CAPTAIN AMERICA #136

Pre-1977 book so no direct/newsstand distinction applies. Cover shows moderate wear consistent with a mid-grade copy: visible spine stress lines and slight color break along the spine, mild rounding at the top corners, and light surface wear/soiling on the cover, particularly near the top edge. There's a faint vertical crease running through the upper portion of the cover. No major tears, missing pieces, or writing observed. Interior and back cover were not assessed.

Captain America #136, cover-dated April 1971, arrives in the early Bronze Age stretch of the title where the Falcon had recently been elevated to logo billing as Captain America's full partner. The issue is a product of Marvel's transitional period following Stan Lee's regular writing tenure, with Gary Friedrich scripting and Gil Kane supplying artwork that reflects the harder, more kinetic house style taking hold across the line as the 1970s began. It sits within a run that, while not carrying a first appearance or origin milestone of its own, documents the ongoing evolution of Cap and Falcon as a functioning duo before Steve Englehart's celebrated run reshaped the title later in the decade.

Market behavior for this issue mirrors that of most mid-run early-1970s Marvel superhero comics: a large surviving census population, steady but unspectacular demand, and a price curve that stays flat through the low-to-mid grades before accelerating sharply only at the top of the condition scale. Sales are thin in the lowest certified grades and concentrate instead in the 8.0-9.4 range, reflecting a book that was well-preserved by collectors of the era's Captain America and Falcon material rather than one hunted for a specific key moment. The pronounced value gap between raw grades and a 9.8 slab is typical of Bronze Age Marvel filler-adjacent issues, where rarity in top condition, not narrative importance, drives the premium.

This is a collecting-category book for completists building a run of Captain America and the Falcon or Bronze Age Marvel team titles rather than a piece pursued for investment on its own merits. Lower and mid-grade raw copies trade as inexpensive run-fillers with minimal competition, while high-grade certified copies appeal to condition-census chasers and registry-style collectors willing to pay a real premium for a scarce 9.8. Absent a recognized first appearance, death, or classic cover, expect this issue to move steadily but modestly across all grades, tracking the broader health of the Bronze Age Captain America market rather than commanding independent demand.