A rare copy of the first issue of The Amazing Spider-Man has sold for more than £1m.
The comic, published in March 1963, reached a record-setting $1.38m (£1.1m) at auction. It is one of only two copies of The Amazing Spider-Man No 1 rated “near mint/mint” by comic book grading service Certified Guaranty Company (CGC).
“It was obvious this Spider-Man was an opportunity not likely to come around, and the final price reflected that,” said Barry Sandoval, vice president at Heritage Auctions, the company that ran the auction, according to Fine Books magazine.
The copy sold for nearly three times as much as a CGC-rated “near mint” version sold in July last year for $520,380 (£410,184).
Peter Parker and his alter ego Spider-Man, created by artist Steve Ditko and writer Stan Lee, were first introduced in an August 1962 issue of the anthology series Amazing Fantasy, published by Marvel. The Amazing Spider-Man series launched a few months later has since gone on to publish more than 900 issues – a milestone it reached in 2022.
Also up for sale was a rare copy of Superman No 1, rated “fine/very fine”, which went for $2.34m (£1.8m). Published in 1939 by DC Comics, it was the first issue of the hero’s solo series and the first comic book dedicated entirely to one hero.
Other highlights of included a copy of Showcase No 4, which includes the first appearance of Barry Allen (The Flash) and sold for a record-breaking $900,000 (£709,173); a copy of 1942’s All-Star Comics No 8 featuring the first appearance of Wonder Woman, which sold for $1.5 million (£1.18m); and a copy of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ All-Story – published October 1912 and featuring the debut of Tarzan – which went for $264,000 (£208,036).
“Witnessing the first million-dollar comic book sales this year, along with record-breaking prices for The Amazing Spider-Man No 1 and Showcase No 4, is a testament to the profound connection collectors have with these cultural gems,” said CGC president Matt Nelson.
The Amazing Spider-Man No 1 retells Spider-Man’s origin story and features the first Fantastic Four crossover. Nelson told the New York Post that the issue “represents literally the launching of his own title that has lasted for decades, so historically, this is a very important book in the Spider-Man universe.” He added that, in today’s market, obtaining this copy “could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”.
