The Reading / Listening - Comics - Level 5

A perfect copy of the first self-titled Superman comic has been sold for a world record $9.12 million. The rare publication was sold by Heritage Auctions. Its vice-president called the record-breaking edition the "pinnacle of comic collecting". He said: "Superman No. 1 is a milestone in pop culture history." He added that the copy is "in unprecedented condition". He was happy that the price reflected that. He was also honoured that his company was entrusted to auction the comic. Superman No. 1 first appeared on bookshelves in June 1939. It started a whole gamut of superhero comics.

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

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Comics - Level 4 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 perfect copy of the first self-
  2. the pinnacle
  3. a milestone
  4. the copy is in
  5. He was happy that the price
  6. his company was entrusted
  7. appeared on
  8. It started a whole gamut
  1. bookshelves in June 1939
  2. unprecedented condition
  3. of superhero comics
  4. of comic collecting
  5. to auction the comic
  6. titled Superman comic
  7. in pop culture history
  8. reflected that

Paragraph 2

  1. gathering
  2. covered in
  3. their mother was an avid
  4. Mint
  5. people cut off the front cover
  6. the blueprint for today's
  7. The character was a symbol
  8. doing the
  1. of hope
  2. comic collector
  3. right thing
  4. to use as a poster
  5. cobwebs
  6. condition copies
  7. dust
  8. modern superheroes

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A (1) ________________________________________________ the first self-titled Superman comic has been sold for a world record $9.12 million. The rare (2) ________________________________________________ by Heritage Auctions. Its vice-president called the record-breaking edition (3) ________________________________________________ comic collecting". He said: "Superman No. 1 is a milestone in (4) ________________________________________________." He added that the copy is "in unprecedented condition". He was happy that the (5) ________________________________________________. He was also honoured that his company was entrusted to auction the comic. Superman No. 1 first appeared on bookshelves in June 1939. It started a (6) ________________________________________________ superhero comics.

The (7) ________________________________________________ of Superman No. 1 had been gathering dust in a house for 86 years. Three brothers discovered it (8) ________________________________________________ in their late mother's house. The brothers said their mother was an (9) ________________________________________________, and that she had "rare comics somewhere". Half a million copies of Superman No. 1 were initially printed. (10) ________________________________________________ are very rare because many people cut off the front cover to use as a poster. Superman No. 1 became the (11) ________________________________________________ modern superheroes. The character was a (12) ________________________________________________ and "doing the right thing".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Aperfectcopyofthefirstself-titledSupermancomichasbeensoldforaw
orldrecord$9.12million.TherarepublicationwassoldbyHeritageAucti
ons.Itsvice-presidentcalledtherecord-breakingeditionthe"pinnacle
ofcomiccollecting".Hesaid:"SupermanNo.1isamilestoneinpopcultur
ehistory."Headdedthatthecopyis"inunprecedentedcondition".Hewa
shappythatthepricereflectedthat.Hewasalsohonouredthathiscompa
nywasentrustedtoauctionthecomic.SupermanNo.1firstappearedon
bookshelvesinJune1939.Itstartedawholegamutofsuperherocomics.T
herecord-breakingcopyofSupermanNo.1hadbeengatheringdusti
nahousefor86years.Threebrothersdiscovereditcoveredincobwebsin
theirlatemother'shouse.Thebrotherssaidtheirmotherwasanavidcom
iccollector,andthatshehad"rarecomicssomewhere".Halfamillioncopi
esofSupermanNo.1wereinitiallyprinted.Mintconditioncopiesarevery
rarebecausemanypeoplecutoffthefrontcovertouseasaposter.Super
manNo.1becametheblueprintfortoday'smodernsuperheroes.Thech
aracterwasasymbolofhopeand"doingtherightthing".

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You