User blog:ArcturasNemesis/Hulk 181: most over-rated book of the era

Having been there at the time this came out, I gotta say, Wolverine sold me this issue. The cover is a good one. When you open it up you realize: part two? Oh no. Still a good story, and for me, it was the book that got me started on The Hulk. Wolverine seemed like a likable character till he turns on Hulk, and at the time, I was hoping Hulk would smash little man good. The cool factor to the story is the fact that this the Wolverine with all the secrets. Before everyone learned about adamantium skeletons and claws that are actually a part of his anatomy. When he shows up as a regular in the ongoing Xmen comic soon after this, I was pretty happy to find out about him. This issue of Hulk is really quite typical of the quality of the book during the bronze age.

Its also the best age to collect this book. Herb Trimpe is really the iconic Hulk artist, and this character has had some truly great ones; and if you go back and look at Len Wein's influence on Marvel during the Bronze Age, you will amazed by the history attached to him. Wein's storylines are always satisfying, and his run on The Hulk is no exception.

The really lousy thing about this book is that its so famous. Sorry folks, its a book, but its not worth 1000 bucks to me in any condition. Its just not that good. The reason for that is because the quality of this book during most of its Bronze Age run is so high, that 181 is probably not even the best Hulk story of this era. Issues 180 and 181 is notable for the first appearance of Wolverine, but its typical of the quality of writing on the book at that time. During the 1980s, Marvel reprinted both stories together in a nice, inexpensive package that allows you read the whole story without suffering a heart attack due to sticker shock.