SHADOWMAN #4

Cover shows sharp corners and clean edges with strong color and gloss retention on the black background art. No visible spine ticks, creases, or color breaks are apparent in this photo, and the surface appears free of stains or writing. Slight softness at the top right corner is possible but hard to confirm at this resolution. Interior and back cover were not assessed, so grade is capped conservatively.

Shadowman #4 continues the original 1992 Valiant Comics series starring Jack Boniface, the voodoo-powered vigilante created as part of the publisher's early relaunch lineup under Jim Shooter and Bob Layton. The series blended horror and superhero conventions distinctive to Valiant's early catalog, and this issue is a standard continuation chapter rather than an origin or first-appearance issue.

Market data reflects the book's status as a plentiful product of the early-1990s speculator boom, when Valiant titles were printed in very large quantities and heavily stockpiled by investors. The CGC census shows dozens of high-grade copies (50 examples at 9.8 alone), and FMV across the top grades is compressed into a narrow band from the low $40s to $50, indicating minimal grade-driven demand pressure even at the pinnacle of the census. There is no meaningful gap between 9.4, 9.6, and 9.8 pricing, a pattern consistent with a common book that trades near a floor value across nearly all condition tiers.

This issue holds appeal mainly for completists assembling a run of early Valiant Shadowman or Valiant Universe material, rather than for speculative or key-issue buyers. Raw copies in low and mid grades trade for nominal sums reflecting supply rather than scarcity, while even a pristine CGC 9.8 commands only modest premiums over lesser certified grades. Collectors should expect this book to remain a low-cost, steady-supply title suited to bulk run-building rather than standalone investment.