JOHN CARTER, WARLORD OF MARS #12

Cover shows strong gloss and vibrant color with no major creases or color breaks visible; corners appear sharp with only minor blunting at the bottom left. Slight surface handling wear is visible near the barcode area and a faint horizontal press line runs across the lower third of the cover. Spine appears tight with no visible stress ticks, though the book is in a protective sleeve which may obscure fine detail. Interior and back cover were not assessed.

John Carter, Warlord of Mars #12 (Marvel, cover-dated May 1978) is a mid-run chapter of Marvel's licensed Bronze Age adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom novels. Scripted by Marv Wolfman with pencils by Carmine Infantino, letters by John Costanza, and colors by Michele Wolfman, "City of Skulls" continues the ongoing adventures of John Carter and Dejah Thoris alongside supporting Barsoomian cast members Tars Tarkas, Kantos Kan, and Sola. The series launched in 1977 as part of Marvel's broader push into licensed sword-and-planet and sword-and-sorcery properties following the commercial success of Conan the Barbarian, and issue #12 sits well past the title's opening arc, introducing no new characters and carrying no first-appearance or origin significance of its own.

Demand for this issue is modest and largely tied to collectors assembling a complete run of the 28-issue Marvel John Carter series or to Edgar Rice Burroughs/Barsoom completists rather than to speculative key-issue buying. Guide pricing places low- and mid-grade raw copies close to cover price, reflecting the title's large surviving newsstand population and its status as a licensed tie-in rather than a Marvel superhero flagship. High-grade certified copies are scarce simply because few copies of this specific issue have been submitted, not because of outsized demand, and the handful of CGC 9.8 examples that surface trade for a modest premium over submission and slabbing costs rather than commanding auction-house attention.

This is a book that moves primarily through dealer back-issue bins, bulk Bronze Age lots, and online marketplaces rather than major auctions, with raw copies changing hands cheaply and graded 9.8 slabs appealing mainly to registry-set builders working the John Carter title specifically. It is not a book that attracts crossover interest from general Marvel Bronze Age buyers, so pricing should be expected to track closely with guide and marketplace data rather than showing independent upward momentum.