Rare, Collectible Superman Comic Books

For nearly 70 years, Superman comic books and their run-off series have been a cultural mainstay in the entertainment world. Ever since the Kryptonian graced the cover of the first issue of Action Comics in 1938, the man of steel has been considered the first, if not the greatest, superhero ever written. As such, it's no wonder that he still fetches a hefty price tag.

With more than 2,000 comics starring Superman in the last 70 years, it's easy to see why some issues might be worth more than others. Mainly, rarity is the name of the game. Action Comics #1 is the first credited appearance of Superman, and as of 2003, only four copies were known to exist according to the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. This puts their value at a cool $650,000 each in mint condition. Running in a close second is Superman #1, which to this day has only yielded one known copy. Its value has been placed anywhere from $60,000 to $100,000 depending on which auction house you frequent.

For the millionaire comic book collector, these may seem like worthwhile purchases. For the rest of us, we'll have to make due with the abundance of titles from Action Comics, Superman, and World's Finest. Many of these titles can run anywhere from $200 to a mere $10 depending on the issue, quality and importance in the story line.

From the late 1940s to the early 1970s, not that much admittedly happened in the Superman comics. Granted, there were hundreds of issues, but the writers of these eras seemed content to either recycle generic plot lines or steer their titles to the point of ridiculousness that even comic books have trouble attaining. Issues such as Action Comics #209, where Jimmy Olsen can fly and channel lightening into a giant light bulb, or Action Comics #167, where Superman fights what amounts to a rolling pile of laundry with robot arms may seem exotic due to their age, but many titles like these can be purchased from auction sites like eBay, Ask.com or Heritage House for under $15 dollars. This being said, what issues should a collector look for if they want to spruce up their comic library worth?

In recent years, certain titles have gained some humorous, if not negative, notoriety through the Internet. Superdickery.com is a parody site that takes classic comic book covers and places humorous, if not sometimes offensive, comments beneath each one. The result is a selective market where buyers seek out titles just because of the jokes associated with them. Still, with several hundred titles shown, Superdickery.com does little to help narrow the field.

Many issues of Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane can be purchased from $7-$40 at your local half-priced books or comic store bargain bins. This offshoot title is not widely sought after, but its rarity due to a low monthly printing has caused some recent demand. Also, early issues of Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen have been known to bring in over $50 on eBay if found in the right condition.

Another thing collectors look for is importance to the storyline. In recent years, the most significant event in the Superman comics was the series of events leading up to and including Superman #75: The Death of Superman. Regular copies of this issue were sold in a black and red bag and still fetch around $30 on eBay. If you were a die-hard collector in the early 90's, you might have been lucky enough to find a platinum copy of this issue. Back then, it sold at private auction for as high as $900. Today it's cooled in value, fetching a meager $150 on the auction market due to its rarity.

Other recent issues have attained value as well. Batman Superman #1 has sold for as high as $50, and early issues are already worth $10-$20. Supergirl, who recently received her own title, is slowly building up steam with her first issue in her latest run going for $6-$10 already.

With dozens of variations and thousands of titles to pick through, any collector can build a healthy collection of rare and unique super titles. Depending on how much effort and time is invested, a savvy collector could end up raking in the green.

And I'm not talking about kryptonite.