I've got the COVID (again) so I'm doing the minimum this week. Y'all will have to write all the commentary this time!
TOP 10 PUBLISHERS
NO. 1: DC COMICS
ABSOLUTE
ABSOLUTE FLASH #20
ABSOLUTE GREEN ARROW #6
BAD SEEDS
BATWOMAN #8
CATWOMAN #92
DETECTIVE COMICS #1114
NIGHTWING #143
VERTIGO
BLEEDING HEARTS VOL 1: OUT-BREAK TP
END OF LIFE #9
MORE DC
ACTION COMICS #1103
AMERICAN VAMPIRE BOOK 3 TP
BATMAN BY DARWYN COOKE: THE ABSOLUTE EDITION HC
BATMAN SUPERMAN WORLDS FINEST #56
DARK KNIGHTS OF STEEL II #4 (OF 12)
DEATHSTROKE THE TERMINATOR #8
DETECTIVE COMICS #298 FACSIMILE EDITION: First appearance of Matt Hagen Clayface.
EMPEROR AQUAMAN #22: I read something disturbing the other day on Quora where someone asked something about Aquaman and the respondent was all het up because in his mind they had played the Sea King down in old Super Friends cartoons. In his mind, Aquaman had all of his present-day powers ("control of the seas"), but the evil producers didn't want him upstaging Batman and Superman. So omeone A) got his facts wildly wrong, B) presented himself as an expert, C) doesn't question why those facts don't line up with reality, and D) invents villains who did something insidious for entirely made-up reasons. That's 2026 in a nutshell, isn't it?
FURY OF FIRESTORM #7 (OF 8)
LOBO #8
NEW TITANS #40
SUPERMAN UNLIMITED #18: Why does Tomorrow Man's suit look so much like Nightwing's? Is he emuating Flamebird? Was he inspired by Dick Grayson?
SWAMP THING BY RICK VEITCH BOOK 3: TIME UPON A ONCE TP
SPECTRE BY JOHN OSTRANDER AND TOM MANDRAKE OMNIBUS VOL 2 HC: When this series was coming out, I was so grateful for John Ostrander's thoughtful, almost Alan Moore-like retcons. He fleshed out a lot of Spectre's background, answered some glaring questions and streamlined the Ghostly Guardian's history, without changing that history (much). The most eye-opening bit was Ostrander charging directly at the elephant in the room: What is The Voice? Well, he didn't sidestep or prevaricate. He said it's God. And then, bless him, he explained that to my satisfaction. Some of this has changed since, but mostly around the edges. Ostrander's Spectre is a seminal work that belongs on my shelf.
WONDER WOMAN #38
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NO. 2: MARVEL COMICS
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: HALLOWEEN SPECIAL (2026) #1
AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON #5 (OF 5)
IRON MAN: RACING TOWARDS DOOM (2026) #1
Written by ETHAN SACKS
Art by GREG LAND
Cover by PHIL NOTO
This October, Marvel Comics and Williams Racing join forces to bring the high-speed excitement of Formula 1 to the Marvel Universe in IRON MAN: RACING TOWARDS DOOM #1, an all-new one-shot written by Ethan Sacks and drawn by Greg Land.
Combining the thrills of Formula 1 racing with super hero storytelling, IRON MAN: RACING TOWARDS DOOM #1 follows the latest F1 season in the Marvel Universe where Doctor Doom will stop at nothing to make sure Latveria comes out on top! The saga teams Iron Man up with Atlassian Williams F1 Team star drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon to save the day in an action packed adventure that also features Black Widow, Captain America and more of Marvel’s greatest heroes!
When high-speed tech collides with world-shaking danger, Iron Man must take the lead! Atlassian Williams F1 Team star drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon face a Latverian threat on and off the track. But at the finish line, Doctor Doom waits, and he’s playing for keeps!!!
Explaining what drew him to the one-shot, Sacks said “With IRON MAN: RACING TOWARDS DOOM, we are in the unique (pole) position to introduce fans of Williams F1, a racing team with a storied history, to what's so cool about the comic book medium. And we can show super hero fans what's awesome about the fastest sport in the world. You can practically feel the draft from the racing sequences produced by Greg Land and the art team, with guidance from the experts at Williams in the passenger seat. Star racers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon joining Iron Man and several of his Avengers pals against the nefarious Doctor Doom? Now, that's a Marvel Team-Up for the ages.”
