News of the Harrison Ford Announcement
That announcement came on October 16, and it’s given us ample time to see how the market reacted across a number of different books.
Red Hulk?
No comic benefitted more from this announcement than Hulk #1, the first cover appearance of Red Hulk. On October 17, the day after we heard the confirmation that Ford would be taking on the role, nine graded copies sold. The next day, 12 graded copies sold.
While volume dropped to a steadier three to five copies being sold on average each day since, pricing continued to go up. The top sales price for a 9.8 graded copy on November 17 was $300; by November 2, it had reached a slashed $500. That’s a 50% increase in value in two weeks.
And all of this is built on pure speculation.
With William Hurt’s unfortunate passing, collectors weren’t sure if Thunderbolt Ross would be returning to the MCU. With confirmation that Ford would be the new General Ross, speculation is that he will become the Red Hulk in the MCU. Other than that little tease in She Hulk: Attorney at Law, we have received no confirmation that Red Hulk will be appearing in the MCU.
That doesn’t stop people from speculating, and I’m of the opinion that there’s a greater than 50% chance we’ll see Red Hulk at some point. However, that’s just an opinion. And that’s the point. Without any confirmation from Marvel, speculating on Red Hulk comes with the risk that we may never see the character in the MCU
First Full Appearance of Red Hulk
Red Hulk’s first full appearance came in Hulk #2, but you wouldn’t know that from collectors’ reactions. Only three graded copies have sold since we heard the Harrison Ford news. To put that in perspective, five graded copies sold the two weeks prior, and they were selling for much higher prices.
On October 30, a 9.8 graded copy sold for $119. The October 3 selling price was a slashed $200, while a September 24 copy sold for $220. So, despite the news, the market has responded by buying fewer copies at lower prices. I always find it curious when there’s debate about a first appearance.
Want to know a character’s first “true” appearance? Look at the market – it’ll tell you. In this case, while Red Hulk may not have appeared in story in Hulk #1, he’s on the cover in all his glory, and the majority of collectors consider that the first appearance of the character. They’ve voted with their dollars. It’s hard to argue with their decision.
General Ross Speculation
There is a sleeper book that, so far, has not received much attention, and this is based on the character of Thunderbolt Ross, not Red Hulk. If Ross’s first appearance in Incredible Hulk #1 is a little outside your price range, then how about his origin? That comes in the much later and much more affordable Incredible Hulk #291. Cover dated January 1984, there are only 42 graded copies in the CGC census. One of those copies, a 9.8, sold on October 18 for $104. That’s the second-highest price paid for a non-signature copy, and only 9.6% below the peak price of $115.
We know Thunderbolt Ross will continue to be in the MCU, while we’re only guessing on Red Hulk. The origin of a tried-and-true comic and MCU character is hard to find at a low price, harder still when there is a low census count. This could be a book worth speculating on that has some growth potential.
Want more Market Reactions?
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MARKET REACTION – BLACK ADAM
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SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW EPISODES 8 & 9: MARKET REACTION
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MARKET REACTION – WEREWOLF BY NIGHT
Do you think we’ll see Red Hulk in Captain America: New World Order? In a later film? Ever? Let us know below.
