DARK ANGEL #6

Cover shows strong gloss and vibrant color with sharp, unblunted corners visible in this photo; no creases, spine stress lines, or color breaks are apparent along the visible spine edge. No stains, tears, or writing are visible on the front cover. The book is protected in a poly bag which limits full assessment of edge and surface wear, and the back cover and interior pages were not assessed, so the grade is capped conservatively.

Shevaun Haldane debuted in Hell's Angel #1 (July 1992), created by Bernie Jaye and Geoff Senior as part of Marvel UK's Mys-Tech-driven line expansion. A trademark dispute with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club forced Marvel to retitle the book, and this December 1992 issue is the first published as Dark Angel, with the character adopting the new name in-story at the close of a team-up with Excalibur against a monster revealed to be her own brother. Jaye scripts, with Gary Frank pencils inked by Andy Lanning on the lead story, a Kev Hopgood back-up, and a Bryan Hitch cover; Frank's Marvel UK run here predates the Incredible Hulk work that established him in the American market.

Market profile is that of an obscure Marvel UK title from the height of the early-1990s overprint era. Print runs were substantial relative to demand, high-grade raw copies remain easy to find, and there is no meaningful certified market: the issue does not surface in the major auction archives, and slabbed transactions are rare enough that pricing must be inferred from sibling Marvel UK titles. Demand comes from two narrow channels — Marvel UK completists chasing the Mys-Tech and Excalibur continuity, and buyers assembling early-career Gary Frank and Bryan Hitch credits. The name-change footnote gives the issue a story to tell, but it has never been priced as a key by the guides.

Collecting outlook is steady rather than appreciating. Raw copies trade in dealer bins and multi-issue lots, where shipping often exceeds the book's value, so most movement happens as part of complete runs of Hell's Angel #1-5 plus Dark Angel #6-16. Low-grade copies function as reading copies only; mid-grade offers no premium over near-mint given supply. Certification is generally uneconomic here, which paradoxically means the handful of copies that do reach the top of the scale can command a disproportionate figure from registry-minded Marvel UK specialists, with results dependent on who happens to be bidding rather than on an established price level. This is a run-filler with a creator angle, best acquired in high grade cheaply and held with the rest of the line.