'Action Comics' No. 15, featuring Superman, sold at auction for $286,800

The oldest surviving comics cover featuring Superman art sold at auction for $286,800 through Heritage Auctions.

The comic was Action Comics issue 15, which was released August 1939, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The cover depicts Superman rescuing a submarine.

The art was drawn by artist Fred Guardineer. He was involved in a lot of cover art for early DC Comics. Though the auction price is high, it didn't break any records. The record for cover art belongs to Herge, a Belgian artist who drew Tintin.

His comic Tintin in America sold for $1.6 million two years ago. That same year a record amount for an American comic cover was set for Amazing Spider-Man No. 328, with $657,250. The art was drawn by Todd McFarlane.

Ahead of the auction, it was speculated the cover could go for around $200,000 at the Heritage auction, reports Bloomberg. Mark Crumpton noted that the price comic books fetch shouldn't be too surprising as the ultra-rich like to collect them as much as they do cars, in a way "to diversify their holdings."

Plus the popularity of superheroes, driven up by the constant films, have helped the worth of older comics.

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