Will Seippel | June 19, 2026

Our WorthPoint Price Guide updates daily, with thousands of new items added by our Industry Partners. I like to single out a few of my favorites to share with our subscribers. There’s usually a good story behind so many of these pieces, and sharing my passion for antique and vintage items is the best part of my job. Collectors of vintage and rare comic books have plenty to choose from, but once in a while a true “white whale” comes along—and that’s exactly what surfaced in a recent data exchange with our valued Industry Partner Heritage Auctions.

Any comic that includes the first appearance of a well-known superhero will always be a sought-after item. Two such issues are legendary among collectors, and there are always debates about the relative value of Action Comics #1 from 1938, which introduced Superman, and Detective Comics #27 from 1939, which introduced Batman. Historically, auction prices have usually favored Superman—but a recent Heritage Auctions sale gave collectors a rare chance to watch the two giants go head-to-head, and Batman came out on top.

A CGC 6.5 copy of Detective Comics #27, featuring Batman’s first appearance, sold for $1,525,000. Coming in just behind it was a CGC 7.0 conserved copy of Action Comics #1, featuring Superman’s first appearance and origin story, which brought $1,403,000.

If you go strictly by the numbers, Superman was graded higher—but the copy also carried a label noting restoration work, including tear seals, cover reinforcement, and cleaning, which likely affected the final price. Heritage noted that the work was well done, which matters, because restoration can be both a benefit and a liability depending on how it’s executed. The “eye appeal” of the Superman copy was described as very good, meaning the conservation work didn’t significantly diminish what collectors were willing to pay.

The documentation for both issues was comprehensive. Historically, Detective Comics #27 has quietly held its own: it accounts for six of the top twenty-five comic prices in Heritage’s sales history, compared to four for Action Comics #1.

While it’s entertaining to imagine a real-life showdown between Superman and Batman, the competition among collectors for these landmark issues reflects the passionate debates that have always defined the comic book community. A diversity of strong opinions is, in the end, what keeps this market so vital.