STRANGE TALES #133

This 1965 12¢ issue predates the direct/newsstand distinction. Visible defects include a prominent vertical crease running through the upper left corner and top of the logo area, moderate surface wear and rubbing across the cover, mild corner blunting at top left, and some soiling/discoloration especially in the Doctor Strange yellow panel. There is a small tear or paper split near the top edge and general handling wear consistent with age. The book is in a protective sleeve which limits full assessment; interior and back cover were not examined.

Strange Tales #133 arrived in June 1965 as part of Marvel's twin-feature anthology format, pairing a Human Torch solo adventure with the Steve Ditko-drawn Doctor Strange serial. This issue falls within the celebrated Ditko run that pitted Strange against Baron Mordo and, ultimately, the dimension-lord Dormammu, a storyline widely regarded by Silver Age readers as the high-water mark of the character's early mystical adventures. Stan Lee scripted the Doctor Strange story, with Ditko's linework defining the psychedelic, otherworldly visual language that became the character's signature.

Market activity for #133 reflects its status as a solid, well-collected mid-run issue rather than a headline key: certified sales are steady across the grading spectrum, with over 300 census copies and consistent turnover from grade 5 through 9.4. Demand tracks the broader Ditko Doctor Strange collector base and the general strength of mid-1960s Marvel anthology books, with the price curve showing typical Silver Age behavior — modest appreciation through mid grades followed by a sharp premium at the top of the census, where high-grade survivors are scarce relative to demand.

This issue suits collectors building a complete Ditko Doctor Strange run or a Strange Tales set rather than key-issue speculators, so it trades in the shadow of true series landmarks like the character's 1963 debut or the Nick Fury/S.H.I.E.L.D. launch two issues later. Raw copies in low and mid grades move steadily as reading and run-filling material, while pristine certified copies — genuinely scarce at 9.6 and above — command outsized premiums driven by census scarcity rather than first-appearance status.