A rare CGC 5.5-graded copy of Action Comics #1 could make more than $310,500 at Heritage Auctions.
It's set to headline an auction of comic art in Dallas on August 4-6.
The book features the first appearance of Superman, effectively launching the superhero genre.
 Only eight other copies are graded higher than this specimen |
Understandably, copies are in high demand, with the highest graded specimen selling for $3.2m on eBay in 2014.
The present lot is one of 37 unrestored copies known to exist, of which only eight are graded higher.
Its flaws are relatively minor, with an unobtrusive split along the spine being one of the main obstacles to a higher grade.
As Matt Nelson, head grader at CGC, explains: "Having seen many Action #1s over the years, I am deeply impressed with this copy's eye appeal.
"The book presents as a considerably higher grade than 5.5, lacking the usual fading, staining or creasing commonly seen on mid grade copies.
"White and bright, this Action #1 is one of the best looking among the remarkably rare pool of unrestored copies in the world."
A painting by legendary fantasy artist Frank Frazetta titled At the Earth's Core is expected to make in excess of $167,000.
The work appears on the cover of the first book in Tarzan author Edgar Rice Burroughs' Pellucidar series.
Frazetta's Sea Witch (1966) could set a new record for his work at auction later this month.
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