From a big X-Men relaunch to the return of DC's Vertigo line to the end of the Ultimate Universe, there are plenty of big comics to look forward to in 2026. Here's what needs to be on your reading list.
2026 is here, and comic book fans have a whole year’s worth of exciting new stories to look forward to. Marvel will be ushering in a new era for the X-Men line and building to what looks to be one of its most consequential crossover events in years, Armageddon. DC will move forward from the DC K.O. crossover with a new wave of titles, even as they expand the fan-favorite Absolute Universe. And elsewhere in the industry, we’ve got our eyes on everything from Skybound’s Energon Universe to the new Archie Comics reboot.
Scroll down to see our most anticipated comics of 2025, and be sure to let us know in the comments what you have on your to-read list this year.
IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
IDW’s TMNT publishing line has been in top form in 2025, and we see no reason why that would change in the new year. If you’ve ever considered diving into this universe, now really is the time.
The flagship TMNT comic recently underwent a major evolution, as the new creative team of Gene Luen Yang and Freddie E. Williams II just took over the series and introduced a major new villain called Ujigami. Issue #13 delivered quite the twist on that front, and we’re excited to see where the series goes from here. Plus, there are all the worthwhile spinoffs like TMNT: Casey Jones and TMNT: Shredder.
We’re also hoping that 2026 will bring more news on the future of the Last Ronin saga. We know that writers Tom Waltz and Kevin Eastman are working on a third act of the Last Ronin trilogy. Could it see release in 2026? Here’s hoping.
X-Men: Shadows of Tomorrow
Art by Stefano Caselli. (Image Credit: Marvel)
The X-Men franchise is rounding out 2025 with the conclusion of a line-wide crossover event called Age of Revelation. Even though that crossover is set a decade in the future, its ramifications will extend back into the present day as the X-Men struggle to move forward. That’s where the new status quo, Shadows of Tomorrow, comes into play.
Expect plenty of new titles and fresh starting points for continuing books like Wolverine, X-Men, and Uncanny X-Men. We’re especially intrigued by Eve L. Ewing and Tiago Palman’s X-Men United, which seemingly deals with Emma Frost creating a psychic haven for mutantkind to replace the real one they lost with Krakoa. Also on our radar is Alex Paknadel and Roge Antonio’s Cyclops series, as the indomitable mutant leader breaks out on his own.
DC: Next Level
Art by Jorge Corona. (Image Credit: DC)
DC gave fans an easy gateway into the DC Universe with 2024’s DC All In initiative. Once DC K.O. wraps up, they’ll be unleashing phase 2 of that ambitious undertaking. Part of that includes a promotion called DC Next Level, featuring a new wave of promising titles.
The first batch of DC Next Level books includes Lobo, from Skottie Young and Jorge Corona, Batwoman, from Greg Rucka and DaNi, and Deathstroke: The Terminator, from Tony Fleecs and Carmine Di Giandomenico. The goal with each series is to match the energy and inventiveness of books like Absolute Batman, but do it within the traditional DCU. We’re definitely sold on that idea.
Things have been fairly quiet on the Archie Comics front in recent years, with the New Riverdale line quietly fading away and horror books like Afterlife With Archie coming out very infrequently. But all that changes in a big way in 2026. Archie is teaming up with Oni Press to completely reboot their comic line with a postmodern flair.
It’s really the creative teams that have us sold on this one, as Oni is drawing from some of the most interesting and innovative names in the industry for the new Archie line. That includes W. Maxwell Prince and Nick Cagnetti’s Archie, Corinna Bechko and Kano’s Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Patrick Horvath and Tyler Crook’s Archie in Hell. The stated goal is to give readers the Archie franchise’s answer to All-Star Superman, and we couldn't be more thrilled at that prospect.
We don’t know a great deal about Armageddon just yet, other than that it’s being spearheaded by Captain America writer Chip Zdarsky and that it’s said to shake up the Avengers franchise in a way we haven’t seen since 2004’s Avengers Disassembled. Zdarsky will lay the foundation of the storyline in February’s Wolverine: Weapons of Armageddon miniseries before getting to the main event this summer.
The Absolute Universe Grows
Art by Frank Cho. (Image Credit: DC)
We’re fully on board with DC’s Absolute Universe right now, and if the sales charts are any indication, we’re hardly the only ones. Fans can expect the Absolute line to grow even bigger in 2026, even as new connections start to form between the various titles.
