John Dolmayan purchases rare Superman comic for $825,000

John Dolmayan, the drummer for the rock band System Of A Down and owner of Torpedo Comics, has acquired a rare copy of Action Comics #1 for $825,000. The 1938 publication is widely regarded as a foundational piece of superhero history, marking the first appearance of Superman.

The comic was sold by Metropolis Collectibles at New York Comic Con. This acquisition marks Dolmayan’s second purchase of this specific issue, having previously acquired a copy for a client in 2009 for $317,000. Dolmayan, who also publishes comic books, described the book as a piece that ushered in the age of superheroes.

The high price reflects the growing value of Golden Age comics as investment assets. For context, a different copy of Action Comics #1, which had been stolen from actor Nicolas Cage and later recovered, sold for $15 million in January.