IRON MAN #136

Cover shows strong gloss and sharp corners with only minor edge wear visible along the right border. A faint vertical crease/impression line runs through the upper Iron Man logo area and slight rubbing is visible near the top left corner box. No major creases, tears, or color breaks are evident, and the book is protected in a plastic sleeve which limits full surface inspection; interior and back cover were not assessed.

Iron Man #136, cover-dated July 1980, arrived during the celebrated David Michelinie/Bob Layton creative stewardship of the title, with interior art by John Romita Jr. This stretch of the series is best remembered for the landmark "Demon in a Bottle" alcoholism storyline that concluded a few issues earlier at #128, and #136 falls into the more procedural adventures that followed as Tony Stark navigated corporate rivals and armored threats without a singular first appearance, death, or origin attached to this specific issue. James Rhodes appears as a supporting character during this era, continuing his role as Stark's confidant and pilot ahead of his own later transformation into War Machine.

The market data reflects a book with minimal collector pressure: a single certified sale each at 9.8, 9.6, and 8.5 all settled at the same $30 figure, with no meaningful census population reported at any grade. This flat pricing across a wide grade spread indicates that demand for this specific issue is driven almost entirely by run-completion and creative-team interest rather than any landmark content, keeping raw copies inexpensive across the board.

This issue suits Iron Man run collectors and Michelinie/Layton/Romita Jr. completists assembling the full Bronze Age stretch rather than key-issue investors. Low and mid-grade raw copies remain widely available and inexpensive, while high-grade slabs see occasional, thinly traded sales at modest premiums reflecting scarcity of submission rather than any surge in demand. Long-term appreciation is likely to track the broader Bronze Age Iron Man run rather than outperform it.