THE INCREDIBLE HULK #104

This is a pre-1977 book so no direct/newsstand distinction applies. Visible defects include moderate spine stress with several small ticks along the spine edge, a vertical crease running through the upper right of the cover near the logo, and light surface wear at the corners with the top right corner showing slight bluntness. There is some minor soiling/discoloration in the lower left corner and general handling wear consistent with a well-read Silver Age copy. Interior and back cover were not assessed as only the front cover is shown; the book is housed in a protective sleeve which may obscure some minor edge wear.

The Incredible Hulk #104 arrived in mid-1968 as part of the fledgling solo Hulk title that inherited its numbering directly from Tales to Astonish, which had shared its back half with the Hulk feature for years before Marvel spun the character off into his own book starting at issue #102. By #104, the series was finding its footing under writer Gary Friedrich with art by Marie Severin, continuing the government-pursuit storyline built around General Ross, Major Talbot, and Betty Ross as the military struggled to contain the ever-unpredictable Hulk. The issue is a solid but unspectacular entry in the character's formative solo run, notable more for its place in the title's early continuity than for any singular first appearance or landmark event.

Market data shows a typical Silver Age Marvel curve: modest values through the mid and lower grades, a steep climb through 9.0 and above, and a pronounced premium at the top of the census where high-grade survivors are scarce relative to demand. With 821 universal copies graded and sales activity concentrated in the 6.0-9.4 range, the book trades as a dependable mid-tier Silver Age Hulk issue rather than a spotlight key, drawing steady but not aggressive bidding. The complete absence of confirmed 9.8 sales against a small population of eight census copies at that grade underscores how thin true gem-mint supply is for this issue, even though overall raw and mid-grade material remains reasonably accessible.

Collectors of this book are largely Hulk-title completists and Silver Age Marvel run-builders rather than key-issue speculators, since #104 carries no first appearance, death, or landmark creative credit to anchor broader crossover demand. Low-grade copies serve budget-run collectors filling reading sets, mid-grade raw copies see consistent turnover among series builders, and high-grade certified copies — especially anything approaching or reaching 9.8 — command outsized premiums driven by scarcity rather than character significance. Expect steady, unspectacular appreciation in line with the broader Silver Age Hulk market rather than the volatility associated with recognized key issues.