GREEN LANTERN #53
Gil Kane/John Broome Silver Age Green Lantern with Green Arrow back-up feature
// Unit specification
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows moderate handling: soft rounded corners, light surface wear and rubbing along the edges, and a visible spine roll with some minor stress lines but no major color break. There is slight waviness to the cover stock, likely from age or humidity exposure, and a small amount of edge wear at the top and bottom of the spine. No major tears, creases, or writing are visible; the book is in a protective sleeve. Interior and back cover were not assessed.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $12 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $35 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $600 |
// Archive commentary
Green Lantern #53 arrived in June 1967 during the John Broome/Gil Kane run that defined the character's Silver Age identity, with Kane's dynamic figure work and design sense on full display on the cover and interior pages. The issue continues the era's standard format pairing a Hal Jordan lead story with a Green Arrow back-up feature, a structure that ran through much of the series' mid-1960s output and gave the title added crossover appeal to Green Arrow completists. While not a first appearance or origin issue, it is representative of the strong, well-regarded creative team that made this stretch of Green Lantern a favorite among Silver Age superhero readers.
Market activity mirrors that of a solid but non-key mid-run Silver Age book: raw copies in low and mid grades move steadily but at modest prices, reflecting ample census supply across most grades, while certified copies show a pronounced value curve concentrated at the top end. Sales data cluster meaningfully at 9.4 and 9.6, with a noticeable price jump between those grades and the handful of 9.2 and below sales, indicating that demand is driven primarily by high-grade specialists and Green Lantern run-builders rather than broad key-issue speculation. The absence of any recorded 9.8 sale despite three census copies suggests either reluctance to sell at that grade or thin bidding depth once a copy does surface.
This issue suits collectors assembling a complete Broome/Kane Green Lantern run or a Green Arrow back-up set rather than buyers chasing headline keys. Lower and mid-grade raw copies trade as affordable, easily sourced run-fillers, while high-grade certified examples — especially anything approaching the top of the census — carry a real premium tied to relative scarcity at that level. Long-term interest should track general Silver Age DC collecting trends and the sustained popularity of the Hal Jordan Green Lantern mythos rather than any standalone key-issue demand.
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-007744 | ~6.0 | — | AVAILABLE |
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