How 3 brothers found the most expensive comic book ever sold: worth $9.12 million
Three brothers were clearing out their mother’s attic in the Bay Area where they made the lucrative discovery.
Three brothers made a significant discovery as they found a historic copy of Superman #1 (the first issue of the self-titled series) in their mother’s attic.
While Action Comics #1 (1938) is technically the first appearance of Superman, the brothers found Superman #1 (1939), which is the first comic book dedicated entirely to the character.
The discovery
The discovery took place in the brothers’ childhood home in San Francisco, California, which they were cleaning out after their mother passed away.
While sorting through the attic, the brothers found an old cardboard box buried beneath layers of brittle newspapers, dust, and cobwebs.
Inside the box was a small stack of comic books from the late 1930s. Their mother and her brother (the brothers’ uncle) had purchased them as children, spending 10 cents a piece—a rare luxury for their family during the Depression era.
The comics had been seemingly forgotten for decades. Because they were tucked away in a dry, dark spot in the attic, they were protected from light and humidity. This famously preserved the paper quality, keeping the colors vibrant and the pages white.
The Comic Book
The standout find was Superman #1 (Summer 1939). It is one of the most coveted books in collecting history because it retells Superman’s origin and is the first time a superhero was given their own self-titled comic series.
When the brothers brought it to Heritage Auctions, experts were stunned. It was graded 9.0 (Very Fine/Near Mint) by the CGC (Certified Guaranty Company). There are only a handful of unrestored copies in existence, and this is now the highest-graded copy known to exist.
A near-pristine copy of Superman No. 1 just sold for 9.12 million dollars, smashing the all-time comic record. It tops the 6 million dollar sale of Action Comics No. 1 from just last year. https://t.co/6gvP66Ihb8 pic.twitter.com/1wryQv3bjA
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) November 22, 2025
In November 2025, this specific copy sold at auction for $9.12 million, shattering previous records to become the most expensive comic book ever sold.
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