L'incroyable Hulk #1

History

Editions Héritage was founded in 1968 by Maurice Poirier together with brothers Antoine and Norbert Mireault, who negotiated a licensing agreement with Marvel Comics to translate and publish its most popular titles — Hulk, Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man — for the Quebec market. The first two issues of the Hulk series appeared under the 'Comics Soleil' imprint rather than the 'Héritage' brand, which only became the standard logo from issue #3 onward, making #1 a slight anomaly even within the publisher's own history. The issue was printed in color on newsprint in a format unique among the early Héritage run, a production choice that made surviving copies unusually fragile. From 1971 onward, day-to-day editorial oversight of all Héritage French comics passed to Robert St-Martin, whose name rarely appeared in print despite his supervising every aspect of the line.

Trivia · 8 facts

• Published September 1968 by Editions Héritage (Quebec, Canada) — the publisher's very first comic book release and the first French-language periodical dedicated to a Marvel modern-era character.
• The cover and indicia carry the 'Comics Soleil' brand, not the 'Héritage' brand; the Héritage logo only replaced it beginning with issue #3 of the series.
• Primary story is a full-color reprint of The Incredible Hulk (Marvel, 1968 series) #106 ('Above the Earth, a Titan Rages!', August 1968), featuring Bruce Banner/Hulk, Nick Fury, SHIELD, and the Missing Link — notably the first appearance of Nick Fury within the Hulk's own title.
• The back pages contain the opening two pages (in black and white) of The Amazing Spider-Man #58 (March 1968, 'To Kill a Spider-Man!'), written by Stan Lee and penciled by John Romita Sr. — bringing Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Ka-Zar (Kevin Plunder), and Zabu into the issue.
• Editions Héritage was the sole publisher translating Marvel and DC superhero comics into French for Quebec readers during its entire 1968–1987 run, filling a gap left by the absence of French-language North American superhero comics prior to its founding.
• The issue was printed in color on newsprint — a format shared with only a handful of other early Héritage releases — making it physically fragile; few copies have survived in high grade.
• Editions Héritage was founded by Maurice Poirier alongside brothers Antoine and Norbert Mireault; from 1971 onward, Robert St-Martin oversaw all French comics production for the publisher, though his name rarely appeared inside the books.
• The Héritage series reprinted Marvel material in close-to-chronological order, a continuity discipline that distinguished it from its French counterparts and later made the Canadian run a reference resource for francophone collectors.

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