SHOWCASE #103

Cover shows moderate wear consistent with a mid-grade copy: visible spine stress lines and minor ticks along the spine, slight corner blunting at top right and bottom left, and some minor surface scuffing/scratches across the art (visible diagonal lines near the right edge). No major creases, tears, or color breaks are apparent, and colors remain bright with no noticeable fading. The book is in a protective sleeve, and interior pages and back cover were not assessed.

Showcase #103 (August 1978) represents one of the final entries in DC's long-running try-out anthology, pairing Adam Strange with Hawkman in a story scripted by Jack C. Harris with art by Al Milgrom and Murphy Anderson. Joe Kubert supplies the cover, and the issue brings together a dense cast of Adam Strange supporting characters including Alanna Strange, Kanjar Ro, Hyathis, and Byth alongside Hawkwoman and a cameo by Hal Jordan. By this point Showcase had long since ceased to function as a genuine launching pad for new features, and issue #103 is remembered chiefly as a curiosity of the line's twilight rather than as a foundational or first-appearance issue.

Market data reflects a book with modest but persistent collector interest concentrated almost entirely in high grade. Census population is small (33 Universal copies across 35 total graded) and sales are infrequent, with recorded FMVs of $90 at 9.4, $140 at 9.6, and $150 at 9.8 — a curve that flattens near the top rather than spiking sharply, consistent with a book collected mainly by Showcase completists and Kubert cover enthusiasts rather than driven by any speculative key-issue demand. Lower and mid-grade raw copies see negligible transactional data, typical of a late Bronze Age newsstand issue that was never scarce at time of publication and has not developed crossover demand from Hawkman or Adam Strange character collectors beyond the established Showcase run.

This is a book for run-builders assembling a complete Showcase set or Kubert cover collectors, rather than a speculative or investment-grade holding. Low and mid-grade raw copies trade cheaply and are readily available in dealer bins and online lots, while high-grade certified copies command a real but modest premium reflecting genuine scarcity in top census grades rather than character or story demand. Expect slow, steady movement at the low end and occasional competitive bidding only when a fresh 9.6 or 9.8 surfaces.