when did superman first appear in a comic book
Superman Superman debuted as the cover feature of the anthology Action Comics #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and published on April 18, 1938).[54] The series was an immediate success,[55] and reader feedback showed it was because of the Superman character.[56] In June 1939, Detective Comics began a sister series, Superman, dedicated exclusively to the character.[57] Action Comics eventually became dedicated to Superman stories too, and both it and Superman have been published without interruption since 1938 (ignoring changes to the titles and numbering).[58][59] A large number of other series and miniseries have been published as well.[60] Superman has also appeared as a regular or semi-regular character in a number of superhero team series, such as Justice League of America and World's Finest Comics, and in spin-off series such as Supergirl. Sales of Action Comics and Superman declined steadily from the 1950s,[61][62] but rose again starting in 1987. Superman #75 (Nov 1992) sold over 6 million copies, making it the best-selling issue of a comic book of all time,[63] thanks to a media sensation over the possibly permanent death of the character in that issue.[64] Sales declined from that point on. In February 2016, Action Comics sold just over 31,000 copies.[65] The comic books are today considered a niche aspect of the Superman franchise due to low readership.[66]