GRABBIN' GREEN BACKS
Ultra-rate 9.8 'Hulk' #181 commands 19,000 bucks

Tanks ain't the only thing the Hulk demolishes these days. Ol' Green Genes is leveling the graded comics market, too! Just ask Bryce Iwamoto of Ideal Collectables in Honolulu, Hawaii, whose copy of the Incredible Hulk #181 (featuring the coveted first appearance of Wolverine and graded 9.8 by the folks at Comics Guaranty, LLC) just sold online for a mind-blowing $19.067.89 after tapping out with 47 bids!

"It just shows how much interest there is in Bronze Age books, and how popular Wolverine is," said a still-in-shock Iwamoto. "It rivals a lot of the key Silver Age books. It's more sought-after than Iron Man (vol. 1) #1 and Captain America #100. As far as supply and demand, the demand way outstrips supply, and that's why it ended with such a high bid."

The prized book - valued at $1,075 ungraded - is one of only two copies to earn a 9.8 grade from CGC (there's also one 9.9, also owned by Ideal Collectables, that's making the rounds among investors). So what do the folks at CGC think about the sale? "It's just unbelievable!" exclaimed CGC Primary Grader Steve Borock."I must be grading anywhere from five to 10 [copies of this book] in a day! It's definitely one of the hottest books of the year." And with good reason. With writer Bruce Jones pumping new life into Incredible Hulk and Ang Lee's blockbuster movie set for a June 23 release, Hulk-a-mania is reaching a fever pitch.

"Hulk is much more popular this year than ever," agreed Borock. "It's a combination of everything, from the movie to the current storyline in the comic. And the Kaare Andrews covers are really special. We're seeing so many of the recent Hulk issues being sent in for grading." Toss in the added excitement over Wolverine's return to the big screen with May's "X2" and it's easy to understand why Incredible Hulk #181 in particular will continue to be one of the hottest CGC books in 2003.

And it doesn't stop there! Hardcore fans are submitting copies of Incredible Hulk #180, arguably the only other significant Hulk back issue among collectors, in droves for grading as well. "There's the cameo of Wolverine in the last panel of #180," explained Borock, "and some people still argue that #180 is his real first appearance, and that it should be worth even more money than #181!"

But as the recent online sale proves, Incredible Hulk #181 is still the apple of most collectors' eyes. Still, even Borock himself could never have predicted such a huge price hike for any graded book. "When certification originally took off, I was telling people that I thought Incredible Hulk #181, which sold for about $450 at the time, would go for $1,000 within a year," revealed Borock. "They laughed at me and said I was crazy!"

Turns out he was crazy - after all, he under-estimated by a full $18,000.