The recent news in Superhero movie land is that a Supergirl film may be in the works soon. Given the success of the 'Wonder Woman' standalone film (with a sequel on the way), and the positive fan reaction to seeing Harley Quinn on the big screen in an otherwise lackluster 'Suicide Squad' film (but don’t worry, I suspect she’ll be back on the big screen soon and hopefully in a better film), it’s no surprise that DC is going to take a chance on Supergirl.
For comic lovers who don’t have the Supergirl keys, this leads to something of a minor dilemma. Which comic is worth picking up? The obvious choice, and a staple for determining a true key, is to pick up her first appearance. This, however, proves a bit tricky when it comes to the Maid of Steel.
There are no less than three ‘first appearances’ for Supergirl. The very first chronologically is in Superboy #5. This is a proto-type appearance. The second appearance, and having much stronger claims to being a first appearance of the actual character we know and love, can be found in Superman #123. But, due to various factors, which I’ll go over below, this appearance is also qualified as a ‘proto-type’ and not a true first appearance. So, the honor of the genuine first appearance often goes to Action Comics #252. Let’s look at the pros and cons of seeking out each of these three keys.
This Golden Age comic is scarce. As I write this I can find no copies whatsoever on Ebay. This is not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to the value of key comics; scarcity is a major reason why the Golden Age keys are worth so much. In the case of Superboy #5, there are a mere 24 copies listed on the CGC census. Of those 24, a single 8.0 is recorded as the highest graded copy. The largest total number of submitted books are in 5.5 grade (of which there are only 4, but one of them is restored). Is this the first appearance of Supergirl? I’d say this one has every right to be called a proto-type. The Supergirl here is actually Lucy Regent, also known as Queen Lucy of Borgonia. She’s an athletic love interest of Superboy’s but with no claims to being the Supergirl character we know. First of all, her uniform is completely off, a weird purple and gold combo. Secondly, she’s not Kryptonian, nor does she have any airs to being a heroine: she’s a Queen/acrobat. In terms of value this is, however, a valuable comic. A 6.0 sold for $625.00 in 2015, but the problem remains of finding actual copies - even in low grade.
This comic has real dibs to being the first appearance of Supergirl. In fact, I would call it a 'try out' appearance, not a prototype. For one thing, unlike Superboy #5, it's written by Otto Binder, the actual creator of Supergirl! She has the look, she has the powers. It's Supergirl! The story of her appearance here is as follows: Jimmy Olsen finds a magic lamp and wishes for a companion for his friend Superman. Lo and behold, a blonde female version of Superman - with all of the same powers - appears. This is Supergirl, there’s no doubt about it and the persistent interest in this book would seem to prove it. With 199 graded copies on the CGC Census, the lowest graded copies of this comic will regularly sell for well over a hundred dollars. In higher grade this is worth many thousands of dollars, with the highest recorded sale being of a 9.2 copy which sold for $1027.00 way back in January of 2005. This comic, in that grade, would easily fetch $8000.00 or more today, giving it a return on investment of 94.7%. Not too bad. I’ve actually been looking for a copy of this comic for a while, and can tell you from my experience that a decent copy for the right price (I don't have $8000.00 to spend) is hard to find. I think if a Supergirl film happens this will push the value of this comic higher, so I won't give up. If you find a decent copy, and can afford it, I say grab it - it’s not as scarce as Superboy #5, copies regularly turn up on Ebay.
The Overstreet guide supports the claim that Action Comics #252 is the first official appearance of Supergirl. Moreover, this comic also contains the first appearance of Metallo, so, it’s a no brainer as a major key. In “The Supergirl from Krypton!” the Kryptonian girl from Jimmy Olsen’s magic lantern returns, but this time she is for real and has the connections to prove it. She is Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El. This comic has the first mention of the Krptonian city of Argo and is the first time Supergirl is called by her Kryptonian name and dons her ‘Linda Lee’ identity, and so is rightly sought out as the first official appearance of Supergirl. As the 820 CGC submitted copies attest, people do actively seek out this book. Best returns have been on 8.5 grades with an impressive +351.5% roi over the last six years. Unfortunately the last sale of a copy in this grade, in February of 2018, sold for $20,315.00 (Heritage). Somewhat out of reach of the average collector I'd say! A 9.2 copy sold for a whopping $45,410.00 three years earlier. Isn’t a mid-grade copy of Superman #123 starting to look good?
Honorable Mention: Supergirl #1 (November 1972), although by no means a first appearance, this Bronze Age comic is her first solo title, and has been heating up over the last few years. 9.8 grades are already sitting at over $600.00 and a Supergirl movie may give it the push it needs to break the $1000.00 mark.
