SHI: POISONED PARADISE #1

Cover shows sharp corners, clean glossy surface, and no visible spine stress, creases, or color breaks in this photo; the book is protected in a plastic sleeve which limits full assessment of edges. No stains, tears, or writing are visible on the front cover. Interior and back cover were not assessed, so the grade reflects front-cover appearance only.

Shi: Poisoned Paradise #1 is a 2002 one-shot from Avatar Press marking the character's move to that publisher after her earlier runs at Crusade Comics and Image. Created by Billy Tucci, Shi is a katana-wielding avenger whose stories blend samurai-film aesthetics with contemporary crime and revenge plotting. This issue is penciled and inked by Karl Waller, with cover art credited to a group that includes Al Rio, Tucci himself, Waller, and Matt Martin, reflecting Avatar's common practice at the time of issuing multiple cover options to drive newsstand and direct-market interest for licensed or relaunched properties.

The book carries no published fair-market value, which places it squarely in the category of bulk stock: a title with steady but unremarkable back-issue demand that settles at or near its original cover price. Shi retained a dedicated but modest fanbase into the 2000s, and Avatar's revival efforts kept the character in circulation without generating the speculative attention seen with the character's original early-1990s appearances. Submission volume for CGC grading is low, which affects certified pricing more than raw demand does.

This is a reader and completist item rather than a speculative hold. Shi collectors and Avatar Press cover-variant enthusiasts make up the primary audience, and raw copies in typical grades are readily available at modest prices. Certified high-grade copies command a premium chiefly because so few copies have been submitted for grading, not because of any surge in collector demand, and buyers should expect this title to remain a stable, low-cost fixture in long-run back-issue bins.