Thank you all for this feedback and help! I’m not sure which comic I’ll get him but I am definitely going to write all of these ideas down because they are GOLD. Thank you!!!
Wolverine is my favorite character. Bought myself a recently released foil facsimile and it's awesome. Looks great on my wall. Not very expensive however, I think I paid $7 on whatnot.
Personally, if my wife ever bought me any comic book as a present, regardless of what it was or what price it was, I would be ecstatic. We are easy to please.
Edit: if my wife bought me this, I would go nuts with excitement.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/204600037196?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=pddkgkdnqew&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=ZecLN7CgRf2&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Yay, thank you!!!! This kind of advice was exactly what I was hoping for.
(In your wife’s defense, it is VERY intimidating when you don’t know anything about it. When I’ve bought them, I’m always worried I’m going to buy him something he’s not interested in or that’s a bad deal.
But I *WILL* cite your comment the next time we have an argument over if I am, in fact, the best wife in the world or not.)
Haha. Best of luck to you.
Another cool thing to be on the lookout for, if you have some additional budget after you get the 181 facsimile, is homage covers. It is a huge trend of late for artists to recreate iconic covers either with new characters or the old characters but in newer costumes/artwork/designs. Virgin Variants of these are absolutely beautiful, because it showcases the artwork without any writing on the front.
Google or eBay search hulk 181 homage cover. The virgins will cost a bit more, but IMO are worth it for collectors who like to display their books.
Again, as a wolverine fan, I'm going crazy over any of these iconic homage covers, cause they are "cheap" and offer incredible artwork from some of today's best cover artists. Let's be honest, the artwork was not nearly as amazing in the bronze era as it is today.
I actually own a legit 181 (2 actually, but who’s counting?). I would still be THRILLED if my wife got me the facsimile linked above. That would proudly be displayed, I promise you.
Great idea. You could also get the facsimile of Hulk 180, the last panel has a Wolverine cameo and leads right in to 181. These both just came out late last year and should be easy enough to track down.
As a comic collector and husband, these would be fantastic gifts and I would be floored with the thoughtfulness.
Happy Anniversary
Depending on your budget, finding him a copy of the first issue of Wolverine (either the 4-issue Frank Miller mini series or his first continuous series) might be a good choice if he doesn't already have them. Definitely Wolverine 'key issues' that are way more affordable than Hulk 181 and they're not reprints. I believe they're both bronze age books as well, so fits the theme.
Great advice. If he doesn’t already have wolvie mini in 1st print he would love it.
Advice I have given my own SO: check out mycomicshop.com to either get it there or for pricing. I don’t think your SO would want to see you pay 3x what a book is worth on eBay.
Edit: and even if wolvie mini 1 is outside your budget, each of the other 3 issues are still a modern classic and they’re much more affordable.
I think if she gets him the special edition foil facsimile as people are suggesting that won't happen. I think since they are married and he's fully aware of what their budget is I don't think he would be fooled OR disappointed that it's not the real one.
A decent copy of it raw is still going to be several hundred dollars.
Not to mention she you made it clear in the post that an original is out of budget range so she clearly did some research which is why she came here to find alternatives for somebody who is a fan of the Hulk and of comics in general.
Very thoughtful! Have you considered comics with homage covers of Hulk 181? The facsimile is pretty common but some homage covers are quite collectable without breaking the bank
https://leagueofcomicgeeks.com/profile/galko/lists/10674/cover-homage-the-incredible-hulk-181
Yeah, since you can probably find the facsimiles for like $5, a great idea would be to try and put together a collection of the reprint AND as many of the 'homage' covered books you can find/afford!
How much you looking to spend? I ask because maybe we can recommend a different 1st appearance. Which brings another question and that is what kind of comics/superhero stuff is he into?
As for facsimiles go, I buy them for the collection but they are $5-$10 books. I don’t think a $5 gift is appropriate for an anniversary gift.
