Hulk Out! (at the Northern Collection comic sale, today)

By John Freeman on 10 July 2026 • ( 0 )

Stanley Gibbons Baldwin‘s will present the second instalment of their monumental Northern Collection comic collection sale today, Friday 10th July 2026, an incredible live and e-sale event featuring a wide range of silver, bronze, and modern age grails dedicated to Marvel’s Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk.

Sales estimates on some rare titles are pretty eye watering, such as Tales of Suspense #39, featuring the first appearance of Iron Man.

Incredible Hulk #1 CGC 0.5 "The Coming of the Hulk" Origin and 1st appearance of the Incredible Hulk (Marvel Comics, 1962) — *Click for larger images*

Tales Of Suspense #39 CGC 5.5 1st Appearance and Origin of Tony Stark Iron Man (Marvel Comics, 1963) Off-White to White Pages — *Click for larger images*

Culled from a definitive lifelong archive, the auction offers collectors a rare opportunity to acquire major historic milestones, spearheaded by a spectacular Tales of Suspense #39 (first Iron Man, estimated to sell for over £5000), two coveted copies of The Incredible Hulk #1, and the legendary The Incredible Hulk #181 (1st full Wolverine) in both CGC 8.5 and 5.0 grades.

The extensive catalogue boasts a treasure trove of monumental first appearances – including Tales of Suspense #48 (Iron Man’s iconic red and gold armour), Iron Man #1, Tales to Astonish #59, as well as the first appearances of Hawkeye (Tales of Suspense #57), Black Widow (Tales of Suspense #52), Mandarin (Tales of Suspense #50), Thanos (Iron Man #55), and the Wasp (Tales to Astonish #44).

The sale also features pristine, top-graded CGC 9.8 modern pieces, classic crossover covers featuring both titans together (such as Iron Man #9, #131, and Hulk #131), and renowned Tales to Astonish runs (issues 75, 79, 81, 85, 91, 93, 97) showcasing master artists like Jack Kirby, Marie Severin, and Gene Colan. Complete with significant pop culture pieces such as Tales of Suspense #69 featuring the first appearance of Titanium Man and Iron Man #22, the inspirations for song and artwork projected on stage during Paul McCartney’s 1975 Wings tour while performing the song Magneto and Titanium Man, described by Stan Lee as “Terrific”.

• Northern Collection Part Two: Hulk and Iron Man | Sale Number: CB26007 Live from London & Online | Starts at 3.00pm BST Friday 10th July 2026

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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.