Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 9/78 · NEWSSTAND
UNIT ECA-009074
KULL THE DESTROYER #26
Late-run Marvel Kull, Don Glut script with Ernie Chan pencils and cover, Rudy Nebres inks
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | September 1978 | Bronze | Newsstand | — | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows strong, bright color with good gloss retained; corners appear sharp with only minor wear at the bottom right tip. Slight vertical crease/wave near the left edge and a faint bend line visible along the spine area, with minor handling wear. No major stains, tears, or writing observed on the visible surface. Book is in a protective sleeve which slightly obscures fine surface detail; interior and back cover were not assessed.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $3 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $7 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $65 |
// Archive commentary
Kull the Destroyer #26 arrived late in Marvel's adaptation of Robert E. Howard's pre-Conan barbarian king, with Don Glut scripting a story pencilled and covered by Ernie Chan and inked by Rudy Nebres. By this point in the run the title had settled into a modest niche readership, overshadowed by Marvel's more commercially dominant Conan the Barbarian, and the creative team here represents the workmanlike but competent Bronze Age Marvel sword-and-sorcery house style rather than a landmark artistic statement. Roy Thomas, the architect of Marvel's Howard licensing program, edited the issue, and letterer Carol Lay and colorist Petra Goldberg round out a capable if unheralded production crew.
Market data for this issue is thin, reflecting its status as a low-demand later issue in a secondary Marvel license property. Census figures show fewer than twenty CGC-graded copies in existence, and reported sales cluster narrowly at a flat FMV across the 9.2 to 9.8 range, indicating that pricing is driven by a small number of transactions rather than deep, liquid demand. There is no meaningful premium differentiation between high grades, which is typical of a book collected mainly by Kull and Howard completists rather than by speculative investors chasing a key first appearance or notable cover.
This issue trades as a run-filler for collectors assembling a complete set of Kull the Destroyer or Robert E. Howard-licensed Marvel titles, and interest from general Bronze Age or Ernie Chan art collectors is secondary at best. Raw copies in low and mid grade remain inexpensive and plentiful in back-issue bins and online marketplaces, while CGC 9.8 examples command a modest but real premium purely on condition rarity given the small graded population. Long-term appreciation potential is limited absent a broader resurgence of interest in the Kull property.
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-009074 | ~8.5 | Newsstand | AVAILABLE |
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