What Are the Rarest and Most Valuable Comic Books in the World?

Most comic books are more or less worthless. But especially rare issues are worth a pretty penny. Here are the most valuable comics in history, and how much they’ll cost you should you find one in decent condition…

‘Action Comics’ #1

The big daddy of comic collecting, “Action Comics” #1 is not only one of the rarest comic books in the world, it’s also the most valuable. This is because the book debuted a certain character by the name of Superman, who ushered in the entire superhero comic book genre.

Most copies of this book were recycled during World War II, making a near mint condition copy of “Action Comics” #1 worth over $3.2 million when one went on sale in 2014.

‘Detective Comics’ #27

“Detective Comics” #27 introduced the world to another of the 20th century’s most enduring modern myths: the Dark Knight himself, Batman.

As with “Action Comics” #1, very few copies of this book still exist thanks in large part to World War II paper recycling efforts, back when comics were seen as just as disposable as newspapers.

“Detective Comics” #27 very rarely goes on sale, but in 2010 a relatively intact copy of the book sold for a little over $1 million. It’s theorized that a near mint condition copy of this book would be the most valuable comic in the world.

‘Marvel Comics’ #1

Most of Marvel’s big contributions to the comic book world came after World War II, so they’re not quite as rare as Golden Age books starring Batman and Superman.

One exception to this is “Marvel Comics” #1, which features the original Human Torch (no relation to the Fantastic Four character). A copy of this comic sold in 2014 for $3.2 million, making it the most expensive comic ever purchased at that time.

‘Avengers’ #1

Truth be told, “Avengers’ #1 is not quite as rare or sought after as many of the other books on this list. It’s still worth a lot of money, though, thanks in large part to featuring the debut appearance of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

This comic has shot up in value in recent years as Marvel’s movies have brought more popularity to its characters, and a high quality copy of the book sold in 2018 for $250,000.