CAPTAIN AMERICA #289

Cover shows strong gloss and bright color retention with sharp corners; a couple of faint vertical stress lines/creases are visible in the mid-section near the figures, and slight surface handling wear is visible along the spine edge. No major creases, tears, or color breaks are apparent, though the book is in a protective sleeve which limits close inspection of spine ticks. Interior pages and back cover were not assessed.

Captain America #289 is a January 1983 issue from Marvel's long-running flagship Captain America series, published during the well-regarded creative stretch helmed by writer J.M. DeMatteis with art by Mike Zeck, a team known for grounding the character in street-level political and moral drama rather than pure costumed spectacle. The issue falls in the run leading toward the Flag-Smasher and Baron Blood material that would define this era's reputation among readers of Cap's adventures, though this specific number is not itself the debut of any major villain, supporting cast member, or plot device that price guides or collectors single out. It is, in short, a representative single issue of an ongoing monthly rather than a landmark chapter.

The absence of a published fair-market value for this issue reflects its status as a common, easily found comic rather than any error in cataloging; Bronze Age Marvel superhero titles from the early 1980s were produced and distributed in very high numbers, and Captain America's consistent sales meant print runs stayed large well past the point of scarcity. Demand for issue #289 specifically is driven almost entirely by completists building a run of the DeMatteis/Zeck Captain America stories or general Captain America collectors filling gaps, rather than by any first-appearance or landmark-cover premium. Zeck's clean, dynamic pencil work has an audience of its own, which lends the issue modest interest beyond pure numbers-filling.

This is a book that trades near cover price in worn condition and only climbs meaningfully once a copy reaches high certified grade, where scarcity in top condition — rather than content — becomes the value driver. Casual buyers and readers assembling a reading run will find it inexpensive at any grade; grading-focused collectors chasing a clean 9.8 population report will pay a real premium for a top slab even though the story and cover carry no key status. It is best cataloged and sold as an affordable, attractive Bronze Age reader copy rather than an investment-grade key.