Heritage Auctions is currently offering a near-mint copy of Action Comics #61, the issue that introduced the DC villain Solomon Grundy. The seller is seeking $276,000 for the book, with current bidding already climbing past $17,500.
The $276,000 target for Action Comics #61
The current asking price of $276,000 represents a massive leap in valuation for this specific Golden Age comic. According to the report, the previous record for a near-mint copy of Action Comics #61 was set in 2021, when Heritage Auctions sold a copy for $138,000. If the current seller's target is met, it would effectively double the known market ceiling for the issue .
The scarcity of the book drives this aggressive pricing. The Certified Guarantee Company (CGC) has graded only 96 copies of Action Comics #61 in existence, and the Overstreet Price Guide lists it among the top 100 Golden Age comics due to its rarity and historical significance. This combination of a low supply and high demand among prestige collectors makes the issue a prime candidate for a record-breaking transaction.
From Cyrus Gold to the Slaughter Swamp
The narrative value of Action Comics #61 stems from the introduction of Solomon Grundy, a zombified brute who emerged from Gotham's Slaughter Swamp. As the source reports, the character was an amnesiac who could only remember being born on a Monday , leading a gang of criminals to name him after the famous nursery rhyme. This primitive nature and immense strength allowed Grundy to physically dominate his early opponents.
The issue is particularly noted for Grundy's early clashes with the Golden Age Green Lantern, Alan Scott. Grundy's invulnerability was so absolute that he defeated Alan Scott twice, only being stopped when he was thrown in front of a train. The story concludes with the revelatin that Grundy was once a businessman named Cyrus Gold, whose remains merged with swamp matter to create the monster—a plot point that the report suggests was a "hasty explanation" due to limited page space.
Gardner Fox and the Silver Age revival of the JSA villain
The enduring legacy of Solomon Grundy is not just a result of his 1940s debut but his subsequent evolution across DC Comics' history. During the 1960s Silver Age, writer Gardner Fox revived the character, ensuring that Grundy remained a recurring threat to the Justice Society of America. This revival transitioned Grundy from a one-off curiosity into a foundational antagonist for DC's team-based storytelling.
Over time , the character of Solomon Grundy evolved to mirror the tragic, manipulated power of Marvel's Hulk. His mythology expanded further when his origins were linked to the Parliament of Trees, tying him closely to the Swamp Thing mythos. This cross-media appeal has been cemented by appearances in the DCAU's Super-Friends and the video game Batman: Arkham City, making Action Comics #61 a cornerstone for any comprehensive DC collection.
The mystery of the remaining 70+ CGC-graded copies
While the Certified Guarantee Company (CGC) has graded 96 copies of Action Comics #61, a significant gap exists in the public transaction record . The report notes that only around two dozen confirmed sales have occurred in the last 15 years, leaving the location and ownership of the majority of graded copies a mystery. Whether these books are held in private museums or by long-term investors remains unknown.
Furthermore, it remains to be seen if the market will support a $276,000 valuation. Because the source only provides the seller's asking price and the current bid, it is unclear if there is active interest at the quarter-million-dollar level or if the seller is testing the upper limits of the Golden Age market.
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