Batman has added two more entries to the $1 million comics club, courtesy of Heritage’s Comics & Comic Art Auction that began on Thursday, March 30, 2023. They were offered in the first session of the auction, which contained 45 lots that accumulated $7,586,533 in less than two hours.
The Dark Knight’s debut in Detective Comics #27 CGC 6.0 led the Thursday sales when it hammered for $1.74 million. The sale ties the auction record for Batman’s first appearance, following a CGC 6.5 copy that Goldin Auctions sold in May 2022 for the same price. This particular copy is made even more impressive because it includes a message written by Batman’s co-creator Bob Kane to his friend and collector Robert Crestohl (which CGC notes on the label).
“Twice in three years, Heritage has either set or tied the auction record for this historic book, and it never gets old,” Heritage Senior Vice President Ed Jaster said. “After all, this is one of the most important comic books ever published – and one of the rarest. And that makes for a dynamic duo for any collector.”
Joining this mega key’s impressive sale was Batman #1 CGC 8.0, his first self-titled book, that realized $1.11 million. This copy hails from a father’s secret collection that his son found in 2020, and has the special Fantast Collection Custom CGC label. It is also featured in Selling Superman a documentary currently in the works that chronicles the story of this previously hidden collection.
Rounding out the Caped Crusader’s trio of top notch sales was Detective Comics #33 CGC 6.5 that brought $288,000. This early key was the first comic to tell Batman’s origin story and is famous for the cover that shows Batman with a gun tucked into his utility belt.
The auction continued to produce strong results for Golden Age DC books when the Mile High Pedigree copy of More Fun Comics #55 CGC 9.6 nabbed $264,000 and broke its previous record. This key book introduces the powerful and ominous Doctor Fate, as well as Wotan and Inza, and the cover features fellow Justice Society of America member, the Spectre.
Early auction highlights also included Eerie #1 CGC 9.2, the highest graded copy of the classic horror comic, for $108,000. Mask Comics #1 CGC 8.5 (Promise Collection Pedigree), with one of the most famous covers in comics, sold for $144,000.
“This first session was thrilling, and not just because two historic Batman books surpassed the million-dollar mark and another set a new auction record,” Heritage Co-Chairman Jim Halperin exclusively told Scoop. “With several Golden Age keys setting new records, we proved yet again the comics market remains strong. And we are proud to keep proving that with each auction.”
Heritage’s four-day Comics & Comic Art Auction runs through Sunday, April 2.
