FANTASTIC FOUR #119

Graded at 8.0 (VF) on 2026-11-02, from new photos taken out of the sleeve: front, back and interior page. Bright glossy cover with sharp corners. Light mottled rub along the red top border. Clean spine and back cover. Cream to light tan pages.

Fantastic Four #119 (Marvel, February 1972) arrived during the title's post-Lee/Kirby transition, with Archie Goodwin scripting and John Buscema handling pencils over Joe Sinnott inks. The issue is best remembered for pitting the team against the Hulk in a Baxter Building slugfest, one of several Bronze Age crossovers that tested the FF's roster against Marvel's other headline strongmen. It is not a first appearance or origin issue, but it represents a well-regarded creative team working at a high level during a transitional period for the series.

Market data shows a typical mid-run Bronze Age FF profile: a large certified population (over 200 Universal copies), steady but modest demand through the mid grades, and a sharp value spike only at the very top of the census. Sales at 9.6 and 9.4 show healthy activity, but the drop-off in raw and low-grade value is pronounced, reflecting a book collected mainly for completism within FF runs and Hulk crossover interest rather than as a standalone speculative target. Recent one-year and 90-day averages at grade 9 running above the flat FMV suggest some incremental strengthening in the near-mint-minus range.

This issue trades primarily among Fantastic Four run collectors and Hulk crossover completists rather than key-issue investors, so demand is steady rather than explosive. Lower and mid-grade raw copies remain inexpensive and readily available, making them accessible entry points for run builders, while the top of the census carries a substantial premium reflecting the difficulty of finding pristine, unrestored copies of a fifty-year-old newsstand comic. Overall it functions as a stable, low-volatility piece of a broader Bronze Age Fantastic Four collection rather than a standalone grail.