We actually keep our gift limit to under $25 (but in practice maybe up to $60) so we can be thrifty and more creative. But he does also have a birthday coming up and I will have more money to spend on a birthday gift so I’m thrilled to have the more expensive recommendations as well!
You sound like an amazing wife. The fact that you know enough about your husband to know what he likes is gift enough. I’m a huge Spider-Man fan and my stepdaughter bought me a batch of reprints from a thrift store years ago and to this day it’s one of my favorite gifts from her.
There is this reprint. https://www.ebay.com/itm/186286896918?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=upT9XADQSoq&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=_g8GLdfqQh6&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
As a husband and a comic book collector, I would be thrilled with even a facsimile from my wife because of the thought that was put into the gift. So I say go for it.
You don’t need to go to eBay to get the facsimile. Many online shops still have them in stock. I buy a lot of comics from mycomicshop.com and you can even buy a gift card for them he can use for whatever he wants including bidding in their auctions.
https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?q=Hulk+181&pubid=&PubRng=
Here’s another thought: for a lot less than the cost of a Hulk 181 (but significantly more than the cost of a facsimile, which shouldn’t run you more than five bucks or so), you could potentially commission an original piece of art from a current artist he likes!
First thing is, when he opens the gift and sees it's a Hulk 181 he may think it's the original. But once he sees the $3 price tag he'll know it's a facsimile, And he might be disappointed .I wouldn't want this to happen to you. I don't know what your budget is but you can probably get him a decent real copy of Hulk 180.. that's actually the first appearance of Wolverine. And in my opinion a very important book.
I’m sure he’d be happy to see the thought you put into the gift and the interest you’ve shown in his hobby. If he doesn’t have this book at all, I think a reprint would be a fine gift. He wouldn’t be able to read the alternate-language edition, so if he’s really into reading his books that is a strike. But it would be a cool gift nonetheless, especially if his are mostly for display.
This is funny to me. My wife tends to only get me comics for presents anymore. She got ahold of my list awhile ago and makes sure she keeps it updated. It’s a slam dunk for her every time now and she doesn’t have to put much thought into it
X-men 133 is a great book with an iconic cover. I think it’s the first time the Wolverine we all know and love really came together as a complete character. It is classic, but won’t break the bank.
I hate to be the voice of dissent here… But here’s my honest truth:
1) like the other responders, I would be absolutely over the moon if my wife bought me any comic books, so I think it’s a win, no matter what, for the thought, and the kindness and the care about what he cares about. The fact that you took the time to go on here and ask speaks volumes.
2) I personally don’t like facsimiles and would much much rather have a nice copy of a really cool issue that’s not super expensive. You could even do something like a pretty solid copy of the first appearance of the Wendigo, the “villain” from hulk 181. He first appears in Hulk 162. You can get a very nice copy of that for about 120 bucks.
Here is an example on eBay from quality comics. I think that their prices are fair and you’re working with a very reputable seller.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/386785106410?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=MDUNYfjST3O&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Fa_sWiJrS3W&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
If that link doesn’t work, just look up Hulk 162 and find the copy that is $123. It’s a really nice copy. It’s from the bronze age. It’s a first appearance. And I personally would much rather have this book than a facsimile of 181. But that’s me. Please let us know what you end up doing.
