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The Avengers #297 front cover
~9.0 AI-Estimated
Approximate
Condition Profile
AVENGERS #297
MARVEL COMICS · 11/88 · DIRECT EDITION
UNIT ECA-022012

AVENGERS #297

Late-1980s Avengers team adventure from the Buscema/Palmer era

SIG 2/10 Available

// Unit specification

PublisherCover dateEraVariantKey attributeStatus
Marvel Comics November 1988 Copper Direct Edition AVAILABLE

// Copies in archive

UnitGradeVariantStatus
ECA-019513 ~9.2 Direct Edition AVAILABLE
ECA-022012 ~9.0 Direct Edition AVAILABLE

// Run position

Part of an unbroken run · #225–#331 · 107 issues View all 343 available issues of AVENGERS →

// Condition analysis

⚠ AI-Estimated / Approximate Condition Profile

Cover shows strong gloss and sharp corners with no visible creases, tears, or spine stress; slight surface glare from protective sleeve makes fine assessment difficult in spots. Spine appears tight with no visible ticks or color breaking. No stains or fading noted on the visible front cover. Book is in a protective sleeve; interior pages and back cover were not assessed, so grade is based solely on this front cover photo.

// Valuation — market reference

⚠ AI-Estimated values — approximate, not an appraisal
BracketGradeEst. market valueMarker
LOW_RAW 0.5 – 1.5 $1
MID_RAW 4.0 – 6.0 $4
HIGH_CERT 9.8 SLAB $36

// Archive commentary

Avengers #297 (Marvel, November 1988) arrived during the team's late-1980s stretch under writer Walt Simonson, with art handled by the veteran pairing of penciler John Buscema and inker Tom Palmer, a combination that defined the title's visual identity for much of the decade. The issue falls within a period of transitional Avengers storytelling between larger crossover events, featuring the classic Avengers roster in a self-contained team adventure typical of the era's output. No first appearances, deaths, or landmark creative debuts are associated with this specific issue.

Market data reflects a common Copper Age direct-market comic with no speculative demand: certified sales cluster in the $18 to $36 range even at the top of the census, and raw copies see negligible secondary-market activity outside bulk back-issue bins. The book's value is driven almost entirely by completist collectors assembling a run of the Simonson/Buscema Avengers rather than by any character or story milestone, and the modest census size (38 universal copies) indicates limited submission interest rather than scarcity-driven demand.

This issue suits Avengers run-builders and Bronze-to-Copper Age team-book collectors filling gaps in a long-box set rather than key-issue investors. Across grades it trades as a low-cost commodity book: raw copies in low and mid grade are readily available for a few dollars, while a graded 9.8 commands only a modest premium reflecting general collector interest in high-grade Copper Age material rather than any inherent scarcity or historical importance.

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