Al Ewing has given readers the best Hulk series since...maybe ever. With the popularity comes higher prices, and the first appearance of Immortal Hulk in Avengers #684 has more than tripled this year.
What's not to like about Immortal Hulk? The character-driven story with a horror feel is resonating with fans, and Joe Bennett's interior artwork fits the narrative perfectly. Then there's Alex Ross' magical cover art with a classic pulp comic feel. The storytelling has been so intriguing that for the first time I actually found Sasquatch, Absorbing Man, and Puck interesting.
Writing these gamma-infused characters as menacing and horrific has breathed new life into what had become rather stale narratives. What Al Ewing's version does is strip away the friendly, helpful attributes of, say, Totally Awesome Hulk and even Professor Hulk, and presents what they really are: destructive, powerful monsters.
This has become my favorite new series and stands alongside even the masterful Doomsday Clock. These are comics I read simply as a fan, but it doesn't hurt that they've become highly collectible. That being said, here's the current state of the market for three Immortal Hulk keys you'll want in your collections.
We all knew Bruce Banner wouldn't stay dead for long. What we didn't know was how genuinely awesome the original Hulk would be upon his return in the pages of Avengers #684.
This issue was a decent seller last year, but graded copies didn't typically bring much more than the cost of the grading fees. By the end of 2018, it averaged $44, but December did see it peak at $76. Think of that as merely a tremor because 2019 has experienced a full eruption.
So far, there have been 17 recorded sales of 9.8s on eBay, and none have sold for below $100. What's more is that it's averaged $143 in February, and it's only the middle of the month.
The price fluctuations for Immortal Hulk #1 mirror that of Avengers #684. For most of 2018, the standard edition at a 9.8 consistently sold for around $50-$60, which is respectable. Beginning in mid-November, prices jumped to the $70 range.
This year, it's steadily increased, and it is currently averaging $94 for 2019. However, the values are still rising, and that $94 will look cheap by comparison. The past four sales have all been for over $100, and a new record high was set on January 30 when a 9.8 sold for $114.
Part one of the conclusion to the Hulk-in-Hell story arc, this issue garnered attention because of The One Below All. Who is that? He's more or less the devil incarnate, using the "green door" created by the gamma-powered creatures to pull itself into the world.
Anytime there's a first appearance of a new character, collectors launch into a feeding frenzy. The data says that this is no exception as the three recorded eBay sales of graded 9.8s all were for $130. Those three sales on February 6, 8, and 9 were fixed prices and appear to have all been from the same eBay seller. That raises my suspicion as to the validity of those sales figures, so I'll keep watch for future graded sales. If the numbers stay consistent with that $130, then it was legitimate. I'll keep you posted with an update in the coming weeks.
