WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #3

Cover shows strong gloss and vibrant color with no major creases visible; a faint vertical spine stress line is visible near the lower left edge and slight whitening at the top left corner. Corners appear mostly sharp with only minor blunting at the bottom right tip. The book is in a protective sleeve, which slightly obscures fine edge detail. Interior pages and back cover were not visible for assessment, so grade is based solely on the front cover.

Werewolf by Night #3 arrived in early 1973 as part of the fledgling ongoing series that grew out of Jack Russell's introduction in Marvel Spotlight #2-4. Written by Gerry Conway with art by Mike Ploog, the issue continues the moody, monster-comic tone that distinguished the title within Marvel's horror line during the loosening of the Comics Code in the early 1970s. It does not carry a first appearance or other landmark distinction — those honors belong to earlier Marvel Spotlight issues and later Werewolf by Night installments — but it remains a representative early chapter of a series prized for Ploog's atmospheric linework.

The census shows a comfortably large population (277 CGC Universal copies) with active trading across nearly every grade tier, indicating steady collector interest in completing Werewolf by Night runs rather than speculative single-issue demand. Values climb sharply toward the top of the grade scale, with 9.8 copies commanding a substantial premium over 9.4 and 9.6 examples, a pattern typical of Bronze Age horror books where high-grade survivors are scarce relative to demand from Ploog and horror-genre completists. Sales volume at low and mid grades is thinner, consistent with a book more often bought to fill a run than pursued individually.

This issue suits run-builders and Bronze Age horror collectors assembling a complete Werewolf by Night set, along with admirers of Mike Ploog's art rather than key-issue investors. Lower and mid-grade copies trade modestly and are readily available given the large census, while pristine 9.8 examples are comparatively scarce and see outsized premiums, making grade-sensitive buying the primary consideration for anyone acquiring this title.