ADVENTURE COMICS #381

Cover shows moderate wear typical of a Silver Age book: light corner softening at top and bottom right, a faint vertical crease near the left edge, and mild surface rubbing near the spine. Slab/holder reflections obscure fine detail but no major tears, color breaks, or stains are visible. Interior and back cover were not assessed, so overall grade could shift once those are examined.

Adventure Comics #381 arrived in the immediate wake of #380, the issue that installed the Legion of Super-Heroes as the book's lead feature in place of Supergirl. Neal Adams contributed the striking cover artwork during this celebrated stretch of Adventure Comics, a run collectors single out for its transitional importance in DC's late-1960s superhero line and for elevating the Legion from supporting cast to headline act. Jim Shooter's teenage tenure as the primary writer on these Legion stories also lends the run historical weight among Silver Age devotees who track the character's creative pipeline.

The FMV data shows a book with a large certified population (334 Universal copies of 352 total graded) and steady, incremental demand rather than speculative spikes. Prices climb gradually through the mid-grades before accelerating sharply at the top of the census, with the 9.8 tier commanding a substantial premium over 9.6 and 9.4 copies — typical of a book whose desirability is driven by Adams cover art appeal and Legion completism rather than a single first appearance. Sales activity across nearly every grade tier indicates consistent collector interest rather than dormancy.

This issue trades as a strong secondary piece within Adventure Comics Legion-run sets: raw copies move steadily as reading or filler pieces for long-boxes and Legion runs, while high-grade certified copies attract Silver Age cover-art collectors and Adams completists willing to pay a premium for top-census examples. It is not a headline key in its own right, but its place in the acclaimed #380-386 Adams/Legion sequence keeps demand durable across all grade brackets, particularly for buyers assembling the full transitional run rather than seeking a single flagship issue.