If you love DC Comics and Batman, than you no doubt are an avid fan of Detective Comics. The series is ongoing, with more than 1,000 issues, some of which are worth hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. Whether you obtain one of these rare, high-value issues or something more modest, you’ll be bringing compelling artwork and stories to your collection, and maybe a piece of comic book history.
A Brief Timeline of Detective Comics Releases
The first volume of Detective Comics was published in 1937 by a company that at the time was also called Detective Comics. Today, of course, they are known as DC Comics. The series continued until 2011.
At that point, a second series of Detective Comics was launched. But in 2016, that second series returned to a continuation of the numbering that started with the first series of Detective Comics.
Detective Comics holds the record for being the longest-running comic book series in US history. It is also famous for introducing readers to Batman in issue #27, which was released in March 1939.
Batman, of course, was immensely popular, and became the series highlight. Future issues listed the title as “Detective Comics featuring Batman.” Over time, the other familiar characters from the Batman stories were also introduced.
What are Some of the Most Important Issues in Detective Comics?
If you have decided to collect Detective Comics, then you need to know what some of the key issues are. These are generally the issues in which certain characters appeared for the first time. Here is a list of key issues:
| Character | Issue | Publication |
| Slam Bradley and Speed Saunders | #1 | March 1937 |
| Crimson Avenger | #20 | October 1938 |
| Batman, Commissioner Gordon | #27 | May 1939 |
| Doctor Death | #29 | July 1939 |
| Monk, Julie Madison | #31 | Sept. 1939 |
| Dala | #32 | Oct. 1939 |
| Joe Chill, Thomas Wayne, Martha Wayne | #33 | Nov. 1939 |
| Hugo Strange | #36 | Feb. 1940 |
| Robin (Dick Grayson) | #38 | April 1940 |
| Clayface I (Basil Karlo) | #40 | June 1940 |
| Penguin | #58 | December 1941 |
| Air Wave | #60 | February 1942 |
| Mister Baffle | #63 | May 1942 |
| Boy Commandos | #64 | June 1942 |
| Two-Face | #66 | Aug. 1942 |
| Tweedledum and Tweedledee | #74 | April 1943 |
| Cavalier | #81 | Nov. 1943 |
| Riddler | #140 | October 1948 |
| Pow Wow Smith | #151 | Sept. 1949 |
| Roy Raymond | #153 | Nov. 1949 |
| Red Hood | #168 | Feb. 1951 |
| Firefly | #184 | June 1952 |
| Mysto | #203 | January 1954 |
| Mirror Man | #213 | Nov. 1954 |
| Batmen of All Nations | #215 | Jan. 1955 |
| Martian Manhunter | #225 | Nov. 1955 |
| Impostor Mad Hatter | #230 | April 1956 |
| Batwoman (Kathy Kane) | #233 | July 1956 |
| Diane Meade | #246 | Aug. 1957 |
| Terrible Trio | #253 | March 1958 |
| Calendar Man | #259 | Sept. 1958 |
| Doctor Double X | #261 | Nov. 1958 |
| Bat-Mite | #267 | May 1959 |
| Clayface II (Matt Hagen) | #298 | Dec. 1961 |
| Catman, Zook | #311 | Jan. 1963 |
| Idol Head of Diabolu | #326 | April 1964 |
| Outsider | #334 | Dec. 1964 |
| Blockbuster | #345 | Nov. 1965 |
| Cluemaster | #351 | May 1966 |
| Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) | #359 | Jan. 1967 |
| Jason Bard | #392 | Oct. 1969 |
| Man-Bat | #400 | June 1970 |
| Talia al Ghul | #411 | May 1971 |
| Harvey Bullock | #441 | July 1974 |
| Leslie Thompkins | #457 | March 1976 |
| Calculator | #463 | Sept. 1976 |
| Doctor Phosphorus, Rupert Thorne | #469 | May 1977 |
| Silver St. Cloud | #470 | June 1977 |
| Clayface III (Preston Payne) | #478 | July 1978 |
| Maxie Zeus | #483 | May 1979 |
| Odd Man | #487 | December 1979 |
| Swashbuckler | #493 | March 1980 |
| Killer Croc | #523 | Feb. 1983 |
| Onyx | #546 | Jan. 1985 |
| Ventriloquist I (Arnold Wesker) | #583 | Feb. 1988 |
| Ratcatcher | #585 | April 1988 |
| Anarky I (Lonnie Machin) | #608 | Nov. 1989 |
| Renee Montoya | #642 | March 1992 |
| Stephanie Brown | #647 | Jun. 1992 |
| Cypher | #657 | March 1993 |
| Crispus Allen | #742 | March 2000 |
| Sasha Bordeaux | #751 | Dec. 2000 |
| Nyssa Raatko | #783 | Aug. 2003 |
| Ventriloquist II (Peyton Riley) | #827 | March 2007 |
| Dollmaker | (vol. 2) #1 | Sept. 2011 |
| Dollhouse, Mister Toxic | (vol. 2) #2 | Oct. 2011 |
| Eli Strange | (vol. 2) #5 | March 2012 |
| Emperor Blackgate | (vol. 2) #13 | Nov. 2012 |
| The Merrymaker | (vol. 2) #17 | Feb. 2013 |
| Anarky IV (Sam Young) | (vol. 2) #37 | Feb. 2015 |
| Arkham Knight | #1000 | May 2019 |
| Silver Ghost | #1027 | November 2020 |
The more prominent the character introduction, or the more rare the issue, the higher the price it can command.
