Strange Tales 138 / 1965 VG/FN 5.0, Doctor Strange -- 1st appearance of Eternity

USD 34.00

Condition: Good

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View Strange Tales 138 / 1965 VG/FN 5.0, Doctor Strange -- 1st appearance of Eternity with current marketplace pricing, condition, product images and item details. And "If Eternity Should Fail!". Issue: 138(1st appearance of Eternity). Bottom line is that I thought the moderate wear and rear smudges were just too much to approach a FN grade. It is, without a doubt clearly better than a "reader" -- a solid copy that at leastleans in the mid-grade direction and presents nicely in its bag and board. *** If you can read this text, wait a moment to give your browser time to load the proper styling. If the listing does not display nicely after a few moments, it may not be capable of presenting this listing properly. Please try on another device or contact the seller for assistance. ***Title:Strange TalesIssue:138 (1st appearance of Eternity)Date:Nov, 1965Publisher:MarvelCondition:VG/FN 5.0"Sometimes the Good Guys Lose!" and "If Eternity Should Fail!" are the titles of this 60 year-old copy of Strange Tales issue 138, published by Marvel in 1965 and brought to you by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and Johnny Severin and featuring the first appearance of Eternity, not to mention this being one of the earliest appearance of SHIELD and HYDRA, having only begun that feature three issues earlier.I've had this book for decades, and it was well-cared for, stored away virtually undisturbed in all that time. Before offering it for sale, I carefully took the time to eyeball each page to make sure there was nothing obvious hiding in there that might otherwise be missed.Here is the generally-accepted description of a VG/FN comic book (as you can find on multiple online grading websites):5.0 VERY GOOD/FINE (VG/FN): An above-average but well used comic book. An accumulation of bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor to moderate cover wear apparent, with minor to moderate creases and/or dimples. Inks have moderate to low reflectivity. Blunted corners are increasingly common, as is minor to moderate staining, discoloration, and/or foxing. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. A minor to moderate spine roll is allowed. A spine split of up to 1/2" may be present. Staples may show minor discoloration. Minor staple tears and minor stress lines may also be present, as well as minor rust migration. Paper is tan to brown with no signs of brittleness. Centerfold may be loose. Minor interior tears may also be present.(I include this description so you can refer to it while following along with my observations below.)Book is flat and still retains a good amount of its original shine (you can see that well in a couple of photos -- a nice shine still). It is smooth to the touch and has virtually no cover wrinkling. The front cover is largely free of wear, except right at the extreme edges, particularly at the bottom edge, which is plain enough in the photos. No printing defects are observed, and I see no date or arrival stamps.Spine shows the look of a book that has been read a couple of times before, with the tell-tale minor color breaks and a few ticks. Staples have darkened a little but are firmly attached. No spine roll, no tears, no splits, and both staples do indeed go all the way through to the centerfold (though as you can see in the centerfold shot, the lower staple is missing a prong, but the page is still solidly attached and not at all loose, even though that is allowed per the description above).Back cover hasn't faded much, but if you hold the book up to the light, several light smudges can be seen, which are not easily seen in the photos since they're very faint. A light bit of surface build-up as well. I see no creases or folds.Inside is in great shape with inner covers really showing little in the way of that Silver Age tanning that is so common of books from this era, and are clean. Pages look solid and still seem to be off-white. They all looked good when I carefully leafed through the book. No sign of brittleness, and everything seems well attached.Bottom line is that I thought the moderate wear and rear smudges were just too much to approach a FN grade. This one seemed right in line with the description above, and the most you might claim with any "stretch" would be FN-, so I elected to stick with the lower and more conservative grade. It is, without a doubt clearly better than a "reader" -- a solid copy that at least leans in the mid-grade direction and presents nicely in its bag and board.Look at my feedback and you'll see "item as described" posted over and over again! I cannot believe other sellers expect you to make a purchase decision with just one or two photos -- ridiculous -- you always see what you're getting from me!See the link below to find other issues to add to this order and pay no additional shipping! Condition: Good. Category: Collectibles › Comic Books & Memorabilia › Comics › Comics & Graphic Novels.