Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 8/95 · DIRECT EDITION
UNIT ECA-014169
FANTASTIC FOUR #403
Fantastic Four battles on during the mid-90s direct-market era
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | August 1995 | Modern | Direct Edition | — | AVAILABLE |
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-014169 | ~9.4 | Direct Edition | AVAILABLE |
| ECA-014171 | ~9.4 | Direct Edition | AVAILABLE |
| ECA-014173 | ~9.0 | Direct Edition | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows sharp corners, glossy unblemished surface, and strong color with no visible fading. No spine stress lines or ticks are apparent along the spine, and edges appear clean without chipping. The book is protected in a plastic sleeve, and interior/back cover were not assessed, so grade is capped conservatively based on the front cover alone.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $2 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $4 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $55 |
// Archive commentary
Fantastic Four #403 arrived in August 1995, during a period when the series was navigating the aftermath of major status-quo shifts including the return of the original team following the Heroes Reborn buildup and various roster changes typical of the era. This issue is a standard chapter in the ongoing Marvel Universe rather than a debut or landmark event, featuring the core team as they contended with threats typical of the period's storytelling, blending cosmic-tinged superhero action with the family dynamic that has defined the title since Lee and Kirby's original run decades earlier.
As a mid-1990s mainstream Marvel title, Fantastic Four #403 was printed in substantial quantities for the direct market, and copies remain plentiful today. It carries no designation as a first appearance, death, or other historically pivotal moment, and demand for the issue is accordingly modest. Collector interest centers on completists building a full run of the title rather than speculators chasing a specific key moment, and the book trades in line with countless other unremarkable issues from the same stretch of the series.
For collectors, this issue functions as reader-grade or run-filler material: inexpensive to acquire raw in almost any condition, with graded examples holding value mainly for those pursuing a complete high-grade set of 1990s Fantastic Four rather than for standalone investment purposes. Buyers are typically assembling long runs or nostalgic for the era rather than seeking out #403 specifically, and pricing across grades reflects that steady, unhurried demand.
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