Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 4/91
UNIT ECA-005134
CAPTAIN AMERICA #384
Mark Gruenwald-scripted Captain America adventure from the twilight of the Copper Age
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | April 1991 | Copper | — | — | AVAILABLE |
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-005134 | ~9.4 | — | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows sharp corners, strong gloss, and vibrant unfaded colors with no visible spine stress lines or ticks. No creases, tears, or color breaks are apparent in this photo. The comic is protected in a plastic sleeve, which slightly obscures fine surface detail; interior pages and back cover were not assessed.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $1 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $5 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $50 |
// Archive commentary
Captain America #384 arrived in April 1991 during Mark Gruenwald's long tenure as the title's writer, a period defined by tightly serialized storytelling and a deep commitment to Cap's supporting cast and rogues' gallery. Artist Rik Levins, a mainstay penciler of this stretch of the run, provided the interior work, continuing the visual identity that carried the series through the early 1990s. The issue is a standard installment of ongoing Captain America continuity rather than a debut, death, or landmark creative statement, and it is best understood as part of the broader late-Copper-Age Cap run rather than a standalone event.
Market data for this issue is thin, reflecting its status as a widely available, non-key Copper Age comic. Certified population remains small across all grades, with meaningful sales activity recorded only at the top of the census in 9.8, where the book has traded in the neighborhood of its current fair market value over the past year. No sales data exists for mid- or low-grade raw copies, consistent with a book that generates little grading or resale activity outside of the top tier chased by census completists.
This is a book bought primarily by Captain America run-builders and Gruenwald-era completists rather than speculative investors, and it is unlikely to see meaningful appreciation outside of top-census 9.8 copies. Raw copies in low and mid grades trade as inexpensive fill-in material for long-box collectors, while a Universal 9.8 commands a modest premium purely on scarcity of pristine surviving copies rather than any inherent story significance.
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