Superman First Appearance: Action Comics #1 and How to Identify It

Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1 (cover date June 1938), published by DC, by Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster. The source puts it this way: "The debut of the world's most recognizable superhero".

• Original cover price: the original 1938 issues were priced at 10 cents.
• Interior story content: the issue tells the original origin story of the Man of Steel in his very first appearance.

Several later editions reproduce this issue. They are easy to mistake for the original at a glance:

• 1974 Famous First Edition #26C (oversized treasury reprint): Oversized treasury format, much larger than the 1938 original
• 1976 Safeguard Soap giveaway reprint: Back-cover advertisement gives it away as a promotional reprint
• 2022 DC facsimile edition: Missing the original 10-cent price box; carries a modern UPC and price instead

• Indicia: the small print on the first page or inside cover gives the issue number, date and publisher; reprints usually say so there.
• Cover price and barcode: a price or barcode format that did not exist in the year printed means a later edition.
• Paper and staples: decades-old newsprint is tan at the edges; bright white pages on an old date are a warning sign.
• Restoration: color touch, trimmed edges and married covers are common on expensive keys; a grading service can detect them.

Shoot the front cover flat, straight on, in even light, then the indicia page and the back cover. Include the top edge and staples in one frame. The app reads the title, issue number and cover and matches it against the checks above; the indicia photo settles most reprint questions.