Famous First Edition

    (DC, 1974-1975, 1979)
©1978 DC Comics, Inc.

In 1974, DC began publishing these giant-sized reprints of their most important Golden Age comics. Double-covered, the reprints reproduced the originals exactly, including the ads for automatic mouth organs, crystal radios, blank cartridge pistols, and other great comic book ephemera. Once you removed the outer covers, the only real difference between the originals and the reprints was the size—the reprints were printed in tabloid size. Still, some con artists have tried to pass off coverless versions of these reprints as the (much smaller) originals.

The series began with a bang with a reprinting of Action Comics #1, the first appearance of Superman. The original comic would cost tens of thousands of dollars if it were purchased today, but the giant-sized reprint lets you experience the wonder of reading it for just one dollar. Other issues reprinted Detective Comics #27 (the first appearance of Batman), Flash Comics #1, and more.
Jump to issue:
  • 4
    #4
    Nov 1974
    Cover: $1.00
    Reprints Whiz Comics #2; Really F-4
    1 copy for $35.00
  • 4/HC
    #4 Hardcover
    Hardcover Edition
    Nov 1974
    Cover: $5.00
    Reprints Whiz Comics #2; F-4; Oct-Nov issue; Published by Lyle Stuart
    1 copy for $50.00
  • 5
    #5
    Jan 1975
    Cover: $1.00
    Reprints Batman #1; Really F-5
    3 copies from $22.50
  • 7
    #7
    Jul 1975
    Cover: $1.00
    W: Gardner Fox, Sheldon Mayer, Evelyn Gaines, Bill O’Connor  ·  A: Everett E. Hibbard, Sheldon Mayer, Chad Grothkopf, Howard Sherman
    Reprints All-Star Comics #3 (Winter 1940); Jun-Jul issue; Justice Society of America; Really F-7
    1 copy for $4.75
  • 8
    #8
    Sep 1975
    Cover: $1.00
    W: Gardner Fox, John Wentworth  ·  A: Harry Lampert, Sheldon Moldoff, George Storm
    Reprints Flash Comics #1 (January, 1940); Aug-Sep issue; G.A. Flash (Jay Garrick); Really F-8
    1 copy for $9.99
  • 26
    #26
    May 1979
    Cover: $1.00
    W: Jerry Siegel, H. Fleming, Fred Guardineer, Captain Frank Thomas, Alger, Sven Elven, Will Ely, Bernard Baily  ·  A: Joe Shuster, H. Fleming, Fred Guardineer, Captain Frank Thomas, Alger, Sven Elven, Will Ely, Bernard Baily
    Reprints Action Comics #1; 1st Appearance of Superman; 1971; Really C-26
    6 copies from $4.00
  • 28
    #28
    Jun 1974
    Cover: $1.00
    Reprints Detective Comics #27; Really C-28
    3 copies from $11.40
  • 30
    #30
    Aug 1974
    Cover: $1.00
    W: William Moulton Marston, Charles Reizenstein, Gardner Fox, George S. Hurst Jr., Irwin Hasen  ·  A: Hal Sharp, Howard Purcell, Bill Finger
    Reprints Sensation Comics #1; Reprints Sensation Comics #1 (January; 1st Appearance of Wonder Woman; 1942); Really C-30
    1 copy for $15.00
  • 61
    #61
    Mar 1979
    Cover: $2.00
    W: Jerry Siegel  ·  A: Joe Shuster
    Reprints Superman #1; C-61
    4 copies from $9.99
  • 63/HC
    #63 Hardcover
    Hardcover Edition with cover by Lyman Anderson
    Jul 2020
    Cover: $19.99
    W: Adolph Schus, Lawrence Lariar, Adolphe Barreaux, de Kerosett, Walter Scott, Bert Salg, Clem Gretter, Jack A. Warren, Roger Furlong, Joe Archibald, Lyman Anderson, Bob Weinstein, Tom McNamara, Ken Fitch  ·  A: Richard Leoderer, Lyman Anderson, Adolphe Barreaux, Charles Flanders, John Lindermayer, Adolph Schus, Lawrence Lariar, Henry C. Kiefer, Bert Salg, Clem Gretter, Jack A. Warren, Joe Archibald, Bob Weinstein, Tom Cooper, Tom McNamara
    Reprints New Fun Comics #1; Really #C-63
    1 copy for $12.25