Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 4/88 · NEWSSTAND
UNIT ECA-006188
WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #37
Copper Age Spider-Man newsstand issue with a Dakota North guest appearance under an Al Milgrom cover
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | April 1988 | Copper | Newsstand | — | AVAILABLE |
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-006188 | ~9.0 | Newsstand | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows strong gloss and vibrant black/red color with sharp corners and no visible creases or spine stress. There is a faint vertical line/press mark visible near the center of the black symbiote figure that may be a light crease or printing artifact. No color breaks, tears, or edge chipping are apparent, though the book is in a protective sleeve which slightly obscures fine surface detail. Interior and back cover were not assessed.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $2 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $5 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $85 |
// Archive commentary
Web of Spider-Man #37 arrived in the spring of 1988 as part of Marvel's crowded triple-monthly Spider-Man line, notable chiefly for pairing Christopher Priest's script with Steve Geiger's interior art and a cover credited to Al Milgrom. The issue features a guest turn from Dakota North, the private investigator Marvel had introduced a few years earlier in her own short-lived series, alongside a supporting cast that includes Mary Jane Watson-Parker. It is a solid example of the workmanlike, character-driven Spider-Man storytelling typical of the era, but it carries no first appearance, no death, no origin story, and no cover image that has entered the collector canon as a classic.
Market data reflects that status: certified sales cluster at modest prices even in top grade, with CGC 9.8 copies fetching roughly the mid-$80s range and a steep fall-off through 9.6 and 9.4 into single- and low-double-digit territory. Demand is driven almost entirely by CGC Universal registry completionists working through the Web of Spider-Man run and by Spider-Man cover-run collectors rather than by character-specific or creator-specific interest. The relatively small but active census, combined with a healthy ratio of sales to graded copies, indicates a book that trades steadily in high grade without commanding premium attention.
For most buyers this is a bulk-bin or short-box acquisition in low and mid grades, priced near cover cost, with value concentrated almost entirely at the CGC 9.8 tier where registry pressure narrows supply. It suits collectors assembling a complete run of the title or Spider-Man copper-age newsstand sets rather than investors seeking a standalone key. Raw copies in any condition below near-mint are unlikely to see meaningful appreciation, while pristine slabbed copies will continue to see modest but consistent turnover among registry-driven buyers.
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