A rare Batman comic has sold for $2.2 million, beating the previous record for the highest-priced Batman comic sold at auction of all time. The near-mint Batman #1 was first published in 1940, and survived those decades with almost unheard-of quality.
THR reports that the comic was sold as part of a Heritage Auction event on comics and comic book art. This Batman comic was published a year after the character’s debut in Detective Comics #27. Aside from being the first title issue for Batman, it also introduced iconic characters like the Joker and Catwoman.
The comic received a 9.4 on the Certified Guaranty Company (CGC) scale. On that scale, a 9.4 is described as “a very well-preserved collectible with minor wear and small manufacturing or handling defects.” This comic in particular is said to have been preserved so well that its pages are still white.