THE THING #12

Cover shows strong gloss and vibrant color with sharp corners and no visible creasing or spine stress lines. There is a small vertical crease/press mark near the horse's leg and some minor wrinkling visible under the protective sleeve, likely from plastic bag contact rather than the comic itself. No tears, stains, or color breaks are apparent along the edges. Interior and back cover were not assessed, and the book is currently sealed in a poly bag which may obscure minor surface flaws.

The Thing #12 arrives during the character's short-lived solo Marvel series, notable chiefly for its connection to the company-wide Secret Wars event. Scripted by John Byrne, the issue continues the backup "Rocky Grimm, Space Ranger" serial and features an appearance by Doctor Doom, tying the book into the Battleworld storyline that captivated readers in 1984. It also marks the first appearance of Tarianna, a minor supporting character with limited subsequent use across Marvel continuity. The Ron Wilson and Joe Sinnott cover presents a competent but unremarkable Copper Age superhero image, without the visual distinction that typically elevates a cover to must-have status among collectors.

Market data reflects a book of modest but persistent interest, driven almost entirely by peripheral Secret Wars collectibility rather than character-specific demand. Certified sales are thin across the grade spectrum, and the census shows a large surviving population relative to total graded copies, suggesting the issue was neither scarce at release nor heavily sought afterward. High-grade sales cluster in the $20–$42 range with little differentiation between 9.2 and 9.8, a curve consistent with low but steady collector attention rather than active competition for top copies. Doctor Doom's presence provides a secondary draw for character-completist buyers, though his role here is tangential to his main continuity arcs.

This is a book most likely to interest Secret Wars crossover collectors, Byrne completists, and those assembling a full run of The Thing's short Marvel series, rather than buyers chasing major key issues. Given the shallow grade curve and limited certified population differentiation, raw copies in low and mid grades trade for only a few dollars, while a pristine CGC 9.8 commands a modest but real premium reflecting genuine scarcity at the top of the census. It remains a serviceable, inexpensive addition to Copper Age crossover or Thing-specific collections rather than a headline acquisition.