Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 1/86 · DIRECT EDITION
UNIT ECA-011823
PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #122
Sal Buscema art on a mid-1980s Spectacular Spider-Man issue
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | January 1986 | Copper | Direct Edition | — | AVAILABLE |
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-011823 | ~9.2 | Direct Edition | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows strong gloss and vibrant color with sharp, well-defined corners and clean edges; no visible creases, tears, or color breaks are apparent in this image. A faint trace of handling wear is visible along the bottom edge and lower left corner, and the spine appears tight with no stress lines visible. Only the front cover was examined; interior pages and back cover condition could not be assessed.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $3 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $6 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $60 |
// Archive commentary
Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #122 (Jan. 1986) arrived during the title's long Sal Buscema-drawn stretch of the mid-1980s, a period when the book ran parallel continuity to Amazing Spider-Man and frequently explored Peter Parker's personal life alongside costumed action. The issue is a representative installment of that run rather than a storyline milestone: it features no first appearance, origin, or death, and it has not been singled out by price guides or collector consensus as a notable cover or turning point in the character's history.
Market data reflects that status. Certified sales are sparse across the census, with meaningful pricing activity concentrated only at the top of the grade scale; sub-9.0 copies barely register recorded transactions, and demand at the high end is driven mainly by census-completion collectors chasing the handful of 9.8s rather than by story significance. The FMV curve rises sharply only in the last full point of grade, a pattern typical of Copper Age Marvel filler issues where population is small but interest is thin.
This is a book bought for series completism and long-box building rather than speculative appreciation. Raw copies in worn condition trade for a few dollars regardless of venue, mid-grade raw examples fetch modest bumps at conventions or online lots, and only pristine CGC 9.8 slabs command real attention, largely because so few exist to satisfy registry-set collectors. Absent a rediscovered creative or historical hook, expect this issue to remain a stable, low-value piece of any complete Spectacular Spider-Man run.
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