Batman is at the highest echelon of superheroes. He is one of DC Comics’ most important characters, standing alongside such greats as Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, and Aquaman, with one very discernable difference: Batman is just a man. He has no superpowers, no super-strength, no invulnerability. He uses his intelligence, superior detective skills, and insurmountable determination to stop villains, save Gotham and the world.

He was introduced during the wave of character creations that heralded the birth of the superhero genre. Over time, several of those characters have faded into obscurity, and among the contingent who have maintained regular appearances, few approach Batman’s breadth of content and level of impact.

Batman’s introduction in Detective Comics #27 marks one of the most astronomical rises in value among comic books. When the book was first published, it could be purchased for just 10¢. When Robert M. Overstreet published the first Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, he priced a Near Mint copy at $275. A decade later in Guide #10, it had risen to $5,200.

In 1989 when Batman made a new mark in mainstream pop culture through the Michael Keaton-led movie, it had progressed to $25,000. A year later in Guide #20, it rose to $32,500.

Detective Comics #27 surpassed the six-figure mark over the next decade, valued at $175,000 in 2000’s Guide #30. After another 10 years, it soared beyond the million dollar level, jumping to $1,050,000. For the Guide’s milestone 50th edition, Overstreet assessed that a Near Mint copy is up to $3,000,000 in value.