Issue cover. Verify the exact issue, printing, and cover before buying.
DC · Copper Age · 1986
Watchmen #1
DC · 1986
Noted for: Watchmen ensemble
KEY ISSUEShop this issue
We may earn a commission from these links, at no extra cost to you. Disclosure.
Before you buy
Verify the issue and printing, check the grader certification, review restoration notes, and compare recent sold examples in the same grade.
The Watchmen #1 in context
Why collectors care
Watchmen #1 (1986) opens the Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons landmark that redefined the medium. It is one of the most acclaimed comics ever published and a cornerstone modern key.
How to identify it
A 1986 first printing of the twelve-issue DC limited series. Confirm the issue and edition; the run was large, so grade drives value.
Common mistakes
Because it was widely printed, only high-grade copies carry a meaningful premium. Later trade collections are not the single issue.
Grade considerations
As a mid-1980s book it is common in mid grade but scarcer in top census grades with white pages, which is where the premium sits.
Part of these hubs
Batman: The Killing Joke
DC · 1988
1st: Landmark Joker graphic novel
V for Vendetta #1
DC · 1988
1st: DC series debut
Saga of the Swamp Thing #21
DC · 1984
1st: Anatomy Lesson
Saga of the Swamp Thing #37
DC · 1985
1st: John Constantine