Approximate
Condition Profile
DC COMICS · 12/84 · NEWSSTAND
UNIT ECA-001989
GREEN LANTERN #183
Newsstand edition from the Len Wein/Dave Gibbons run, with John Stewart facing Eclipso and a Kevin O'Neill Karate Kid backup
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC Comics | December 1984 | Copper | Newsstand | — | AVAILABLE |
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-001989 | ~9.2 | Newsstand | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows strong gloss and vivid color with sharp corners and no visible creases or spine stress; the UPC barcode box confirms newsstand edition. Slight edge wear is possible near the top corners but not clearly visible through the protective sleeve, which also introduces some glare. Interior and back cover were not assessed, so grade is based solely on front cover appearance.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $2 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $5 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $85 |
// Archive commentary
Green Lantern #183 arrived during the Len Wein and Dave Gibbons stewardship of the Green Lantern Corps title, a run recalled fondly for Gibbons's clean, dynamic linework even as the series worked through mid-1980s sales pressures. This issue pits John Stewart, then serving as Earth's Green Lantern, against the supernatural villain Eclipso, alongside a Joey Cavalieri-scripted Karate Kid backup penciled and inked by Kevin O'Neill, whose angular, idiosyncratic style would later define his work on Marshal Law and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The newsstand distribution format, combined with a low overall CGC census, places this among the more scarce printings of the era, though scarcity here reflects general Copper Age attrition rather than any landmark story content.
Market data is sparse: certified sales cluster almost entirely at the top of the grading spectrum, with a small number of 9.8 and 9.6 copies trading in the $40 to $85 range and no meaningful activity recorded below CGC 8.0. This pattern is typical of a book collected mainly as a run-filler for Green Lantern completists and Dave Gibbons or John Stewart specialists rather than as a stand-alone investment piece. Demand is steady but thin, driven by nostalgia for the Wein/Gibbons creative team and incidental interest in Eclipso's pre-Crisis appearances rather than any first appearance or landmark event within the issue itself.
This is a book for series collectors and Green Lantern Corps completists building out the 1980s John Stewart era, not a speculative key. Raw copies in low and mid grades move modestly and infrequently, priced closer to bulk long-box territory, while certified 9.6 and 9.8 slabs carry the rarity premium typical of low-census Copper Age newsstand issues. Buyers should expect thin liquidity outside dedicated Green Lantern or Dave Gibbons want lists, with value driven primarily by condition scarcity rather than narrative significance.
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