The Reading / Listening - Comics - Level 4

A copy of the first self-titled Superman comic sold for a world record $9.12 million. The vice-president of the auction house called the rare comic the "pinnacle of comic collecting". He said the copy is "in unprecedented condition". He said: "Superman No. 1 is a milestone in pop culture history." He was proud that his company auctioned the comic. Superman No. 1 first appeared in shops in June 1939. It started a new genre of superhero comics.

The copy of Superman No. 1 had been gathering dust in a house for 86 years. Three brothers discovered it covered in cobwebs. The brothers said their mother was an avid comic collector, and that she had "rare comics somewhere". Half a million copies were initially printed. Mint condition copies are rare because people cut off the front cover to use as a poster. Superman No. 1 became the blueprint for today's modern superheroes.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Comics - Level 5 or  Comics - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8e9rp0knj6o
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/21/style/superman-attic-most-expensive-comic-scli-intl
  • https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/nov/21/superman-no1-becomes-most-expensive-comic-ever-sold


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. A copy of the first self-titled
  2. vice-president
  3. the pinnacle of
  4. the copy is in unprecedented
  5. a milestone in
  6. his company auctioned
  7. appeared
  8. It started a new genre
  1. pop culture history
  2. in shops
  3. of the auction house
  4. of superhero comics
  5. comic collecting
  6. condition
  7. Superman comic
  8. the comic

Paragraph 2

  1. gathering
  2. covered in
  3. their mother was an avid
  4. Half a million copies
  5. mint
  6. people cut off
  7. Superman No. 1 became
  8. today's modern
  1. the front cover
  2. comic collector
  3. superheroes
  4. cobwebs
  5. the blueprint
  6. dust
  7. condition copies
  8. were initially printed

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A copy of the (1) ________________________________________________ Superman comic sold for a world record $9.12 million. The vice-president of (2) ________________________________________________ called the rare comic the "pinnacle of comic collecting". He said the copy is "(3) ________________________________________________". He said: "Superman No. 1 is a (4) ________________________________________________ culture history." He (5) ________________________________________________ his company auctioned the comic. Superman No. 1 first appeared in shops in June 1939. It started a new (6) ________________________________________________ comics.

The copy of Superman No. 1 had been (7) ________________________________________________ a house for 86 years. Three brothers discovered it (8) ________________________________________________. The brothers said their mother was an avid comic collector, and that she had "(9) ________________________________________________". Half a million copies were initially printed. (10) ________________________________________________ are rare because people cut off (11) ________________________________________________ to use as a poster. Superman No. 1 became the (12) ________________________________________________ modern superheroes.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Acopyofthefirstself-titledSupermancomicsoldforaworldrecord$9.12
million.Thevice-presidentoftheauctionhousecalledtherarecomicthe"
pinnacleofcomiccollecting".Hesaidthecopyis"inunprecedentedcondi
tion".Hesaid:"SupermanNo.1isamilestoneinpopculturehistory."He
wasproudthathiscompanyauctionedthecomic.SupermanNo.1firstap
pearedinshopsinJune1939.Itstartedanewgenreofsuperherocomics.T
hecopyofSupermanNo.1hadbeengatheringdustinahousefor86years
.Threebrothersdiscovereditcoveredincobwebs.Thebrotherssaidthei
rmotherwasanavidcomiccollector,andthatshehad"rarecomicssome
where".Halfamillioncopieswereinitiallyprinted.Mintconditioncopiesa
rerarebecausepeoplecutoffthefrontcovertouseasaposter.Superman
No.1becametheblueprintfortoday'smodernsuperheroes.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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