SUPERMAN #187

Cover shows moderate wear consistent with a mid-grade Silver Age book: visible spine stress with some whitening/ticks along the spine, mild corner softness at top and bottom right, and general handling creases across the cover surface. Color remains bright with no major fading, tears, or stains noted, though the book is in a protective sleeve which slightly obscures fine surface detail. Interior and back cover were not assessed.

Superman #187, cover-dated June 1966, arrived during the height of the Mort Weisinger editorial era, when the Superman family titles were built around recurring high-concept gimmicks, transformation stories, and the interlocking mythology of Krypton, the Fortress of Solitude, and the extended supporting cast. The issue features a Curt Swan cover, typical of the clean, dynamic house style that defined DC's Superman line throughout the 1960s. It is a representative example of the era's storytelling rather than a book tied to a specific first appearance, origin, or landmark creative event.

Market data shows a typical Silver Age DC curve: values stay modest through the mid grades, with FMVs around $18 at grade 5.0 and climbing gradually to $150 by 9.2, before a pronounced jump at the top of the census. The gap between 9.4 ($220) and 9.6 ($775) reflects the steep rarity premium that sets in once a book approaches the top few certified copies, a pattern common to unassuming mid-run issues from this period where high-grade survivors are scarce relative to demand from Superman-title completists and Silver Age DC runs collectors. With no 9.8 yet certified, the top of the market remains largely theoretical and sensitive to the appearance of even a single new submission.

This is a book that trades primarily on completism and grade rather than character-first-appearance demand: Superman titles from the mid-1960s are perennially collected as full-run sets, and pricing tends to reward condition steeply once a copy clears the low 9-range. Entry-level and mid-grade copies remain accessible and affordable for readers and run-builders, while high-grade or top-census copies attract a narrower pool of Silver Age Superman specialists and registry-driven buyers willing to pay a premium for census-topping examples.