Recognized for the Best Quality Preservation Ever
Estimated Only 100 Copies Left Worldwide
A comic book from over 90 years ago, marking the birth of America's most famous superhero 'Superman,' was sold for a staggering 8.1 billion KRW. This book has thus earned the title of 'the most expensive comic book in human history.'
On the 5th (local time), foreign media in the United States highlighted the results of a comic book auction held the previous day (the 4th) by 'Heritage Auctions.' The book auctioned that day was the 1938 publication 'Action Comics No. 1.' The cover features a man lifting a car, who is Superman, now an iconic figure in America.
Action Comics No. 1 is the comic book containing the world's first Superman episode. It was drawn by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who are revered as legendary American cartoonists, and the title was simply 'Superman.' At the time, this book sold for 10 cents per copy (equivalent to 2 dollars or about 2,700 KRW in 2023). However, at the auction on the 4th, it was sold for 6 million dollars (about 8.1 billion KRW).
In fact, Action Comics No. 1 has been auctioned several times before. However, this particular copy became the highest-priced Action Comics No. 1 ever sold and the most expensive comic book on Earth. The reason lies in its preservation condition.
The item was thoroughly inspected by 'CGC,' a professional company that assesses the quality and preservation of collectibles, and it received a grade of 'Very Fine+ 8.5.' This means it is the best-preserved copy of Action Comics No. 1 ever auctioned. It is known that only about 100 copies of Action Comics No. 1 are preserved worldwide today.
Meanwhile, Action Comics No. 1 was published in June 1938 and distributed by National Allied Publications, the predecessor of today's 'DC Comics.' It is known as the book containing the world's first Superman episode and the world's first superhero comic.
However, the original creators Siegel and Shuster reportedly conceived Superman hurriedly under a tight deadline. Also, the salary they received for drawing Superman was only 10 dollars per page, totaling 130 dollars (equivalent to 2,814 dollars or about 3.8 million KRW in 2023).
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