CGC Featured Comic of the Month: Hellboy: Seed of Destruction #1

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Name of comic: Hellboy: Seed of Destruction #1

Comic publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Date: March 1994

Variants: None

What makes it special? Crawling out of the shadows in 1994, Hellboy: Seed of Destruction #1 marked the first solo series for Mike Mignola’s crimson-skinned paranormal investigator. Half-demon, half-reluctant hero, Hellboy battles occult horrors, Nazi sorcery and creatures that feel ripped from the pages of forgotten folklore. With its moody art, gothic atmosphere and bone-chilling blend of pulp and the supernatural, this debut issue is equal parts eerie and heroic, with a monster who fights monsters.

Why is it interesting now? From its gothic artwork to its lurking monsters and occult mysteries, the book drips with eerie atmosphere. Hellboy himself embodies the Halloween season, making this debut issue the perfect choice to celebrate October’s spooky mood.

Did you know? This may be Hellboy’s first solo run, but the character had a long journey getting here. First, he was teased in the Great Salt Lake Comic Con program in 1991, then appeared as a preview in John Byrne’s Next Men #14 in 1993, and then an early design appeared Dime Press #4 in 1993. Hellboy made his first true appearance in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 in 1993, but that was only in black and white. His first color appearance came in John Byrne’s Next Men #21 in 1993.

Total graded by CGC: As of September 30, 2025, there are 1,087 copies of Hellboy: Seed of Destruction #1 listed in the CGC Population Report.

CGC highest graded: There are three recorded examples graded CGC 9.9 (all of them Universal), as well as 445 graded CGC 9.8, including 121 CGC Signature Series.

CGC median grade: CGC 9.6

Sales highlights: A CGC Signature Series 9.8 example signed by creator Mike Mignola realized $550 through an eBay sale in April 2021.

CGC Comics Registry Champion: CGC Registry member mschmidt has an impressive collection of Hellboy comics, including a Hellboy: Seed of Destruction #1 graded CGC 9.8, in his set, m’s hellboy. This comic, along with other ghoulish grails, helped earn this set the Best in Set Type 2014-2018 and again 2021-2024.

Previous Featured Comics of the Month:

• September 2025: The Spectre #54
• August 2025: Marvel Super-Heroes #20
• July 2025: G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #21
• June 2025: Superman #233
• May 2025: Omega Men #3
• April 2025: Godzilla 70th Anniversary #nn
• March 2025: Fantastic Four #209
• February 2025: X-Men #24
• January 2025: Batman #25
• December 2024: Batman #33
• November 2024: Vote Loki #1
• October 2024: The Walking Dead #1

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