"Marvel fans know that when Doom sets his sights on something, the consequences ripple far beyond a single corner of the Marvel Universe,” Editor Mark Paniccia added. “This story throws Iron Man into one of those moments, but what game is Doom really playing behind the checkered flag?"
JEFF THE LAND SHARK: SUPERSTAR (2026) #4
MARC SPECTOR: MOON KNIGHT (2026) #9
MARVEL ZOMBIES: WAR ZONE (2026) #2
MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN (2026) #3
PUNISHER SHOWDOWNS: BLACK WIDOW (2026) #1
The streets of the Marvel Universe are set to explode this October as the Punisher comes face-to-face with some of Marvel’s most dangerous heroes! Beginning with PUNISHER SHOWDOWNS: BLACK WIDOW #1, writer Tom Waltz (Marvel Zombies: War Zone) and artist Greg Land (All-Out Avengers) are showcasing previously untold conflicts between Frank Castle and other members of the Marvel Universe in a series of oversized one-shots. It all begins as Punisher and Natasha Romanoff, aka the Black Widow, collide during a mission to stop a terrorist attack in Las Vegas. If Frank can make it through that encounter in one piece (that’s no guarantee!), he’ll have to contend with both Wolverine and the Winter Soldier in the follow-up one-shots releasing in November and December.
"Landing the PUNISHER SHOWDOWNS gig right on the heels of my work on MARVEL ZOMBIES: WAR ZONE is far from a punishment, let me tell you!” jokes writer Tom Waltz. “The Punisher has always been one of my favorite comic-book characters, all the way back to the first time I witnessed him doing battle with Daredevil in the classic DAREDEVIL (1964) #183. And now I get to showcase untold Punisher missions, culling from some of my favorite Marvel lore, and featuring three other fascinating super heroes with dark histories: Black Widow, Wolverine, and Winter Soldier. Rest assured, widows will sting, claws will slash, and bullets will fly. I couldn't be more ecstatic to join my amazing art teams for this bombastic ride!"
FRANK CASTLE CROSSES PATHS WITH HEROES OF THE MARVEL U!
In PUNISHER SHOWDOWNS: BLACK WIDOW #1, A threat from a terrorist cell puts Frank Castle on a mission to Las Vegas, where the Black Widow’s intel on a Wolf Spider operative will set them all on a bullet-riddled collision course! But will Punisher and Black Widow see eye to eye or is this eye-for-an-eye going to leave bodies in their wake?! The Punisher’s one-man war on the guilty crosses paths with other denizens of the Marvel Universe with explosive and unexpected results!
STAR WARS: THE FALL OF KYLO REN (2026) #3
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR FACSIMILE EDITION (2026) #21
COLLECTIONS
BLADE EPIC COLLECTION: HIS NAME IS ... BLADE TP
GHOST RIDER EPIC COLLECTION: TO SLAY A DEMON TP
VENOM EPIC COLLECTION: SHADOWS OF THE PAST TP
X-MEN: AGE OF KRAKOA BY KIERON GILLEN OMNIBUS LEINIL YU COVER HC
X-MEN: AGE OF KRAKOA BY KIERON GILLEN OMNIBUS MARK BROOKS COVER HC
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NO. 3: IMAGE COMICS
BUG WARS THE COMING OF THE WARDOOM #3 (OF 8)
CREEPSHOW DLX ED HC BOOK 02
CREEPSHOW VOL 05 #2 (OF 5)
DIE LOADED #10
DORC #9
EXQUISITE CORPSES RASCAL RANDY #4 (OF 5)
EYE COLLECTOR #5
FORGED #14
GI JOE #27
GUNSLINGER SPAWN #59
IF DESTRUCTION BE OUR LOT #5
KING SPAWN #60
LAST DRIVER #3 (OF 5)
LOST FANTASY TP VOL 03
M1 MONSTER RACING LEAGUE #5
MIRKA ANDOLFOS SWEET PAPRIKA BLACK WHITE & PINK HALLOWEEN SPECIAL #1 (OF 2)
OFIUSA #2 (OF 6)
RED ROOTS VOL 1 TP
Red Roots, Vol. 1 by superstar artist and breakout debut writer Lorenzo de Felici (Oblivion Song, Void Rivals, Kroma), will collect Red Roots #1-5 of the ongoing, genre-defying series into trade paperback from Image Comics. This explosive supernatural mystery will hit shelves this Fall.
