MISTER MIRACLE #6
First appearance of Funky Flashman and Houseroy, Jack Kirby's satirical jab at Stan Lee and Roy Thomas
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC Comics | March 1972 | Bronze | — | 1st appearance of Funky Flashman and Houseroy, Jack Kirby's satirical caricatures of Stan Lee and Roy Thomas | AVAILABLE |
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-013107 | ~1.0 | — | AVAILABLE |
// Condition analysis
This copy has a large triangular section of the cover torn away in the upper right, exposing the underlying interior art and creating a significant loss of cover material along with a heavy vertical tear near the top center. The cover paper shows extensive tanning/browning and discoloration, moisture staining, and what appears to be old tape residue along the top edge from a prior repair attempt. There is heavy spine wear and roll visible along the left edge, with additional creasing throughout. Only the front cover was photographed, so interior pages and back cover condition could not be assessed, but the extent of the cover loss alone places this well into the low-grade range.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $12 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $25 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $900 |
// Archive commentary
Mister Miracle #6 arrived in the midst of Jack Kirby's Fourth World saga at DC, continuing the adventures of Scott Free and Big Barda as Kirby folded his singular blend of high-concept science fiction and personal commentary into the escape-artist superhero title. This issue is best remembered for introducing Funky Flashman and his toadying assistant Houseroy, two supporting characters widely understood as Kirby's pointed caricature of his former Marvel collaborators Stan Lee and Roy Thomas. The satire was unusually direct for the era, and the issue has become a footnote of significant interest to readers tracing the fallout of Kirby's departure from Marvel.
The certified population is substantial, with over 375 CGC Universal copies recorded across the grading spectrum, reflecting a book that was neither scarce at release nor heavily culled over time. Values across the mid and lower grades remain modest and tightly clustered, indicating steady but unspectacular demand from Kirby completists and Fourth World collectors rather than broad speculative interest. The market only distinguishes itself sharply at the high end: pricing accelerates markedly from the 9.4 tier upward, with 9.6 and especially 9.8 copies commanding a substantial premium over the bulk of the census, a pattern consistent with concentrated demand for top-tier examples of a well-regarded Kirby cover and story.
This is a book collected primarily by Kirby specialists, Fourth World run-builders, and those assembling material connected to the Lee/Kirby/Thomas history at Marvel and DC. Mid- and low-grade copies trade as inexpensive, easily sourced pieces for readers filling out a run, while pristine 9.8 examples are pursued more selectively and carry outsized value relative to the rest of the grade curve. Given the size of the census, condition census chasing plays a larger role in this book's high-end market than outright scarcity.
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