This is, of course, the comic that saw the first appearance of Superman and the price paid for this pristine example, described as "the finest known copy of the most sought-after comic book in the world", is a record, beating by some distance the $2.16m (£1.39m) paid in 2011 for another virtually flawless, CGC 9.0 example owned by Nicolas Cage, bought for $150,000 in 1997.
The actor's copy had been stolen from his home in 2000 and was only recovered in April of that year, when it was discovered among the contents of an abandoned storage locker in Southern California.
This new record-holder was being sold by Darren Adams of Pristine Comics, who told reporters that he had paid a seven-figure sum for "the Mona Lisa of comics" several years ago and had turned down several offers before putting it up for sale on eBay. The sale completed on August 25.
Adams also said that the comic's original owner, who bought it new, was a man from West Virginia, who had kept it in a cedar chest and that the cool, dry environment had preserved it in near pristine condition.
A portion of the final price will go to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, which is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research, and improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis. Reeve, who starred in Richard Donner's Superman films, died in 2004, nearly a decade after an equestrian accident in Virginia left him a quadriplegic.
Mickey Mouse
Moving from Superman to Mickey Mouse, we leave these stratospheric comic price levels behind and settle on something rather more modest.
Sold for $3250 (£1960) by PBA Galleries on August 28 was a copy of the very first Mickey Mouse Book, a first printing of a 16pp work published by Bibo & Lang in 1930.
The drawings were all supplied by the Walt Disney Studios, but it seems that the publisher's 11-year-old daughter, Bobette Bibo, also made notable contributions, indeed "originated" the story and the 'Mickey Mouse Game'.
Both game board and a sheet containing the game pieces (intended to be cut out) were present in this slightly soiled, but otherwise near fine example in original stitched wrappers.
Auction records suggest that only one copy has made more. At Christie's South Kensington in March, 2012, a copy described as browned, soiled, stained and with a horizontal crease throughout - but also declared to be a first issue by virtue of the fact that little Bobette's age is not stated on the title page - was bid to £3800.
