Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 6/72
UNIT ECA-028291
FANTASTIC FOUR #123
Human Torch vs. the Hulk, classic John Buscema/Joe Sinnott cover and art
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | June 1972 | Bronze | — | — | LISTED ON EBAY |
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-028291 | ~7.5 | — | LISTED ON EBAY ↗ (opens eBay in a new tab) |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Graded at 7.5 (VF-) on 2026-11-02, from new photos taken out of the sleeve: front, back and interior page. Bright, glossy yellow cover with sharp corners. Spine nearly free of ticks. Light tanning and soiling along the back cover edges. Tiny nick at the spine fold near the lower staple on the back. Cream to off-white pages.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $15 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $27 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $800 |
// Archive commentary
Fantastic Four #123 (Marvel, June 1972) delivers one of the most memorable slugfests of the Lee/Buscema Bronze Age run, pitting the Human Torch and the rest of the team against a rampaging Hulk in a battle that spills across a city block. Scripted in the tradition of Stan Lee's dialogue-heavy Marvel style and rendered by John Buscema with inks by Joe Sinnott, the issue is prized less for any first appearance than for its dynamic, widely reproduced cover and interior action sequences, which have made it a perennial favorite in Hulk and FF crossover discussions.
Market data shows a typically steep Bronze Age grade curve: values sit in the modest $25-90 range through most mid grades, with a sharp escalation only above 9.4, where population thins and the small handful of 9.6 and 9.8 copies command outsized premiums. Recent 90-day and 1-year averages at 9.6 (roughly $363-$411) and the $800 FMV at 9.8 reflect steady collector demand for pedigree-quality copies of a book with genuine art and story appeal but no landmark first-appearance status to drive speculative spikes. Sales volume across grades (over 150 recorded certified sales) indicates a well-traded, actively collected issue rather than a sleeper.
This is a book collected primarily by Fantastic Four and Hulk completists, Buscema/Sinnott art enthusiasts, and Bronze Age run-builders rather than key-issue speculators. Raw copies in low and mid grades trade cheaply and steadily as reading/run copies, while high-grade census-topping slabs see disproportionate premiums driven by scarcity rather than character significance, making this a book where condition census position matters far more to value than any narrative milestone.
INQUIRE_ABOUT_THIS_UNIT
Listed on eBay. This unit is for sale on eBay: view the listing ↗ (opens eBay in a new tab). Questions about it are welcome here too.
