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The comic debut of Superman has sold for an out-of-this-world price, 1.5 million dollars to be exact.

The copy of Action Comics No. 1 from 1938, which features the first appearance of the "Man of Steel" was bought by an undisclosed buyer for a record .5 million Monday on the online auction site ComicConnect.com.

"This is the Holy Grail of Holy Grails," said Vincent Zurzolo, co-owner of the Web site.

A copy of the same issue sold for million in February, but this one fetched a higher price because it is in better condition. It was stored inside a movie magazine for the past 50 years, Zurzolo said.

"The book looks like it just came off the presses yesterday," said Zurzolo. "The colors are extremely vivid, the whites behind the 'Action Comics' logo are snow white. It's just a stunning copy -- it almost looks brand new."

The sale of the Superman book marks the third time this year that a record was set for the sale of a comic book. The other copy of "Action Comics" No. 1 held onto its record for only three days before a comic book featuring Batman's debut sold for ,000 more at an auction in Dallas, Texas.

It's widely believed that there are 50 to 100 copies of Action Comics No. 1 floating around, which makes it exceedingly rare. However, the copy sold Monday has received the highest rating to date from the Certified Guaranty Company, an independent comic grading company in Sarasota, Florida. The company inspects comic books for imperfections, ranging from yellowing to slight creases.

J.C. Vaughn, the associate publisher of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, an annual publication considered the authority on comic book pricing, said the Action Comic No. 1 book sold Monday is worth every penny.

"The older any comic book gets, obviously the more unlikely you'll find it with a high rating," said Vaughn. "A book this old, featuring Superman's first appearance? I think this book warrants the price."

Back in 1938, there were 200,000 of these first editions printed and 130,000 sold, said Vaughn. The 70,000 other copies were destroyed.

Zurzolo said it could be a while before another comic book sets a new mark, because only a few other comics have this type of value.

"You will see a lot of very high-priced comic books selling in the next few years," he said. "But until these books hit the market again I don't think you'll see the same exact type of numbers in the near future."

ComicConnect wouldn't reveal the buyer of the .5 million Superman book.

"Our buyer, much like most of the superheroes out there, has a secret identity and would rather remain that way," Zurzolo said.

However, he added that the customer has a tremendous passion for superhero comic books and is especially fond of Superman.

"Superman was the first superhero," said Zurzolo. "Without Superman there would be no Batman, Spider Man, Wolverine, Wonder Woman -- they all came about because of the immense success of Action Comics and the first appearance of Superman."

Alex Rae, the back issue buyer for Midtown Comics, one of the nation's largest comic book dealers located in New York, said if he had his choice of any comic book in the world, it would be the one just purchased.

"It revolutionized the comic book industry," he said.

Peter Sarsgaard is rumoured to be joining the cast of the upcoming picture Green Lantern.

The 38-year-old is attached to play the villain in the Martin Campbell project, says The Hollywood Reporter.

If confirmed, Sarsgaard would portray Dr Hector Hammond, a pathologist who finds he has psychic powers after discovering a meteor.

Ryan Reynolds was previously cast as Hal Jordan, the test pilot who becomes superhero Green Lantern. Production on Green Lantern is to start in March in New Orleans.

A big screen feature based on DC Comics character Hawkman is reportedly in the works.

According to sources, Warner Brothers are looking to bring the project is to be "part Indiana Jones, part Da Vinci Code and part Ghost".

In the DC comics, Hawkman is a superhero who takes flight by using artificial wings made of a special metal. He wields a mace and usually fights crime with the help of Hawkgirl or Hawkwoman.

A director, lead actor and screenwriter have yet to be attached.

Danish helmer Nikolaj Arcel (King's Game) has been hired to direct an adaptation of comic book Deadman.

In the comic books, circus trapeze artist Boston Brand is "resurrected" as a ghost by a Hindu goddess so that he can seek revenge on his murderer as well as protect the innocent.

Created by Arnold Drake and artist Carmine Infantino, the comic book superhero first appeared in October 1967.

Guillermo del Toro is on board to produce the picture with Don Murphy and Murphy's partner Susan Montford also producing the DC Comics adaptation.

I see on IMDB that Chris Pine form Star Trek is rumoured to play Hal Jordan in the new Green Lantern movie.

I have mixed thoughts on this. He would be good, yes. But after Star Trek, everyone is going to see him now as Kirk. Hal Jordan should be someone unknown - a formula that usually works quite week for super hero movies. Otherwise, you'll just think "that's Captain Kirk in green tights".

Think about it - imagine William Shatner had played Superman instead of Christopher Reeve. Doesn't work, does it?!

With Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe just a couple of months from release, Midway has decided to come clean on the game's character roster. The full list of playable pugilists in this comics crossover follows:

Mortal Kombat Characters

* Scorpion
* Sub-Zero
* Sonya
* Jax
* Shang Tsung
* Liu Kang
* Raiden
* Kitana
* Kano
* Baraka
* Shao Kahn

DC Universe Characters

* Batman
* Superman
* Catwoman
* Green Lantern
* The Joker
* Shazam (Captain Marvel, really)
* The Flash
* Wonder Woman
* Deathstroke
* Lex Luthor
* Darkseid

There are some notable omissions from either faction -- Johnny Cage and Aquaman come to mind -- so try not to get too upset if your favorite didn't make the cut. Overall, though, this is a pretty respectable collection of both Mortal Kombat and DC's cream of the crop. It may not boast the 56 playable characters of Marvel vs. Capcom 2, but how many fighters do these days?

Warner Bros. has confirmed long-running rumors that it will reboot the Superman movie franchise.

Jeff Robinov, Warner Bros. Pictures Group President, tells The Wall Street Journal that the Man of Steel will be reintroduced on the big screen without regard to 2006’s Superman Returns.

“Superman didn’t quite work as a film in the way that we wanted it to,” Robinov says. “It didn’t position the character the way he needed to be positioned. ... Had Superman worked in 2006, we would have had a movie for Christmas of this year or 2009.”

There’s no mention whether Superman Returns director Bryan Singer will be part of the reboot. Earlier this week, Variety’s Anne Thompson reported “that it is a priority at the studio to find the right direction and if Bryan Singer is willing to do that, fine, but if he gets in the way, he may not stay on the project.”

Taking a page from Marvel, Warner Bros. has reversed its earlier position of using the now-stalled Justice League of America as a launching pad for other DC properties. Instead, it will focus on solo features to build toward a multicharacter film.

“Along those lines, we have been developing every DC character that we own,” Robinov says.

That may sound less like a “strategy” and more like a mad cash-grab. Something else that might not sit right with some fans is Robinov’s determination to explore the darker side of super-heroes: “We’re going to try to go dark to the extent that the characters allow it.”

According to The Journal, Warner Bros. plans to release four comic-book movies in the next three years: the third Batman installment, the Superman reboot, and two focusing on other DC Comics characters. (It’s unclear whether soon-to-be-released Watchmen is included in that count.)

Likely candidates include Green Arrow, Green Lantern (please!), Captain Marvel and, perhaps, Jonah Hex

Tired of waiting for Electronic Arts to figure out what to do with their Dark Knight game? Let Eidos comfort you in their warm embrace -- in the latest issue of Game Informer magazine, the publisher has announced Batman: Arkham Asylum, a new game based generally on the Batman comics.

By "based generally," that is to say Eidos owns the rights to the Batman comics (while EA owns the rights to the movies), but Batman: Arkham Asylum isn't specifically based on the graphic novel of the same name. Rather, it'll reportedly pull from all 70 years of comic history, with an original story crafted by Paul Dini (who served as a writer, producer, and editor for Batman: The Animated Series), and artwork and character designs by DC Comics studio Wildstorm.

The game is in fact set entirely in Arkham, which Batman has to invade after The Joker takes it over. There will be plenty of other characters in the game, including classic villains such as The Riddler, Penguin, Scarecrow, and Killer Croc, and with Commissioner Gordon and his daughter, Barbara, serving as allies. According to a NeoGAF member's report of the Game Informer article, the persistent yet enclosed setting supposedly gives the game more of a BioShock or Chronicles or Riddick feel, as opposed to the usual open-world superhero games. It's running on Unreal Engine 3, and is played from a third-person, over-the-shoulder view, with emphasis both on combat and detective work.

The fighting system works with just three buttons -- attack, stun, and throw. There will also be stealth (or as the developers call it, "predatory" elements to the action, and some boss fights will even incorporate Zelda-like puzzle solving, with Batman needing to use his gadgets in certain ways to take down foes. The detective elements will also focus on puzzle solving, with gameplay features similar to Metroid Prime's scanner visor -- Batman will use a visor that'll highlight "points of interest," as well as forensic devices that, as one example, will allow him to detect and follow trails of fingerprints.

BioShock, Metroid Prime, Zelda -- those are some lofty names to be dropping, but all the elements that Arkham Asylum seems to be borrowing do sound like the ingredients of a great Batman game, and it seems like a lot of thought has gone into fitting them together. The game's not set for release until sometime in 2009 (for PS3, 360, and PC), so there's plenty of time to hope that Eidos will be able to pull it all off.

Whether it's a fist in Batman's gullet or the opportunity for cosplayers to suit up without ever putting needle to thread, it's become increasingly clear that DC Comics has a thing for video games. The latest example of this comes from a deal between DC and Capcom, which will see a pair of new comic book series created based on Resident Evil and Devil May Cry.

The agreement is DC's second in as many weeks following last week's deal with EA for a six-part comic book series based on Mirror's Edge, and like that series, both Resident Evil and Devil May Cry adaptations will be released under DC's Wildstorm umbrella. However, with so little to go on, and a creative team and launch month left unspecified until a later date, we doubt we'll be adding either title to our monthly pull lists just yet.