Detective Comics’ incredibly rare Batman debut could sell for $1.5 million
This comic book can fetch some slasher prices.
A rare, unrestored copy from Detective Comics #27 – Batman’s 1939 Debut – He at public auctionand the final bid can approach rare problems Record price of 1.74 million dollarsaccording to an independent seller.
“$1.5 million is not an unreasonable guess,” said Ted Van Leeuw, owner of Super World Comics in Holden, Massachusetts. “He might make a record. I then sought crazy attention.”
Online bidding for the highly coveted piece of comics history, which has a 6.0 “Fine” rating from Approved Escrow, began at just $1 on March 8 through Heritage Auctions.
Already, the highest bid has risen to $612,000 as of early Friday afternoon, with the auction ending March 30 via live bidding in Dallas.
“There are basically two kinds of comics and they are the holy grail of comics,” said Fan Lieu. “One is Action Comics #1 From 1938, first Superman, which started the superhero craze, and then Detective Comics #27, which came out the following year.”
Detective Comics #27 cemented its place in comics lore by introducing the world to orphaned millionaire Bruce Wayne in Gotham City through The Case of the Chemical Syndicate from artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger.
In the feature, socialite Wayne is invited by Commissioner Jim Gordon to the crime scene of a murdered man named Lambert, who is the co-owner of Apex Chemical Corp. , whose son is initially believed to have stabbed the man to death. Dressed as Batman, Wayne tracks down Lambert’s real killer: his greedy business partner who has been killing fellow owners to gain control of their company.
CGC only got 75 copies or Detective Comics #27, with 14 uncredited books rated higher than the one currently on sale.
The copy is up for sale now because an unnamed seller needs the cash for a stylish new avenue, according to Ed Gaster of Heritage Auctions.
“This particular sender is looking to buy a new home, a multi-million dollar home, so some of his picture assets are now available,” he said.
Another version of Detective Comics #27 with a score of 6.5 brought in the record-breaking $1.74 million in May.
Superman no. 1, ie rake in $5.3 million in a 2022 special sale, holding the record for most expensive comic book.
Robert C. Storms of Quality Comics said the comics market broadly has cooled compared to the COVID years, in part due to uncertainty in the stock market and banking systems. However, sales of “high quality” items such as Detective Comics #27 were largely immune to such economic fluctuations.
“There’s only a certain number of buyers who will put that kind of money in, so it really comes down to how comfortable they are spending that kind of money,” Storms said. “The current economy will not affect its sale.”
The sale of Detective Comics #27 comes as part of a larger comic auction that includes copies of Batman #1 and Marvel Comics #1, and the restored Superman #1 book.
