Son Goku first appeared in Dragon Ball #1, published by Independent in 1998. That places it in the Modern Age.
Why this issue matters
Goku's first US single issue, from Viz's colourised Dragon Ball monthly, which ran before the strips moved into the US Shonen Jump in 2003. The first US Dragon Ball appearance most collectors point to.
Key facts
Dragon Ball #1
- Character: Son Goku
- Publisher: Independent
- Cover year: 1998
- Era: Modern Age
Before you buy or sell one
- Check it is a first print, not a facsimile or reprint. Newsstand and direct editions are priced differently too.
- Condition decides most of the value. Whether grading is worth it depends on the copy.
Other first appearances from 1998
- Pokemon Pokemon: The Electric Tale of Pikachu #1, 1998
More Independent firsts from the Modern Age
- Hellboy San Diego Comic Con Comics #2, 1993
- Preacher Preacher #1, 1995
- Transmetropolitan Transmetropolitan #1, 1997
- Y: The Last Man Y: The Last Man #1, 2002
- Battle Angel Alita Battle Angel Alita #1, 1992
- Ghost in the Shell Ghost in the Shell #1, 1995
- Naruto and Luffy Shonen Jump #1, 2003
Got a copy?
I buy key issues and whole collections across the UK, and I will tell you honestly whether what you have is the real first or a later printing. Send me photos of the cover and the indicia and I will come back with a straight answer, and a proper valuation if you want one.