THE CHAMPIONS #8

Cover shows good gloss with strong color and no major creases visible. There is a small amount of surface wear at the top edge and a faint diagonal crease line near the top border. Corners appear reasonably sharp with only minor blunting, and the spine shows no obvious stress lines in this view. Book is in a protective sleeve which limits close inspection of edges; interior and back cover were not assessed.

The Champions #8 continues the Soviet Super-Soldiers arc that ran through the short-lived team title's back half, teaming Hercules, Angel, Iceman, Ghost Rider, and Black Widow against Cold War-inflected adversaries including the Commissar and Griffin. Bill Mantlo scripts the issue, with interior art by Bob Hall inked by Al Milgrom and Bruce Patterson, while Gil Kane supplies the cover. Darkstar, introduced the prior issue, appears again here, giving the book incidental interest tied to her later recurring role in Marvel's Soviet-hero corner of the universe, though this is not her first appearance.

Market data shows a typical shallow Bronze Age curve: raw and low-grade certified copies trade for a few dollars, with only modest appreciation through the mid grades before a sharp premium emerges at the top of the census. The jump to $180 at CGC 9.8 reflects scarcity in top grade against a modest but real high-grade population, rather than any landmark content driving broad demand. Sales volume across grades is thin, consistent with a book collected mainly as part of a complete Champions run rather than sought individually.

This issue suits Champions series completists and Bronze Age Marvel team-book collectors rather than character-first buyers, since neither Darkstar's minor presence nor the Gil Kane cover has achieved recognized key status in price guides. Raw copies in low and mid grade move steadily but cheaply as reading or run-filling copies, while CGC 9.8 examples command a real premium due to genuine high-grade scarcity, making this a book where grade, far more than content, drives value.