Auction Name: 2026 February 26 - 28 Comic Books Signature® Auction

Lot Number: 91011

Shortcut to Lot: HA.com/7461*91011

Detective Comics #27 (DC, 1939) CGC FN/VF 7.0 Off-white pages. This stands as the highest-graded unrestored copy we've seen since 2020. A book of this caliber and pop culture impact, in a grade with only six other copies outranking it on the CGC census, is nothing to be shy about. With only 87 total CGC-certified copies -- and only 41 being Universal -- this is truly an opportunity not to be missed.
This iconic book needs very little introduction. This 27th issue -- in a title that would later become synonymous with the Dark Knight -- marks the very first appearance of Bruce Wayne, otherwise known as the Batman. Also making his debut is Commissioner James "Jim" Gordon. This introduction of the Caped Crusader changed the world in more ways than co-creators Bill Finger and Bob Kane could have ever imagined. As time passed, the shadow of the Bat grew and spread -- he became the title character of Detective Comics, earned his own solo series with Batman, helped found the League in Justice League of America -- and the list goes on in the comics medium alone. His presence also extended into serials, television shows, multiple feature films -- including both live-action and animated -- video games, toys, and more. Spanning across generations, he has become a household name no matter who you are, how old you are, or where you are. No one escapes the Batman.
This very copy has history with Heritage. We've had the honor of offering it twice before -- first in 2010 and again in 2020 (which explains why we haven't seen a better unrestored copy since). Both times, it shattered records, in fact the 2020 sale was the highest price Heritage had ever auctioned any comic book for up to that point.
This milestone book -- with an extremely recognizable cover (even outside of the world of comics) by Bob Kane -- features stories and art not only by Finger and Kane, but by the "Super" duo of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who previously showcased their contribution to the world with Superman in Action Comics #1, the only book considered more desirable than this highly-influential issue. Currently standing at #2 on Overstreet's list of Top 100 Golden Age Comics, the friendly rival of Batman versus Superman wages on. Overstreet 2024 FN 6.0 value = $981,600; VF 8.0 value = $2,182,000. CGC census 1/26: 2 in 7.0, 6 higher.


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