Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 12/68
UNIT ECA-008610
DOCTOR STRANGE #175
Gene Colan-drawn Doctor Strange from the tail end of the original 1968-69 series
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | December 1968 | Silver | — | — | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows good gloss and vivid color with no major creases or tears visible. There is a small spine tick near the top edge and light corner wear at the top right and bottom right corners. Slight surface scuffing is visible across the dark background art, and the book is in a protective sleeve which limits full assessment of edges and surface sheen. Interior and back cover were not assessed.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $16 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $32 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $2,600 |
// Archive commentary
Doctor Strange #175 arrived in December 1968, deep into the short-lived Doctor Strange ongoing that continued the numbering from Strange Tales and would fold just eight issues later. The run is best remembered today for Gene Colan's atmospheric, shadow-heavy artwork, inked in this period by collaborators including Dan Adkins, paired with Roy Thomas's scripts exploring Stephen Strange's mystical rogues' gallery. The issue is a representative example of that late-1960s creative team at work rather than a landmark chapter in the character's history; it contains no first appearance, death, or origin material that price guides single out.
Market data reflects a book that is plentiful in the mid-to-high grades relative to demand: census totals in the 7.0-9.4 range are robust, and FMVs step up gradually through that band before spiking sharply at the top of the pyramid, where a lone certified 9.8 has traded for a four-figure sum. That gap between the last well-populated grades and the single top-census copy is typical of Bronze-adjacent Silver Age Marvel books with strong art pedigree but no headline key status — collectors will pay a premium for pristine, cape-and-cowl condition and Colan's linework, but raw and mid-grade copies remain accessible.
This issue suits Doctor Strange completists, Gene Colan art collectors, and buyers assembling a run of the 169-183 series rather than key-issue speculators. Expect brisk, modest trading in the raw and 8.0-9.4 slabbed tiers, where supply comfortably meets demand, and a much thinner, event-driven market at 9.6 and above where population reports are sparse and a single high sale can move the ceiling considerably.
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-008610 | ~6.0 | — | AVAILABLE |
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