Hulk Comic Book Sells for $125,000

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Article Title: Hulk Comic Book Sells for $125,000
Author: Hector Cantu
Category: Collecting, Movies, Men's Issues
Word Count: 415
Keywords: Hulk, Heritage Auctions, Marvel Comics, Stan Lee, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four
Author's Email Address: hectorc@HA.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
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A near-mint edition of The Incredible Hulk #1, considered one of the most difficult Silver Age Marvel comics to find in high grade, has sold for $125,475.

Barry Sandoval, director of comics operations at Dallas-based Heritage Auctions, said the auction Nov. 19-21 showed that the vintage comic market remains "quite strong."

"Collectors took full advantage of great prices on a broad and striking array of superb books and vintage art and our consignors fared just as well," Sandoval said. "We had seven consignors bring in more than $100,000 and four of those surpassed $200,000."

The Hulk was Marvel's second Silver Age superhero series, with his first issue dated May 1962. It was preceded by the Fantastic Four. Spider-Man and Thor followed before the end of 1962.

Unlike the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man, the green giant was not an overnight success and the book was canceled after six issues. "It's probably why so few copies of the first issue survive," Sandoval said. "Those that did were mostly in poor condition, as the midnight blue cover background ruthlessly exposed even the smallest imperfection in any given copy."

The Hulk issue sold at Heritage Auctions' November sale was CGC graded near mint 9.2.

At the same auction, a CGC near mint 9.4 unrestored copy of Human Torch #2 sold for $92,612. "This comic, which comes from the Gary Keller Collection, was purchased by Keller in 2006 for $74,750," said Sandoval. "In just three years, the book gained almost $18,000 in value. The fact that it went for more now shows what a savvy collector he is and also that the market is still strong."

A CGC-certified very fine/near mint 9.0 copy of Showcase #22 Green Lantern, one of the two highest graded copies known, sold for $59,750. Keller's collecting savvy showed once again as this comic, also bought by Keller in 2006, more than tripled in value over what he paid for it, Sandoval said.

Original Peanuts comic strip artwork also performed well at the Heritage auction, led by a June 25, 1961, Sunday strip featuring Snoopy. It sold for $53,775.

Heritage Auctions set a record for original fanzine illustration art with Steve Ditko's Comic Crusader #4 Mr. A "Debaters" splash page, from 1968. It sold for $38,837 against a pre-auction estimate of $5,000-plus.

Todd McFarlane's original 1989 cover art for Amazing Heroes Preview Special #170 sold for $26,000. "In 1989, there was no bigger star in comic art than McFarlane and this cover appeared when he was still the regular artist on Amazing Spider-Man," Sandoval said.

Hector Cantu is editorial director at Heritage Magazine (www.HeritageMagazine.com). For a free subscription, visit www.HeritageMagazine.com.
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