WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #5

Cover shows moderate wear typical of the era: light corner blunting at top corners, some minor surface scuffing across the blue background, and slight edge wear along the right border. Colors remain bright with no visible fading or major creasing, though there is a faint vertical crease near the spine area. The book is in a protective sleeve, which limits close inspection of spine ticks and interior condition; back cover and interior pages were not assessed. No writing, stains, or tears are visible in this photo.

Werewolf by Night #5 (Marvel, May 1973) arrived during the title's formative run, with Len Wein scripting and Mike Ploog providing both interior art and a moody, expressionistic cover that typifies his distinctive contribution to the series. Ploog's brief but influential tenure on Werewolf by Night helped define the visual tone of Marvel's early-1970s horror line, and this issue's supporting cast, including Joshua and Luther Kane and Lissa Russell, continues threads from the book's ongoing family-curse mythology. It is not a first appearance or origin issue, but it represents the creative team most closely associated with the character's foundational period.

Market data shows a typical Bronze Age horror back-issue profile: values stay compressed and modest through the mid grades before rising sharply at the top of the census. Sales volume is healthy at 9.8, with over 24 census copies and consistent recent trading near $342-$350, indicating steady collector demand for top-graded examples despite the issue's non-key status. Lower and mid grades trade thinly, with few recorded sales and prices clustering near the $18-$22 range, reflecting the broad availability of raw copies from a title that saw healthy print runs.

Demand centers on Bronze Age horror completists and Mike Ploog cover collectors rather than character-key investors, since the issue lacks a first appearance or landmark event. Mid- and low-grade copies serve as affordable additions to a run for series collectors, while the premium at 9.8 reflects competition among a smaller pool of high-grade specialists chasing census-top examples in a well-regarded but non-key issue. Long-term appreciation is likely to track the title's overall Bronze Age horror niche rather than outsized key-issue momentum.