Record #00395Culture & Entertainment archive
Highest Confirmed Sale Price for a Single Comic Book
A copy of Action Comics #1, originally published in 1938, sold privately for US$15 million on 9 January 2026, the highest documented sale price for an individual comic book. The issue introduced Superman.
ARCHIVE VISUAL / 01
NOT TO SCALE
Current Record
15,000,000USD
Current record value
- Location
- —
- Start date
- 2026-01-09
- Record status
- VerifiedView verification details ↗Report an issue
Overview
Archive NoteAction Comics #1 was published in 1938 by a predecessor of DC Comics and marked Superman's debut, a major milestone in the development of American superhero comics.
The 2026 copy was graded 9.0. Actor Nicolas Cage had bought it in 1996; it was stolen in 2000, recovered in 2011 and later resold for about $2.2 million. These historical transactions concern one individual copy rather than the price of every copy of the issue.
Record history
1 Milestones- 15,000,000 USDAction Comics #1 copy sold in January 2026Current Record
Sources
Evidence & ReferencesVerification basis and limitations
VerifiedThe record conclusion has sufficient verification support.
Basis: direct confirmation by an authority
Guinness and the CGC grading body's 9 January 2026 release both confirm a CGC 9.0 Action Comics #1 copy sold privately for US$15 million. The parties are undisclosed, and the price is publicly reported by transaction intermediaries and a specialized grading body, not established by a public auction.
- Verification assessment
- 2026-11-05
- Last editorial review
- 2026-11-05
Current Entry identifies the current entry in this archive; it does not establish that the record is still held today.
The record value on this page is organized from the public sources above. Measurement methods may differ; JiLuDB follows the unified method described for each entry.
Public feedbackFound a data issue?If a fact has changed, the data is incorrect, or you know a more authoritative source, submit feedback.Submit feedback
Help keep the archive accurate
If a fact has changed, a value is incorrect, or you know a more authoritative source, leave a note. Feedback enters an administrator review workflow and never edits a record directly.