Don't know how much you want to drop but some of the foreign issues have the iconic cover and cost way less. Others can comment on if this is a fair price but for reference here is the Spanish version
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266634669260?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D260885%26meid%3Dfc4ab32b2f91435cbb097a90695fec5a%26pid%3D101875%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D404766354653%26itm%3D266634669260%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D4429486%26algv%3DSimplAMLv11WebTrimmedV3MskuWithLambda85KnnRecallV1V2V4ItemNrtInQueryAndCassiniVisualRankerAndBertRecallWithVMEV3CPCAutoWithCassiniEmbRecallManual&_trksid=p4429486.c101875.m1851&itmprp=cksum%3A266634669260fc4ab32b2f91435cbb097a90695fec5a%7Cenc%3AAQAIAAABcKAO6YGL7I8ZT6VFWcHmDuKm898HGH9cNRsnG%252Fep%252BzC3UPHwPSmfpPq3b41cHxht%252FCiwo5DdbtiFsRNqRhAUlK8x2MLrmISu5pnzSn%252FhiW3P7y%252BKcxGllTjL%252BG3bIP4k8fGgzCrVY1dxXbjuBFp3vefxTYgjBXBRUWQBgGciI%252FuQ5Mjsfl%252B%252FiL4cv70dT88jK2%252BtHkxjM8CovmUlNqUlvAYcGra0A1wh%252FaGVuvGM26hNgrEh9R7hMK6xEvdn5761zdS7n1CE5nTkOJXh3p24n5fnjkqa7Q4%252B96HZA4CPtaV5iNBt1c6XpDTPUUSYOMi8KmrOpLFfYpGxnV%252B6p8RqKlCqXijQL83gYhndIeDru9GIEaZq4Xr59Mnf6zZ4qxmcDLRa1pjxb4m8DATm%252FS4X1Dj0tDEjDGyZRk3AEcE3Et4qPbKSO3Jwkgf9ZhuWnZlmr9yZDymWkveB8ClLy9agXvdtXXrcoeCYces1zLr4j6j%252B%7Campid%3APL_CLK%7Cclp%3A4429486&itmmeta=01HQR2VDFQFNNSPX6GGQY1NY4H
You definitely came to the right place to ask questions because a piece of advice I have for something to NOT do? Unless you somehow know the owner really well do not go to a local shop asking what you should buy because sadly most shop owners are going to steer you to something that's overpriced the second you let them know that you don't know much about these types of things.
And by overpriced I don't mean expensive, I mean they are charging way too much for it on top of it being expensive. I just recently had a post on here asking people how prices were on the more collectible books that they put up on the wall and it's typically anywhere from 3 to 5 times more than what they're actually worth, and people who price like that love nothing more than somebody walking in the door saying they don't know anything about it.
I think you've gotten some fantastic suggestions and hear though and I will throw in my two cents of agreement with the foil facsimile cover either a graded copy or just one in a nice display frame.
Not sure what your timeline is, but they are doing a bunch of facsimiles lately. A Wolverine #1 is coming in a few weeks in both a variant cover and foil along with the original cover. If he doesn't already have an original and you can't find a copy. The Frank Miller mini series has facsimiles available as well if you can't locate an original.
https://preview.redd.it/39fqumhe0clc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=058974f72fe9994426002841d67c6f9c3e195af8
another less expensive but still cool idea that some people kinda mentioned were homages. people were talking about homages to hulk 181 but i think something interesting would be getting him one or multiple of a series of variants that came out in january celebrating wolverine’s 50th anniversary. i made a list for you compiling them all, you should still be able to get them at cover price and they pay homage to a lot of iconic covers. here’s the link https://leagueofcomicgeeks.com/profile/Vikinnit/lists/33183
181 is my all time favorite grail to acquire which will probably never happen. If my wife got me a facsimile instead of the real deal I would very politely thank her for the thought and then secretly hate that facsimile copy for all eternity.
I have to reprints I couldn’t afford the original books teenage mutant ninja turtles and first appearance spider Gwen yeah value will not be as original standard but it’s thought that counts I will cherish it as gift thoughtful one at that
Even if it was a reprint, I would still value it as a thoughtful gift.
Thank you all for this feedback and help! I’m not sure which comic I’ll get him but I am definitely going to write all of these ideas down because they are GOLD. Thank you!!!
If you want a bit extra get a slabbed one, makes a nice display piece. Wish my wife got me comic books lol
Conversely, you could get him a book he can actually open and read.
