Harbinger #1

Jan 1992 · Acclaim / Valiant · 1.95 USD; 2.50 CAD

📊 ~32,111 copies sold its debut month

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“Children of the Eighth Day”

About this Issue

Harbinger #1 holds a dual distinction that few debut issues can claim: it was the first wholly original comic published by Valiant Comics — meaning the first not based on a licensed property — and it launched the series that became the creative engine of the entire Valiant Universe. Written by former Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter and drawn by then-newcomer David Lapham, the book introduced a darker, more psychologically grounded take on the superpowered-teenager concept, with characters deliberately written as morally ambiguous rather than cleanly heroic. The series it launched went on to sell over five million copies across all languages, and Wizard Magazine named the first issue its 'Collectible of the Decade' — then also placed it on the magazine's top-ten list for a then-record eight consecutive months. In 2006, the critical organization Sequart designated the Harbinger series the 1990s Comic Book of the Decade, cementing its place not just as a sales phenomenon but as a genuinely influential work in the medium.

"Children of the Eighth Day" launches the Harbinger series with a bold introduction to a group of young metahumans united against the enigmatic Toyo Harada. Written by Jim Shooter and illustrated by David Lapham, the story follows Sting and Kris as they recruit Zephyr, Flamingo, and Torque, setting the stage for a clash that leaves Kris injured after a violent ambush by Harada’s forces. The cover by Jim Shooter and David Lapham captures the tension of this pivotal moment.

writer Jim Shooter · artist David Lapham · inker John Dixon · colorist Janet Jackson · colorist The Knobs · letterer John Costanza · cover Jim Shooter, David Lapham, Bob Layton

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (NM) $138

CGC 9.8 $768

CGC 9.6 $391

CGC 9.4 $274

CGC 9.2 $252

CGC 9.0 $252*

CGC 8.5 $214*

Show all 22 grades ▾

CGC 8.0 $207*

CGC 7.5 $81*

CGC 7.0 $81*

CGC 6.5 $64*

CGC 6.0 $59*

CGC 5.5 $42*

CGC 5.0 $35*

CGC 4.5 $26*

CGC 4.0 $21*

CGC 3.5 $20*

CGC 3.0 $20*

CGC 2.5 $20*

CGC 2.0 $20*

CGC 1.5 $20*

CGC 1.0 none in existence

CGC 0.5 $20*

* estimate — limited direct-sales data at this grade

Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

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History

Harbinger #1 arrived in January 1992 as part of Valiant's first wave of wholly original titles — alongside X-O Manowar, Rai, and Shadowman — after the company had spent its early years publishing comics based on licensed Western Publishing characters. Jim Shooter, who had previously served as Marvel Comics' editor-in-chief and had co-founded Voyager Communications (Valiant's parent company) in 1989 after a failed bid to acquire Marvel, wrote the series while simultaneously functioning as Valiant's Editor-in-Chief. Shooter was paired with artist David Lapham, described at the time as a newcomer, and together they built a shared universe hook directly into the issue itself: each copy contained the first of six mail-away coupons that readers could redeem for the exclusive pink variant of the prequel Harbinger #0, and the reverse side of each coupon printed the first installment of a serialized 'Story of Harada' backstory, encouraging readers to collect the full run.

Trivia · 7 facts

First appearance of Peter Stanchek (alias Sting), the series' lead protagonist — an omega-level psiot with telepathy, telekinesis, and the rare ability to activate latent psiot powers in others.
First appearance of Faith Herbert (alias Zephyr), a fan-favorite Harbinger Renegade with flight abilities who later headlined her own solo limited and ongoing series in 2016–2017.
First appearance of the Harbinger Renegades as a group (also listed as the Eggbreakers' first appearance by GoCollect), establishing the central conflict of teenage psiots fleeing and fighting Toyo Harada's Harbinger Foundation.
Historically significant as the first original comic published by Valiant Comics not derived from a licensed property, marking the company's pivot to building its own shared universe.
Each copy contained the first of six collectible mail-away coupons redeemable for an exclusive pink variant of Harbinger #0, with the coupon's reverse side printing part one of the serialized 'Story of Harada' — a production-level mechanism designed to drive readership across the entire initial run.
The issue has been reprinted multiple times: in the 1992 trade paperback Harbinger: Children of the Eighth Day; in the 2007 Valiant Entertainment hardcover Harbinger: The Beginning (the very first publication released by the relaunched Valiant Entertainment); and in a 2021 facsimile reprint edition limited to 2,500 copies, distributed exclusively through Kowabunga Comics.
Wizard Magazine listed Harbinger #1 on its top-ten collectibles list for a then-record eight consecutive months and ultimately named it 'Collectible of the Decade'; in 2006, Sequart named the Harbinger series its 1990s Comic Book of the Decade.