
Alter Ego #188 (2026)
Condition
New Release
Books that are new from the distributor are not graded however we do guarantee them to be VF (8.0) or better. All images for new releases are stock images and are subject to change upon release.
Description
Alter Ego #188 is a special double-size (160-page) issue with twin (flip) covers—one for Marvel, one for DC—celebrating 25 years of Alter Ego at TwoMorrows! The Marvel side includes David Armstrong’s Comic-Con mini-interviews with John Buscema, Marie Severin, Jim Mooney, and George Tuska—plus “Stan Lee’s Dinner with Alain Resnais,” as annotated by Sean Howe! On the DC side: Armstrong’s short talks with Carmine Infantino, John Broome, Julius Schwartz, Joe Kubert, & Murphy Anderson—plus a special photo-feature on Gardner Fox, featuring his extended family! All this, plus FCA, Mr. Monster's Comic Crypt, and more!
Release Date: 2026
THE HIGH GRADES (Investment Quality)
- 9.9 – 10.0 MINT: Near perfect. No discernible defects.
- 9.8 NM/MT: High-end; negligible stress or bindery tears.
- 9.6 NM+: Nearly perfect; very minor surface wear.
- 9.4 NM: Standard high-grade; minor corner blunting.
- 9.2 NM-: Excellent; small stress lines (no color break).
- 9.0 VF/NM: Great eye appeal; minor spine stress.
THE MID GRADES (Collector Quality)
- 8.5 VF+: Clean copy; small amount of wear/creasing.
- 8.0 VF: Very attractive; minor surface wear or foxing.
- 7.5 VF-: Slight accumulation of defects; minor blunting.
- 7.0 FN/VF: Solid copy; minor creases or color breaks.
- 6.0 FN: Average mid-grade; small spine splits or tears.
- 5.0 VG/FN: Significant wear; small pieces may be missing.
THE LOW GRADES (Reader Quality)
- 4.0 VG: Average used copy; heavy creasing or scuffing.
- 3.0 GD/VG: Heavily read; major creases or staple rust.
- 2.0 GD: Well-worn; covers may be detached but present.
- 1.0 FR: Heavily damaged; large chunks missing.
- 0.5 PR: Fragile; missing pages or severe degradation.
Our raw grading is an opinion based on 30+ years of experience. We do not guarantee a specific numeric grade from 3rd party services (CGC/CBCS) but strive for maximum accuracy.
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Every asset is secured in premium reinforced mailers. High-impact protection is our standard operational protocol.
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Local Toronto dispatch. Same-day delivery available within the GTA for orders logged before 09:00.
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Satisfaction guaranteed. If an asset transfer does not meet technical specifications, we will make it right.