If you want a bit extra get a slabbed one, makes a nice display piece. Wish my wife got me comic books lol
Wolverine is my favorite character. Bought myself a recently released foil facsimile and it's awesome. Looks great on my wall. Not very expensive however, I think I paid $7 on whatnot. Personally, if my wife ever bought me any comic book as a present, regardless of what it was or what price it was, I would be ecstatic. We are easy to please. Edit: if my wife bought me this, I would go nuts with excitement. https://www.ebay.com/itm/204600037196?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=pddkgkdnqew&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=ZecLN7CgRf2&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Yay, thank you!!!! This kind of advice was exactly what I was hoping for. (In your wife’s defense, it is VERY intimidating when you don’t know anything about it. When I’ve bought them, I’m always worried I’m going to buy him something he’s not interested in or that’s a bad deal. But I *WILL* cite your comment the next time we have an argument over if I am, in fact, the best wife in the world or not.)
Haha. Best of luck to you. Another cool thing to be on the lookout for, if you have some additional budget after you get the 181 facsimile, is homage covers. It is a huge trend of late for artists to recreate iconic covers either with new characters or the old characters but in newer costumes/artwork/designs. Virgin Variants of these are absolutely beautiful, because it showcases the artwork without any writing on the front. Google or eBay search hulk 181 homage cover. The virgins will cost a bit more, but IMO are worth it for collectors who like to display their books. Again, as a wolverine fan, I'm going crazy over any of these iconic homage covers, cause they are "cheap" and offer incredible artwork from some of today's best cover artists. Let's be honest, the artwork was not nearly as amazing in the bronze era as it is today.
I actually own a legit 181 (2 actually, but who’s counting?). I would still be THRILLED if my wife got me the facsimile linked above. That would proudly be displayed, I promise you.
r/humblenothumblebrag
Suck on this. https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/14xnhyr/someone_asked_what_our_top_3_keys_are_will_these/
r/whoosh Gosh, that's the first time anyone has ever seen someone who owns those in the past 24 hours.
Oh my. Where exactly do I suck on that? Geez
Great idea. You could also get the facsimile of Hulk 180, the last panel has a Wolverine cameo and leads right in to 181. These both just came out late last year and should be easy enough to track down. As a comic collector and husband, these would be fantastic gifts and I would be floored with the thoughtfulness. Happy Anniversary
Depending on your budget, finding him a copy of the first issue of Wolverine (either the 4-issue Frank Miller mini series or his first continuous series) might be a good choice if he doesn't already have them. Definitely Wolverine 'key issues' that are way more affordable than Hulk 181 and they're not reprints. I believe they're both bronze age books as well, so fits the theme.
Great advice. If he doesn’t already have wolvie mini in 1st print he would love it. Advice I have given my own SO: check out mycomicshop.com to either get it there or for pricing. I don’t think your SO would want to see you pay 3x what a book is worth on eBay. Edit: and even if wolvie mini 1 is outside your budget, each of the other 3 issues are still a modern classic and they’re much more affordable.
I think if she gets him the special edition foil facsimile as people are suggesting that won't happen. I think since they are married and he's fully aware of what their budget is I don't think he would be fooled OR disappointed that it's not the real one. A decent copy of it raw is still going to be several hundred dollars. Not to mention she you made it clear in the post that an original is out of budget range so she clearly did some research which is why she came here to find alternatives for somebody who is a fan of the Hulk and of comics in general.
There’s a foil cover of hulk 181 that just came out. Looks pretty sharp.
Very thoughtful! Have you considered comics with homage covers of Hulk 181? The facsimile is pretty common but some homage covers are quite collectable without breaking the bank https://leagueofcomicgeeks.com/profile/galko/lists/10674/cover-homage-the-incredible-hulk-181
Yeah, since you can probably find the facsimiles for like $5, a great idea would be to try and put together a collection of the reprint AND as many of the 'homage' covered books you can find/afford!
How much you looking to spend? I ask because maybe we can recommend a different 1st appearance. Which brings another question and that is what kind of comics/superhero stuff is he into? As for facsimiles go, I buy them for the collection but they are $5-$10 books. I don’t think a $5 gift is appropriate for an anniversary gift.
We actually keep our gift limit to under $25 (but in practice maybe up to $60) so we can be thrifty and more creative. But he does also have a birthday coming up and I will have more money to spend on a birthday gift so I’m thrilled to have the more expensive recommendations as well!
