Seventy-one years after his first appearance, Superman continues to capture our collective imaginations. Armed with a blue cape and the power to fly, he single-handedly launched the "superhero" genre. So when an unknown copy of the very rare, very first Superman comic book comes to light -- and to auction -- word spreads faster than a speeding bullet.
ACTION COMICS #1 is the world's most valuable comic book, and it almost never happened. The creation of very young men, writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, the story was rejected numerous times before it was finally published in June 1938. The Man of Steel's debut went on to spark our culture's endless fascination with comics and superheroes.
Twelve years later, another event almost never happened. A 9-year old boy spots a copy of Action Comics #1 in a secondhand book shop priced at 35 cents. After a round of begging and pleading to his reluctant father who thought that spending 35 cents for a 10 cent comic was downright silly, the book was purchased. That little boy held onto his beloved ACTION COMICS #1 for the next 58 years.
"It's the Holy Grail of comic books," said Stephen Fishler, one of the leading experts on collectible comics.
There are only 100 copies of ACTION COMICS #1 in existence, and the story behind this newly-discovered copy is as rare as the book itself.
Fishler is founder of New York's Metropolis Collectibles (MetropolisComics.com), the largest dealership of vintage comic books. He, along with partner Vincent Zurzilo, will manage the auction of ACTION COMICS #1 via their online marketplace, ComicConnect.com.
How much will it sell for? ACTION COMICS #1 currently guides for $126,000 in Fine condition. Having said that, many experienced collectors expect it to sell for considerably more than that. Bidding on this legendary book will begin at $1 and will be sold without reserve.
And so the story line the of ACTION COMICS #1 draws towards its breathtaking climax. The
www.comicconnect.com auction kicks off on Friday, February 27 and wraps up on Friday, March 13. The comic is on display through the weekend at New York Comic Con.
