100 Hot Comics #29:
Incredible Hulk 1, 1st Hulk

100 Hot Comics: Incredible Hulk 1, 1st Hulk. Click to buy a copy from Goldin

Click here to buy your copy of this book today!

Why Incredible Hulk 1 is a Hot Comic

2024 MARKET REPORT: NEW MASSIVE RECORD

A book which is genuinely rare in high grade and seldom changes hands in grades higher than 8.0 makes a splash when it comes to market in CGC 9.2.

In January 2024 one sold for $825K! That's half a million higher than the previous sale back in 2018.

Such a strange book in low-to-mid grades, with prices rarely breaking out of the $10-15K range between 1.0 and 3.5. A 4.0 did sell for $27K in October.

2023 MARKET REPORT: HULK SMASH!

SMASH is probably putting it a little strongly, but any year a book sells for almost a quarter of a million dollars is worth remarking on.

In this case, it was an 8.5 for $245K.

Other grades have softened slightly, but in a tough tough market, this book is hot enough.

2022 MARKET REPORT: HANG ON TIGHT BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE WILD

Something bears repeating from my first report on this Hot Comic.

How Many Copies of the Big Marvel Books Exist?

There is a definite hierarchy for census numbers on the mega key issues. Some are rarer than others.

Check out these total census numbers for unrestored copies, ordered by least to most certified examples:

Tales to Astonish #27 -- 938 copies graded / UK variant 18 copies graded
Incredible Hulk #1 -- 1,401 copies graded / UK variant 38 copies graded
Journey into Mystery #83 -- 1,738 copies graded / UK variant 30 copies graded
Fantastic Four #1 -- 1,926 copies graded / UK variant 32 copies graded
Tales of Suspense #39 -- 1,981 copies graded / UK variant 51 copies graded
Amazing Fantasy #15 -- 2,419 copies graded / UK variant 58 copies graded
Amazing Spider-Man #1 -- 3,257 copies graded / UK variant 71 copies graded
Avengers #1 -- 3,860 copies graded / UK variant 71 copies graded
X-Men #1 -- 4,352 copies graded / UK variant 85 copies graded
Daredevil #1 -- 4,851 copies graded / UK variant 91 copies graded

Plus it's the first HULK!!! Come on, when will the market move like it ought to?

We saw some great sales of this book last year -- finally! But they are just the beginning. It's simply too important, and too tough, a book not to keep increasing in value.

If you look at the very low grade sales, then it's hard not to conclude that a price bump is still overdue between 3.0 and 6.0 grades.

Recent sales:

8.0 $188,000
7.0 $74,000
6.5 $51,600
6.0 $63,000
5.5 $36,000
5.0 $60,000(OMG)
4.5 $38,400
4.0 $35,000
3.5 $21,000
3.0 $25,000(!)
2.5 $20,000
2.0 $14,400
1.5 $11,700
1.0 $10,000
0.5 $7,500

2021 MARKET REPORT: THE STRANGEST MARVEL MEGA-KEY

While there has been some activity on Hulk 1 this year, most of it has been lower down the grade range.

Finally, there is some resolution between CGC 2.0 and CGC 5.5, where in the past they seemed jammed together with just a few thousand bucks separating the grades.

Some high-grade sales were not reported this year, including a super-nice CGC 9.0 that broke the $200,000 barrier.

Recent sales:

7.5 $42,000 (very low sale during the early pandemic panic)
7.0 $52,800
5.5 $18,600
5.0 $16,250
4.5 $15,000
4.0 $13,500
3.5 $10,800
3.0 $9,900
2.5 $9,955
1.8 $7,950
1.5 $9,700 (OMG!)
1.0 $5,900
0.5 $3,350

IF YOU BOUGHT MY RECOMMENDED GRADE LAST YEAR:

Here's the bottom line.

