SUPERMAN’S PAL JIMMY OLSEN #136

Cover shows strong gloss and vibrant color with no visible fading; corners appear sharp with only minor rounding at the bottom right tip. No major creases, tears, or color breaks are visible, though the protective sleeve introduces some glare that may obscure fine spine ticks. Slight surface wear along the top edge is visible in the plastic sleeve area. Interior pages and back cover were not visible in this photo and were not assessed.

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #136 (March 1971) arrived during Jack Kirby's celebrated Fourth World takeover of DC's longtime Superman-family backwater. Kirby had assumed full writing and art duties beginning with #133, retooling the title into a showcase for his cosmic mythology of New Gods, and by #136 the Darkseid arc introduced with #134 was in full swing, entwined with the debut Cadmus Project storyline, the revived Guardian, and the Newsboy Legion. The issue is Kirby art and plotting through and through, inked in this run by Vince Colletta, and stands as a middle chapter of one of the most significant creator-driven reinventions in Bronze Age DC history, even though the true first-appearance distinction for Darkseid belongs to the earlier #134.

The certified population data shows a book that is plentiful and inexpensive through the mid grades, with FMVs holding flat around $18-20 from grade 3.0 up through 9.2 and only lifting meaningfully at 9.4 and 9.6, where prices jump to $80 and $110 respectively. That pattern reflects a common, well-preserved title with abundant supply in the collectible range but real scarcity at the very top of the census, where only a handful of copies exist and just three 9.8s have ever been graded. Demand is driven almost entirely by the Fourth World storyline and Kirby's authorship rather than by any first-appearance premium specific to this issue.

This is a book for Kirby completists and Fourth World story-arc collectors rather than speculators chasing a key first appearance. Raw copies in reading condition are readily available and inexpensive, making the title an accessible entry point into the Jimmy Olsen Kirby run, while top-census slabs command a real premium purely on rarity of surviving high-grade material. Expect steady, unspectacular demand across low and mid grades, with sharper competition and price growth concentrated at 9.6 and above as census-topping copies change hands infrequently.