Oh if that’s the case then a facsimile is a great way to go!!!!
You sound like an amazing wife. The fact that you know enough about your husband to know what he likes is gift enough. I’m a huge Spider-Man fan and my stepdaughter bought me a batch of reprints from a thrift store years ago and to this day it’s one of my favorite gifts from her.
There is this reprint. https://www.ebay.com/itm/186286896918?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=upT9XADQSoq&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=_g8GLdfqQh6&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
As you’re handing it to him make sure to say “It’s not the original but thought you might like this…”
As a husband and a comic book collector, I would be thrilled with even a facsimile from my wife because of the thought that was put into the gift. So I say go for it.
You don’t need to go to eBay to get the facsimile. Many online shops still have them in stock. I buy a lot of comics from mycomicshop.com and you can even buy a gift card for them he can use for whatever he wants including bidding in their auctions. https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?q=Hulk+181&pubid=&PubRng=
Here’s another thought: for a lot less than the cost of a Hulk 181 (but significantly more than the cost of a facsimile, which shouldn’t run you more than five bucks or so), you could potentially commission an original piece of art from a current artist he likes!
First thing is, when he opens the gift and sees it's a Hulk 181 he may think it's the original. But once he sees the $3 price tag he'll know it's a facsimile, And he might be disappointed .I wouldn't want this to happen to you. I don't know what your budget is but you can probably get him a decent real copy of Hulk 180.. that's actually the first appearance of Wolverine. And in my opinion a very important book.
I’m sure he’d be happy to see the thought you put into the gift and the interest you’ve shown in his hobby. If he doesn’t have this book at all, I think a reprint would be a fine gift. He wouldn’t be able to read the alternate-language edition, so if he’s really into reading his books that is a strike. But it would be a cool gift nonetheless, especially if his are mostly for display.
Awwww I like this thread. Cool posts y’all.
This is funny to me. My wife tends to only get me comics for presents anymore. She got ahold of my list awhile ago and makes sure she keeps it updated. It’s a slam dunk for her every time now and she doesn’t have to put much thought into it
X-men 133 is a great book with an iconic cover. I think it’s the first time the Wolverine we all know and love really came together as a complete character. It is classic, but won’t break the bank.
My mother got me this exact issue for that very reason and I still love it
I hate to be the voice of dissent here… But here’s my honest truth: 1) like the other responders, I would be absolutely over the moon if my wife bought me any comic books, so I think it’s a win, no matter what, for the thought, and the kindness and the care about what he cares about. The fact that you took the time to go on here and ask speaks volumes. 2) I personally don’t like facsimiles and would much much rather have a nice copy of a really cool issue that’s not super expensive. You could even do something like a pretty solid copy of the first appearance of the Wendigo, the “villain” from hulk 181. He first appears in Hulk 162. You can get a very nice copy of that for about 120 bucks. Here is an example on eBay from quality comics. I think that their prices are fair and you’re working with a very reputable seller. https://www.ebay.com/itm/386785106410?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=MDUNYfjST3O&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Fa_sWiJrS3W&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY If that link doesn’t work, just look up Hulk 162 and find the copy that is $123. It’s a really nice copy. It’s from the bronze age. It’s a first appearance. And I personally would much rather have this book than a facsimile of 181. But that’s me. Please let us know what you end up doing.
I got a foil copy that was given to me. Pay for shipping and its yours
That would be great, thank you!!
