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Good morning. DC Comics commands nearly half of last week's comic-shop sales as Absolute Batman drives market share. Sparkle Pop, Diamond's new owners, withdraw their objection to the bankruptcy settlement. Plus, a deep investigation into the retailer exclusive variant boom. Here's what collectors need to know.
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DC Comics seized nearly 50% of comic-shop sales during last week's period, a rare market-share milestone driven by strong performance from Absolute Batman #25, according to Bleeding Cool's analysis of retailer data. The publisher's marketshare surge follows an October in which DC claimed roughly 40% of the direct market, already a significant lead over Marvel.
Absolute Batman #25 anchored the week's sales, continuing the momentum from its Clay Mann variant that jumped from $8 to $60 in a single day on the secondary market. The concentration of DC releases, including multiple titles from the Absolute line and core Batman family books, created a wall of shelf space that pushed Marvel and independent publishers to smaller slices of weekly revenue.
The 50% threshold represents an unusual level of dominance for any publisher in the modern direct market, where Marvel and DC typically trade shares in the 35-40% range. DC's October lead at 40% already marked a shift from historical norms; last week's performance suggests the publisher is sustaining rather than merely spiking.
Heritage Auctions and other secondary-market trackers report heightened interest in recent DC keys from the Absolute relaunch, with collectors treating first appearances and early issues as investment books rather than reading copies. Sales velocity on platforms including eBay and MyComicShop for Absolute Superman #1 and related first prints remain elevated six weeks after release.
Why it matters: If DC holds a 45-50% share through November and December, it reshapes retailer ordering behavior entering 2027. Store owners allocate rack space and pre-order budgets based on recent sales trends, meaning Marvel will face tighter shelf real estate and potentially lower advance orders. For collectors, DC keys from this dominance window may carry long-term premiums if the publisher's current run is remembered as a market inflection point.
Read at source (Bleeding Cool) →
Don't pay original prices for a reprint.
A facsimile is a modern reprint of a famous cover. Bought as the original, it's the most common way new collectors lose money on comics. Part I of the 2026 Comics Guide covers the facsimile trap first, then the other fakes.
What’s in the 2026 Comics Guide →Sparkle Pop withdraws Diamond objection New Diamond Comics owners Sparkle Pop have withdrawn their objection to the bankruptcy settlement, clearing the path for the deal to close. The withdrawal removes a procedural roadblock that had delayed final court approval. Sparkle Pop acquired Diamond's assets but initially contested terms of the consignment-goods sale that formed part of the broader settlement package. Read at source (Bleeding Cool) →
SKTCHD investigates variant-cover explosion SKTCHD published a feature examining the explosive growth of retailer exclusive variant covers, documenting specific examples of variant proliferation and asking industry insiders "how do we right-size it?" The piece tracks the shift from occasional store exclusives to multi-tier variant programs that now generate dozens of covers per issue. Retailers and publishers debate whether the model serves long-term collector interest or simply inflates short-term revenue at the expense of market stability. Read at source (SKTCHD) →
Pep Comics #7 Shield issue hits auction A 1940 Pep Comics #7 featuring The Shield protecting Joe DiMaggio and playing baseball for the New York Giants is now at auction through Heritage. The issue represents MLJ's superhero output during the early 1940s, when patriotic characters dominated newsstands. The Shield, often cited as the first patriotic superhero predating Captain America by over a year, remains a key focus for Golden Age collectors tracking MLJ and Archie lineage. Read at source (Bleeding Cool) →
Image announces silent revenge tale INNEN Image Comics will publish INNEN, a one-shot graphic novel by Robert Windom and artist Mirko Čolak, in January 2027. The book is described as a silent revenge tale, relying on visual storytelling without dialogue. Čolak, known for work on Conan and Star Wars titles, teams with Windom for the standalone release. Read at source (The Comics Beat) →
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| January 2027 | INNEN one-shot graphic novel (Image Comics) |
Full calendar (The Comics Beat) →
Alan Moore's Swamp Thing Gets Deluxe Omnibus
Comic Book Club · @comicbookclub · 16.6K subscribers
News about Alan Moore Swamp Thing omnibus release in two volumes.
Watch on YouTube →Wonder Woman Reading Order: The Absolute DC Guide Part 1 from 1941 to 2011! War of Gods | Artemis
Near Mint Condition · @NearMintCondition · 139K subscribers
Wonder Woman reading order guide covering 1941 to 2011 storylines.
Watch on YouTube →Find more comic creators on CollectiblesFamous (92) →
Collector shares 1955 EC Valor #5 file copy A Reddit user posted a 1955 EC Valor #5 with cover art by Wally Wood, noting it is a file copy from the publisher's archives. See the discussion (Reddit - r/comicbookcollecting) →
Collector compiles upcoming legacy-number milestones A Reddit user posted a list of upcoming major legacy issue milestones for Marvel and DC comics running through 2027, tracking which series will hit round-number anniversaries. See the discussion (Reddit - r/comicbooks) →
Convention haul: signed Alias and Transmetropolitan A collector met Brian Michael Bendis, David Mack, and Darick Robertson at a convention in Italy, returning with signed and remarqued copies of Alias #28 and Transmetropolitan #1. See the discussion (Reddit - r/comicbookcollecting) →
40-year grail collection shared A collector posted photos of their graded comic grail collection accumulated over 40 years, including notable books like Incredible Hulk #181. See the discussion (Reddit - r/comicbookcollecting) →
 | ★ Marquee find Walking Dead #1 CGC 9.8 1st Appearance Rick Grimes Image 2003$2,850 · CGC 9.8, high grade, key/1st app. View on eBay → |
 | Key · Top Pick Fantastic Four 164 CGC 9.6 OW/WH 1975 1st Appearance Frankie Raye$225 · CGC 9.6, high grade, key/1st app. View on eBay → |
 | Key · Top Pick Image Comics 2012 The Walking Dead CGC 9.8 #100 1st Appearance Negan & Lucille$70 · CGC 9.8, high grade, key/1st app. View on eBay → |
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Closing Soon: Own a Stake in the Future of Popcorn
The popcorn brand that keeps making headlines is entering the final stretch of its investment round.
Popsmith raised $348,000 on Kickstarter before it ever reached a store shelf, and in 2024 it was named one of Oprah’s Favorite Things. Retail partnerships with Williams Sonoma, Costco, and Crate & Barrel have further cemented its position in the premium home and kitchen market.
Now Popsmith is raising capital to bring its Poppers and popcorn into more kitchens, and individual investors have just a few weeks left to own shares.
Learn more about the Popsmith investment opportunity
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