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đź’Ą MAYHEM #1 CGC 9.2 (1989) đź’Ą
1st Appearance of THE MASK
Certification number: 1351823009
I do combine shipping. I will do my utmost to ensure that your package is protected and secure during shipping. I use high-quality packing materials, including plenty of craft paper to prevent movement inside the box, multiple layers of bubble wrap to safeguard the CGC case, and a sturdy box marked with "Fragile" stickers.
CGC 9.2 • Dark Horse Comics • 1989 Indie Key 📖 Story Highlights – The Beginning of Chaos
This is the explosive first appearance of The Mask, introduced by John Arcudi and Doug Mahnke in one of Dark Horse’s most brutal and unforgettable indie debuts. The anthology format delivers three 12-page stories:
• The Mask – violent, satirical, unpredictable antihero chaos
• Mecha by Tim Eldred
• The Mark by Jerry Prosser & Wayne Tanaka It’s raw late-’80s indie storytelling — bold, graphic, and completely unfiltered.
🎨 Cover Art Breakdown – Violent Satire in Full Display
Chris Warner’s cover captures everything that made early Mask stories legendary. The Mask stands front and center in his bright green suit — but he’s been torn apart by gunfire. Bullet holes rip through his chest, arm, and leg. Blood sprays across his shirt and splashes upward behind his head. His face is grotesquely exaggerated: one eye bulging wide, teeth stretched into a jagged skeletal grin, skin shredded yet somehow still animated. The expression is manic, mocking, and completely fearless. Behind him, a brick wall is riddled with fresh bullet impacts — circular blasts dotting the background like a firing squad just unloaded. Gun in hand, barely affected by the carnage, he sneers:
“Who’s laughing now?” The visual contrast is what makes this iconic:
Cartoon-bright green suit.
Graphic violence and blood splatter.
Dark humor layered over brutality. This is not the later comedic film version — this is the original, savage 1989 Dark Horse incarnation.
🔥 Key Features
- First appearance of The Mask
- Early Arcudi & Mahnke collaboration
- Classic Dark Horse anthology era
- Foundation of a major ’90s cult character
- Strong CGC 9.2
📦 Collector’s Notes
This issue is a cornerstone indie key. Before the movie adaptation and mainstream exposure, The Mask began here — darker, bloodier, and far more unhinged. A CGC 9.2 copy offers sharp display quality and strong collector appeal for fans of Dark Horse milestones and late-’80s independent comics.
DARK HORSE • 1ST THE MASK • 1989 INDIE CLASSIC • CGC 9.2
