The Most Expensive Comic Book Ever Is Now On eBay

Actually, there’s no guarantee that it will end up as the most expensive comic book ever, but considering that this copy of Action Comics #1 has already been bid up past $1.6 million and still has over a week to go before it closes, there’s a really good chance it gets there.

I know what you’re thinking: that comic book is really old and it isn’t even a variant cover! What gives?

As it turns out, Action Comics #1 is the first appearance of a pretty significant character. You know him as Superman. This particular copy is believed to be the best preserved one in existence, graded by the CCG at a 9.0 and still having white pages. Some of the comics sitting in the longbox right next to me that I purchased in the last few weeks probably wouldn’t grade out that high. As its current owner, Darren Adams, says in the auction listing, “If anyone has ever been curious what an Action Comics 1 looked like the day it came off of the newsstand 75 years ago, this is the answer.”

That’s pretty cool. As Robot 6 reports, Adams supposedly declined $3 million for the comic, figuring he could get more at auction. Not just any schmo can place a bid either; as with many big money auctions, prospective buyers must be pre-approved before they can place bids. A portion of the money from the sale will go to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, which is a nice gesture.

As to how this Holy Grail of comic books came to be in Adams’ possession, that’s a story in and of itself — one you can find out more about by watching the following video.