STRANGE TALES #157

Cover shows moderate wear consistent with a mid-grade Silver Age book: visible spine stress lines and light ticking along the spine, mild corner blunting at top left and bottom right, and some surface scuffing/scratches near the top edge. There's a slight vertical crease running through the lower portion of the cover and minor edge wear along the borders. The book is in a protective sleeve which creates some glare, and the interior/back cover were not assessed.

Strange Tales #157 (June 1967) continues the split-book format that paired a Doctor Strange feature with the Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. backup. The Fury story is scripted by Stan Lee and drawn by Jim Steranko, whose run on the strip is widely cited for its cinematic layouts, collage effects, and Pop Art-influenced visuals that pushed mainstream comic art in new directions during the height of the 1960s spy craze. The accompanying Doctor Strange story, also written by Lee with art by Marie Severin, keeps the mystical half of the anthology grounded in the more traditional Ditko-derived visual language the character was known for at the time.

The issue is not built around a first appearance, origin, or death, so its value is driven almost entirely by Steranko's reputation and the broader appetite for Silver Age Marvel anthology titles. Census data shows a substantial surviving population across mid grades, with pricing staying relatively flat through the 4.0-7.5 range before climbing more steeply above 9.0, where certified population thins considerably. The near-total absence of sales data at 9.6 and 9.8 reflects genuine scarcity at the top of the census rather than lack of demand.

Collecting interest centers on Silver Age Marvel completists, Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. fans, and collectors specifically chasing Steranko's celebrated art. In low and mid grades the book trades as an accessible, affordable back issue reflecting its large surviving population. Higher-grade certified copies, particularly anything approaching the 9.6-9.8 range, command a disproportionate premium given how few have surfaced on the census, and that gap is likely to widen further as fewer high-grade examples enter the market over time.