STAR TREK #4

Cover shows strong gloss and vivid color with sharp corners and no visible creases or spine stress; the book is protected in a plastic sleeve which limits full assessment of surface sheen. Barcode box is intact and clean, indicating a newsstand edition in above-average preservation. No fading, tears, or writing observed on the front cover. Interior pages and back cover were not assessed, so grade is based solely on the visible front.

Star Trek #4 continues Marvel's late-1970s licensed series based on the original television crew, with Marv Wolfman scripting a genre-crossing story that pits Kirk, Spock's shipmates, and the rest of the Enterprise crew against Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster. Dave Cockrum, fresh off his celebrated X-Men run, provides pencils, inked by Klaus Janson, giving the issue a distinctive visual pairing of two artists closely associated with Bronze Age Marvel house style. The premise itself, blending science fiction with classic horror archetypes, is emblematic of the era's willingness to mix licensed properties with familiar genre tropes for novelty appeal.

Market data shows a thin but active certified population, with 54 of 61 graded copies on census and sales concentrated in the 9.2 to 9.8 range. Demand is driven primarily by Star Trek franchise collectors and Cockrum/Janson art enthusiasts rather than any first-appearance or landmark storyline significance, since the issue introduces no new characters and holds no historical importance beyond its crossover novelty. Prices step up steadily through the high grades, with the 9.8 tier commanding a modest but real premium over 9.6 and below, reflecting the typical curve for a non-key Bronze Age licensed title with limited but consistent collector interest.

This book suits completists of the Marvel Star Trek run and Cockrum or Janson art collectors more than speculative buyers chasing key-issue appreciation. Lower-grade raw copies remain inexpensive and plentiful, appropriate for reading copies or series-run fillers, while high-grade certified examples see modest but genuine premiums given the relatively small certified population. Long-term value is likely to track general Bronze Age licensed-comic demand rather than outperform the broader market, with the top end of the grade curve offering the most room for appreciation due to census scarcity at 9.8.