We know of at least one new Absolute comic launching this year. That would be Pornsak Pichetshote and Rafael Albuquerque’s Absolute Green Arrow, due to hit in Spring 2026. If the recent Absolute Evil one-shot didn’t make it apparent, this series is going to be far different than readers are expecting, with Albuquerque even revealing it’s basically a horror comic.
We’re also looking forward to Absolute Wonder Woman #15 and Absolute Batman #16, which will feature the first team-up between the Dark Knight and Wonder Woman in this universe. Also on the Absolute Wonder Woman front, that series is about to introduce this world’s version of Zatanna. Too bad the Absolute U. already has a Justice League…
The Return of Negative Burn
Art by Joseph Michael Linsner. (Image Credit: Zoop)
Few anthology comics have quite the reputation and pedigree of Joe Pruett’s Negative Burn. Fortunately, that series is making its long-overdue return in 2026 thanks to the Zoop crowdfunding platform. As before, the goal is to explore numerous genres and provide a platform for creators to push the boundaries of the medium.
The creative talent pool for this latest volume is certainly impressive enough, including Mike Allred, Marguerite Bennett, Brian Bolland, Mike Carey, J.M. DeMatteis, Francesco Francavilla, Phil Hester, Joe Jusko, Sam Kieth, Joe Linsner, Ron Marz, Peter Milligan, Steve Niles, Dan Panosian, Paul Pope, Joe Pruett, James Robinson, Declan Shalvey, and Dalibor Talajic.
Imperial Guardians
Art by Sean Izaakse. (Image Credit: Marvel)
Marvel published Jonathan Hickman’s Imperial in 2025, with the series shaking up the cosmic status quo and establishing a foundation for a new line of books. Most of those new titles have debuted already, like Planet She-Hulk and Nova: Centurion. But Marvel is saving the most exciting one of all for 2026.
Imperial Guardians offers readers a dramatically different take on the classic Guardians of the Galaxy team, one intended to suit this uncertain new status quo. The team roster is nothing if not eclectic, including Captain Marvel, Darkhawk, Gamora, Brawn, and Cosmic Ghost Rider. But the real appeal with this series is that it’s written by Dan Abnett, one half of the duo who so successfully revamped the Guardians in the ‘00s. Let’s hope he can work that same magic all over again.
The New Vertigo
There’s been a tangible void in DC’s publishing lineup ever since they shelved the critically acclaimed Vertigo imprint in 2019. Sure, there’s still the DC Black Label line for mature readers-focused takes on DC characters, but what about all the creator-owned fare, like Preacher and Y: The Last Man, that Vertigo used to do so well?
Fortunately, DC has seen fit to resurrect Vertigo in 2026. Fans can expect to see a couple of familiar properties like The Nice House By the Sea and a 100 Bullets sequel, but for the most part, this is all about spotlighting new ideas and new creative teams. And with books by industry luminaries like Deniz Camp, Kyle Starks, and Chris Condon, there’s ample reason to be excited about Vertigo’s return.
An Energon Universe Crossover
Art by Tom Reilly. (Image Credit: Skybound/Hasbro)
Skybound’s Energon Universe line has been a major hit over the past couple of years, for many of the same reasons as DC’s Absolute Universe and Marvel’s Ultimate Universe. It offers a clean, accessible gateway into the shared world of G.I. Joe and Transformers, driven by some of the top creators working today.
We’re eager to see where the line takes us in 2026, especially as all signs point to even more interconnectivity between the various titles. For example, March’s G.I. Joe #20 teases the very first meeting between Duke and Optimus Prime. Surely, this is going to be a watershed moment for this universe, and fans shouldn’t miss it.
The End of the Ultimate Universe
Art by Mark Brooks. (Image Credit: Marvel)
As mentioned, Marvel’s new Ultimate line has been a huge hit for the publisher, and we’re still having trouble coming to terms with the idea that they’re ending it soon. But better to finish on a high note rather than allow the Ultimate Universe to overstay its welcome like its predecessor did.
The end of the Ultimate line officially begins in Ultimate Endgame #1, which launches on New Year’s Eve 2025. That issue delivers the moment fans have been waiting for since 2023, as The Maker finally emerges from his 1000-year exile and Earth’s heroes make their desperate stand. Look for that final showdown to play out across Ultimate Endgame and all the rest of the line in the early months of 2026. Who will win the battle for the soul of Earth-6160?
