STAR WARS: TALES OF THE JEDI – DARK LORDS OF THE SITH #1

Cover art by Hugh Fleming appears vibrant with no visible fading, and the corners appear sharp with no whitening or blunting visible through the protective sleeve. No creases, tears, or spine stress lines are apparent in this front-cover view; the spine itself looks tight and uncreased. The book is currently housed in a plastic bag, which limits full assessment of surface gloss and any micro-scratches, and the back cover and interior pages were not assessed.

Launching in 1994 as the second arc of Dark Horse's ambitious Tales of the Jedi cycle, Dark Lords of the Sith #1 was scripted by Tom Veitch and Kevin J. Anderson with art by Chris Gossett, and marks the debut of Exar Kun, the fallen Jedi who becomes one of the most consequential Dark Lords in Star Wars' expanded canon. Set thousands of years before the films, the series deepened the ancient Sith mythology and paired Kun's rise with the tragic fall of Ulic Qel-Droma, establishing lore later mined across novels, games, and the Knights of the Old Republic universe. As a foundational text of that Old Republic era, the issue carries genuine first-appearance significance beyond its role as a strong period adventure comic.

The book is a plentiful modern-era title with a well-populated census dominated by high grades, and demand concentrates almost entirely at the top of the scale. Certified 9.8 copies change hands steadily and command a clear premium over 9.6 and below, while the mid- and lower-grade market is thin because collectors of a 1994 book overwhelmingly pursue near-mint examples. The gap between a top slab and any raw or mid-grade copy is wide, reflecting how little scarcity pressure exists outside pristine condition.

Buyers here are Star Wars completists and Old Republic/Sith lore enthusiasts, plus collectors assembling the Tales of the Jedi run in high grade. Trading is straightforward: raw copies move for modest sums and are readily available, so the meaningful value lives in CGC 9.8, where the Exar Kun first appearance gives the issue a durable floor. Mid-grade raw copies are best viewed as affordable reading or run-filler stock rather than investment pieces.