FANTASTIC FOUR #287

UPC barcode present confirms newsstand edition. Cover shows moderate wear including a vertical crease/wrinkle running through the central figure's shirt and torso area, slight color flaking along the top edge, and mild surface wrinkling in the yellow background field, especially upper right. Corners appear reasonably sharp with only minor blunting, and spine ticks are not clearly visible due to the protective sleeve reflection, but no major spine stress lines are evident. Interior and back cover were not assessed as only the front cover is shown.

Fantastic Four #287 arrived during John Byrne's celebrated run as writer-artist on the title, a stretch widely regarded as one of the most influential in the book's history for its blend of cosmic-scale plotting and grounded character work. This issue falls within Byrne's Secret Wars II tie-in material, weaving the Beyonder into the team's ongoing continuity while maintaining the polished, dynamic linework that defined his tenure from the early 1980s through this period. It is not a first appearance or origin issue, but it represents a solid example of Byrne's storytelling and art at a point when the Fantastic Four's lineup included She-Hulk in place of the Thing.

Market data reflects a book with a large certified population and steady, modest demand typical of well-collected Copper Age Marvel runs. The 9.8 tier shows meaningful sales volume and a top-end FMV in the $45-50 range, while values drop off quickly through 9.6 and 9.4, consistent with a common, high-print-run title where high-grade copies remain plentiful. There is no evidence of speculative spikes or scarcity-driven premiums; demand is driven primarily by Byrne-run completists and Fantastic Four series collectors rather than key-issue buyers.

This issue suits collectors assembling a complete Byrne Fantastic Four run or a broader Copper Age Marvel collection rather than investors chasing key-issue appreciation. Raw copies in low and mid grades trade cheaply and are readily available, making the book an accessible entry point, while CGC 9.8 slabs command a modest but real premium reflecting the difficulty of achieving top census grade even on a common title. Long-term value is likely to track the overall strength of the Byrne FF run rather than move independently.