Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 5/67
UNIT ECA-028461
FANTASTIC FOUR #62
First appearance of Blastaar, the Living Bomb-Burst, by Lee and Kirby
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | May 1967 | Silver | — | First appearance of Blastaar, the Living Bomb-Burst; classic Lee-Kirby Negative Zone storyline | AVAILABLE |
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-028461 | ~6.0 | — | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows moderate wear typical of a silver age book: soft/rounded corners, slight spine stress lines visible along the left edge, and light surface wear to the top edge. Colors remain bright with good gloss retention and no major creases, tears, or color breaks visible. Book is in a protective sleeve which slightly obscures fine detail; interior pages and back cover were not assessed. No writing or stains visible on the front cover.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $16 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $34 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $1,800 |
// Archive commentary
Fantastic Four #62 (Marvel, May 1967) introduces Blastaar, the tyrannical warlord of the Negative Zone, in a story written by Stan Lee and drawn by Jack Kirby with inks by Joe Sinnott. Arriving during the celebrated Lee-Kirby run that defined the team's cosmic scope, the issue expands the Negative Zone concept that would recur throughout Fantastic Four lore and sets up Blastaar's ongoing rivalry with fellow Zone despot Annihilus. The book sits within a stretch of FF issues widely regarded as the peak of Kirby's world-building, contributing to its steady collector interest decades on.
Demand for the issue tracks the broader Silver Age Marvel key market: mid and high grades see the steepest appreciation, with 9.6 copies trading well above $600 and a pronounced falloff in supply above that tier, while no 9.8 has yet been certified. Sales volume is healthy across the grade spectrum, reflecting a large certified population and consistent collector attention rather than speculative spikes, and the FMV curve shows the typical Silver Age pattern of gradual value at low and mid grades giving way to a sharp climb near the top of the census.
The issue appeals primarily to Fantastic Four run collectors and villain-origin specialists rounding out Negative Zone material, with tighter competition for presentable raw copies in the 6.0-8.0 range where eye appeal and completeness of the Kirby artwork matter most. High-grade examples, given the absence of a 9.8 on census, would likely draw significant attention and premium bidding whenever one surfaces, while lower-grade reading copies remain an accessible entry point for collectors building out the classic Lee-Kirby FF run.
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