BOOKS
The torn beginning of a comic myth

TASCHEN Marvel Hulk 1962–1966 Collector’s Edition

Gamma Explosion Scene – TASCHEN Hulk 1962–1966

Hulk vs. Military – TASCHEN Hulk 1962–1966

Marvel Comics Library Hulk – Chapter Opener from Marvel Comics Library: Hulk 1962–1966

The Coming of the Hulk – TASCHEN Marvel Reprint

Gamma Bomb Countdown – TASCHEN Hulk No. 1 Reprint

Spider-Man vs. Hulk and Editorial Essay – TASCHEN Hulk Edition

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The book Marvel Comics Library: Hulk. 1962–1966 brings together the earliest appearances of the Hulk from 1962 to 1966 and traces his development from a monstrous fringe figure to an iconic antihero. Across more than 650 pages, the edition combines facsimile comic pages, background material, and biographical notes. The oversized volume preserves the original visual style while also functioning as a bibliophile object. The early work is treated with visual seriousness: thanks to carefully restored coloring and restrained typography, the reader can follow how the character not only mutated—but continuously reinvented itself.

At the heart of the book are not only the Hulk and his civilian identity Bruce Banner, but also the conceptual uncertainty of Marvel’s early creators. In their essays, Al Ewing and Douglas Wolk show how the creative team around Stan Lee and Jack Kirby initially had no clear idea of what they had created. The character oscillates wildly: sometimes a monster, sometimes a weapon, a victim, a threat—depending on issue and zeitgeist. This ambiguity is not glossed over but critically examined. The retrospective reveals the early comics as an experimental space, somewhere between horror, Cold War parable, and unintended psychological portrait of a divided nation.

That the Hulk has survived to this day is not due to a stable concept, but precisely because of his adaptability. The edition makes it clear: the Hulk was never just green and angry, but an echo of his time—when nuclear threat, male vulnerability, and loss of control became negotiable themes. In an era where superheroes often serve as polished myths, the early Hulk feels like a raw, unfinished countermodel—and thus more relevant than expected. A look back that doesn’t romanticize, but exposes historical ruptures.

Reading Tip

For more information on the book Marvel Comics Library: Hulk. 1962–1966, visit the official website of TASCHEN.

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The book was kindly made available to us by the publisher. The presentation and rating of HYPERMADE remains independent of this and is based solely on the content of the book.