Detective Comics Issue #27: The Introduction of Batman
The most famous and valuable Detective Comics issue is #27 by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, featuring the original introduction of Batman. The issue was published in 1939, two years after Detective Comics began.
Just how much is Issue #27 worth?
To give you an idea, here are some of the prices that this issue has been auctioned off at:
- $1.82 million (CGC 6.5, ComicConnect, 2024)
- $1.74 million (CGC 6.0, Heritage Auctions, 2023)
- $1.74 million (CGC 6.5, Goldin Auctions, 2022)
- $1,075,000 (CGC 8.0, Heritage Auctions, 2010)
- $675,000 (CGC 4.5, Heritage Auctions, 2024)
- $600,000 (CGC 3.0, Heritage Auctions, 2024)
As you can see, there is some significant variation in pricing, but the highest amount to date is $1.82 million in 2024.
Those CGC numbers are the grades assigned to the copies of this issue by CG Comics. The scale ranges from 0.5 to 10, with 10 being “gem mint” condition, completely defect-free.
The $1.82 million sale was for a 6.5-grade copy of #27. 6.5 describes “an above-average collectible with a major defect and some smaller defects, or a significant accumulation of small defects.”
Note that the $1.74 million auctions in 2022 and 2023 took place before recent inflation, and thus sold for a price closer to the $1.82 million issue than you might realize.
Indeed, $1,740,000 in 2023 is equivalent to $1,790,328 in 2024 dollars. Of course, that is still a bit lower than the $1.82 million issue.
Another noteworthy sale is the one that took place in 2010 for $1,075,000. That was for a copy that was graded as an 8, “An attractive collectible with a moderate defect or an accumulation of small defects.”
According to an inflation calculator, $1,075,000 in 2010 would be worth $1,584,798.74 in 2025 dollars.
So, while this issue still didn’t sell for quite as much as the others we just discussed, it sold for quite a bit more than might be obvious from a glance.
Also consider that it was in better condition than the other issues in the list. 8 is a significantly higher rating than 6.5. And since it sold for less money, it was a better deal for the buyer.
That is why when you are shopping for Detective Comics collectibles, you should always consider both the price and the condition of the copy you want to purchase. This will help you to correctly assess its value, and whether or not you are getting a good deal.
Detective Comics #140
While #27 is the most valuable and important Detective Comics issue, another to be on the lookout for is issue #140. This is the 1948 issue that introduced The Riddler. Here are the two auctions that fetched the highest prices for issue #140.
- $456,000 (CGC 9.6, Heritage Auctions, 2021)
- $360,000 (CGC 9.6, Heritage Auctions, 2023)
Other Detective Comics Issue Prices
Here are some record prices other issues of Detective Comics have sold for:
- Detective Comics #1: $108,000
- Detective Comics #2: $33,600
- Detective Comics #3: $22,800
- Detective Comics #4: $15,600
- Detective Comics #8: $30,000
- Detective Comics #12: $20,400
- Detective Comics #18: $26,300
- Detective Comics #28: $66,000
- Detective Comics #29: $276,000
- Detective Comics #31: $175,000
- Detective Comics #33: $288,000
- Detective Comics #38: $107,500
Along with character introductions, second appearances of major characters, special covers, and important storylines can contribute to higher values.
How Do Detective Comics Prices Compare to Other Valuable Comics?
Something else you might be wondering is how Detective Comics issues #27 and #140 fit into the context of other comics that have fetched high prices in auctions. Here is a ranking of the most expensive comics ever sold according to CG Comics.
1. Action Comics #1: $6 million, 2024
2. Superman #1: $5.3 million, 2022
3. Amazing Fantasy #15: $3.6 million, 2021
4. Captain America Comics #1: $3.12 million, 2022
5. Marvel Comics #1: $2.4 million, 2022
6. Batman #1: $2.22 million, 2021
7. Fantastic Four #1: $2.04 million, 2024
8. Tales of Suspense #39: $2 million, 2023
9. Detective Comics #27: $1.82 million, 2024
10. All-Star Comics #8: $1.62 million, 2022
11. The Amazing Spider-Man #1: $1.38 million, 2024
12. Showcase #4: $900,000, 2024
13. X-Men #1: $872,999, 2022
14. Incredible Hulk #1: $825,000, 2024
15. The Brave & The Bold #28: $810,000, 2024
16. Phantom Lady #17: $456,000, 2021
17. Detective Comics #140: $456,000, 2021
18. Flash Comics #1: $450,000, 2010
19. Journey Into Mystery #83: $432,000, 2022
20. Avengers #1: $432,000, 2024
21. Sensation Comics #1: $420,000, 2024
22. Daredevil #1: $360,000, 2024
Where to Buy Detective Comics Collectibles
Where can you purchase Detective Comics collectibles these days?
You can keep an eye out for CGC-graded Detective Comics issues to show up at auction. As you have learned, there are usually multiple opportunities a year to snag a highly-coveted issue. You just have to be willing to pay the price.
At the time of this writing, we even see some high value issues for sale on Ebay, including #29 for $249,999.99 or Best Offer, and another copy of the same issue for $219,000.00, or Best Offer. There is also a copy of #33 for $75,000.00, and a copy of $27 for around the same price.
Remember, always check the condition of the comic, including its CGC grade, before you make an offer on a Detective Comics collectible. That way, you are ensuring you are getting a fair price for the issue.