Red Roots features a central puzzle-box mystery similar to The Mist but with an explosive genre-twist similar to The Cabin in the Woods and Oblivion Song. As the story unfolds, the lives of a professional killer and a high school teacher are bound by a terrifying, mysterious force. Each chapter takes readers deeper into a world of dark fantasy lore and plot-twisting revelations.
De Felici rose to prominence with the launch of Oblivion Song—his co-creation with Robert Kirkman (Invincible, The Walking Dead)—and his subsequent success as the artist on the tentpole Energon Universe title, also with Kirkman, Void Rivals. De Felici and Kirkman's creative alchemy set the Energon Universe on a path to sales-chart-domination and Void Rivals in-and-of-itself went on to become one of the biggest launches of 2024. It is currently on its 12th reprint with no signs of slowing down in momentum. This recent breakout success makes Felici's Red Roots series one of the most exciting new developments in comics of the year.
Red Roots, Vol. 1 (ISBN: 9781534330603) trade paperback will be available at local comic book shops on Wednesday, October 21 and independent bookstores, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Indigo, and Waterstones on Tuesday, November 17.
Red Roots will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Google Play, Apple’s iBooks, Barnes & Noble’s Nook, Scribd’s Everand, Kobo, Overdrive, Hoopla, Sweet app, Comic Plus, and more.
Select praise for Red Roots:
"Red Roots is the shining example of what comics can be at their best. A wholly original concept with characters you are instantly invested in as they traverse a story with twists and turns you could never predict. This is the comic series you’ve been waiting your whole life for." —Robert Kirkman, Invincible, The Walking Dead
“Like nothing I’ve ever read before.” —Nerd Initiative
“Lorenzo De Felici leans into uncertainty, trusting readers to sit with the tension as two seemingly unrelated stories unfold side by side. The result is hypnotic, shifting between brutal action and unsettling quiet with ease. While it withholds answers, it replaces them with intrigue and unforgettable imagery, making it hard to put down and even harder to stop thinking about once it ends… Bold, exciting, and visually striking.” —AIPT
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REDCOAT #21
SAVAGE DRAGON #282
SIMPSONS TREEHOUSE OF HORROR OMINOUS OMNIBUS HC (3 VOLUME BOX SET)
SOMETHING EPIC #16
WALKING DEAD DELUXE #147
WITCHBLADE #26
YUMI 00EX #3 (OF 4)
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NO. 4: IDW PUBLISHING
STAR TREK: HOLO-WEEN II #3
STAR TREK: THE LAST STARSHIP #12
TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: COASTAL CHAOS #2
THE TWILIGHT ZONE #11
Something odd is happening in the Twilight Zone. In the middle ground between light and shadow, there is now... color?! This volume of The Twilight Zone (#11–16) will feature one color per issue! Enjoy your terrifying black and white with a flourish of pigment.
This issue: Writer Mark Russell (Superman: Space Age, The Flintstones) and artistic powerhouse Victor Alpi lead you into the Twilight Zone, where scientists Roger and Tina strive to understand an alien vegetation that landed on Earth. But as the vegetation grows to cover the Earth and threaten humanity, their research will take on a dire importance. Tell us, dear reader — what would you sacrifice to save humanity? And when would you need to save only yourself?
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NO. 5: DARK HORSE
Creator: Jonathan Hickman · Mike del Mundo · Mike Huddleston · Nick Spencer
Writer: Nick Spencer
Artist: Mike Huddleston · Christian Ward · James Stokoe
From the New York Times bestselling and multi-Eisner award-nominated creator of East of West, The Manhattan Projects, Decorum, and more comes this ambitious science-fiction universe presented by comics titan Jonathan Hickman.
