He’s big. He’s angry. He’s green. He’s the Incredible Hulk, one of the most iconic comic Marvel superheroes of all time, having appeared in film, television, video games, and of course, comic books. And when it comes to the legendary Jade Giant, there are countless incredible issues in the Hulk’s long and destruction-filled history. In this list, however, we’re looking purely at the best Hulk comic covers of all time. From classic Jim Steranko illustrations from the 60s, to the iconic Todd McFarlane Hulk covers from the 80s, and the more recent Alex Ross covers on the Immortal Hulk.
In other words, we chose these issues because of their amazing artwork and not necessarily because they feature a key moment in the history of Doctor Bruce Banner and his rageaholic alter ego. To keep things simple, we’ve listed each issue in order of publication date, along with current prices and our reasons for why we picked each cover.
But enough talk, puny humans. Slap on your purple sweat pants and get ready for a dose of gamma irradiated goodness as we smash into… the 20 best Hulk covers ever made.
1. Incredible Hulk Annual #1
- Published: October 1968
- Estimated Price: $1,000 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Iconic cover art Jim Steranko.
- Why We Picked It: Arguably one of the most recognizable Hulk comic covers of all time, this single image from master Marvel artist Jim Steranko has been reprinted, recreated and swiped countless times in the 50+ years since it was first created. It’s since become a grail for comic collectors everywhere and captures all the rage and power of Marvel’s monstrous hero.
2. Fantastic Four #112
- Published: July 1971
- Estimated Price: $725 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Classic battle between the Thing and the Hulk
- Why We Picked It: An iconic Hulk cover by legendary comic artist John Buscema, this issue has exploded in popularity over the past few years and showcases two of Marvel’s greatest characters doing what they do best: smashing and clobbering. Incidentally, this book is also considered one of the greatest Thing comic covers of all time. Nuff’ said.
3. Incredible Hulk #181
- Published: November 1974
- Estimated Price: $12,000 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st appearance of Wolverine
- Why We Picked It: The first in a long line of epic Hulk and Wolverine covers, this single issue introduced Logan to the Marvel universe (not to mention being one of the greatest Wolverine comic covers ever made). Featuring the incredible art and design work by artist Herb Trimpe, it’s a comic book showdown that stands the test of time.
4. The Rampaging Hulk #1
- Published: January 1977
- Estimated Price: $25 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: First appearance of Killer Shrike and first team appearance of the Conspiracy.
- Why We Picked It: In the late 70s, the Hulk snagged his very own black and white magazine-sized comic book series known as The Rampaging Hulk. In addition to offering some awesome stories from a number of top tier comic book writers and artists (including Walt Simonson, Jim Starlin, Bill Sienkiewicz, Dennis O’Neil and Archie Goodwin) the series also featured some incredible covers, including this stunning painted work by the great Ken Barr.
5. Incredible Hulk #340
- Published: February 1988
- Estimated Price: $10 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Iconic cover by Todd McFarlane
- Why We Picked It: One of the greatest Todd McFarlane Hulk covers of all time, this single piece of artwork has been swiped, praised, reprinted and recreated dozens of times over the years, and perfectly captures the ongoing rivalry between Wolverine and everyone’s favorite green (or is that gray?) superhero.
6. Incredible Hulk #344
- Published: June 1988
- Estimated Price: $30 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Iconic cover.
- Why We Picked It: Another classic Todd McFarlane Hulk cover, this issue has seen a major uptick in interest among collectors over the past few years. And you can totally see why. As an early McFarlane cover it’s a stunning depiction of the Gray Hulk in all his moonlit glory.
7. Incredible Hulk #345
- Published: July 1988
- Estimated Price: $40 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Iconic cover.
- Why We Picked It: Yet another amazing Todd McFarlane Hulk cover, this simple yet incredibly detailed image is practically smashing its way out of the page. It’s also a great example of the dynamic logo lettering featured on numerous issues – something that was first pioneered by Jim Steranko and carried on by McFarlane and countless other Hulk artists over the years.
8. Wolverine #8
- Published: June 1989
- Estimated Price: $80 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Features the Hulk as his “Joe Fixit” persona.
- Why We Picked It: While there are a ton of amazing Hulk covers to choose from, few are as instantly recognizable as this classic work of art by John Buscema, which finds Wolverine’s “Patch” persona going back-to-back with the Hulk’s “Mr. Fixit” persona. It’s a cover that looks as sharp as brand new tux (or at least a pair of adamantium claws).
9. Amazing Spider-Man #328
- Published: January 1990
- Estimated Price: $30 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Iconic cover.
- Why We Picked It: At the risk of turning this list into a love letter to Todd McFarlane covers, we’d definitely be remiss if we didn’t include this classic issue (which also might just be one of the best Spider-Man covers ever drawn). You can practically feel the punch connecting on this page, making it an absolute smash (and must have) for fans of both Spidey and the Hulk.
10. Incredible Hulk #376
- Published: December 1990
- Estimated Price: $15 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Classic battle of the Green Hulk and Gray Hulk.
