THE PHANTOM #1

Cover shows sharp, square corners and clean, unworn edges with no visible chipping or tears. Spine appears tight with no stress lines or color break visible in this photo. Gloss looks strong with no fading, staining, or writing evident; the book is protected in a plastic sleeve which limits full assessment of surface sheen. Interior pages and back cover were not visible and were not assessed, so grade is capped conservatively despite the strong front-cover presentation.

The Phantom #1 (DC Comics, March 1989) launched a short-lived revival of Lee Falk's newspaper-strip hero, one of the earliest masked adventurers in American popular fiction. This debut issue was scripted by Peter David and Mike Gold, with art by veteran Joe Orlando and inking from Dave Gibbons on the cover, bringing a pedigreed creative team to a character whose comic-book history dated back decades before this particular series. The issue reintroduces the Phantom's supporting cast, including Diana Palmer and Guran, situating the book within DC's broader late-1980s push to license classic adventure-strip properties for the direct market.

Market data shows this is a common, low-demand Copper Age title: census figures list over 50 universal graded copies against modest raw and certified sale volume, and fair market values remain compressed across the grade scale, with even a 9.8 slab trading in the neighborhood of the mid double digits. There is no meaningful gap between raw copies in low and mid grades, reflecting ample surviving supply and a lack of first-appearance or landmark-creator premium strong enough to drive speculative demand. The presence of David and Orlando on the credits provides some niche interest to completists of either creator's bibliography, but this has not translated into elevated pricing.

This title suits Phantom completists, fans of Peter David's early writing credits, and readers assembling runs of DC's licensed adventure-strip adaptations, rather than speculative key-issue investors. Raw copies in low and mid grades are inexpensive and readily available, while high-grade certified copies command only a modest premium over raw material, making the book an accessible entry point for those building a themed collection rather than a target for grade-arbitrage trading.