Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 8/78 · NEWSSTAND
UNIT ECA-009271
JOHN CARTER, WARLORD OF MARS #14
Barsoom adventure with Infantino pencils and Nebres inks, script by Marv Wolfman
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | August 1978 | Bronze | Newsstand | — | AVAILABLE |
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-009271 | ~9.0 | Newsstand | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
The cover shows strong gloss and sharp corners with no visible creasing or color breaks at the spine. Minor handling wear may be present but is not clearly visible through the protective sleeve; edges appear clean and square. The book is currently housed in a plastic sleeve, which limits full assessment of surface sheen and spine stress. Interior pages and back cover were not visible and were not assessed.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $2 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $5 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $160 |
// Archive commentary
John Carter, Warlord of Mars #14 continues Marvel's licensed adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs's Barsoom saga, with Marv Wolfman scripting and Carmine Infantino providing pencils inked by Rudy Nebres. The issue features the core Barsoomian cast — John Carter, Dejah Thoris, Tars Tarkas, Kantos Kan, Mors Kajak, and Sola — continuing the series' faithful, adventure-driven translation of Burroughs's interplanetary romance into Bronze Age comics form. It carries no first appearances, deaths, or landmark creative milestones, and its place in the Marvel Bronze Age catalog is as a solid but unheralded entry in a licensed sword-and-planet title.
Market data shows a title with a small but engaged certified population: 31 Universal copies across a 34-count census, with sales concentrated almost entirely at the 9.8 tier, where FMV sits at $160 against a 90-day average matching that figure and a softer 1-year average near $105. Lower certified grades (9.4, 9.6) show only single-sale data points, and no census or FMV exists below 8.5, indicating that collector and investor attention is almost exclusively directed at top-grade slabs rather than mid- or low-grade raw copies, which move quietly and cheaply through back-issue bins and online lots.
This book suits completists building a full run of John Carter, Warlord of Mars, Burroughs/Barsoom collectors, and Bronze Age Marvel license specialists rather than crossover or key-issue investors. Raw copies in low and mid grades remain inexpensive and plentiful, reflecting modest print-era demand, while the certified 9.8 tier commands a real premium driven by scarcity of pristine surviving copies and a thin but active submission pool. Anyone pursuing a graded run of the series should expect the value curve to flatten across the low-to-mid grades and rise sharply only at the top of the census.
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