Collector gets superhero prices for comics stash

A man’s comic book collection with first issues of Superman, Batman and the Flash has fetched $1.5m (€1.1m) in an online auction.

John Wise, of Paducah, Kentucky, collected the valuable superhero comics over 30 years.

A comic from 1940 with the first appearance of Flash claimed the top individual price of $182,000 (€133,000).

First issues of Superman and Batman from the same era sold for $172,000 (€126,000) and $137,000 (€100,000) in the offerings.

His issue of the first-ever comic from Marvel sold for $95,000 (€69,800).

Mr Wise said the exploding popularity of superheroes in films and TV made it a good time to sell. He now plans to buy a house and send his grandchildren to college with the profits.

The comic books were sold on Comicconnect.com.