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Black Panther #4 front cover
~8.5 AI-Estimated
Approximate
Condition Profile
BLACK PANTHER #4
MARVEL COMICS · 10/88 · DIRECT EDITION
UNIT ECA-003526

BLACK PANTHER #4

Fourth issue of the 1988 Black Panther limited series, direct edition

SIG 3/10 Available

// Unit specification

PublisherCover dateEraVariantKey attributeStatus
Marvel Comics October 1988 Copper Direct Edition AVAILABLE

// Run position

Part of an unbroken run · #1–#15 · 15 issues View all 15 available issues of BLACK PANTHER →

// Condition analysis

⚠ AI-Estimated / Approximate Condition Profile

Cover shows strong gloss and sharp corners with a small diagonal crease/scratch line visible in the upper right area of the cover near the title logo. Spine appears tight with no visible stress ticks in this view. Slight surface scuffing is noted on the upper right quadrant but no major creases, tears, or color breaks are evident. The book is in a protective sleeve which limits full assessment; interior and back cover were not examined.

// Valuation — market reference

⚠ AI-Estimated values — approximate, not an appraisal
BracketGradeEst. market valueMarker
LOW_RAW 0.5 – 1.5 $2
MID_RAW 4.0 – 6.0 $4
HIGH_CERT 9.8 SLAB $28

// Archive commentary

Black Panther #4 closes out the four-issue 1988 limited series that gave the character his first solo headlining vehicle outside team-up and anthology appearances since his 1970s Jungle Action run. Written by Peter B. Gillis with art by Denys Cowan, the miniseries reasserted Wakanda's political intrigue and T'Challa's dual identity as king and warrior at a moment when Marvel was testing stand-alone vehicles for its established but underexploited characters. The series is a minor but genuine stepping stone toward the character's later ongoing titles, though this individual issue carries no first appearance, death, or origin moment of its own.

Market data reflects a book with limited collector demand and a small but active certified population. Sales cluster tightly at the top of the grade scale, with 9.8 copies commanding a modest premium over 9.4 and lower grades, while raw and mid-grade copies see little transactional activity, consistent with a Copper Age minor series title that was widely distributed and easily preserved. Demand is driven almost entirely by Black Panther completists and CGC registry set builders rather than by any landmark content within the issue itself.

This is a book primarily of interest to Black Panther character collectors assembling a complete run of Copper Age appearances, and to registry competitors chasing high-grade census slots. Raw copies in low and mid grades trade for pocket change and rarely appear as standalone listings, usually moving in bulk lots. Certified 9.8 copies represent the practical ceiling for the book, with price appreciation tied more to overall character popularity from film and television exposure than to any inherent scarcity or historical importance of the issue.

// Copies in archive

UnitGradeVariantStatus
ECA-003528 ~9.2 Direct Edition AVAILABLE
ECA-003530 ~9.2 Direct Edition AVAILABLE
ECA-003532 ~9.2 Direct Edition AVAILABLE
ECA-003524 ~9.0 Direct Edition AVAILABLE
ECA-003526 ~8.5 Direct Edition AVAILABLE

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