The points of issue
First trade collection of the debut four-issue Hellboy mini-series, Dark Horse, 1994, softcover, ISBN 1-56971-049-9, with the printed price. Conceived and drawn by Mignola and scripted by John Byrne. Stated first printing; original Mignola cover. The collection also gathers the early Hellboy short stories and a pin-up gallery.
Is this the true first?
Hellboy's true first appearance is in San Diego Comic-Con Comics number two, August 1993, a convention giveaway; a cameo follows in John Byrne's Next Men number twenty-one, December 1993. The four-issue solo mini-series, beginning 1994, is the first standalone Hellboy comic, and the 1994 trade is the first collected book. Three distinct precedence layers.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition is recorded. Later Dark Horse printings are explicitly marked, with a second edition in 1997. Confirm the 1994 first printing and original ISBN.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Hellboy: Seed of Destruction a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First trade collection of the debut four-issue Hellboy mini-series, Dark Horse, 1994, softcover, ISBN 1-56971-049-9, with the printed price. Conceived and drawn by Mignola and scripted by John Byrne. Stated first printing; original Mignola cover. The collection also gathers the early Hellboy short stories and a pin-up gallery.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. Hellboy's true first appearance is in San Diego Comic-Con Comics number two, August 1993, a convention giveaway; a cameo follows in John Byrne's Next Men number twenty-one, December 1993. The four-issue solo mini-series, beginning 1994, is the first standalone Hellboy comic, and the 1994 trade is th
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition is recorded. Later Dark Horse printings are explicitly marked, with a second edition in 1997. Confirm the 1994 first printing and original ISBN.
I have a first edition of Hellboy: Seed of Destruction — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.