"...And the Nightcrawler Came Prowling, Prowling" is the title of this 45+ year-old copy of Amazing Spider-Man issue 161, published by Marvel in 1976 and brought to you by Len Wein and Ross Andru and featuring the first meeting between Spider-Man and Nightcrawler, and if that wasn't enough, the Punisher appears as well, not to mention brief appearances by Wolverine and Jigsaw.

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 FN/VF comic book (as you can find on multiple online grading websites):

7.0 FINE/VERY FINE (FN/VF):  An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with outstanding eye appeal.  A small accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed.  Minor cover wear beginning to show, possibly including minor creases.  Corners may be blunted.  Inks are generally bright with a moderate reduction in reflectivity.  Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present.  Minor foxing.  The slightest spine roll may be present, as well as a possible moderate color break.  Staples may show some discoloration.  Slight staple tears and a small accumulation of light stress lines may be present.  Slight rust migration.  Paper is cream to tan.  Centerfold is mostly secure.  Minor interior tears at the margin may be present.

(I include this description so you can refer to it while following along with my observations below.)

This book is flat with bright colors and still retains most of its original shine.  It is very smooth to the touch.  As you can see from the photos, there is minor edge wear, including the little color-breaking fold remnant in the upper-right corner.  Corners show some blunting, per the description above, particularly in the lower-right.  No printing defects are observed, and I see no date or arrival stamps.

Spine shows that the book has been read before, complete with the spine ticks and minor stress that typically result from that, all plain enough in the close-up, in-your-face side photos.  Staples no longer as shiny as I imagine they once were, but are certainly not rusty.  Absolutely no spine roll, no tears, no splits, and both staples do indeed go all the way through to the centerfold.

Back cover not as white as it must have been when originally published 45 years ago and has picked up a thin layer of surface build-up, which I think is visible enough in the photos.  Probably was sitting in a pile of books for a while before being properly stored.  No fold or crease marks on this side.

Inner covers still white or very nearly white and seem clean.  Pages are easily off-white and even seem to lean toward white (i.e. not at all the "cream to tan" discussed above) -- they all looked good when I carefully leafed through the book with no sign of brittleness, and everything seems well attached.

Bottom line is this book easily meets the criteria laid out above, even exceeding them in several areas.  I went ahead and listed it as a range and will leave it to you to examine the photos and read along with my notes to make the final call.  It's without question better than mid-grade and also just as obviously not VF, putting it at upper-mid-grade.

You won't get this level of detailed evaluation and camera angles anywhere else -- 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!