STAR WARS: DARK EMPIRE #2

Cover shows strong gloss and vibrant color with sharp corners and no visible creases or spine stress. There is minor edge wear at the top right corner and a faint bend near the bottom right edge of the cover. No visible stains, tears, or color breaks on the spine. Interior and back cover were not assessed, so grade is based solely on front cover appearance.

Star Wars: Dark Empire #2 continues the six-issue 1992 Dark Horse Comics miniseries written by Tom Veitch with artwork by Cam Kennedy, the story that reintroduced Star Wars to comics after a lengthy publishing gap and controversially resurrected Emperor Palpatine in cloned form. This issue advances the arc's central tension as Luke Skywalker, drawn by the dark side's power, moves deeper into confrontation with the reborn Emperor, while Leia Organa and Han Solo pursue the fight against the remnants of the Empire. Kennedy's angular, painterly style and Dave Dorman's covers for the series helped define the visual identity of early-1990s Star Wars comics and remain closely associated with the property's expanded universe before it was folded into later Disney-era canon.

The market for Dark Empire #2 reflects its status as a well-remembered but not top-tier key within a beloved run. Census data shows over 180 CGC Universal copies graded, with the bulk clustering in the 9.0-9.6 range, indicating the issue was widely saved and submitted rather than scarce. Certified FMV climbs sharply at the top of the curve, from the low $20s at 9.0-9.2 to the $60s at 9.6 and up to roughly $140 at 9.8, showing that demand is concentrated on pristine, top-census copies rather than spread evenly across grades. Recent sales activity at 9.4 and 9.8 suggests steady, if modest, collector interest tied to nostalgia for the series and ongoing Star Wars comics collecting rather than any single defining first appearance in this specific issue.

This book suits Star Wars completists, Dark Empire arc collectors, and buyers assembling early Dark Horse Star Wars runs rather than speculative key-issue investors. Raw copies in low and mid grades trade near or modestly above original cover price, reflecting ample surviving supply and limited scarcity pressure. High-grade CGC 9.8 copies command a real premium over 9.6 and below, rewarding condition census chasers, but the overall trajectory favors steady, series-driven demand over breakout appreciation.