Smash! Wham! Batman gives Superman a beat-down at comic book auction

Just when Superman thought he had come out on top, Batman swoops in from behind and beats his record. Earlier this week, the Guardian reported that the first comic book to feature Superman, the 1938 Action Comics #1, sold for $1 million U.S. to a private buyer – the highest price for a comic book on public record. But the same paper is now reporting that yesterday, the first-ever Batman comic – Detective Comics #27 – sold for $1,075,500 U.S. at a New York auction, becoming the new champ. From the Guardian:

“We can really say that Batman has nosed out Superman, at least for now,” [said Barry Sandoval of Heritage Auction Galleries.]

He said the seller had bought the Batman comic in the late 1960s for $100. With a bright yellow background, it features Batman swinging on a rope above city rooftops.

Before this week, the record was held by another copy of Action Comics #1, which sold for $317,200 U.S. last year because it was in lesser condition – the copy that sold earlier this week was reportedly rated an 8 out of 10. CNN had this to say:

For comic book lovers who have struggled to elevate their trade to the level of fine antiques, paintings and even collectible coins, record-breaking sales make for a big victory. In the last year, [Vincent] Zurzolo, [co-owner of auction site ComicConnect.com], said he’s seen more non-comic fans than ever purchasing rare copies as investment vehicles during the recession.

Quite the investment indeed – when these comics were first published in the 1930s, they sold for 10 cents apiece.