A grand new sci-fi epic begins in a bold new universe...
A generation after the disappearance of astronaut and explorer Tajo Vallar, his children are called home to reunite and solve a new mystery—but first, they have to get there!
Experience a guided tour of each of the three worlds and three moons like no other in this stunning, massively oversized introductory issue from the minds of Jonathan Hickman, Mike del Mundo, Mike Huddleston, and Nick Spencer—featuring contributions from Christian Ward, James Stokoe, Juni Ba and many more!
Presented in a prestige, magazine-sized format showcasing stunning artwork from some of the leading creators in comics.
CYBERPUNK 2077: JAYK'S CASE #1
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT MIMI GREEN #4
HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: THE WINGS OF FATE #4
STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC ADVENTURES--PATHFINDERS #6
YOUNG HELLBOY: THRILLING SKY ADVENTURES #4
COLLECTIONS
DRACULA BOOK 3: THE COUNT TPB: I want to get these, but as soon as I do, DH will announce some cool collection I'd rather have, like slipcase or something. So I'll wait.
HUCK VOLUME 1: ALL-AMERICAN TPB
LONE WOLF AND CUB DELUXE EDITION VOLUME 3 HC: Jeff talked me into getting these. I have not regretted it.
OCTOPATH TRAVELER TRPG RULEBOOK HC
PLANTS VS. ZOMBIES VOLUME 26: CERTIFIED ZOMBOSS HC
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NO. 6: DYNAMITE ENTERTAINENT
ART OF VAMPIRELLA: THE DYNAMITE YEARS VOL 2 HC
Beautifully Presents the Heroine's Legacy!
January 27, Mt. Laurel, NJ: Dynamite announces a 200-plus page archive compiling the greatest covers and more from Vampirella's recent publishing history!
This must-have edition showcases the work of all the fantastic artists who have put pen to paper (or brush to canvas) for the blood-thirsty beauty. The second volume picks up where the original Art of Vampirella: The Dynamite Years left off. The key runs encapsulated within include the fan-favorite 2014 relaunch by horror scribe Nancy A. Collins, the breathtaking Roses for the Dead limited series from Joseph and Kristina Linsner, and the redefining stretches from Kate Leth, Paul Cornell, and Jeremy Whitley.
The all-star cast of artists celebrated in this deluxe hardcover include Terry Dodson, Jenny Frison, Art Adams, Jay Anacleto, Joe Jusko, Mike Mayhew, Joseph Michael Linsner, Philip Tan, Billy Tucci, Chrissie Zullo, Robert Hack, Jimmy Broxton, Stephanie Buscema, Sergio Davila, Johnny Desjardins, David Roach, and countless others!
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DUCKTALES VOL 1: THE FOUR CORNERS OF YOUR WORLD HC
GARGOYLES #3
PATHFINDER OMNIBUS VOL 1 TP
RED SONJA: SHE DEVIL WITH A SWORD COMPACT EDITION TP
SONJA REBORN TP
SPACE GHOST VS. HERCULOIDS #2
THUNDERCATS #1
VAMPIRELLA #7
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NO. 7: VIZ MEDIA
MAGILUMIERE MAGICAL GIRLS INC. VOL. 15
RED RIVER (4-IN-1 EDITION) VOL. 9
THE APOTHECARY DIARIES: MAOMAO’S NOTES ON THE INNER PALACE VOL. 1
YONA OF THE DAWN (3-IN-1 EDITION) VOL. 1
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NO. 8: BOOM! STUDIOSNON
NONE
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NO. 9: KONDANSHA
THE FRAGRANT FLOWER BLOOMS WITH DIGNITY VOLUME 15
SHIMAZAKI IN THE LAND OF PEACE VOLUME 10
LAST SAMURAI STANDING VOLUME 6
HONEY BEE & LEMON BALM SWEET MOMENT
DRAWING FROM YOUR MEMORY VOLUME 3
LOVE, THAT'S AN UNDERSTATEMENT VOLUME 8
HOW TO TREAT A LADY KNIGHT RIGHT VOLUME 6
GACHIAKUTA DUMPSTER MANGA BOX SET GACHIAKUTA DUMPSTER SEASON 1 MANGA BOX SET
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NO. 10: ONI PRESS
FACELESS AND THE FAMILY: MAZE OF THE MECHANICAL ALIENS #4
FOREVER HOME #2
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OTHER PUBLISHERS
ABRAMS
DON QUIXOTE HC
SIMPSONS COMIC STRIP CAVALCADE HC
MUTTS SUNDAY FUNNIES HC BOX SET (VOLUMES 1 & 2)
