From the Bench: The Incredible Hulk #181

CCAHA Paper Conservator Chloe Houseman is our resident comic book expert—last year she hosted the Facebook video series Comic Cons: Best Practices to Preserve and Conserve Your Comic Book Collection—and she was eager for the opportunity to treat this rare copy of The Incredible Hulk #181, belonging to a private collector. The issue is notable (and valuable) for featuring the first appearance of the soon-to-be popular character Wolverine in the Marvel Universe. This copy arrived at CCAHA in generally good condition, but it had some surface grime and a tideline that ran throughout the book. Chloe was able to carefully disbind the book and wash it to remove staining and acidity.

Follow us on Instagram to see more treatment photos!