In a week in which speculation is in the spotlight with the fall of the stock markets, the bad economic forecasts for the future and the collapse of the crypto market with the fall of Terra Luna, there is still material on which to speculate. In this case, this batman comic just went up for auction one million dollars, and has already received 11 bids.
The first issue of Batman goes up for auction for a million dollars
The next Sunday May 22, a unit from the comic in which Batman first appeared will have a new owner. This is Detective Comics #27, the number in which the Dark Knight had his first appearance in the world of comics back in 1939. Its condition is not exactly spectacular, since the house that valued the copy, CGC, considers that the comic is in a status 6,5/10.
According to Goldin Auctions, which is the house in which this number has been put up for auction, only 36 units of this Golden Age comic have passed through the hands of CGC. Of all of them, only eight have a rating higher than this specimen.
The unit in best conservation to date of this comic was auctioned last 2021 through Heritage Auctions. Its new owner came to pay the enormous amount of 2,2 million for getting this first number. According to Heritage, the specimen was in near mint condition, which caused the bids to skyrocket. So far, that figure of more than two million dollars is the maximum price that has been paid for a Batman comic, and this new auction that ends next week should not exceed that price barrier, because this time, the unit is not in such good condition, and Goldin reports that its pages are slightly yellowed, which is normal considering that they have passed more than 80 years since its printing.
The importance of the first numbers
The number 27 of Detective Comics and the number 1 of Action comics are often considered mainstays of the comic book world, and this auction invites comparison. Throughout history, those who are most knowledgeable about the character have debated which of these two numbers has contributed more to the popular culture and which has been of greater importance for the subsequent development of the character.
And, although Superman was the key superhero when developing Batman, the mortal ended up surpassing Kryptonian in popularity. Batman is not just a superhero; His adventures have served professionals from all walks of life to question morality, justice, and psychological models. He is one of the most relevant characters in fiction and one of those who has achieved the most impact in mass culture. For this reason —and for mere speculation— more than one is going to be willing to spend more than a million dollars to get the copy.