CGC Featured Comic of the Month: Green Hornet Comics #1

Posted on 3/2/2026

From radio waves to pulp pages, Green Hornet Comics #1 showcased everything that made the Hornet dangerous and different.

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Name of comic: Green Hornet Comics #1

Comic publisher: Holyoke Publications (later known as Harvey Comics)

Date: December 1940

Variants: None

What makes it special? This classic comic features the first comic book appearance of Green Hornet and Kato, after they were first introduced to audiences in 1936 on the radio drama The Green Hornet. The story told of newspaper publisher Britt Reid, who secretly waged a one-man war on crime, aided by his sidekick Kato, a brilliant valet and martial artist. The characters proved popular enough to make the jump to comics, where their pulpy noir tone, gas gun gimmickry and sleek Black Beauty car helped define them for generations of fans.

Why is it interesting now? The generational popularity of Green Hornet and Kato comes from a crimefighter feared by the public, and a partnership built on trust, intellect and raw skill rather than brute force. That layered appeal makes the property endlessly collectible, especially fitting in March, the month of green, whether you read it as envy from other heroes, or the color of money tied to this high-value collectible.

Did you know? After serial shorts in the 1940s, the most famous screen version arrived with the 1966 TV series The Green Hornet, which ran one season on ABC and cemented the duo’s pop-culture legacy, especially thanks to Bruce Lee’s Kato. On the big screen, they were reimagined for modern audiences in the 2011 action-comedy The Green Hornet, starring Seth Rogen and Jay Chou.

Total graded by CGC: As of February 24, 2026, there are only 62 copies of Green Hornet Comics #1 in the CGC Population Report.

CGC highest graded: There are just two examples graded CGC 9.4.

CGC median grade: CGC 4.5

Sales highlights: A Green Hornet Comics #1 graded CGC 9.4 realized $31,200 in a November 2023 sale by Heritage Auctions.

CGC Comics Registry Champion: There are 13 entries in the Green Hornet Comics category, but none have one of the ultra-rare 62 copies graded by CGC.

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About CGC

Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for a vast variety of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for sports cards, TCGs and non-sports cards. CGC Video Games is dedicated to video game grading for the most popular consoles, including Nintendo, Sega, Atari, PlayStation and more. CGC Home Video provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of videocassettes, DVD, Blu-ray and more. CGC also offers seamless solutions for autograph collectors with CGC Signature Series and JSA Authentic Autograph services.

CGC is part of the Certified Collectibles Group, a global provider of expert and impartial authentication and grading services for collectibles. Since 1987, the Certified Collectibles Group companies have certified more than 100 million collectibles, including coins, banknotes, comic books, cards, autographs and stamps.


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