Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 10/86 · NEWSSTAND
UNIT ECA-005705
THE INCREDIBLE HULK #324
Bill Mantlo-era Hulk newsstand issue from the run preceding Peter David's tenure
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | October 1986 | Copper | Newsstand | — | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows strong gloss and sharp corners with no visible creases or color breaks. Spine appears tight with no stress lines or ticks visible in this photo. There is minor whitening/wear potential at the extreme corners but nothing significant is evident at this resolution; the book is in a protective sleeve which slightly obscures fine surface detail. Interior pages and back cover were not assessed, so the grade is based solely on the visible front cover.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $8 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $40 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $250 |
// Archive commentary
The Incredible Hulk #324 appeared in October 1986, during Bill Mantlo's extended writing tenure on the title, with art handled in the Sal Buscema house style that had defined the book through much of the 1980s. The issue falls in the stretch of the series just prior to the creative handoff to Peter David, whose run beginning with #331 would reshape the character's psychology and commercial fortunes. As a standalone issue, #324 does not carry a first appearance, death, or other event typically cited by price guides, and it is best understood as a representative mid-run Copper Age chapter rather than a landmark single issue.
Market activity for this issue is sparse, consistent with a well-collected but non-key back-issue: certified sales cluster in the modest double-digit range through the mid grades, with only a single recorded sale at the 9.8 tier setting the high end of the market. The absence of any 9.9 or 10.0 census population, combined with thin sales at nearly every grade point, indicates a book that trades occasionally rather than one with active, competitive bidding. Demand is driven primarily by Hulk-title completists and readers assembling the full Mantlo-to-David transitional run rather than by any specific event tied to this issue.
This is a filler-tier collectible for dealer inventory: affordable in raw grades for readers and set-builders, with the CGC 9.8 representing a modest but real premium for the rare top-graded newsstand copy. Buyers are typically series completists or Hulk-specific collectors filling gaps in a long run, and the book is unlikely to see aggressive bidding outside of a scarce high-grade slab appearing at auction.
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-005705 | ~9.0 | Newsstand | AVAILABLE |
| ECA-005707 | ~9.0 | Newsstand | AVAILABLE |
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