Rare copy of ‘Superman No. 1’ from 1939 sells for more than $9 million

A copy of the first Superman issue, unearthed by three brothers cleaning out their late mother's attic, netted $9.12 million this month at a Texas auction house which says it is the most expensive comic book ever sold.

The brothers discovered the comic book in a cardboard box beneath layers of brittle newspapers, dust and cobwebs in their deceased mother's San Francisco home last year, alongside a handful of other rare comics that she and her sibling had collected on the cusp of World War II.

She had told her children she had a valuable comic book collection hidden away, but they had never seen it until they put her house up for sale and decided to comb through her belongings for heirlooms, said Lon Allen, vice president of comics at Heritage Auctions.

The brothers uncovered the box of comics and sent a message to the auction company, leading Allen to fly out to San Francisco earlier this year to inspect their copy of "Superman No. 1" and show it to other experts for appraisal.

"It was just in an attic, sitting in a box, could have easily been thrown away, could've easily been destroyed in a thousand different ways," Allen said. "A lot of people got excited because it's just every factor in collecting that you could possibly want all rolled into one."

The "Superman No. 1" comic, released in 1939 by Detective Comics Inc., is one of a small number of copies known to be in existence and is in excellent condition. The Man of Steel was the first superhero to enter pop culture, helping boost the copy's value among collectors, alongside its improbable backstory, Allen said.

The previous record for the world's most expensive comic book had been set last year, when an "Action Comics No. 1" -- which first introduced Superman to the world as part of an anthology -- sold for $6 million. In 2022, another Superman No. 1 sold for $5.3 million.

-AP

Veterinarian who refused to return ailing dog jailed for 10 days

A Michigan veterinarian was sentenced to 10 days in jail last week for refusing to return a dog to a homeless man after finding the ailing pit bull mix tied to a truck.

Amanda Hergenreder's lawyer asked for 120 hours of community service for the misdemeanour larceny conviction. But Grand Rapids Judge Angela Ross said jail was more appropriate for her, plus $1,000 in restitution.

A year ago, Hergenreder was in Grand Rapids for a professional conference when she saw the 16-year-old dog tied to a truck near a coffee shop. She said she took him to her clinic, two hours away, cleared up a severe urinary tract infection and removed a rotten tooth.

Prosecutors charged Hergenreder after she refused to bring the dog back to Chris Hamilton, a Grand Rapids man who lacked a permanent home at the time. She cited her ethical duties as a veterinarian and noted that the dog wasn't licensed. A jury, however, convicted her at a two-day trial.

Hergenreder told the judge that she saw a "dog in distress".

But she also acknowledged that she "failed to see the whole picture".

"I failed to honour the bond between Vinnie and Mr. Hamilton. I failed to recognise the heartbreak that would follow," the Millington, Michigan, veterinarian said before being sentenced. "I failed to stop, think, and ask questions."

Vinnie, or Biggby, as Hergenreder called him, was euthanised in July because of health problems in old age.

"We're disappointed in Dr Hergenreder being sentenced to jail, but we take solace in the fact that Biggby/Vinnie spent his last few months in a warm, safe, loving, caring environment," defence attorney Miles Greengard said.

Thai woman found alive in coffin after being brought in for cremation

BANGKOK, Thailand:

A woman in Thailand shocked temple staff when she started moving in her coffin after being brought in for cremation.

Wat Rat Prakhong Tham, a Buddhist temple in the province of Nonthaburi on the outskirts of Bangkok, posted a video on its Facebook page, showing a woman lying in a white coffin in the back of a pickup truck, slightly moving her arms and head, leaving temple staff bewildered.

Pairat Soodthoop, the temple's general and financial affairs manager, told The Associated Press that the 65-year-old woman's brother drove her from the province of Phitsanulok to be cremated.

He said they heard a faint knock coming from the coffin.

"I was a bit surprised, so I asked them to open the coffin, and everyone was startled," he said. "I saw her opening her eyes slightly and knocking on the side of the coffin. She must have been knocking for quite some time."

According to Pairat, the brother said his sister had been bedridden for about two years, when her health deteriorated and she became unresponsive, appearing to stop breathing two days ago. The brother then placed her in a coffin and made the 500-kilometre (300-mile) journey to a hospital in Bangkok, to which the woman had previously expressed a wish to donate her organs.

The hospital refused to accept the brother's offer as he didn't have an official death certificate, Pairat said. His temple offers a free cremation service, which is why the brother approached them on Sunday, but was also refused due to the missing document.

The temple manager said it was while he was explaining how to get a death certificate when they heard the knocking. They then assessed her and sent her to a nearby hospital.

The abbot said the temple would cover her medical expenses, according to Pairat.

-AP