Action Comics #1 is CGC’s Featured Comic of the Month for June

At left, this copy of Action Comics #1, graded CGC 9.0, sold in 2014 for more than $3 million. At right, this copy of Actions Comics #1, graded 8.5, is part of an auction ending in June 2018. Click images to enlarge. (Images courtesy of ComicConnect)

Name of comic: Action Comics #1

Comic publisher: DC Comics (originally National Allied Publications)

Date: June 1938

Variants: None

What makes it special? There is no comic book more highly regarded than this one: It is the undisputed king of the grails. It features the first appearance of Superman, including his origin story of being sent to Earth from a dying planet. It also contains the first appearance of Lois Lane, whom Superman rescues from a gangster. Superman’s story is told in the first 13 pages of Action Comics #1, an anthology that included “The Adventures of Marco Polo,” “Zatara Master Magician” and “Tex Thompson,” among others. Action Comics #1 is generally regarded as the beginning of the Golden Age of Comic Books, which stretched for two decades.

Why is it interesting now? This is the 80th anniversary of the publication of Action Comics #1. A copy graded CGC 8.5 is for sale by ComicConnect in an auction scheduled to end June 11; bidding is already over $1 million. It has a chance of breaking the record price paid for a comic book, which is $3,207,852 in a 2014 eBay sale for an Action Comics #1 with a CGC 9.0 grade.

Did you know? The 1978 film “Superman,” the first of four movies with Christopher Reeve in the title role, is still the box office champ for movies featuring the Man of Steel, at least when adjusted for inflation, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com. This year, the New Zealand Mint has produced silver foils featuring an engraved and colorized image of Action Comics #1, and CGC is encapsulating them with a special DC label. Read more here.

Total graded by CGC: CGC has graded less than 100 copies of this book. About 40 percent of them are Restored. None of them have Signature Series labels.

CGC median grade: The median grade for these books is Very Good/Fine 5.0

CGC highest graded: CGC has graded 1 Restored copy as Near Mint 9.4. The highest Universal grade is Very Fine/Near Mint 9.0.

Sales highlights: A CGC 9.0 Action Comics #1 sold for $3,207,852 in a 2014 eBay sale.

CGC Comics Registry Champion: : A two-comic-book set named Action comics #1 is the champion of Action Comics #1-#300, thanks to a CGC 6.5 Action Comics #1 carrying the set up, up and away to six straight Best in Set Type victories. See this and other collections in the CGC Comics Registry.

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