Superman #1 Original 1939

$

24,950

One of the biggest and brightest of all comics collectibles, a holy grail for most. This is an original copy of Superman Comics #1 from 1939. Actually, t is no number on the indicia, as DC comics was reportedly not certain the book would sell enough to make a series. But sales exceeded their expectations. The series went on to a second issue and continues to this day. It's one of the very, very few comics titles that has continued from the golden age to today. Only Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman stayed in publication from the golden age to the present day, and, of course, Superman was the first.

This is a very attractive lower-grade issue that has had minimal professional work: to clean it, removing tape from the spine, and to seal tears with archival tape. As you can see, t has been no attempt to mask the tears, only to seal them. We've had quotes from restorers that this copy could be made to appear extremely nice with relatively little work or expense (just under a thousand dollars). We decided to leave that to the next one who can decide on their own. The interior pages of this iconic and world-famous comic book are very solid, with supple and off-white paper. The stories include the origin of Superman: how, as an infant, he was sent from the planet Krypton by his parents, to live on Earth, w his powers would be far beyond that of ordinary people. That story, of course, is almost as well known as Superman himself. Superman was an instant sensation, read the world over, and quickly transformed into a multi-media star, appearing not only in comics, but also toys and novels, radio and movies (in cartoons as well as live action). His success sparked a flood of costumed superheroes who dominated culture during the "Golden Age" of comics and beyond. When almost all other comic heroes disappeared in the 1950s, Superman not only survived but thrived as the star of an immensely popular film and television series. His success continued strong through the "silver age" of comics with reruns of the TV show, more comics and toys, and even a Broadway play. A new film series was a massive hit in the 1970s and 80s with several more blockbuster films. The story of his "death" and resurrection made headlines for months in the 1990s, and in the new century he's come back to the big screen yet again, with "Superman Returns" and another film in development. Comics superheroes dominate the cultural landscape today as much as, if not more than, they did during World War II. Superman is easily among the most beloved, as well as being the first, and the most enduring, of all. T have never been enough copies of Superman #1 to feed the demand of collectors who would like to have, and to invest in, an incredible piece of cultural history. That has never been more clear than in recent years, when the supply has dwindled to the point w even mid-grade copies in very good condition have sold for more than a hundred thousand. Please check our other listings, or feel free to contact us, about other rare and important collectibles, including all other Superman comics from #2 through the present.