Marvel Masterpieces Card Set (1992)

Jusko Hulk Card

One of the most memorable things about this whole set is the amazing artwork on the Hulk card.  In fact, this is the card that lined practically EVERY Marvel book that year – they used it as the promotion for the whole series!  And while there wasn’t a whole lot of Hulk loving going on in this set – we have a Hulk and a Leader card – and one chase card featuring the Hulk – it still is one of the most impressive to me.

Jusko's Leader Card

This set came out in the craze of the collector years – comics were selling by the millions, cards were worth SOMETHING, people were buying comics for investment – not even reading the things!  Some people believed – and some still do – that actually reading the issue will decrease it’s value.  Well, do you want me to tell you what REALLY decreases a comic’s value?  It may shock and offend some – so if you want to be left in the dark then stop reading here! 

Alright, I think the pansies are gone now… here is what really decreases a comics value… I mean besides condition… it’s… HAVING MILLIONS OF COPIES OUT THERE!  Remember that “Collector’s Item” they called X-Men #1?  Remember that the young, hot artist Jim Lee was drawing it?  Yeah – you can snag one for a buck on the bay.  This series had 350,000 boxes released – and we know this because every box was stamped with it’s own personal number.  But, if there is 6 cards in a pack – and each box had 36 packs… that’s 216 cards per pack and… hold on, having to punch it into my calculator… that’s 75,600,000 cards out there!  Divided by 105 (A complete set with chase cards) that’s about 720,000 sets!  WOW!

Spectra Etch Card: Hulk vs Thing

But this set does something I like – it has one artist make every card!  I know some people who enjoy the diversity of other sets – but sometimes it’s great to see the same artist take on each of the characters.  The chase cards in this set were called “Spectra Etch” cards – which is a fancy way of saying they are shiny!  But they also released some comics featuring the artwork of these cards, like so:

1992 Marvel Masterpieces #3 of 4 - don't mind the tape at the top...

There were 4 of these comics with 5 new paintings in each one.  A cool little tidbit if you were not aware… alright, I am tired and am heading to bed!  Later, you Hulk fanatics!  It’s good to be back!  I will be posting my review of TIHs #612 this weekend sometime…