Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 2/78 · NEWSSTAND
UNIT ECA-028088
FANTASTIC FOUR #191
Fantastic Four #191 (Feb. 1978) – Len Wein and early George Pérez continue the Agatha Harkness/Franklin Richards storyline
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | February 1978 | Bronze | Newsstand | — | AVAILABLE |
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-028088 | ~8.5 | Newsstand | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows bright, glossy colors with strong ink saturation and sharp corners visible at all four edges. There is minor edge wear along the top edge and a faint vertical crease line near the spine area, but no significant color breaks. Spine appears mostly tight with no visible major stress lines or ticks. Interior and back cover were not assessed, so grade is based solely on the front cover's visible surface.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $8 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $30 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $110 |
// Archive commentary
Fantastic Four #191 arrived during a transitional period for Marvel's flagship team title, with writer Len Wein steering the ongoing Agatha Harkness and Franklin Richards subplot while penciler George Pérez, early in his career-defining Marvel run, handled the art under Joe Sinnott's veteran inks. The issue folds in supporting cast regulars Frankie Raye and Parnival Plunder alongside the core FF lineup, continuing a serialized storyline rather than launching any new characters or concepts. There is no first appearance, origin, or landmark creative debut here; its interest rests on being a representative chapter of a well-regarded Wein/Pérez/Sinnott stretch on the title.
Market data reflects that status: a deep certified population (156 Universal copies of 170 graded) trades in a tight, unremarkable band through the mid grades, with values only beginning to separate meaningfully at 9.4 and above. High-grade demand is driven primarily by census scarcity and completist collecting of the Pérez FF run rather than any speculative key-issue premium, and the steep step-up to 9.8 pricing is typical of the grade-rarity curve for Bronze Age Marvel rather than any content-driven spike.
This is a bread-and-butter Bronze Age Fantastic Four issue: attractive to run collectors, Pérez completists, and dealers filling out full-series sets, but not a book pursued by key-issue investors. Low- and mid-grade copies move steadily as inexpensive reading or filler copies, while the 9.8 tier caters to a small pool of census-conscious high-grade buyers willing to pay a real premium for top-of-the-population examples.
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