CGC 5.0 2020 $16,255
LAST SALE $16,255
PERCENT CHANGE no sales

2020 MARKET REPORT: BUYERS STILL TRYING TO FIND THEIR FEET HERE

Something is happening to Incredible Hulk 1. Prices of sub-VG books are selling for VG prices. FN- books are sort of stuck. VG grades aren't moving at all.

This can't last. Upward pressure from below will see 4.0 and 4.5 and 5.0 break out of their patterns soon.

There is enough activity on this relatively scarce book to justify moving it up the hot list.

Here are recent sales:

9.0 $216,000 (vs. $264,000 -- ouch!)
8.5 $93,000 (vs. $108,000 -- ouch!)
8.0 $91,000
7.5 $70,000 (vs. $59,600)
7.0 $39,600
6.5 $27,600 (vs. $32,789)
6.0 $25,750
5.5 $21,889
5.0 $16,256
4.5 $13,100
4.0 $11,918
3.5 $12,995(!)
3.0 $8,400
2.5 $8,510(!)
2.0 $9,220
1.8 $7,950
1.5 $6,100
1.0 $5,439
0.5 $3,900

2019 MARKET REPORT: PRICE COMPRESSION LEADS TO 2019 DROP

Some key issues seem to go up every year, but Incredible Hulk #1 is not a sure hit in every grade. I've dropped it down the list to reflect that.

I still like this book for long-term gain, but it needs time to settle down around the VG-FN range of grades. Sales are infrequent and often misleading.

Recent sales:

CGC 9.2 $336,000 (new record)
CGC 9.0 $264,000
CGC 8.5 $108,000
CGC 7.5 $54,444
CGC 7.0 $38,400
CGC 6.5 $40,000
CGC 6.0 $27,500
CGC 5.5 $20,350
CGC 5.0 $15,535
CGC 4.5 $16,000 (!!)
CGC 4.0 $13,250
CGC 3.0 $12,300
CGC 2.5 $7,900
CGC 2.0 $8,500 (!!)
CGC 1.8 $7,300
CGC 1.5 $6,500
CGC 1.0 $5,550
CGC 0.5 $3,975

2018 MARKET REPORT: DOWN BUT NOT OUT, HULK NO SMASH NOW

There is price appreciation, especially in grades around 2.5 to 3.5 and 6.5 and higher, but this book does not trade in high enough volumes to deserve a place in the top 10 at the moment.

The eye-catching 9.0 sale is from May 2017. Always exciting to see a Silver Age key issue hit such heady heights.

Recent sales:

CGC 9.0 $300,000
CGC 8.0 $89,000
CGC 7.5 $47,000
CGC 7.0 $57,000 (!!)
CGC 6.5 $40,000
CGC 6.0 $25,000
CGC 5.5 $20,000
CGC 5.0 $15,000
CGC 4.5 $13,600
CGC 3.0 $10,500
CGC 2.5 $7,500
CGC 2.0 $6,800
CGC 1.8 $6,000
CGC 1.5 $5,500
CGC 1.0 $4,750
CGC 0.5 $3,000

2017 MARKET REPORT

Hulk stole the show in the Avengers movies. And while his own movies were a little lukewarm, chances are the character will continue to cross over into other properties in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Incredible Hulk 1 is a much rarer book than most other Marvel key issue comics. Check out these total census numbers for unrestored copies:

Incredible Hulk #1 -- 1,324 copies graded

Journey into Mystery #83 -- 968 copies graded

Fantastic Four #1 -- 1088 copies graded

Tales of Suspense #39 -- 1180 copies graded

Amazing Fantasy #15 -- 1537 copies graded

Avengers #1 -- 1954 copies graded

Amazing Spider-Man #1 -- 1979 copies graded

X-Men #1 -- 2269 copies graded

You can see from the above that Hulk #1 is about twice as rare as AF15, but prices have not really reflected this. Demand is so high on the 1st Spider-Man appearance. But Hulk is smashing his way to the top.

The entry level 0.5 grade is now approaching $4,000. That's still a ways behind, but if this trend continues, Hulk #1 will become the most valuable Silver Age Marvel issue bar none.