PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #26

Cover shows strong gloss with bright, unfaded colors and sharp corners; a faint vertical crease line is visible running through the upper portion of the cover near the logo. Slight edge wear is visible at the top right corner and along the spine, with minor whitening at the extreme corners. No major creases, tears, or color breaks are apparent, though the book is in a protective sleeve which may obscure fine surface detail. Interior and back cover were not assessed.

Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #26 (January 1979) continues the ongoing Bill Mantlo-scripted title with pencils by Jim Mooney and inks by Frank Springer, featuring Carrion's menace toward Spider-Man alongside a Daredevil team-up backup. The issue is a representative entry in Marvel's late-1970s Spider-Man line, populated by supporting cast regulars Betty Brant, Flash Thompson, Mary Jane, and Sha Shan, with the Masked Marauder rounding out the villain roster. It holds no first appearances, deaths, or landmark creative milestones, and its cover does not rank among the era's widely cited classics.

Market data shows a flat value curve across the mid-to-high grade spectrum, with FMVs holding near $20 from grade 3.0 through 9.0 before rising to $40 at 9.6 and $55 at 9.8, indicating demand is concentrated almost entirely at the top of the census. A relatively large certified population of 146 Universal copies within a 163-count census reflects steady but unspectacular collector interest, typical of mid-run issues from a popular flagship character's secondary title. Recent sales activity at the 9.8 tier, including a 1-year average of $75, suggests intermittent premium interest from grade-focused buyers rather than character- or story-driven demand.

This issue trades as a value-tier Spider-Man Bronze Age book: appealing primarily to completists building full runs of Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man, or to registry collectors chasing top-census slabs. Raw copies in low and mid grades see minimal price differentiation and are readily available, while the modest but real premium at CGC 9.8 caters to a small pool of condition-sensitive buyers. It is not a book pursued for speculative or key-issue upside, but rather as an affordable, decorative addition to Spider-Man supporting runs.