FANTASTIC FOUR #172

Cover shows good gloss with bright colors and sharp corners overall; minor whitening/wear visible at the top left and bottom left corner tips. There is slight edge wear along the spine and a small vertical crease near the lower spine area. No major creases, tears, or color breaks are visible on the front cover; interior and back cover were not assessed.

Fantastic Four #172 (July 1976) arrived during Roy Thomas and George Perez's run on the title, part of the multi-issue Sphinx storyline that pitted the team against the ancient, cosmically empowered villain. The issue is a mid-arc chapter rather than an introduction or origin, and it carries no first appearance, death, or other landmark event that collectors typically flag as a key. Its appeal rests instead on the quality of Perez's early Marvel work and its place within a well-regarded Bronze Age Fantastic Four run.

Market data shows a typical long-tail Bronze Age curve: values stay flat and modest through the mid and lower grades, then rise sharply only at the top of the census, with CGC 9.8 commanding a clear premium over 9.6 and below. Sales activity is heaviest in the 9.6-9.8 range, reflecting collector focus on assembling high-grade runs of the Perez FF issues rather than demand driven by any single defining moment in this specific issue. With 155 Universal copies already certified, supply at most grades is ample, keeping raw and mid-grade values subdued.

This book suits Bronze Age Fantastic Four completists and George Perez art collectors more than key-issue investors. Raw and mid-grade copies trade as inexpensive run-fillers, while pristine 9.8 slabs see meaningfully stronger demand as the top of a thin high-grade population. Expect steady, unspectacular movement across low and mid grades with the real activity concentrated at the census ceiling.