Welcome back to New Comic Book Day!

September kicks off with an excellent mix of blockbuster superhero books, exciting creator-owned debuts, and a few standout licensed titles. Marvel leads the charge with Black Panther/Namor: Doomed #1, while DC continues to expand its lineup with new issues of Batman, Absolute Superman, and several relaunches. On the indie side, the biggest story of the week is undoubtedly Archie #1, marking the beginning of Oni Press’ all-new Riverdale continuity.

Manga readers are also eating well this week, with new volumes of Kaiju No. 8, Spy x Family, RuriDragon, and more hitting shelves.

Picks of the Week

Best Marvel: Black Panther/Namor: Doomed #1

Marvel’s biggest launch of the week sends Black Panther and Namor into Hell itself to investigate demonic attacks on Wakanda and Atlantis. Add Doctor Doom to the mix and you’ve got one of the most intriguing #1 issues Marvel has shipped this year.

BLACK PANTHER AND NAMOR TRAPPED IN HELL… WITH DOOM!!!

Black Panther and Namor must investigate Hell when Wakanda and Atlantis are attacked by demons! But once there, these rival kings discover they aren’t alone, as they cross paths with the wandering soul of Doctor Doom!

Best DC: Batman #13

Matt Fraction’s run continues to be one of DC’s flagship books. For readers looking for one dependable DC title this week, Batman remains the easy recommendation.

A CRUCIAL CHAPTER OF THE BATMAN: BAD SEEDS EVENT!

Somewhere in the headquarters of the Gotham City Police Department, Vandal Savage hides a chemical weapon designed to kill Poison Ivy… but if Ivy dies, there will be no ending the bad night of Bad Seeds, for Gotham City or anywhere else.

No power. No comms. A heavily-armed private militia tasked with bringing him down on orders of the worst person in Gotham. All holed up together within an impenetrable fortress.

This sounds like a job for Batman.

Eisner winner Matt Fraction and superstar artist Matteo Scalera deliver a crucial chapter of the Batman: Bad Seeds event!

Best Image: Crowbound #1

Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen team up again for a new horror/fantasy book. Not much else to say.

Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale meets Cormac McCarthy’s The Road with echoes of Kill Bill and Pan’s Labyrinth when a noncompliant mother makes a dark pact with an ancient, violent Scarecrow Queen to stop a totalitarian government from taking her daughter.

Rose isn’t special. She works in the Factory just like everyone else — a dark, sprawling monolithic structure that runs along the coast and cuts the world in two. All that’s left now are desolate settlements that exist in its shadow, made up of submerged villages, derelict woods, and deadly swamps. No one knows what’s left of the world on the other side…

But when Rose’s young daughter Ava is violently taken from their shanty town home a year before she is meant to join the work force, Rose will come face-to-face with the surreal, harrowing forces outside the Factory’s walls — including a terrifying figure called the Scarecrow Queen, who has an offer: one last chance to save her daughter, in exchange for her soul.

Best Indie: Archie #1 (Oni Press)

A new publisher, a new continuity, and a fresh start for one of comics’ most recognizable franchises. This is one of the most important first issues of 2026.

BEING YOUNG NEVER GETS OLD! THE MILESTONE COMICS PUBLISHING EVENT OF THE YEAR STARTS HERE AS ONI PRESS AND ARCHIE COMICS PROUDLY PRESENT A GROUNDBREAKING NEW ONGOING SERIES FOR THE MOST JOYOUS COMIC BOOK ICON OF ALL!

A new day is dawning in Riverdale as New York Times bestselling writer, Edgar Award and Philip K. Dick Award winner, and Eisner Award nominee Ben H. Winters (EC’s Cruel Universe, Benjamin) joins multiple Eisner Award–winning artist Fábio Moon (Daytripper, Casanova) to reintroduce America’s favorite teenager — and begin a star-studded countdown to Archie’s 85th anniversary — with a 21st-century testament to teenage idealism and the limitless joy of Archie Comics!

For his entire life, 17-year-old Archie Andrews has had it all: adoring friends, football glory, and a natural charm that always seems to make him the center of attention. Now, through his eyes, experience the warmth and wonder of Riverdale and its near-infinite roster of residents — the popular kids, the endearing oddballs, and everyone in between — as Archie embarks on a whirlwind, all-star adventure through his town’s past, present, and future… beginning with a local film festival that’s about to turn everything upside down!

