Absolute Batman once again took the top slot on the May, 2026 comic book sales charts. Rom the Space Knight heads to the Energon Universe. DC Comics has announced an Absolute Cassandra Cain one-shot.
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Episode Transcript:
Absolute Batman leads May sales charts.
Rom The Space Knight joins Energon Universe.
DC announces Absolute Cassandra Cain one-shot.
This is Comic Book Club News for June 11, 2026.
Absolute Batman Takes Lead In May 2026 Sales Charts:
Absolute Batman has once again taken the lead in the monthly single issue sales charts for May of 2026.
Per ICv2, while DC still held a grip on the Top 10, Marvel regained some ground in the overall top 50 with 24 titles ranking, versus DC’s 19. However, the biggest surprise is that for the first time in a long time, another publisher popped into the Top 10: Dynamite’s Ben 10 #1 ranked all the way at number seven.
While that was the only Dynamite title in the Top 50, Image Comics snagged six slots, with Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #9 just missing the Top 10 in the number eleven slot, and She-Spawn, Odin, If Destruction Be Our Lot, among others placing throughout the chart.
Okay, back to DC and Marvel. Absolute Batman #20 was number one as mentioned, followed by Absolute Green Arrow #1, Batman #9, and Absolute Superman #19. Daredevil #2 from Marvel slotted in at number five, while Amazing Spider-Man #28 snagged number eight.
Rounding out the Top 10 is Absolute Martian Manhunter #11 at number six, Batman #163, the final part of H2SH Part 1, at number nine, and Absolute Wonder Woman #20 at number 10.
Rom The Space Knight Joins Energon Universe:
Back when Skybound released Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #1, they hid a few surprises inside beyond your requisite variant covers. Those included Battle Beast #2 and Marvel Team-Up #14, a reprint of the issue where Invincible met Spider-Man. Well, they may have beaten that with the debut of M.A.S.K. #1, which is hiding an even bigger surprise in the blind bags: ROM #1, by Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felici.
News of the surprise first issue of the new Energon Universe series began leaking out thanks to copies popping up on eBay, as well as on Reddit. But given we’ve already got Void Rivals, who wear helmets and deal with robots, and Transformers, G.I. Joe, and now M.A.S.K., well, Rom The Space Knight should fit right in, if in fact this is a new ongoing series and not just a one-shot.
Also of note, back at ComicsPro, Skybound teased the Blind Bags would feature the debut of a heavily demanded character. Smart money was on Snake Eyes. Turns out, it’s Rom — unless there’s a Snake Eyes #1 hidden in there, too.
Who is Rom? Created by toy designer Bing McCoy, and brought to comics by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema, Rom was originally created by Parker Brothers, licensed by Marvel, moved to IDW in 2015 as part of their Hasbro comic book universe, and curiously, found the rights reclaimed by Marvel in 2023 so that they could publish previously published material in omnibuses. How Skybound/Image Comics got the rights is unknown at this time, but probably it has to do with the whole Hasbro of it all.
And per the name, he’s a cyborg space knight from the planet Galador. He’s usually seen fighting disgusting villains called Dire Wraiths, who can shapeshift. In various storylines Rom has fought in space or on Earth, and he’s encountered everyone from the X-Men to the Fantastic Four.
How Rom will fit into the Energon Universe, and whether he’ll be spacebound or Earthbound? We’ll just have to pick up M.A.S.K. #1 blind bags until we find out.
DC Announces Absolute Cassandra Cain One-Shot:
It’s been a while since we’ve gotten a good “surprise spoiled the day before the issue hits stands,” but this is, indeed, a good one: spinning out of this week’s Absolute Catwoman, DC Comics has announced Absolute Cassandra Cain: The Shadow’s Hand #1, a one-shot written by Che Grayson with art by Matias Bergara.
Taking place between Absolute Catwoman #3 and #4, the comic will show Cassandra Cain’s origin in the Absolute Universe, which is sort of fascinating because Absolute Catwoman is already zipping back in time to show what happened to Selina Kyle between leaving Gotham City in Absolute Batman and returning, years later. So this is like a flashback in a flashback.
Anyway! Also featuring a main cover by Bengal, here’s the official synopsis for the one-shot:
Years ago, The Joker trained with the League of Assassins, and when he learned all he could, he slaughtered everyone. Out of the wreckage rose Lady Shiva and her daughter, Cassandra Cain. Absolute Cassandra Cain: The Shadow’s Hand #1 reveals the origin of the Absolute Universe’s most formidable assassin, and how her story is one that is intertwined with the world’s greatest thief, Selina Kyle!
The issue will take the place of Absolute Catwoman #4 on the schedule, and be released on September 9, 2026, with AC #4 now hitting stores in October, then continuing until the conclusion of the six-issue series.
For Comic Book Club News, I’m Alex Zalben. And as my good friend Captain Jack Sparrow once said: why is the Rom always gone?
Got tips or stories you’d like us to cover? Email us at comicbookclublive@gmail.com.
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