Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 5/79 · NEWSSTAND
UNIT ECA-009521
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA #15
Marvel's licensed Battlestar Galactica series, mid-run issue from the Bronze Age space-opera boom
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | May 1979 | Bronze | Newsstand | — | AVAILABLE |
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-009521 | ~9.0 | Newsstand | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows strong gloss and sharp corners with no visible creases or color breaks. Slight waviness/reflection near the top edge suggests minor handling or slight bend in the bag, and there is a faint spine tick possible near mid-spine but not clearly a break. No stains, tears, or writing visible. The book is in a protective sleeve which slightly obscures fine surface detail; interior and back cover were not assessed.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $2 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $5 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $55 |
// Archive commentary
Marvel launched Battlestar Galactica in 1979 to capitalize on the ABC television series and the broader post-Star Wars appetite for space opera, adapting the adventures of the ragtag fleet's flight from the Cylon Empire in search of a lost colony called Earth. Issue #15 falls within the ongoing mid-run of the title, continuing storylines built around Commander Adama, Apollo, Starbuck, and the rest of the Galactica's crew rather than introducing any new characters or concepts; the entire principal cast had already been established in the series' earlier issues and, more fundamentally, on television. The book's historical interest rests in its place within Marvel's late-1970s licensed-property push rather than in any landmark creative or narrative first.
Demand for this issue is modest and driven almost entirely by franchise nostalgia and by collectors assembling complete runs of Marvel's Battlestar Galactica rather than by any character-key speculation. As a newsstand children's comic of its era it saw heavy handling and a correspondingly thin survival rate in high grade, which keeps certified 9.8 copies scarce, but collector demand for the title is similarly thin, so that scarcity has not translated into the kind of premium seen on superhero keys from the same period. Raw copies in low and mid grade are routinely available in dealer quarter- and dollar-boxes and in bulk online lots.
The book's audience is narrow: Battlestar Galactica franchise collectors, Marvel Bronze Age completists, and buyers building the full 23-issue run. Low- and mid-grade raw copies trade cheaply and steadily as filler material for such runs, generally moving through online bulk sales rather than individual high-profile listings. The CGC 9.8 tier is a small, patience-driven niche market where certified examples carry a real premium over raw stock in relative terms, even though the absolute dollar ceiling remains modest compared with contemporaneous superhero or first-appearance issues.
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