Christine Farrell was a well known comic book retailer, shop owner, and DC Comics collector who passed away in April 2024. Farrell was a longtime comic shop retailer who owned Earth Prime Comics in Burlington, Vermont for at least 40 years. But what Farrell was best known for was her collection of DC comics. She was the first person to complete a collection of every DC comic from 1935 to the present day – an achievement that has been thought nearly impossible.

The Christine Farrell Complete DC Collection landed at Heritage, and the first group of 489 lots of comics and original art pages sold for $5.26 million. Every lot sold and several set new records in the auction on October 25-26, 2024.

Her copy of Acton Comics #1 CGC Apparent 6.0 trimmed with the first appearance of Superman was the auction’s biggest seller. The book is one of just 81 graded by CGC and soared to $324,000.

Flash Comics #1 CGC 5.0 featuring the first appearances and origins of the Flash, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Johnny Thunder, and the Whip reached $174,000. Spectre’s debut in More Fun Comics #52 sold for $132,000.

New Adventure Comics #27 CGC 9.6 Mile High Pedigree, which contains the first look at Superman in an Action Comics #1 ad, sold for a record $168,000 – ten times higher than the previous record. Double Action Comics #2 CGC 7.0, which is one of only nine known copies, set an auction record when it realized $132,000.

Action Comics #8 CGC 8.0 (the first time Superman used super-hearing) and #23 CGC 8.0 featuring Lex Luthor’s debut each sold for $84,000. New Adventure Comics #25 CGC 9.0, the single highest graded copy, went for $84,000. Harry G. Peter’s unpublished page from the Wonder Woman story “Nuclear, the Magnetic Menace” realized $40,800.

“Christine’s journey to gather these iconic comics has gifted us not only a legendary collection but also a moment to celebrate the rich legacy of comic history,” Heritage Vice President Lon Allen said. “Watching so many of her pieces find new homes was truly special, and we’re grateful to Christine for her vision and thrilled by the extraordinary excitement from collectors who recognize just how invaluable these pieces are. This auction and those to follow will be remembered for years to come.”

Heritage will continue selling Farrell’s collection into the summer of 2025.