Approximate
Condition Profile
DC COMICS · 1/82 · NEWSSTAND
UNIT ECA-001527
ACTION COMICS #527
First appearance of Lord Satanis and Syrene, Marv Wolfman script with Curt Swan pencils
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC Comics | January 1982 | Bronze | Newsstand | 1st appearance of Lord Satanis; 1st appearance of Syrene; Marv Wolfman script with Curt Swan pencils; Air Wave backup feature | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows strong gloss and vivid color with sharp corners and no visible creasing or spine stress lines. There is a small area of surface rub/scuffing near the cape of Lord Satanis on the lower left, and slight glare from the protective sleeve makes fine assessment difficult in spots. Edges appear clean with no chips or tears visible, and the UPC barcode confirms newsstand edition. Interior and back cover were not assessed, so this grade reflects front cover appearance only.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $5 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $16 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $100 |
// Archive commentary
Action Comics #527 arrived late in the Bronze Age with a Superman tale scripted by Marv Wolfman and drawn by longtime Superman artist Curt Swan, backed by an Air Wave feature. The issue is notable chiefly for introducing two recurring Superman-universe antagonists, the sorcerer Lord Satanis and the mystical Syrene, who would resurface in later Wolfman-era Superman stories. The supporting cast on the cover and interior — Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Aquaman, Hal Jordan, and Adam Strange — reflects the crossover-heavy DC house style of the period rather than any single landmark team-up.
Market data for this issue is sparse, consistent with a mid-run Bronze Age Superman title that was widely distributed on newsstands and rarely pulled for high-grade preservation. Certified population remains minimal across all grades, with only a handful of recorded sales, and pricing rises only modestly from raw mid-grade into the low-to-mid unrestored slab range before climbing further at the top of the condition curve. There is no established 9.8 benchmark, underscoring how few copies were submitted in top condition relative to demand.
This is a book collected primarily by Superman completists, Bronze Age DC readers building the Action Comics run, and Curt Swan or Marv Wolfman art/script collectors rather than by speculative key-issue buyers. Low-grade raw copies trade as inexpensive fillers, mid-grade raw copies see modest but steady interest tied to the character first appearances, and pristine certified copies command a real but not dramatic premium given the thin high-grade population and limited broader demand for the character debuts involved.
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-001527 | ~9.0 | Newsstand | AVAILABLE |
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