TARZAN LORD OF THE JUNGLE #12

Cover shows strong color and gloss with sharp, well-defined corners and no visible creases or tears. A small area of wear/split is visible near the top edge of the cover where it meets the spine, and slight handling wear is present along the top edge. The book is in a protective sleeve which causes some glare, obscuring fine detail; spine stress ticks cannot be fully assessed due to the bag. Interior pages and back cover were not visible in this photo and were not assessed.

Tarzan Lord of the Jungle launched Marvel's licensed adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' signature character following the company's acquisition of the comics rights in the late 1970s. Issue #12, cover-dated May 1978, arrived during the title's early run under the guidance of John Buscema, whose command of the character's musculature and jungle settings had already been established through his earlier work on Marvel's black-and-white Tarzan magazine. The series continued Marvel's efforts to translate Burroughs' pulp adventure novels into serialized comics form, adapting the source material's episodic structure for a monthly readership steeped in superhero conventions.

Market activity for this issue is thin, consistent with its status as a mid-run entry in a licensed adventure title rather than a book tied to a first appearance, major creator debut, or storyline landmark. The small certified population, with only a handful of copies graded across the spectrum and just seven recorded sales at the top grade, points to a book that circulates in low volume among Tarzan and Buscema completists rather than broader Bronze Age speculators. Demand appears driven almost entirely by condition scarcity at the high end, since raw copies in mid and low grades see little independent transaction history to anchor pricing beyond nominal back-issue-bin levels.

Collectors of this title tend to be Tarzan franchise specialists, Buscema art collectors, or those assembling complete runs of Marvel's licensed adaptations rather than investors chasing keys. Across grades, the book trades modestly: raw low- and mid-grade copies remain inexpensive and readily available, while the jump to a pristine CGC 9.8 reflects the premium collectors place on condition rarity in a niche title with a small certified census. It is best positioned in inventory as a run-filler or completist purchase rather than a headline lot.