Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 7/75
UNIT ECA-009647
THE FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER #17
Bronze Age Marvel horror title nearing the end of its run, standard cover
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | July 1975 | Bronze | — | — | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows strong gloss and bright, unfaded colors with sharp corners and clean edges visible in the photo. There is a small vertical crease/bindery-type line near the upper left along the top white edge and minor handling wear at the top spine area, but no major creases, tears, or color breaks are apparent. The book is housed in a protective sleeve which limits full assessment of edge and spine wear. Interior pages and back cover were not visible and were not assessed.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $6 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $18 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $325 |
// Archive commentary
The Frankenstein Monster #17 (Marvel, cover-dated July 1975) arrived late in the publisher's mid-1970s run adapting and extending Mary Shelley's creature into ongoing horror-adventure continuity, part of a wave of Bronze Age titles capitalizing on the era's horror comics boom following the loosening of the Comics Code. The series had by this point cycled through several writers and artists, with Doug Moench contributing scripts during this stretch as the book moved the Monster through modern-day storylines. Issue #17 is a standard installment rather than an origin or first-appearance issue, and it is not associated with any character debut, creative milestone, or cover image commonly cited in price guides.
Market data reflects a modest, low-demand Bronze Age back-issue title. Certified population is concentrated in the 9.4-9.6 range, with a well-populated 9.6 tier and a much thinner 9.8 pool of only ten census copies against six recorded sales, indicating collectors chase top-grade examples primarily for census-completion and short-run set-building rather than broad character or story significance. Pricing falls off steeply below 9.0, and the near-total absence of certified copies in low and mid grades points to a book that circulates mostly raw at minimal cost outside the graded market.
This issue suits Bronze Age horror completists and Frankenstein Monster series runs rather than character-key investors. Raw copies in lower and mid grades move inexpensively through dealer bins and online lots, while graded 9.6 and 9.8 slabs draw modest but real competition among registry-focused buyers pursuing high-grade Marvel horror sets. Expect low-grade material to remain a low-cost commodity, with value concentration almost entirely in the top two certified grades.
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-009647 | ~8.0 | — | AVAILABLE |
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