So much of comic book collecting and investing nowadays is dominated by modern books.  With the endless variants, store exclusives, and first appearances of ultimately insignificant characters, many investors, especially those who prefer older books, often feel ignored and left out of the conversation.  Fortunately, we here at GoCollect are here to help!!  Every week, I am going to provide speculation recommendations for silver, bronze, and copper age books for a chosen topic.  This week, we are going to talk about Jade Giant, the Green Goliath, the Incredible Hulk!!!

Silver Age: Incredible Hulk Annual #1

This comic features one of the most frequently homaged and iconic pieces of cover art of all time.  This Jim Steranko gem has been imitated with dozens of other characters, including Spawn, Spider-Man, The Winter Soldier, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, just to name a few.  Incredible Hulk Annual #1 has proven in the over a half-century since its publication that it has a level of staying power too great for investors to ignore.

Graded Analysis: This comic has enjoyed truly incredible growth in FMV over the years in every single grade.  Even books that received an 8.0 grade (the most common grade for the book in the census) have grown in value by more than 400% over the last 10 years.  To put that number in context, the average annual return rate of the DOW Jones is around 10%.

Bronze Age: Savage She-Hulk #1

This book contains the first appearance, cover appearance, solo title, and origin for the one and only She-Hulk!!!

Graded Analysis: As with many MCU-related books, Savage She-Hulk #1 saw a massive spike in value followed by a gradual decline.  That decline was made even steeper by inflation and recessionary fears.  I bring all of this up because it contains important context for the following pieces of information.

First and foremost, the FMV for this book is still up compared to pre-MCU announcement prices.  So not even the uneven reception of the show, concerns about a recession, or record inflation were able to stop this book from ultimately gaining value.  That kind of resiliency should be incredibly appealing to investors.  It suggests that the book has a high enough value floor to significantly mitigate investment risk.

Second, the book is at a two-year low point in FMV in most grades but has begun to see an uptick recently in several grades as well.  This potentially indicates that Savage She-Hulk is nearing the end of its post-MCU introduction value skid.  Prior to the announcement of She-Hulk joining the MCU, the book had been steadily rising in value for well over a decade.  It would not be surprising to see that trend resume, making now an excellent buy-low opportunity.

Third, even though audiences seemed generally divided over the show, it is important to remember that it almost certainly created new fans of the character.  This is especially true when one considers the show was the first time many had even heard of She-Hulk.  New fans could easily pave the way for long term gains, making the book an excellent long-term investment.

Copper Age: Incredible Hulk #340

Nothing in life is a sure thing, but the investment potential of Incredible Hulk #340 comes pretty close.  And that is because there is just so much about this book to love.  First off, the cover itself is just phenomenal.  Second, the cover for #340 is one of the most frequently homaged Marvel covers out there.  Frequently homaged covers can be excellent investments because each homage naturally reminds people and extends the legacy of the original book.  Third, the cover contains a phenomenal depiction of Wolverine, who is arguably Marvel's biggest star after Spider-Man.  Fourth, and finally, the cover was created by Todd McFarlane.

McFarlane is one of the most popular comic book artists out there and has legions of devoted fans.  With so many different ways of appealing to buyers, this book represents a very safe investment with tons of upside.

Graded Analysis: Incredible Hulk #340 has demonstrated incredible resilience in a generally down comic book market.  That is excellent news for current owners, though it does mean new investors will not have the opportunity to buy as low as they could with many other books in this market.  Long-term, there is little reason to think the book will meaningfully lose value.  The FMV for it is up in nearly every single grade compared to where it was five years ago.

Conclusion

That's all for this week folks!  I hope you enjoyed this article about the Incredible Hulk!  Let me know what you thought and if you have any suggestions for this article or future topics.  Next week, we tackle Marvel's First Family, the Fantastic Four!

*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.