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Hellraiser EPIC first appearance of pinhead
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Started by maidenmate91,

23 posts in this topic

maidenmate91

maidenmate91

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Hello all, I recently got back into the Hellraiser films in anticipation for the upcoming HBO series. This sparked my interest in the 1989 epic comic series. I was looking on eBay, and all listings of #1 claim it to be the first appearance of pinhead.

However upon further investigation I discovered he only appears on the cover. I repeat, he is not in the book at all. Meanwhile #2 actually has pinhead and a fellow cenobite in the interior story, fully fleshed out. *Multiple panels* So is the market wrong on this one, because I would be livid if I bought that book previously at a higher price, and he nor a single cenobite is involved inside.

So what do you guys have to say about it? I want a non bias opinion, so if you're pimping/ profiting off of #1 stay out of it. Or present a good reason why you feel it still is.

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Number 6

Number 6

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With the introduction of 3rd party grading and slabbing things have become more cover-centric I guess. 

I’m not familiar with this comic series though I do remember when it came out as I had a pull list at my LCS at the time.  From what I can see, it looks like an anthology series with a common theme rather than a single ongoing narrative, is that right?
 

I’ve also never read the books or watched the movies (so probably not the best person to comment) but is it possible that Pinhead and the Cenobites are somewhat similar to Cthulhu and the Great Old Ones?

What I mean is, from what I remember of Lovecraft there are stories that are considered part of the Cthulhu Mythos even though Cthulhu doesn’t necessarily appear in all those stories. 
 

Since the Hellraiser comic is an anthology series, as long as the short stories involve the mythology of the Cenobites - even though they don’t actually appear - would the cover appearance alone of Pinhead be enough to justify the “1st appearance (in comics)” designation?

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Hey Kids, Comics!

Hey Kids, Comics!

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None of it makes sense. Red Hulk 1 is the same way and everyone wants it, but when Ronin (the Avenger not the Miller samurai) was hot, everyone was after New Avengers 11 although he appears on multiple covers (not interiors) before that. The market just decides what the market decides. Sometimes they want full. Sometimes they want cameos. Sometimes they like the cover better (ala UXM 266/X-Factor 24 - neither first apps) so they decide that's what they want. Hellraiser 1 will be the book. 

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maidenmate91

maidenmate91

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4 hours ago, Hey Kids, Comics! said:

None of it makes sense. Red Hulk 1 is the same way and everyone wants it, but when Ronin (the Avenger not the Miller samurai) was hot, everyone was after New Avengers 11 although he appears on multiple covers (not interiors) before that. The market just decides what the market decides. Sometimes they want full. Sometimes they want cameos. Sometimes they like the cover better (ala UXM 266/X-Factor 24 - neither first apps) so they decide that's what they want. Hellraiser 1 will be the book. 

Hellraiser #1 can't be the book! I mean they literally don't appear at all. It is the first appearance of the Lament configuration. Still an important part of that universe, but no Cenobites. #2 is the one people will want, most people don't read their damn books, to know better. 

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MetalPSI

MetalPSI

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1 hour ago, maidenmate91 said:

I knew it was the first appearance of The Maxx. I just didn't understand what you were relating that to. 

Yeah, except that isn't the first appearance of the Maxx, Darker Image is

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seanfingh

seanfingh

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On 6/26/2020 at 1:12 AM, Number 6 said:

With the introduction of 3rd party grading and slabbing things have become more cover-centric I guess. 

I’m not familiar with this comic series though I do remember when it came out as I had a pull list at my LCS at the time.  From what I can see, it looks like an anthology series with a common theme rather than a single ongoing narrative, is that right?
 

I’ve also never read the books or watched the movies (so probably not the best person to comment) but is it possible that Pinhead and the Cenobites are somewhat similar to Cthulhu and the Great Old Ones?

What I mean is, from what I remember of Lovecraft there are stories that are considered part of the Cthulhu Mythos even though Cthulhu doesn’t necessarily appear in all those stories. 
 

Since the Hellraiser comic is an anthology series, as long as the short stories involve the mythology of the Cenobites - even though they don’t actually appear - would the cover appearance alone of Pinhead be enough to justify the “1st appearance (in comics)” designation?

You also have to factor in that the characters were introduced in the movies (and they may have been part of Barker's short stories before that, I don't know). So the first image in comics may be more important to people than the first appearance in story.  I have never really gotten into first appearances when the real first appearance was in another medium.

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maidenmate91

maidenmate91

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27 minutes ago, seanfingh said:

You also have to factor in that the characters were introduced in the movies (and they may have been part of Barker's short stories before that, I don't know). So the first image in comics may be more important to people than the first appearance in story.  I have never really gotten into first appearances when the real first appearance was in another medium.

That would roll out a ton of first appearances across-the-board though. Harley Quinn, Live Wire, Batman Beyond and more! To each their own I have copies of both, so I don't mind. Personally I would rather have the character's first appearance be in the book. Cover be damned! That's just salty slab collectors who want to still be able to see the character, because they can't open the book up. 

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maidenmate91

maidenmate91

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1 hour ago, IkewithMike said:

Yeah, except that isn't the first appearance of the Maxx, Darker Image is

Isn't that just a magazine like wizard? 

Edit: NVM I see what you mean. I wasn't aware that was his first. What do they consider primer then? 

Edited by maidenmate91
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MetalPSI

MetalPSI

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9 minutes ago, seanfingh said:

Primer (Max the Hare) is a prototype of the Maxx.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but was Primer 5 Keith's first published work?

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GeeksAreMyPeeps

GeeksAreMyPeeps

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My general take on something like this is that a cover appearance on a comic (rather than a new magazine about comics) is Creative content (whereas a cover of a magazine like Wizard or Marvel Age is Editorial or Marketing content), and therefore is generally going to count as a first appearance and be the desired book, regardless of whether the character appears in the story. But that means you're going to have another key book, where the character first appears in the story. For example, Kamala Khan's first appearance as Ms Marvel is desired both on the second print of Captain Marvel 17 and in Marvel Now Point 1. Gwenpool isn't at all related to the story in the comic that she first appeared on the cover of, and that was the hot book.

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