- Why We Picked It: Over the years, the Hulk has changed shades more than a few times, going from green to gray and back (and even undergoing a brief red phase). This classic Hulk cover from popular 90s comic artist Dale Keown, however, beautifully captures the color-coded chaos as Hulk goes toe-to-toe with his own worst enemy: himself.
11. Incredible Hulk #377
- Published: January 1991
- Estimated Price: $15 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st appearance of Professor Hulk
- Why We Picked It: This issue is perhaps best known for introducing the world to Professor Hulk (a version of the Jade Giant who would later become a key part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe). We included it on this list, however, because of the epic neon green cover from Dale Keown. There are also some pretty sweet variants, including the amazing gold and black second printing.
12. Incredible Hulk #49 (Variant)
- Published: March 2003
- Estimated Price: $40 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Cover art inspired by Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.
- Why We Picked It: While this cover might not have the action or name appeal of other picks on this list, it’s also one of our favorites, with artist Kaare Andrews blending the Hulk with one of the world’s greatest children’s books. Let the wild rumpus begin!
13. The Incredible Hulk #92
- Published: April 2006
- Estimated Price: $30 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: First appearance of Caiera the Oldstrong, Miek and the Red King.
- Why We Picked It: One of the best Hulk story arcs of all time, the fan favorite Planet Hulk series is also known as the primary inspiration for the Thor: Ragnarok MCU film, introducing the planet Sakaar and classic characters like Miek and Korg. We added this particular issue, however, because of the incredible cover art by the great José Ladrönn
14. Hulk #1
- Published: March 2008
- Estimated Price: $100 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st cover appearance of Red Hulk.
- Why We Picked It: With rumors that the Red Hulk could soon be appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this particular issue has never been hotter. For our money though, it’s worth picking up purely because of this stunning cover by the talented Ed McGuinness.
15. Incredible Hulk #2
- Published: January 2012
- Estimated Price: $5 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 2nd issue of new run.
- Why We Picked It: While Marc Silvestri is perhaps best known as a co-founder of Image comics and for his work on titles like Cyberforce and X-Men, his more recent illustrations on the Incredible Hulk remain an overlooked gem. Case in point: this stunning cover featuring the Hulk throwing down against a school of gamma-mutated sharks. What more could you possibly ask for?
16. The Incredible Hulk #8
- Published: July 2012
- Estimated Price: $30 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Battle between the Hulk and the Punisher.
- Why We Picked It: When it comes to superhero slugfests, the Hulk has traded punches with just about every major player in the Marvel Universe. But despite having absolutely no powers, the Punisher always manages to stand his ground. That’s exactly what we get in this stunning cover from Michael Komarck, which also just might be in the running one of the greatest Punisher covers ever made.
17. Incredible Hulk #9
- Published: August 2012
- Estimated Price: $5 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Iconic cover.
- Why We Picked It: While most Hulk covers feature the big guy smashing things apart, this amazing cover from Michael Komarck showcases a more subdued and silent side of the Jade Giant, alongside an eerily beautiful underwater landscape. It’s a breathtaking (and under appreciated) cover that we absolutely had to include on this list.
18. Immortal Hulk #1
- Published: June 2018
- Estimated Price: $50 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Premiere issue of series exploring Hulk’s immortality.
- Why We Picked It: Pretty much every Immortal Hulk cover by legendary comic artist Alex Ross could be on this list, but we had to draw the line somewhere. And while there are plenty of great issues to choose from, this first issue really captures Ross’ trademark realism and sense of action, bringing to life (and unlife) Marvel’s big, green, unkillable monster.
19. Immortal Hulk #20 (Alex Ross Variant)
- Published: July 2019
- Estimated Price: $100 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: San Diego Comic Con 2019 exclusive.
- Why We Picked It: Another Immortal Hulk Alex Ross cover we had to include on this list, the artwork here is simply unbelievable; beautifully recreating the cover to the classic 1962 issue of Incredible Hulk #1. It’s the perfect blend of new and old, and arguably one of the most stunning Hulk covers of all time.
20. Hulk #1 (Art Adams Variant)
- Published: January 2021
- Estimated Price: $50 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1:50 variant and first issue in a new 2021 series.
- Why We Picked It: When it comes to Hulk covers, longtime Marvel illustrator Art Adams has created some absolute gems (with his Hulk #4 variant remaining an absolute masterpiece we almost put on this list). That being said, if we had to pick just one favorite, this 1:50 variant cover is definitely in the mix, showcasing Adams’ unique style and putting the Hulk front and center. Right where the big guy belongs.
So there you have it, true believers! Our picks for the 20 best Hulk covers of all time. Are there any issues you think we missed? Let us know in the comments below! Also, be sure to check out our picks for the best She-Hulk covers of all time.
See More Comic Book News & Reviews
Be sure to check out our Comic Book Speculation & Investing Guide and our guide to the Best Comic Book Covers of all Time.
*We are a member of the eBay Partners affiliate program which allows us to earn a small commission on clicks to products at no extra cost to you the consumer.