Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 7/80 · NEWSSTAND
UNIT ECA-028001
FANTASTIC FOUR #220
Bronze Age Fantastic Four featuring the Marv Wolfman/John Byrne creative team
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | July 1980 | Bronze | Newsstand | — | AVAILABLE |
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-028001 | ~9.0 | Newsstand | AVAILABLE |
| ECA-039586 | ~9.0 | Newsstand | AVAILABLE |
| ECA-039612 | ~8.5 | Newsstand | AVAILABLE |
| ECA-039688 | ~8.5 | Newsstand | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows strong gloss and sharp corners with no visible creasing or spine stress lines. The book is in a protective sleeve, which limits full assessment of surface sheen and edge wear. No color breaks, tears, or stains are visible on the front cover; interior and back cover were not assessed.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $4 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $10 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $200 |
// Archive commentary
Fantastic Four #220 arrived in July 1980 during the celebrated Wolfman-Byrne run on Marvel's First Family, a period widely credited with revitalizing the title after a fallow stretch in the mid-1970s. John Byrne had recently taken over full art chores on the book, handling both pencils and inks, and his tightly rendered, dynamic style became a hallmark of the series' Bronze Age output. The issue is a solid entry in a run that fans and historians regard as a bridge between the Lee-Kirby foundation and Byrne's own celebrated writer-artist tenure that would follow shortly after.
Market activity for this issue is sparse, with only a handful of certified sales recorded across the grade spectrum, reflecting its status as a well-regarded but non-key chapter in a long-running series. Demand is driven primarily by Byrne completists and Fantastic Four run collectors rather than speculators chasing a first appearance or landmark event, keeping the book's value curve modest through the mid grades before rising sharply at the top of the census due to the scarcity of high-grade newsstand survivors.
This issue suits collectors building a complete Wolfman-Byrne Fantastic Four run or those focused on Byrne's pre-writer/artist Marvel work. Raw copies in low and mid grades remain affordable entry points for readers and set-builders, while a pristine 9.8 slab commands a substantial premium reflecting the difficulty of finding Bronze Age newsstand copies in top condition rather than any intrinsic key status of the issue itself.
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