Absolute Batman took the top two spots in the May 2026 graphic novel sales charts. Firefly returns to comics from Dynamite. Marvel’s Midnight Universe shifts to an October release.
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Episode Transcript:
Absolute Batman leads graphic novel sales, again.
Firefly returns to comics from Dynamite.
Marvel’s Midnight Universe shifts to October.
This is Comic Book Club News for June 23, 2026.
Absolute Batman Leads May 2026 Graphic Novel Sales:
In a surprise to absolutely nobody, Absolute Batman took the top two slots on the May 2026 sales charts for superhero graphic novels.
Per ICv2, DC Comics took 14 of the Top 20 slots on the chart, breaking down to seven Absolute Universe titles — including both the softcover and hardcover versions of AbsBat Volume 1 and 2 — and eight Compact Comics editions, with Batman: The Court of Owls, Batman: The Long Halloween, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and Nightwing; Leaping Into the Light rounding out the top six.
Marvel only snagged three slots on the chart, all for their Premier Editions, which have the same done-in-one, easy for new readers to grab purpose as the Compact Comics, but are slightly larger and cost $5 more. Planet Hulk was at number seven, while Punisher: Welcome Back, Frank and Daredevil: Born Again both charted, likely due in part to interest on the Born Again TV show and Punisher special.
The lone other publisher on the chart was IDW for TMNT: The Last Ronin, coming in at number 20.
If you’re wondering where Invincible is? Well, that’s been sorted over to another chart which ranks books by author, versus publisher. On that chart, Vault’s adaptation of Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl came in at number one… But Robert Kirkman reigned supreme, with 10 volumes of Invincible in the Top 20.
Firefly Returns To Comics From Dynamite:
Perhaps this shouldn’t be quite as much of a surprise since Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel comics have headed to Dynamite as well, but… Firefly is back in comic book form with a new number one from Dynamite, and a new creative team: Mark Russell and Lorenzo Re.
This comes hot on the heels of the fan frenzy ignited by the not-quite-yet an actual animated series but maybe someday announcement by the cast of the beloved FOX sci-fi show. Here, Russell and Re will deliver tales of the whole Serenity crew during the period when all of them (read: Wash) were alive.
In the new series, per PR, “Mal Reynolds is desperate for cash to keep Serenity flying, while Simon and Kaylee must pose as a married couple to pull off a heist, but end up with more than they bargained for when an old caper comes back to haunt them.”
The book also marks a return to Dynamite for Russell after previously working for the company on Red Sonja and The Lone Ranger. Firefly #1 hits stores on September 2, 2026 with, guess what, Premium Mystery Blind Bags.
Marvel’s Midnight Universe Shifts To October Release:
Previously scheduled for August, September and October, Marvel’s Midnight line of horror books will now all hit stores in October — aka prime spooky season. They’ll also be the only comics Marvel releases on that day.
In case you missed the initial news, the three titles are Midnight X-Men by Jonathan Hickman and Matteo Della Fonte, Midnight Fantastic Four by Benjamin Percy and Kev Walker (and get some good teases about what to expect on our podcast with Percy), and Midnight Spider-Man by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Scie Tronc. All three are set in their own connected horror universe, a la Marvel’s Ultimate line, versus the main Marvel Universe.
Now, listen, there’s a level where one might speculate that the relatively muted to negative response to the initial announcement may have dampened orders for the line, and this shift gives Marvel more time to hype it up. The more positive outlook?
Said Midnight Universe Executive Editor Dan Buckley said via press release, “The more we talked about Midnight, the more we realized it was far more than just the birth of another new universe—it was on an entirely different scale creatively, a doorway to something that was not only immediately exciting, but had immense long-term promise… We wanted to match their ambition with this unique launch plan, one that allows both retailers and fans to fully immerse themselves into this new line right from the start. When the clock strikes Midnight on October 7, these three series will unleash a bold new energy that we hope echoes throughout the industry for the foreseeable future.”
All three books will release in stores on October 7, 2026.
For Comic Book Club News, I’m Alex Zalben. And as we all know, Marvel’s Midnight is inspired by Taylor Swift’s Midnights. True fact! Not a true fact.
Got tips or stories you’d like us to cover? Email us at comicbookclublive@gmail.com.
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