Batman Comic That Introduced 2 of His Biggest Villains Just Sold for a Record Price Only Bruce Wayne Could Afford

Bruce Wayne may spend his nights protecting Gotham City as the Dark Knight, but the sale of a rare copy of Batman #1 from 1940 may just have people wondering if he’s got another secret identity as a comic book collector. The copy, which boasts an iconic cover featuring Batman and Robin, recently went up for auction from the auction house Goldin and sold for an astounding amount of money. The issue, while it doesn’t set the record for the highest price for a vintage comic at auction or even the highest price for this particular comic in general, still set the winning bidder back a pretty penny with a well over six-figure price.

According to Goldin, this copy of Batman #1 from 1940 sold for $651,188 ($794,449 including buyer’s premium.) The recently sold copy is graded 7.0 by CGC by having off-white to white pages. That means that other, higher-graded copies of this same comic could reach even higher prices should they go to auction and one already has. Back in 2021, a near-mint copy of Batman #1 sold at auction for $2.2 million including buyer’s premiums. And, of course, that still isn’t the highest price a vintage comic has sold for. That distinction belongs to a copy of Action Comics #1 that sold in 2024 for a shocking $6 million.

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Batman #1 Is a Critical Issue For the Batman Mythos

While the sale of any classic, vintage comic is interesting — especially when it comes to them fetching Bruce Wayne level prices — what is especially interesting about Batman #1 is that it is a critical comic in the Dark Knight’s overall mythos and Batman as we know him today wouldn’t be the same without this issue. While most fans know and celebrate Detective Comics #27 from 1939 which marked the first appearance of Batman, Batman #1 from spring of 1940 is equally as important as it’s the issue that introduced two of Batman’s biggest villains of all time: the Joker and Catwoman (the latter of which was introduced as simply “the Cat” in the issue.) The issue, drawn by Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson, kicks off with a story from Bill Finger in which there is an origin recap of how Bruce Wayne first became Batman and then shows the first encounters with Joker and Catwoman. It sets the stage for those two characters to become the greatest figures in Batman’s life over the next 80s with one being his greatest threat and the other eventually becoming what many fans would argue is his truest love.

But there’s much more to this issue than simply the introduction of the two villains no Batman fan — or comics reader, for that matter — could imagine the Dark Knight without. The issue also completely changes the trajectory of Batman as a character by being the impetus for Batman’s infamous “no killing” rule. The issue also features Batman facing off against Hugo Strange — specifically with Batman firing a machine gun from one of his vehicles to stop “Monster Men” Strange created. Batman is then seen killing one of the men, though he declares in the issue that it’s something he hates to do though he deems it necessary. Backlash for the moment was so intense that then-DC editor Whitney Ellsworth intervened, declaring that Batman would be against killing going forward. It’s a tone and a standard that has been carried forward to this day.

When you put together that Batman #1 both introduced the Caped Crusader’s most dangerous villain and also saw the editorial mandate that he would be adamantly against killing going forward, the result is the groundwork for some complex and, at times, controversial storytelling. In the more than 80 years since Batman #1’s debut, fans have witnessed the Joker do increasingly horrific things to the citizens of Gotham and escape incarceration in Arkham Asylum countless times, leaving Batman more to react to the villain rather than actually proactively protect his city. It’s sparked endless debate about Batman’s effectiveness as a hero and if, perhaps the “no killing” code Batman lives by is really the best call. Without Batman #1’s villains and surprising controversial moment, the Batman we have today could look very, very different. Maybe even look like something the World’s Greatest Detective could never have predicted.

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