Marvel dropped the first teaser trailer for Captain America: Brave New World on Friday, July 12 and the back issue market just couldn’t help itself. One comic in particular exploded as a result of a few-second sting at the end of the trailer.
Spoiler Warning
If you haven’t seen the teaser trailer for Captain America: Brave New World yet, go watch it and then come back here. We’ll wait for you.
Red Hulk First Appearance Explodes
OK, so you’ve watched the trailer and you’re back. No doubt, the most intriguing thing you saw in the trailer was the Red Hulk right at the end. If so, you’re not alone. Copies of Hulk #1 from 2008 featuring the first appearance of the Red Hulk – or is it just a cameo since he only appears on the cover? – sold like crazy on eBay.
As of this writing, it’s been three days since the trailer dropped and 37 graded copies have sold along with dozens of raw copies. Of the recorded sales, 15 were CGC graded 9.8 copies sold for the asking price, or Buy It Now. The average price paid was $347.93 with a high of $375 and a low of $260. The most common price paid was $350.
You can actually see the spike in the market that this trailer drop created right here:
Suffice it to say that collectors are going crazy for the first appearance of Red Hulk and that’s driven up prices for Hulk #1. Keep in mind, however, that there are 4,642 graded copies out there and 1,709 of them are graded 9.8. So, it’s not as if the market is lacking in supply, which could affect value as more come on the market.
What About the Real First Appearance of Red Hulk?
As any comic collector will tell you, there are “cameo” first appearances and “full” first appearances. Sometimes one is the most valuable, sometimes the other. There’s no rhyme or reason to it. It just is what it is. You can disagree and fight about it, but at the end of the day the market reacts as the market reacts. It’s that simple. So, while Hulk #1 only features Red Hulk on the cover, it’s Hulk #2 where he makes his “full” first appearance in story. So, how did the market react to this issue?
Well, only seven graded copies have sold since the trailer dropped, but that’s still two more than sold in the entire month of June. The average price for a CGC 9.8 Buy It Now was $149.50, which is up 25% from the $120 average paid in June. So, we have an increase in volume and an increase in price but neither made much of a dent in the market compared with Hulk #1. The market has spoken.
The Sleuth Pick
While everyone is focused on Hulk #1, the smart collector will pick up raw copies of U.S. Avengers #1. Why? Well, think about it. Harrison Ford is playing Thunderbolt Ross in Captain America: Brave New World. Ross happens to be the newly elected President of the United States. While it would be quite fascinating to watch a President become the Red Hulk, there’s also a chance that Kevin Feige and the MCU opt for another Red Hulk seeing as how the President becoming a Hulk would be kind of, I don’t know – ridiculous. Enter Robert Maverick.
Who the heck is Robert Maverick? He’s the second Red Hulk, the one who first appeared in U.S. Avengers #1. Now, I’m sure right now you think this is a ridiculous idea. They cast Harrison Ford, for crying out loud! He should be the Red Hulk! And odds are that you’re right. But stranger things have happened in the MCU.
Red Hulk doesn’t have a mustache in the trailer, so it can't be Robert Maverick! So? Neither does Thunderbolt Ross.
Marvel loves playing games with people, particularly when it comes to secondary characters and villains. Let’s just assume for fun that the Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World is Robert Maverick. Would it really hurt to pick up a few raw copies from cheap bins and hold them just in case? What would it cost you? A few bucks? There are only 34 graded copies in the CGC census. That number would explode if the Red Hulk in the MCU is Robert Maverick.
Do you want to say you passed on picking up copies when you had a chance?
