THE THING #21

Cover shows strong gloss and sharp corners with no major creases or color breaks visible. A small piece of tape or sticker residue is visible near the top of the logo, and slight rubbing is noted at the top edge and spine area. The book is bagged, limiting full assessment of spine stress and back cover; interior pages were not examined.

The Thing #21 (March 1984) belongs to Marvel's short-lived solo series starring Ben Grimm of the Fantastic Four, launched in the wake of John Byrne's celebrated FF run. By this point in the title's run the regular creative team of writer Mike Carlin and penciler Ron Wilson had settled into the book, delivering competent but largely self-contained superhero fare without any notable first appearances, deaths, or landmark creative moments tied to this specific issue.

Market activity for this issue is sparse across all grades, reflecting its status as a mid-run entry in a niche solo title rather than a book collectors actively chase. Certified sales cluster at only a handful of transactions total, with pricing that rises sharply at the top of the grade curve typical of low-population Copper Age comics: modest demand in the teens and twenties for high-nine grades, jumping meaningfully once a copy reaches 9.6 or 9.8 simply because so few examples exist in top condition. Raw copies in low and mid grades see negligible trading and correspondingly modest values.

This issue is best understood as a filler book for Fantastic Four and Thing character-run completists rather than a title with independent grail status. Entry-level and mid-grade raw copies remain inexpensive and are typically acquired as part of a run rather than individually, while the small premium commanded by pristine 9.8 slabs is driven almost entirely by census scarcity rather than storyline significance. Expect steady but unspectacular demand, concentrated among Thing and FF completists building out the character's Copper Age solo appearances.