The points of issue
First issue of the twelve-part maxi-series, cover-dated September 1986, with a the printed price cover price (not 75 cents). The first print direct-market edition carries the DC logo box in the lower-left cover corner; newsstand copies carry a UPC barcode instead. The indicia shows no reprint or later-printing notation. As a direct-market maxi-series of this era, the original single issues were generally not reprinted as floppies during the initial run, so most surviving copies are first printings.
Is this the true first?
True first appearance of Rorschach, the Comedian, Dr. Manhattan, Nite Owl II, Silk Spectre and Ozymandias. The serialized issues precede the 1987 collected trade paperback. Both direct and newsstand states exist; grade (white pages, sharp corners) drives desirability far more than the direct/newsstand distinction.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue. Beware later DC reprint printings of the single issue and recolored editions; the original carries the 1986 indicia and the the printed price cover price.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Watchmen #1 (comic) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First issue of the twelve-part maxi-series, cover-dated September 1986, with a the printed price cover price (not 75 cents). The first print direct-market edition carries the DC logo box in the lower-left cover corner; newsstand copies carry a UPC barcode instead. The indicia shows no reprint or later-printing notation. As a direct-market maxi-series of this era, the original single issues were generally not reprinted as floppies during the initial run, so most surviving copies are first printings.
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. True first appearance of Rorschach, the Comedian, Dr. Manhattan, Nite Owl II, Silk Spectre and Ozymandias. The serialized issues precede the 1987 collected trade paperback. Both direct and newsstand states exist; grade (white pages, sharp corners) drives desirability far more than the direct/newssta
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club issue. Beware later DC reprint printings of the single issue and recolored editions; the original carries the 1986 indicia and the the printed price cover price.
I have a first edition of Watchmen #1 (comic) — 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.