Approximate
Condition Profile
VALIANT COMICS · 8/92 · NEWSSTAND
UNIT ECA-004158
SHADOWMAN #4
Fourth issue of Valiant's original 1992 Shadowman series
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valiant Comics | August 1992 | Modern | Newsstand | — | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows sharp corners and clean, unblemished color surface with no visible creases or stains. Spine appears tight with no obvious stress marks or ticks visible in this photo. Slight softness may be present at edges due to normal handling, but overall gloss and color are strong. Interior and back cover were not assessed, and no barcode is visible in this crop since Valiant used a UPC on newsstand copies of this era, though it's not fully shown here.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $1 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $4 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $50 |
// Archive commentary
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.
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-004137 | ~9.0 | Newsstand | AVAILABLE |
| ECA-004140 | ~9.0 | Newsstand | AVAILABLE |
| ECA-004158 | ~9.0 | Newsstand | AVAILABLE |
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