We’re back with another look at our Chartbusters! These are the comics that sold for the highest prices in the month of June, a month that was all about the Heritage Signature Auction. Let’s dive deep to determine what these sales tell us about the market for the comics every collector wishes they could own.

Batman Falls

It was a disappointing Heritage Signature Auction for the caped crusader. Batman made his first appearance in the immortal Detective Comics #27. A 4.5 graded copy was the headliner for this June auction, the exact same copy that sold for $1,140,000 back in January 2022. The sky was the limit. Or was it? When the hammer fell, this copy sold for $675,000, a massive 41% loss for the seller. It was actually much closer to the sale of a 3.0 for $600,000 in an April 7 Heritage auction than it was to its previous sale.

Unfortunately, a similar if less extreme fate befell Batman #1, the number two book on our Chartbusters list in June. A 4.0 sold for $288,000 in the June 23 auction, dropping 14% from a peak sale of $366,000 in the May 22 Goldin auction. A disappointing 1-2 punch for the dark knight.

The third time was the charm, however, as a 5.0 copy of Detective Comics #29 fetched $102,000. That’s 31% above the previous sale in a 2020 Heritage auction for $78,000. It is, however, still not back to its peak price of $107,000 set in a 2019 ComicConnect auction. Overall across the three comics it was definitely a discouraging showing for Batman in the auction. How did other Golden Age keys fare?

First the Good…

It turned out to be a decent auction for other heroes’ first appearances, as well as a pre-code horror comic and a surprising romance entry. First, we have Whiz Comics #2 (#1), the first appearance of the original Captain Marvel from 1940. A 7.0 graded copy sold in the auction for $288,000, tying for the second spot on our Chartbusters list. The sale was up 372% over the previous sale. Of course, that was way back in 2011 when it went for $61,000 in a Comic Connect auction, surely a lesson in buying and holding big ticket books.

The first appearance of the original Sandman performed well in the auction. A 7.0 of Adventure Comics #40 went for $90,000, up 63% from the previous sale for $55,200 in a 2020 Heritage auction. Wonder Woman’s first appearance in All-Star Comics #8 showed a 36% increase when a 6.0 sold for $90,000, up from a 2022 sale for $66,000.

The first horror comic, Eerie #1, had a good showing in the auction. A 9.0 graded copy sold for $50,400, up an amazing 342% from a sale for $11,400 in a 2020 Heritage auction. Sometimes billed as a horror comic, but also known as a bondage cover and a Nazi cover, Suspense Comics #3, with its famous Alex Schomburg cover, reached amazing heights for a low grade as a 1.5 sold for $51,600. It’s been quite a journey for this copy with its red taped spine and all the color pulled from the upper left of the cover. It first sold for $3,346 in a 2006 Heritage auction, then $5,975 in 2010, followed by a $20,000 sale in October 2022, and then this most recent sale for $51,600. Each sale has marked impressive gains for a beat up old comic, proof that there’s money to be made in the low grades if you’re smart and careful.

Rounding out the good Golden Age sales was the surprising Cinderella Love #25. Sporting a gorgeous Matt Baker cover, it was published by Ziff-Davis in 1954, the height of the romance comic boom. The copy that sold in the June Heritage Signature auction was one of three graded at 7.5 and the highest grade to ever sell. It brought in $60,000. There is one grade higher – an 8.0 that has never sold. That could be a big winner if it ever comes up for auction.

Then the Bad…

In addition to Batman, the very first Marvel Comic, Marvel Comics #1, failed to perform in the auction. A 4.0 graded copy saw a 20% drop as it sold for $288,000, down from a peak of $360,000 set in a January 2022 Heritage auction. There were middling results as well for Superman #1 (1.5 sold for $180,000, up a bit in a roller coaster ride since 2022) and Captain America Comics #1 (5.0 sold for $180,000, flat). With the more famous comics being down and slightly more obscure ones being up, it would appear that this was an auction dominated by hard core investors and collectors and less by millionaires and celebrities looking for the flashiest of keys.

Silver Age Doldrums Continue

While the bleeding may have stopped a bit for some key Marvel Silver Age first appearances, there wasn’t much growth shown for Fantastic Four #1 (8.5 sold for $144,000, up slightly), Tales of Suspense #39 (9.2 sold for $106,266, flat), and X-Men #1 (8.5 sold for $57,600, flat). The one bright spot was a 6.5 graded copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 selling for $114,000 and showing a 25% rebound from a March 2023 sale in a ComicConnect auction for $91,355.

Bright Spot for Albedo

A 9.6 copy of Albedo #2, the first appearance of Usagi Yojimbo, sold in the June Heritage Signature Auction for $33,600. That’s 40% above the previous sale for $24,000 in a 2021 Heritage auction. Not a bad showing for this early Copper Age indie.

One Final Note

Although it doesn’t appear in our Chartbusters list, we would be remiss if we didn’t point out the sale of a 9.9 graded copy of Giant-Size X-Men #1 in the June 28 ComicConnect auction. It’s the only copy in this grade and it represents but the first in what could be numerous 9.9 graded Bronze Age books as CGC adjusts its grading standards. The copy sold for $170,000. While some had projected it going for more, it’s still an enormous sale when you consider that a 9.8 has never sold for more than $72,000. The big question mark is its ability to retain that value if more 9.9 graded copies crop up.

Do you track big comic sales? What do you think the June numbers reveal about the state of the hobby? Let us know below.