Big Changes in Gotham City
Art by Jorge Jiménez. (Image Credit: DC)
March 2026 is going to be a transformative month for the entire DC publishing catalog, as that’s when DC All In 2.0 officially begins. All In isn’t a reboot, but merely a fresh starting point for DC’s ongoing titles. We’re especially excited by the big changes hitting the Batman family of books.
The biggest news here is that Joker will make his debut in Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez’s flagship Batman title, with DC teasing that we’ve never seen the Clown Prince of Crime depicted the way he is in March’s Batman #7. Other big developments include Poison Ivy becoming the new mayor of Gotham City and Green Arrow joining the cast of Tom Taylor’s Detective Comics. If you’ve been looking for a good starting point with DC’s core Batman line, this is it.
The Return of Saga… and More
Art by Fiona Staples. (Image Credit: Image Comics)
Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ Saga has consistently been one of the best sci-fi comics on the market since it debuted in 2012. Unfortunately, the series has been prone to fairly lengthy hiatuses lately, with the most recent issue dropping in March 2025. Thankfully, Vaughan recently confirmed that Saga will return in 2026, as he and Staples are hard at work on their next story arc.
Vaughan writes, “I’m happy to share that I’ve already written all the scripts for our next arc, and completed my most detailed overview yet of the other remaining issues of Saga (which everyone corrected me is actually 30 more chapters after this volume, not 48 as I originally mistyped; I am dumb at math). Fiona and I are still 100% committed to completing Hazel’s 18-volume journey to young adulthood, and, spoiler alert, it’s going to be f***ing awesome.”
Better still, Vaughan is teasing that part of the reason the series has been MIA is that he and Staples have been working on other mystery projects, and we should see the fruits of those labors in 2026, too.
Iron Man’s New Series
Writer Joshua Williamson has been one of the most important voices at DC in the last few years, penning books like Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths and the current monthly Superman series. While that won’t change in 2026, Williamson is hopping over to Marvel to craft a major revamp for a certain Armored Avenger. Marvel’s new Iron Man series pairs Williamson with artist Carmen Carnero for a book that explores why Tony Stark, not Iron Man, is the world’s most dangerous weapon.
"When he thought he was going to die, it changed him,” Williamson told IGN. “It was never the armor that Tony built in that cave. It was Tony. Tony is the creator. And I honed in on the idea of focusing on Tony as the creator who made a weapon… but TONY is the true weapon. We’ve seen him use his genius before in questionable ways, so yeah, Tony is the dangerous piece there. The armor has been stolen a million times now, and it always made me think… why don’t they kidnap Tony? Have him make new armors? And then it led me down a path of thinking about… what if instead of making new armors, someone made a new Tony?"
Superman/Spider-Man Crossover
Art by Jorge Jiménez. (Image Credit: DC/Marvel)
Unsurprisingly, the twin Deadpool/Batman #1 and Batman/Deadpool #1 crossovers were a big hit for Marvel and DC, proving that fans just want to see these two publishers play nice again. That spirit of cooperation is carrying over into 2026, as the two celebrate the 50th anniversary of the very first Marvel/DC crossover, Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man.
In addition to reprinting that original crossover, fans can expect another double dose of new stories with Superman/Spider-Man #1 and Spider-Man/Superman #1. We only know the creators involved in the former so far, but it’s quite the stacked lineup, including a main story by Mark Waid and Jorge Jiménez. Let’s hope this becomes an annual tradition.
Flux House’s New Home
Art by Matt Kindt & Brian Hurtt. (Image Credit: Oni Press)
A couple of years back, Mind MGMT creator Matt Kindt launched a new experimental imprint called Flux House at Dark Horse Comics. That imprint has now made its home at Oni Press, and we’re very excited by what it has to offer in 2026.
We’re currently eying two Flux House comics debuting later in the year. One is a Mind MGMT sequel dubbed Mind MGMT: New & Improved. The other is a collaboration with The Sixth Gun artist Brian Hurtt called Fort Psycho. Both series will be previewed in a Free Comic Book Day 2026 special, so definitely make sure you check out your local comic shop that weekend.
That’s what we’re looking forward to reading in 2026 so far, though there’s no telling what other major announcements will drop in the months to come. Be sure to let us know in the comments what’s on your reading list for 2026. And be sure to check out our pick for the best comic book or original graphic novel of 2025.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket byfollowing @jschedeen on BlueSky.
