Superman #1 in Japanese recently fetched a record price in ComicConnect.com auction
Superman comic book in Japanese.
Spider-Man comic book from Mexico
Comic collectors are going global in one of the hobby’s hottest new trends, as fans and investors alike seek foreign editions of beloved classic comic books.
Look Out Manga, Super-Heroes in Japanese are Hot!
In 1948, DC Comics issued Superman #53, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Man of Steel and retelling his origin story.
Meanwhile, also in 1948, Japanese readers were being introduced to Superman with a Japanese-language version of the comic book. This Superman #1 in Japanese, with a CGC grade of 3.5, recently fetched a record price of $6,775 in an auction held recently by ComicConnect, the premiere online marketplace for comic books and collectibles.
Comic collectors are going global in one of the hobby’s hottest new trends, as fans and investors alike seek foreign editions of beloved classic comic books.
"Foreign comics are a literal new world for fans to discover," said ComicConnect President Vincent Zurzolo. "They're revisiting classic books that offer all kinds of variant covers, and sometimes even variant storylines.
“It's important to remember that these comics from other countries aren't reprints, either. These are the original editions that introduced the world to America's most beloved pop-culture icons."
The Japanese Superman #1 was published by Comics Co., which had licensed the character for the Japanese market. The covers are remarkably similar, except for Superman’s rouged cheeks in the Japanese edition. And of course, the story had to be reformatted because Japanese is read from right to left.
“When you think of what was going on in the world in 1948, it’s remarkable that Superman caught on with Japanese readers,” Zurzolo said. “Earlier versions of the comic displayed wartime anxieties and some anti-Japanese sentiment, but in the post-World War II era, a more complex relationship between the U.S and Japan evolved. U.S. media became a greater influence on Japanese popular culture.
“Superman's enduring popularity in Japan reflects the evolving cultural ties between the two countries.”
The fever for foreign titles was also evident in ComicConnect's sale of a high-grade 9.6 copy of a Spanish-language adaptation of an Amazing Spider-Man title published for Mexican readers. The copy of 1972’s El Sorprendente Hombre Arana #128 went for an impressive $25,300 as part of Event Auction #60.
This beloved collectible was published before Gwen Stacy, girlfriend of Peter Parker (aka Spider-Man), died at the hands of Green Goblin in 1973. Shortly before that tragedy, however, the publisher, La Prensa, was granted permission from Marvel to create its own stories. Gwen was so popular that the company just ignored the official storyline when Marvel killed off the character. Instead, La Prensa continued their own comics featuring Gwen and Peter Parker as the loving couple.
Other highlights in the emerging foreign market included an Israeli edition of Incredible Hulk #1 going for $6,037 and a Mexican X-Men #1 going for $3,000.
“We’re excited to offer even more foreign titles for our upcoming Event Auction #61,” Zurzolo said. “We’ll have classic titles from Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the U.K. and more.”
Event Auction #61 starts Feb. 24. For information, visit ComicConnect.com.
Joanne Levine
Lekas & Levine PR
joannepr@aol.com
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