Next men #21 - The first appearance of Hellboy / Review!

A Review Worth Its Weight in Comic Gold (or CGC Grade-Envy)

Picture this: You’re rummaging through an ancient box of comics, half-dust monster, half-hopeful treasure trove, and you pull out Next Men #21. Suddenly, the room smells faintly of roasted peanuts—or is that just Hellboy’s scent? Either way, cue the “ka-ching!” moment because this issue is more than just a page-turner: it’s the first full-colour appearance of everybody’s favourite paranormal investigator. Oh yes, folks, you just hit collector’s pay-dirt. 

Why All the Fuss?

• Debut of a Demon Detective (in colour)
  While Hellboy made earlier cameo-ish appearances in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 (Aug ’93, B&W) and even earlier in fanzine and pamphlet form, Next Men #21 is his first regular, colour‐popping crossover cameo—written by John Byrne, drawn by Mike Mignola himself—so you know it’s legit historic marker. Sources -

  Wikipedia

  GoCollect

  comicbookinvest.com

  Bleeding Cool News

  30thcenturycomics.co.uk

• Collector Tier “Legendary” Status
  Graded copies sell like hotcakes. One CGC 9.6 and a 9.0 were auctioned, and at one point, the 9.6 was already hitting $175—before the gavel even dropped. Meanwhile, pre-owned shops in the UK have been hawking FN+ copies for about £80. If you’ve got a pressed, slabbed, bagged, and boarded version of this sucker, you’re practically sitting on a pile of comics prestige.

The Comic Itself: A Brief Shenanigan

Next Men #21 mixes Byrne’s Next Men saga—think time-traveling super-kids wrestling with serious themes like identity—with a Hellboy cameo so smooth you’d swear he was always part of the team. The cover? Brings color to his big debut. The interior? Mignola delivers a sharp segment where our red-fisted hero ironically exists as “fiction” to Byrne’s characters. A meta, made-of-awesome crossover. 

Tone and Style: Fantasy Road-Style Fun

You know how we do it at Fantasy Road: sprinkle a little snark, a dash of collector jargon, and a good pinch of “we’ll give you cash for that.” So here’s your cheeky, tongue-in-cheek breakdown:

The Fantasy Road Remix Review

Grab your CGC holder—or at least a decent bag-and-board—and mosey on over to this gem from December 1993. Next Men #21 isn’t just a comic—it's a “Hellboy in colour before he got his own monthly” kind of historic moment. Imagine that a pint-sized demon in oversize boots was stalking the streets of grotesque urban fantasy before becoming a Dark Horse mainstay. That’s what you’re holding here.

This issue is like discovering a bottle of perfectly aged whisky in your gran’s cupboard—unexpected, valuable, and full of character. Hellboy’s debut in full colour is that alcohol-stain on the carton that screams "drama inside"—except the drama is paranormal and demon-fighting. The kind of story Byrne writes with existential teenage angst meets cosmic weirdness, and Mignola brings that clean-lined gothic flair to make Hellboy look like he’s auditioning for “best demon in trench coat.” Next Men already had the high-octane sci-fi chops; Hellboy just crashed the party and made it legendary.

And collectors, pay attention: Whether you’ve got a raw copy, a CGCgraded treasure, or even just the digital memory, Fantasy Road wants to buy it. We’re talking UK pounds, not pocket change. FN+? Great. 9.8? Fantastic. A dog-eared paperback? We’ll evaluate, friend. Because that red guy stamped in colour changed the comic game.

For Sellers (That's You, Potential Comic Hoarders)

If you're sitting on Next Men #21 and wondering what to do:

• Condition matters: Grade and presentation can double or triple value. A CGC 9.6 is likely north of $100, maybe much more depending on demand.

• Raw copies still sell: Venerable UK shops have listed fine+ copies at £40—so even ungraded copies hold value. 

• Fantasy Road will give it the love (and price) it deserves, especially if you've got multiple key issues.

TL;DR: Key Collector Points

Final Verdict

If this comic is buried in your stash, dust it off, bag it, and consider yourself lucky. Hellboy’s very first splash of colour is both a cultural milestone and a coin-generating machine. Fantasy Road would love to give it a good home—and your wallet would love the new deposit.

So, whether you're riding the “Hellboy hype train” or just clearing the clutter, this particular issue is more than a comic—it’s a little piece of pop-culture history in red, and it’s looking for a new collector owner (or a seller with good taste).