CAPTAIN AMERICA #271

Cover shows glossy surface with strong color and sharp corners; no visible creases, tears, or spine stress in this photo. A spider-head direct edition mark replaces the barcode, consistent with 1982 direct-market copies. Slight glare across the middle obscures fine detail, and the book is in a protective sleeve, but no major defects are apparent; interior and back cover were not assessed.

Captain America #271 arrived in mid-1982 as part of the David Anthony Kraft scripting run, with pencils and cover art by Alan Kupperberg and inks by John Beatty. The issue continues the character-driven subplot involving Bernie Rosenthal, Steve Rogers's love interest during this period, rather than advancing any major storyline involving villains or crossover events. It is a standard mid-run entry from a period of the title often overshadowed by the more celebrated Roger Stern and John Byrne issues that would follow shortly after.

Market data reflects the issue's status as a common, non-key Bronze Age book. Sales activity is thin across most grades, with only a handful of certified transactions recorded at the top and bottom of the census. Demand is driven almost entirely by Captain America completists and CGC 9.8 registry builders rather than by any first appearance, death, or notable creative milestone, since none occurs in this issue. The modest census size of 34 universal copies further indicates limited submission interest relative to more heavily tracked issues from the same era.

This is a book that trades as filler in long-boxes and dollar bins at lower grades, while high-grade slabs command a real but limited premium purely from scarcity of pristine surviving copies rather than any narrative importance. Collectors assembling complete Captain America runs, particularly through the Kraft/Kupperberg stretch, are the primary buyers, along with registry competitors chasing 9.8 census slots. It is not a book that will see significant value drivers beyond general Bronze Age Marvel appreciation and modest scarcity at the extreme high end.