A Record-Breaking Sale: Two 10-Cent Comic Books Sell for $13 Million
Highest-graded Batman No. 1 teams up with second highest-graded Superman No. 1 in blockbuster Heritage Auctions transaction.
DALLAS, Texas (Feb. 5, 2026) — Heritage Auctions, in collaboration with SemperFi Comics, has completed one of the largest private comic transactions ever recorded, involving two comic books once purchased at the newsstand for 10 cents each: a Batman No. 1 CGC 9.4, the highest-graded known copy, for $6 million, alongside the second highest-graded copy of Superman No. 1, a CGC 8.5 Mile High pedigree copy, for $7 million.
Following November’s record-setting $9.12 million auction sale of Superman No. 1 CGC 9.0, Heritage Consignment Director Nathan Howerton saw an opportunity to place two more historic treasures owned by a longtime Heritage client and personal friend. After several discussions between Howerton and the owner, the two agreed to explore whether both books could be sold together in a private transaction.
“It was more than a transaction to me,” says Howerton. “It was a chance to help two friends, by placing two incredible pieces of history in a new home.”
Instrumental in making the transaction a reality was Jordan Seymour of SemperFi Comics, a Marine Corps veteran like Howerton. Seymour works closely with a network of serious dealers, collectors, and investors and made the final connection to the ultimate buyer.
The CGC 9.4 Batman No. 1 exists at the summit of scarcity — a condition so rare it elevates the book from collectible to cultural icon. Featuring the earliest solo adventures of the Dark Knight and marking the debuts of both the Joker and Catwoman, the issue is a foundational pillar of modern superhero mythology. This sale resets the issue’s own world record for the most expensive Batman comic ever sold by nearly threefold.
Its companion in the deal, the Mile High pedigree Superman No. 1, carries an equally profound legacy. Revered for their exceptional preservation and historic provenance, Mile High copies represent the gold standard of Golden Age collecting — books that have transcended hobby status to become investment-grade treasures.
For Seymour, the sale signals something far greater than a single record: “We may be witnessing a transformational era in comic collecting. The combination of extreme rarity, global demand and sophisticated buyers has permanently reshaped the ceiling of this market. These books are no longer simply nostalgic artifacts — they are tangible pieces of world culture.”
Indeed, the momentum behind elite comics has never seemed stronger. Once traded primarily among passionate enthusiasts, the finest examples are now aggressively pursued by high-net-worth collectors, family offices and alternative-asset investors who recognize the maturation of the collectibles market as well as their historical importance, the long-term endurance of superhero mythology and the timeless appeal of characters who have inspired generations.
The buyer, choosing discretion over recognition, remains anonymous. Now, somewhere beyond the public gaze, a new collector safeguards two of the most powerful symbols ever put to print — icons whose stories changed popular culture forever.
“In addition to the record-setting, industry-leading Comic Book and Comic Art auctions we’re best known for, our team is constantly advising and working to help our worldwide clients with all aspects of their collections, often placing such treasures as these in the perfect hands via direct sale when that route is a better fit for them,” says Howerton.
Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world’s largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Munich, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.
Heritage also enjoys the highest Online traffic and dollar volume of any auction house on earth (source: SimilarWeb and Hiscox Report). The Internet’s most popular auction-house website, HA.com, has more than 2,000,000 registered bidder-members and searchable free archives of more than 7,000,000 past auction records with prices realized, descriptions, and enlargeable photos. Reproduction rights are routinely granted to the media for photo credit.
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