Each month, one or two comics get a lot of attention at Comic Buying Center, and last month, collectors and those who like to sell comic books had their eyes on Incredible Hulk 102. But…why?
The Incredible Hulk comic series
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby launched the series in May 1962, and Incredible Hulk #1…flopped. Just after 6 issues, Marvel canceled it – one of the few early Lee-Kirby books that didn’t click with readers right away. The Hulk survived through guest spots in other titles, eventually sharing a book with Giant-Man and then Sub-Mariner in Tales to Astonish.
The book ran long enough that Marvel relaunched it as a standalone Incredible Hulk series in 1968, picking up the numbering at Incredible Hulk 102, and this time it didn’t flop. The reason it lasted is the unique idea: Bruce Banner and the Hulk aren’t two different entities. They’re the same man at war with himself. It was a novelty back then, and the idea was so good that it survived for so long. Hulk is still popular and beloved by both comic book readers and MCU fans.
More about the Incredible Hulk 102
Incredible Hulk #102 was written by Gary Friedrich and drawn by Marie Severin. This April 1968 issue picks up directly from Tales to Astonish #101. In this issue, the Hulk is stranded in Asgard, falling into a bottomless pit before the Enchantress pulls him back with her own agenda in mind.
The story throws the Hulk against the Executioner and an army of trolls, with Odin and the Warriors Three all making appearances. Long story short – a lot of mythology dumped into 20 pages. The issue also retells the Hulk’s origin through flashbacks, which was deliberate because Marvel knew new readers were picking up the relaunched series and wanted to bring them up to speed.
How much is Incredible Hulk 102
Just like the Tales of Suspense comics from the same Silver Age, condition is everything here. The gap between a regular Incredible Hulk #102 3.0 reading copy and a collectible 8.0+ is huge. See the Incredible Hulk 102 value for yourself:
- GD 2.0 (Good) – around $50
- VG 4.0 (Very Good) – around $80-$100
- FN 6.0 (Fine) – around $150-$175
- VF 8.0 (Very Fine) – around $275-$325
- NM 9.4 (Near Mint) – $600-$900
- Record sale – $9,859 for a CGC NM/M 9.8
Comic book grading makes a real difference – a 9.8 is extraordinarily rare for a 1968 comic, and that’s why it costs a premium.
