Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD) is currently looking at bids for the company and its assets, including the Superman brand. A Superman comic book also received bids recently and set a new record sale price.
Superman Breaks Record
When it comes to comic books, Superman is one of the long-time staples and oldest brands dating back to his appearance on Action Comics #1 back in 1938.
A year later, the Superman comic was released, and the first issue from 1939 has been one of the toughest to find, especially in high-grade condition due to its age. The comic also encourages the back covers to be ripped off and framed.
Last year, a family in California was cleaning out their late mother's home and found the rare comic in the attic. The comic was later graded a 9.0 by the grading company CGC, marking the highest grade ever for Superman #1, as reported by Heritage Auctions.
Prior to being found by the family, the comic was protected by a stack of newspapers in a cardboard box.
The 9.0 grade put the comic in rare company, with only seven copies of Superman #1 graded 6.0 or higher, including one graded 8.5 and one graded 8.0.
The comic hit auction with Heritage Auctions and sold for $9.12 million on Thursday, breaking the record as the most expensive comic book ever sold.
"What a momentous day. I'm thrilled for our consignor. Superman No. 1 is a milestone in pop culture history, and this copy is not only in unprecedented condition, but it has a movie-worthy story behind it. I was glad to see the price reflect that and am honored Heritage was entrusted with this iconic book," Heritage Auction Vice President Lon Allen said.
The comic was part of Heritage's Comic Books Signature Auctions, which runs through Nov. 22, with more Superman comic books still up for sale.
At $9.12 million, the auction breaks the previous record of $6.0 million for a CGC 8.5 graded copy of Action Comics #1 and the $5.3 million for Superman #1 graded GCG 8.0.
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Superman Success in 2025
The record-breaking sale of the comic book continues a strong year for the legendary character.
Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns the DC Comics brand, released "Superman" earlier this year. The film grossed $125 million domestically in its opening weekend.
The film went on to gross $354.2 million domestically and $616.7 million globally, ranking third and seventh, respectively, for year-to-date gross in 2025.
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Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions.
