SUPERMAN #193
Silver Age Superman issue from DC's late-1960s Krypton-lore run, Curt Swan cover art
// Unit specification
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-012931 | ~4.0 | — | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows moderate wear consistent with a Silver Age 80-page giant: multiple visible creases across the upper red logo area, a diagonal crease running through the 'DC' and 'GIANT' text, spine stress with slight color break at top and bottom, and surface scuffing/scratches over the interior panel art (notably over the shirts panel). Corners show blunting and there is minor edge wear along the right side. The book is in a protective sleeve, and interior pages and back cover were not assessed.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $12 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $19 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $650 |
// Archive commentary
Superman #193 (DC Comics, February 1967) arrived during the height of the Silver Age Superman line's fascination with Krypton's lost history, a period defined by editor Mort Weisinger's expanding mythology of the doomed planet, Argo City, and the extended Superman family. The issue continues that era's house style of tightly plotted science-fiction adventure built around Superman's Kryptonian heritage, rendered with the clean, classical linework that Curt Swan brought to the character throughout the 1960s. It is a representative, well-regarded chapter of the ongoing run rather than a foundational first appearance or origin issue.
Market data shows a typical Silver Age back-issue curve: values stay modest through the mid-grade range, climbing only gradually until the high end of the census, where certified 9.6 copies have traded near $350 and top-graded material becomes scarce. With no CGC 9.8 yet sold or even present on the census against a 9.6 population of just seven, top-grade demand is thin but competitive whenever a superior copy surfaces, since the run above 9.4 is genuinely hard to source. Demand is driven primarily by Superman-title completists and Silver Age Krypton-saga collectors rather than by crossover or first-appearance buyers.
This issue collects best as a solid mid-run entry for Superman title-runs and Silver Age DC science-fiction storylines. Lower and mid-grade raw copies move steadily but inexpensively as reading and run-filling copies, while high-grade certified examples command a real premium purely on condition rarity rather than content significance. Buyers should expect gradual, unspectacular appreciation typical of non-key Silver Age Superman issues, with the sharpest value gains concentrated at the top of the condition curve.
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