MUTTS SUNDAY FUNNIES HC VOL 01
MUTTS SUNDAY FUNNIES HC VOL 02
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AHOY COMICS
TOXIC AVENGER VOL 3: TOXIE GOES TO WASHINGTON TP
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ARCHIE COMICS
ARCHIE COMICS DIGEST #8
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FANTAGRAPHICS
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TITAN COMICS
BLACK STAR #4 (OF 5)
Writers: Eric Putzer, Kristin Kreuk, Peter Mooney
Artist: Joe Bocardo
Rumors of a mythical beast behind recent disappearances have villagers on edge. And after another bad harvest, with winter closing in, the settlement must rely on the generousity of the Order causing tension between the two parties to grow. It becomes clear that not every villager is what they seem, and not every member of the order is who they have sold themselves to be.
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CONAN THE BARBARIAN: TIDES OF THE TYRANT KING #2 (OF 4)
(W) Jim Zub
(A) Jesús Merino
Cover A: Jesús Merino
Cover B: Fraulian Gardner
Cover C: Sean Izaakse
Cover D: Micah Ulrich
Cover E: Jesús Merino - Virgin ($6.99)
Cover F: Micah Ulrich - Virgin Foil ($14.99)
FC, 32pp, $4.99, IN-STORES: 21 OCTOBER 2026
CONAN OF CIMMERIA believed that THULSA DOOM's evil had been banished forever, but the Atlantean necromancer's dark power stirs once more. If it cannot be stopped, the dead shall overtake the living!
The Tyrant-King of Atlantis returns and all shall suffer, unless Conan and his brave allies can turn back the tide!
>
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SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN REFORGED #7
(W) Roy Thomas
(A) John Buscema, Alfredo Alcala
Cover A: Bart Sears
Cover B: Earl Norem
Cover C: Bart Sears – Virgin
Cover D: Earl Norem - Virgin
PUBLISHER: Titan Comics & Heroic Signatures
FC, 64pp, $11.99, IN-STORES: 14 OCTOBER 2026
When they first saw the shining city after too long wandering the desert, Conan and his traveling companion Natala gave thanks to the gods. But it’s not long before they discover that a timeless terror lurks in the heart of the city known as Xuthal of the Dusk! A positively monstrous yarn from Roy Thomas, John Buscema, and Alfredo Alcala based on the original tale by Robert E. Howard!
Replies
I've got the COVID
Get well soon!
AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON #5: I haven't been buying this series but I may buy this issue based what what happened at the end of #4.
ULTRAMAN v22: I'll believe that when I see it.
Have a nice and speedy recovery, Captain.
In-story, we don't really know who designed Tomorrow Man's costume. Jon got it in Superman Unlimited #11 from a couple of future soldiers of some kind that were under the command of the fourth-dimensional imp, Master Txyz, and was immediately told that this is exactly how he looked when he became Txyz's nemesis in the far future. I don't think Jon has changed it any since then, nor has anyone commented on the chest insignia's resemblance to Dick Grayson's. Nor do we know how come Txyz failed to notice that he was bringing that costume to Jon and thereby creating the situation he wanted to avoid.
In short, the costume comes from an unrevealed future and far as we have been shown it just happens to resemble Nightwing's.
All the same, it makes sense that Jon would at least experiment with a style based on Nightwing's. The way I see it, it is pretty much inevitable. Jon's journey to develop his own identity and personality while being the son of Kal-El will naturally lead him to pay attention to people in a similar position. That pretty much means Nightwing and perhaps Wally West.
Ofiusa #1, last month, was beautifully written and drawn and I am looking forward to #2. Your expectations last time were correct. Uplifting as the story is, it is very much NSFW.