THE THING #2

Cover shows strong gloss and sharp corners with no visible creasing or spine stress. Colors appear vibrant with no fading, and edges look clean without chipping. The Spider-Man head box in place of a UPC barcode confirms direct edition. Interior pages and back cover were not assessed, so grade is based solely on this front cover image; the comic is currently in a protective sleeve which slightly obscures fine surface detail.

The Thing #2 continues the character's first ongoing solo series, launched in 1983 as Marvel extended the Fantastic Four brand into standalone titles during the direct-market boom. John Byrne, fresh off his celebrated Fantastic Four run, scripts this issue while Ron Wilson supplies interior art, with Wilson and Joe Sinnott collaborating on the cover. The issue folds in Fantastic Four regulars Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, Franklin Richards, and Alicia Masters alongside Ben Grimm's supporting cast, including his estranged brother Jacob Grimm, reflecting the series' focus on Ben's personal life outside the team.

Market data shows this is a low-demand Bronze Age title with modest but present collector interest concentrated at the top of the grading curve. Certified sales cluster in 9.6 and 9.8, with a sharp value drop-off below those grades and thin transaction volume in mid and low grades, indicating most surviving copies were preserved from the outset rather than actively read and later resubmitted. Demand is driven primarily by Byrne's authorial association and completism among Fantastic Four and Thing collectors rather than any first appearance or landmark story content.

This issue suits completists building out Byrne's bibliography or the Thing's solo-series run rather than general key-issue speculators. Raw copies in low and mid grades trade for a few dollars and see limited turnover, while pristine CGC 9.8 slabs command a real premium reflecting census scarcity at the top grade rather than narrative significance. Expect steady, low-volume trading with value concentrated almost entirely in the highest certified tier.