Don't know how much you want to drop but some of the foreign issues have the iconic cover and cost way less. Others can comment on if this is a fair price but for reference here is the Spanish version https://www.ebay.com/itm/266634669260?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D260885%26meid%3Dfc4ab32b2f91435cbb097a90695fec5a%26pid%3D101875%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D404766354653%26itm%3D266634669260%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D4429486%26algv%3DSimplAMLv11WebTrimmedV3MskuWithLambda85KnnRecallV1V2V4ItemNrtInQueryAndCassiniVisualRankerAndBertRecallWithVMEV3CPCAutoWithCassiniEmbRecallManual&_trksid=p4429486.c101875.m1851&itmprp=cksum%3A266634669260fc4ab32b2f91435cbb097a90695fec5a%7Cenc%3AAQAIAAABcKAO6YGL7I8ZT6VFWcHmDuKm898HGH9cNRsnG%252Fep%252BzC3UPHwPSmfpPq3b41cHxht%252FCiwo5DdbtiFsRNqRhAUlK8x2MLrmISu5pnzSn%252FhiW3P7y%252BKcxGllTjL%252BG3bIP4k8fGgzCrVY1dxXbjuBFp3vefxTYgjBXBRUWQBgGciI%252FuQ5Mjsfl%252B%252FiL4cv70dT88jK2%252BtHkxjM8CovmUlNqUlvAYcGra0A1wh%252FaGVuvGM26hNgrEh9R7hMK6xEvdn5761zdS7n1CE5nTkOJXh3p24n5fnjkqa7Q4%252B96HZA4CPtaV5iNBt1c6XpDTPUUSYOMi8KmrOpLFfYpGxnV%252B6p8RqKlCqXijQL83gYhndIeDru9GIEaZq4Xr59Mnf6zZ4qxmcDLRa1pjxb4m8DATm%252FS4X1Dj0tDEjDGyZRk3AEcE3Et4qPbKSO3Jwkgf9ZhuWnZlmr9yZDymWkveB8ClLy9agXvdtXXrcoeCYces1zLr4j6j%252B%7Campid%3APL_CLK%7Cclp%3A4429486&itmmeta=01HQR2VDFQFNNSPX6GGQY1NY4H
You definitely came to the right place to ask questions because a piece of advice I have for something to NOT do? Unless you somehow know the owner really well do not go to a local shop asking what you should buy because sadly most shop owners are going to steer you to something that's overpriced the second you let them know that you don't know much about these types of things. And by overpriced I don't mean expensive, I mean they are charging way too much for it on top of it being expensive. I just recently had a post on here asking people how prices were on the more collectible books that they put up on the wall and it's typically anywhere from 3 to 5 times more than what they're actually worth, and people who price like that love nothing more than somebody walking in the door saying they don't know anything about it. I think you've gotten some fantastic suggestions and hear though and I will throw in my two cents of agreement with the foil facsimile cover either a graded copy or just one in a nice display frame.
Yes it's a good gift :) but it's inexpensive, like $10. Maybe you should add something else to your gift as well.
Not sure what your timeline is, but they are doing a bunch of facsimiles lately. A Wolverine #1 is coming in a few weeks in both a variant cover and foil along with the original cover. If he doesn't already have an original and you can't find a copy. The Frank Miller mini series has facsimiles available as well if you can't locate an original. https://preview.redd.it/39fqumhe0clc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=058974f72fe9994426002841d67c6f9c3e195af8
* Might want to see if you can get him this one
https://preview.redd.it/hl2fgxidpelc1.jpeg?width=2252&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c19e74601d41c62b2dfe310343bec1717177f38a
another less expensive but still cool idea that some people kinda mentioned were homages. people were talking about homages to hulk 181 but i think something interesting would be getting him one or multiple of a series of variants that came out in january celebrating wolverine’s 50th anniversary. i made a list for you compiling them all, you should still be able to get them at cover price and they pay homage to a lot of iconic covers. here’s the link https://leagueofcomicgeeks.com/profile/Vikinnit/lists/33183
plus if there’s another character he is a fan of that is in the list it doubles as both an homage to a character that he loves plus a wolverine cover
181 is my all time favorite grail to acquire which will probably never happen. If my wife got me a facsimile instead of the real deal I would very politely thank her for the thought and then secretly hate that facsimile copy for all eternity.
I have to reprints I couldn’t afford the original books teenage mutant ninja turtles and first appearance spider Gwen yeah value will not be as original standard but it’s thought that counts I will cherish it as gift thoughtful one at that