction on 24 August 2014.
Nostomania is an online resource for collectors of vintage comic books and coins. They employ a range of experts to determine their value. In terms of condition, they use "Near Mint" (NM) 9.4 as a "baseline" grade for the valuations (note: a score of 10.0 is considered "Mint" condition). However, it's acknowledged that some of these rare editions may not exist in such well-preserved state.
