Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 1/69
UNIT ECA-000896
NICK FURY, AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. #8
Late Silver Age Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD issue from Marvel's short-lived espionage series, January 1969.
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | January 1969 | Silver | — | — | AVAILABLE |
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-000896 | ~7.0 | — | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows strong gloss and bright inks with good color retention. There is a small spine tick/crease visible near the mid-lower spine and slight corner softness at the bottom right corner. A faint vertical crease line is visible on the left edge near the spine. No major creases, tears, or color breaks are evident, and the cover lies flat with minimal wear. Interior and back cover were not assessed, so grading is based solely on the visible front cover condition.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $12 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $19 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $475 |
// Archive commentary
By the time Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD reached its eighth issue in early 1969, the title had moved past the celebrated Jim Steranko run that defined its opening chapters, settling into the espionage-adventure formula Marvel had built around its senior spymaster. The character, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, had graduated from his Sgt. Fury war roots into a Cold War operative fronting his own book, and this series remains the definitive Silver Age showcase for that identity. Issue #8 sits in the back half of a run best remembered for its earlier experimental artwork, making it a supporting piece rather than a landmark within the series.
The book's market profile is that of a collected but non-key Silver Age Marvel issue: a deep certified census skewed toward high grades, with values that stay modest through the mid tiers and climb sharply only at the very top. Certified demand concentrates in the 9.4-to-9.6 band, where registry and condition-focused buyers compete, while the thin population of the highest grades and the absence of a 9.8 on record create meaningful scarcity pressure at the ceiling. Lower and mid grades trade quietly, reflecting the issue's status as a run-filler rather than a sought-after single.
Buyers here fall into two camps: collectors assembling a complete Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD run who are content with affordable mid-grade copies, and high-grade specialists chasing the scarce top-census examples of any Silver Age Marvel title. The spread between those groups is wide — raw and mid-grade copies remain accessible, while pristine slabbed examples command a disproportionate premium driven by rarity rather than character heat. Steady rather than speculative, this is a book that rewards condition at the top and offers easy entry everywhere else.
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