What Are Graded Comic Books? A Buyer's Guide to CGC Slabs
What a graded comic book is, how to read a CGC slab label line by line, and six checks to make before you buy a graded comic.
A graded comic book is a comic that an independent grading company has examined, given a condition grade from 0.5 to 10, and sealed in a clear, tamper-evident holder with a printed label. Collectors call the holder a slab. The best-known grader is CGC, short for Certified Guaranty Company, which describes itself as the world's largest third-party grading service.
This guide explains what a graded comic is, how to read the label on a CGC slab, and what to check before you buy one.
What makes a comic "graded"?
A comic becomes graded when its owner submits it to a third-party grading company. CGC describes its service as "clear, objective and impartial assessments of authenticity and grade," with several graders examining each book. The result is three things that stay with the comic:
- A numeric grade on CGC's 0.5 to 10 scale, where 10 is Gem Mint and 9.8 is Near Mint/Mint.
- A sealed holder. CGC calls it a "tamper-evident holder designed for long-term preservation." You can't open it without visibly breaking it.
- A label and certification number that identify the comic and link it to CGC's online record.
An ungraded comic is called raw. Our comic book grading scale guide covers raw vs. graded and what the top grades mean.
How to read a CGC slab label
The label is the most important part of a graded comic. It tells you exactly which book is inside and what CGC found. Here is a real slab from our shelf.
Reading this label from left to right:
- Grade box: 9.8, the condition grade.
- Page quality: "White Pages," printed under the grade. Page quality describes the color of the interior paper. CGC's scale notes that some page qualities cap the highest grade a book can get.
- Credits: Scott Snyder story, Eric Canete art and Giuseppe Camuncoli cover.
- Title block: Absolute Batman #18, DC Comics, 5/26. The date is the comic's publication date, not the date it was graded.
- Signature line: "Signed by Eric Canete on 3/21/26." This line only appears on signature labels.
- Edition line: "Camuncoli Variant Cover." This is how you tell a variant from the regular cover of the same issue.
- Certification number: 4726011023, printed above the barcode. You use this number to look up the slab on CGC's site.
The yellow color marks this as a CGC Signature Series label. A standard blue label shows the same information without a signature line. Our CGC label colors guide explains every color.
Why buy a graded comic instead of a raw one?
- The grade comes from a third party. You don't have to rely on a seller's opinion of the book's condition.
- The book is protected. The sealed holder guards against handling damage, and you can see if it has been opened.
- You can verify it. The certification number lets you check that the label matches CGC's record.
- It is easier to compare. Two CGC 9.8 copies of the same issue and cover are graded to the same standard.
There are also trade-offs. You can't read a slabbed comic without breaking the holder. Grading adds cost, so a graded copy of a common issue can cost more than the book is worth raw. A grade also describes the comic on the day it was graded. It is not a guarantee of the holder's condition today.
Six checks before you buy a graded comic
1. Match the exact book
Check the title, issue number, cover, printing and variant on the label. Similar covers can be very different collectibles. A second print or a different variant of the same issue is a different book.
2. Read the label category
Blue, yellow, black-and-yellow, green and purple labels mean different things. A restored (purple) or qualified (green) 9.4 is not the same as a blue 9.4.
3. Look at the grade and page quality together
The grade is the headline, but page quality and any label notes are part of the description too. If a listing uses letters like VF or NM, our grade abbreviations guide converts them to CGC numbers.
4. Verify the certification number
Enter the number in CGC's lookup and compare the record with the label and photos. Our CGC lookup checklist walks through it step by step.
5. Insist on photos of the actual slab
A stock cover image doesn't show the label, signature placement or holder. Buy from listings that show the individual slab.
6. Inspect the holder
Look for cracks, deep scratches or separated edges. Holder damage doesn't change the comic's grade, but you should know about it before you buy. Once a slab arrives, our storage guide covers how to keep it safe.
Buying a signed slab? Our signed comics buying checklist adds the autograph checks.
Graded comics at ComicBookPlug
Every listing in our graded comics collection is one individual slab, photographed so you can read the label before you order. Shipping is free within the U.S. with no minimum. If a slab arrives damaged, report it within 14 days and we'll send a prepaid return label. See our refund policy for details.
We also carry graded trading cards as a separate shelf.
Quick answer
A graded comic is a comic that CGC or another third-party grader has examined, graded on a 0.5 to 10 scale, and sealed in a tamper-evident holder with a label and certification number. Before you buy one, match the exact book on the label, check the label color and page quality, verify the certification number, and look at photos of the actual slab.