Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 12/78 · NEWSSTAND
UNIT ECA-009817
DEVIL DINOSAUR #9
The final issue of Jack Kirby's Devil Dinosaur run
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | December 1978 | Bronze | Newsstand | — | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows a vertical crease/stress line running through the upper portion near the logo, and slight waviness to the cover stock consistent with handling. Corners appear reasonably sharp with only mild blunting, and the UPC barcode box is intact confirming newsstand edition. Colors remain bright with no visible fading, staining, or spine roll, though the mylar sleeve creates some glare that may obscure minor surface wear. Interior and back cover were not assessed.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $10 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $22 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $125 |
// Archive commentary
Devil Dinosaur #9 closes out Jack Kirby's single-handed creation for Marvel, a nine-issue prehistoric adventure series that paired the crimson tyrannosaur with his diminutive companion Moon Boy. Kirby wrote, penciled, edited layout, and provided the cover for the entire run, with Michael Royer inking and lettering and Petra Goldberg coloring; the book stands as one of the last wholly self-contained Kirby concepts published during his 1970s Marvel tenure before his return to DC-adjacent and creator-owned work. This issue features the Hag of the Pits alongside the series' two leads, closing plot threads Kirby had been building across the short run.
Market activity reflects a low-print, niche Bronze Age title with a small but steady collector base built primarily around Kirby completism rather than any first appearance or origin story. Certified sales are thin at every tier, with fair market values climbing from the mid-double-digits in the 8.5-9.4 range up to roughly eighty dollars at 9.6, a curve consistent with a scarce high-grade population rather than heavy demand pressure. No confirmed 9.8 sales exist despite a modest population at that grade, meaning top-end pricing is inferred from the trajectory of the lower tiers rather than observed transactions.
This is a book for Kirby run-completists and Devil Dinosaur specialists rather than general key-issue investors, since it carries no first appearance or landmark event to anchor broader demand. Raw copies in low and mid grades trade cheaply and are readily available, while high-grade certified examples command a real but modest premium driven by scarcity of well-preserved newsstand copies rather than character or story significance. Expect steady, unspectacular demand tied closely to overall Kirby collector interest rather than independent momentum.
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-009817 | ~7.0 | Newsstand | AVAILABLE |
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