And, at the center of it all, lies an enigmatic paradox that only Archie’s pal Jughead Jones can possibly unravel…

Plus: Puzzles! Pin-ups! Bountiful bonus stories! And a veritable sweet shop of surprises that all link to the same inextricable mystery… Finally, your antidote for postmodern malaise has arrived. Welcome to the all-new ARCHIE #1!

Best Licensed Comic: Supernatural Special: Wayward #1

Dynamite returns to the world of Supernatural with a one-shot celebrating one of television’s most dedicated fandoms. Between nostalgia, accessibility, and the continued popularity of the franchise, this is the standout licensed comic on shelves this week.

The split starts here – in a shocking one-shot issue that sets the table for the explosive event to come! Sam and Dean Winchester are bound by blood and purpose – so what horrible, hellish forces could drive these brothers to travel separate roads? You’ll find the answers here…

This issue features a PREMIUM MYSTERY BLIND BAG which contains three limited editions of the issue selected randomly from a range of variant covers exclusive to this offering. Please Note: The number of Blind Bags is limited. Allocations may occur. One book blind bag.

Best Manga: Kaiju No. 8 Vol. 16

One of the premier modern shonen series continues its high-stakes monster action. If you’re buying one manga this week, this is the one to grab.

BOOM! Studios

• Hellraiser: Resurrections – New Wounds #1
• Minor Arcana #18
• No Gods, No Masters #1

Dark Horse Comics

• Dungeons & Dragons: Total Party Killers #2
• Giant Robot Hellboy Returns #2
• The Perfectly Monstrous Life of Adam Frankenstein #1

DC Comics

• 100 Bullets: The U.S. of Anger #3
• Absolute Green Lantern #18
• Absolute Superman #23
• Batgirl #23
• Batman #13
• Batman/Superman/Weird Al: World’s Weirdest #1
• Deadman #4
• Doom Patrol #1
• JSA #23
• Legion of Super-Heroes #1
• Supergirl: Survive #4
• Superman: The Stranger #1
• Teen Titans #1

Dynamite Entertainment

• Ben 10 #5
• Red Sonja: She-Devil with a Sword #5
• Stitch #8
• Supernatural Special: Wayward #1

Ignition Press

• Prima Apparata #1
• Sicko #2

Image Comics

• Crowbound #1
• Escape #9
• MASK #4
• Rogue Sun #35
• Rook: Exodus #11
• Royals #6
• The Scorched #53
• The Scorched #54
• She-Spawn #5
• Tales of Wonder #1
• The Walking Dead Deluxe #144

Mad Cave Studios

• Babylon Cove #4
• Bludwire #3
• The Dirt Beneath the Devil #2

Marvel Comics

• Black Panther/Namor: Doomed #1
• Captain America #15
• Daredevil #6
• Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment #1
• Fantastic Four #16
• Marvel Knights: The World to Come #6
• Marvel Mangaverse: Web of Blood #1
• Marvel Zombies: War Zone #1
• Spider-Woman 50th Anniversary Special #1
• Venom #261
• Wade Wilson: Deadpool #8
• X-Men: Omega Red Dawn #1
• X-Men ’97: Season Two #4

Oni Press

• Archie #1
• Cruel Kingdom #1

Titan Comics

• Conan & Dragonero #5
• UFO Robot Grendizer #2

Manga Highlights of the Week

• Kaiju No. 8 Vol. 16 [viz.com], [otakucalendar.com]
• Spy x Family Vol. 16 [viz.com], [otakucalendar.com]
• RuriDragon Vol. 4 [viz.com], [otakucalendar.com]
• Nana 25th Anniversary Edition Vol. 5 [viz.com], [otakucalendar.com]
• Choujin X Vol. 13 [viz.com]
• One-Punch Man Vol. 34 [viz.com]
• Nue’s Exorcist Vol. 8 [viz.com], [otakucalendar.com]
• Shiba Inu Rooms Vol. 1 [viz.com], [otakucalendar.com]

Final Thoughts

Must-read books this week: Archie #1, Black Panther/Namor: Doomed #1, Crowbound #1, and Supernatural Special: Wayward #1.

For manga fans, Kaiju No. 8 Vol. 16 remains the week’s biggest release.

Personally, my pull list is Absolute Superman #23, Archie #1, Batman #13, Crowbound #1, MASK #4, Rook: Exodus #11, and Wade Wilson: Deadpool #8, with Black Panther/Namor: Doomed #1 as a possibility.

Happy New Comic Book Day, and be sure to support your local comic shop!