Approximate
Condition Profile
DC COMICS · 11/68
UNIT ECA-001395
ADVENTURE COMICS #362
Late-1968 Legion of Super-Heroes issue from DC's long-running Adventure Comics anthology
// Unit specification
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-001395 | ~6.0 | — | AVAILABLE |
| ECA-013057 | ~4.5 | — | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows moderate wear consistent with a mid-grade Silver Age book: mild edge wear along the top and right border, slight corner softness at top left and bottom right, and a faint diagonal crease/reflection line visible in the upper right quadrant of the artwork. Colors remain bright with no major fading or staining visible, and the spine appears reasonably tight from this angle though slight stress lines may be present near the top staple. The book is in a protective sleeve which obscures fine surface detail; interior pages and back cover were not assessed.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $10 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $25 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $650 |
// Archive commentary
Adventure Comics had served as the Legion of Super-Heroes' primary showcase since 1963, and by late 1968 the series was in the midst of a celebrated creative run scripted largely by a teenage Jim Shooter, whose fast-paced plotting reshaped the team's 30th-century mythology during this period. Issue #362 arrives within that stretch, continuing the anthology's transition into a dedicated Legion vehicle with the recurring ensemble cast of Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, and their teammates navigating the era's blend of space-opera adventure and soap-operatic team drama that defined the title's late-1960s identity.
Census data shows a modest population of 54 certified Universal copies with no CGC 9.8 recorded, and pricing climbs sharply above 9.4, where sales become scarcer and values roughly double from grade to grade. The bulk of trackable sales cluster in the 9.0-9.6 range, with the single 9.6 example serving as the effective ceiling of the certified market; this pattern is typical of a well-collected but non-key issue in a run whose true standout chapters (early Neal Adams covers, the Ferro Lad death issue, the Karate Kid and Mordru introductions) command materially higher premiums. Demand here is steady but unspectacular, driven by Legion of Super-Heroes completists and Adventure Comics run-builders rather than crossover speculators.
The book trades as an accessible entry point for collectors assembling a full run of the Shooter-era Legion stories rather than as a standalone target. Lower and mid-grade raw copies remain inexpensive and readily available, making them attractive to readers and set-builders, while high-grade census copies are genuinely scarce and would draw competitive bidding from Silver Age DC specialists given the absence of any 9.8 on record. Overall the issue functions best as a supporting piece within a broader Legion or Adventure Comics collection rather than a marquee lot.
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