A dazzling copy of Batman #1 graded by Certified Guaranty Company (CGC) realized $2.22 million at a Heritage Auctions sale on January 14, 2021. Graded CGC 9.4, it stands alone as the highest-graded copy in the CGC Census.

Hear ye, hear ye! Read, one and all, this press release provided by CGC regarding the recent record-breaking Batman #1 auction:

"The strength of CGC-certified collectibles was on display again as the sale broke several records, including the highest price paid at auction for any comic book outside of a CGC-certified Action Comics #1, which introduced Superman. In addition, the CGC 9.4 Batman #1 is now the most expensive comic book ever sold by Heritage Auctions. Both these records had just been set by a Detective Comics #27 graded CGC 7.0 that realized $1.5 million in a November 2020 Heritage sale.

Issued in Spring 1940, Batman #1 was the first edition of a title featuring Batman and his new sidekick Robin. The book includes the first appearance of two iconic villains: the Joker and Catwoman. A year earlier, Batman himself had been first introduced in Detective Comics #27, and his universe was developed in subsequent issues of that series.
The CGC Census lists 272 copies of Batman #1 as of mid-January 2021, with slightly less than half in Universal grade, about half in Restored, and a handful in Qualified and Signature Series.

Golden Age comic books featuring Batman and Superman have wrestled over the years for honors as the
most-prized. In 2010, a Detective Comics #27 graded CGC 8.0 realized $1.075 million in a Heritage Auctions sale,
becoming the first comic book to realize more than $1 million at auction. It was eclipsed in recent years by
Action Comics #1, Superman's debut that was issued in June 1938. The copy mentioned above, graded
CGC 9.0, realized $3.207 million in an eBay sale in August 2014.

CGC is the world's largest and most trusted third-party grading service for comics, trading cards,
magazines, concert posters, and similar items, with more than 7 million collectibles certified since 2000."

So how close were you? Are you surprised at the closing price? Let us know! If you missed our first blog on the subject, check it out!

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