SECRET ORIGINS #5

Cover shows strong gloss and sharp corners with no visible creases or spine stress; edges appear clean with no chipping. The book is in a protective sleeve, which limits full assessment of surface texture. No fading or staining is visible, though interior pages and back cover were not assessed. Minor handling wear cannot be ruled out due to the plastic covering causing slight glare.

Secret Origins was DC's ongoing 1986 anthology title dedicated to retelling the origin stories of both flagship and secondary characters from the company's Golden, Silver, and Bronze Age rosters, often with new scripts and art paired with reprinted classic material. Issue #5 continues that format, offering readers a done-in-one origin story alongside a back-up feature, in keeping with the series' educational, continuity-building mission during a period when DC was consolidating its post-Crisis on Infinite Earths mythology.

Market data for this issue is sparse, reflecting its status as a lower-profile entry in a long-running anthology rather than a title associated with a major first appearance or landmark creative team. The lone certified sale on record, a CGC 9 example trading in the mid-twenty-dollar range, is the only firm data point available; census population at the top grade exists but has not generated a recorded transaction, leaving pricing at the high end largely theoretical.

This is a book for completists building a full run of Secret Origins vol. 2 or collectors assembling reference material on Golden Age character origins, rather than a speculative investment vehicle. Raw copies in low and mid grades trade for nominal sums reflecting bulk long-box supply, while high-grade certified copies command a premium driven more by scarcity of submission than by intrinsic demand, and pricing at the 9.8 level should be expected to move significantly on even a single future sale.