FANTASTIC FOUR #193

Cover shows strong gloss and sharp corners with only minor edge wear visible along the top and right border. Spine appears mostly tight with perhaps a faint stress line near the bottom, no major creases or color breaks observed. Book is protected in a clear sleeve which limits full assessment of edges; interior and back cover were not evaluated.

Fantastic Four #193 arrived in April 1978 during a transitional stretch of the series, scripted by Bill Mantlo (with Len Wein credited alongside him) and drawn by Keith Pollard, whose pencils were inked by longtime FF stalwart Joe Sinnott. The issue brings together an unusual trio of adversaries in Doctor Doom, the shape-shifting sorcerer Diablo, and the tragic golem-warrior Darkoth, set against a supporting cast that includes Agatha Harkness, Alicia Masters, and young Franklin Richards. It is a solid, well-illustrated entry in the title's long Bronze Age run but does not carry a first appearance, death, or other landmark event that would elevate it beyond a standard back-issue.

Market data reflects that status: certified sales are thin and spread across a wide census of well over 150 Universal copies, with fair market values essentially flat from grade 6.5 up through 9.2, before rising sharply only at the top of the curve. The 9.8 tier commands a real premium relative to the rest of the run, driven by the usual scarcity of pristine Bronze Age newsstand copies rather than any storyline significance, while raw copies in low and mid grades see negligible collector interest beyond completists filling out FF runs.

This is a book for series-run collectors and Fantastic Four completists rather than key-issue speculators. Lower and mid-grade raw copies move cheaply and slowly, often as part of bulk lots, while the CGC 9.8 slab is the only grade with genuine independent demand, appealing to census-chasers and high-grade Bronze Age specialists willing to pay up for top-of-the-pop condition on an otherwise unremarkable issue.