The Incredible Hulk # 1 - The Coming of the Hulk

I must confess that I have never been a huge Jack Kirby fan. I think this is because I was introduced to his art in the late 70s when the shadows and inking on his art was so pronounced and deliberate that I found it somewhat offputting. Still, the guy is a legend and I am pleased that at least one of his covers made my list. Now remember, this cover hit the stands when no-one had any idea who or what the Hulk was. It's maybe difficult with so much history between then and now to appreciate how stunning this cover is. The uncertainty about this monster - is it really the man in the foreground or is he being attacked? And doesn't he look kind of dorky for a lead character anyway. Kirby's Hulk looks neanderthal, threatening and somehow also childlike helping to seal the character's ambiguous nature that has been a reoccuring theme with the character over the last 45+ years. A cracking debut.

I have ranked this cover no 233 as part of a long term project I am producing on my own blog 'marvel-ous' on blogspot.com re: my favourite marvel comic book covers. Please visit http://dmstarz.blogspot.com and check out the other covers that have made my top 250.