It certainly seems like the universe is lining up for Superman to return to the forefront of the comic book medium in the next few years.
As James Gunn prepares to deliver an epic reboot of Superman, which will be followed by a Supergirl solo pic, news has emerged that a Certified Guaranty Company (CGC) 8.5 Kansas City pedigree copy of Action Comics #1 has just sold for a record $6 million USD through Heritage Auctions.
The copy was graded by the CGC, which provides comic book owners with an official grading service on a range of 1 to 10, after which the comics are sealed in a container to maintain their preservation.
The previous record for the most expensive comic book auction belonged to a CGC 8.0 Edgar Church copy of Superman #1, which sold for $5.3 million USD in 2022.
As most comic book fans already know, Superman from DC Comics made his debut in Action Comics #1, which was published in 1938 and was drawn and written by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
This specific copy from the auction was a part of the Kansas City pedigree, an original owner collection.
Specifically, the term "Kansas City pedigree" describes an assortment of premium comic books, mostly from the Golden Age (1938–1955), that were found in Kansas City in the latter half of the 1960s. In the world of comic book collecting, it's regarded as one of the first known collections to be called a pedigree.
The original, anonymous owner of the Kansas City pedigree had collected over 250 copies of high-grade #1 issues, which have slowly been auctioned off over the years.
Action Comics #1 is most notable for being the story that introduces Superman's origin as an infant sent from a dying planet and raised on Earth.
While details about his Kryptonian origin would come later, this issue focuses on his superhuman abilities like incredible strength, speed, and leaping power.
Superman's noble and heroic qualities are also firmly established in the issue. He steps in to thwart a domestic abuser and rescues an innocent woman from execution.
Additionally, Clark Kent—Superman's mild-mannered reporter persona who works at the (then-named) Daily Star newspaper—is introduced.
There are only 78 copies of Action Comics #1 that have been graded by CGC, making it an extremely rare title, regardless of its grade. In fact, CGC estimates that out of the 200,000 copies that were originally printed, around only 100 total copies remain today.