FANTASTIC FOUR #87

Cover shows strong gloss and vivid color with sharp corners and clean edges; minor spine stress is visible but no significant color breaks or ticks are apparent. There is slight waviness/curl noted at the top edge and a small amount of surface texture near the bottom right, possibly minor handling wear. The book is in a protective sleeve which limits full assessment of surface sheen and edge condition. Interior pages and back cover were not visible for assessment.

Fantastic Four #87 arrived in mid-1969 during the tail end of the Lee-Kirby run on Marvel's flagship title, pitting the team against the recurring menace of the Mad Thinker and his Awesome Android. Jack Kirby handled pencils and cover, with Joe Sinnott inking, giving the issue the polished, dynamic look that defined the book's late-1960s output. It is not a first appearance or origin issue, but it represents a solid entry from a creative team widely regarded as having defined the modern superhero team comic.

Market data shows a large certified population (488 Universal copies on census out of 508 total graded), reflecting steady collector interest in the Lee-Kirby FF run even for non-key issues. Values remain modest through the mid grades, with a pronounced jump above 9.0 as the pool of higher-grade copies thins considerably; the 9.8 tier, with only 17 census copies and 8 recorded sales, commands a substantial premium over 9.6 and below. This grade curve is typical of Silver Age Marvel comics without a landmark first appearance: demand is driven by series completists and Kirby-era collectors rather than key-issue speculation.

For collectors, this issue functions primarily as a mid-run building block for a complete Fantastic Four run rather than a standalone investment target. Low- and mid-grade raw copies trade cheaply and are readily available given the large surviving population, appealing mainly to readers and run-builders. High-grade certified copies, particularly at 9.6 and 9.8, see meaningfully stronger demand from Kirby art collectors and registry competitors, since well-preserved copies of this era are increasingly scarce relative to demand.