About 100 copies of the first Superman comic remain in existence

Superman has soared back into the record books, reclaiming the title of the highest price paid for a comic.

A copy of the comic in which Superman made his debut was sold at a US auction for $1.5m (£995,500) - weeks after a Batman comic had fetched $1.075m.

The June 1938 edition of Action Comics No 1 was sold originally for 10 cents.

It is the third time the record has been broken recently - a copy of the same Superman comic fetched $1m just days before the Batman comic was sold.

But that copy of Superman's first appearance was said to have been in worse condition than the more expensive comic.

The copy of Action Comics No 1 - of which 100 are said to still be in existence - was sold by auction house Comic Connect after being purchased from a private collector.

Comic Connect co-owner Stephen Fishler said it was bought by a "hardcore comic book fan".

"There's been a lot of attempts to acquire this book over the last 15 years," he said.

"I can't imagine another book coming on the market that exists that would top this."