Top 5 New Key Comics 9-23-26

Top 5 New Key Modern Comics, , , , , , , , ,

comic book word search comic book crossword COVERTop 5 New Key Comics 9-23-26

New Books from Jay Katz of InvestComics
Jay Katz of InvestComics now has three comic-themed books available on Amazon: The Beginner’s Guide to Comic Investing: How to Spot Trends in Comics Before Everyone Else, The Ultimate Comic Book Word Search, and The Ultimate Comic Crossword Puzzle. Whether you want to sharpen your speculation instincts or test your comic knowledge, all three books are available in one place.
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LAST WEEK’S Top 5 New Key Comics 9-16-26

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detective comics #359absolute batman #17 absolute batman #24 clay mannAbsolute Batman #24
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Nick Dragotta
Colorist: Frank Martin
Cover shown: Clay Mann

This is probably the cleanest first-appearance conversation among the six because Absolute Batman #24 moves Barbara Gordon into a substantially different place within the Absolute Universe. DC’s description specifically declares that “Absolute Bat enters the scene,” while collector references currently identify the issue as the first full appearance of Barbara Gordon in the Absolute Batgirl costume. That distinction matters because Barbara herself is certainly not making her first appearance here. Her Absolute Universe version debuted much earlier in Absolute Batman #1, while the costume received an earlier cameo in Absolute Batman #17.
Absolute Batman #24 is being tracked as the first full costumed appearance.That gives collectors the sort of three-book progression that can create plenty of arguments at conventions and in online groups: character debut, costume cameo, full costumed appearance. Nobody has ever disagreed about cameo-versus-full appearances in comic collecting, of course.
For anyone approaching this from the broader historical side, there is an even older book sitting at the beginning of Barbara Gordon’s collecting history. Detective Comics #359 introduced Barbara Gordon as Batgirl in 1967, with Gardner Fox scripting and Carmine Infantino providing pencils. That comic remains the foundational Barbara Gordon Batgirl key and provides historical context for what Snyder and Dragotta are doing with the Absolute incarnation.
The interesting speculation question is therefore not whether Absolute Batman #24 replaces any of those earlier books. It does not. They represent different milestones. Detective Comics #359 is the original Barbara Gordon Batgirl debut. Absolute Batman #1 introduces this universe’s Barbara Gordon. Absolute Batman #17 supplies the earlier costume tease. Absolute Batman #24 is where the fully realized Absolute version steps forward.
For collectors who enjoy tracking alternate-universe counterparts, costume debuts, and identity changes, that gives the issue a legitimate reason to remain on the radar beyond being another chapter of a popular Batman title.There is also the Clay Mann cover featured here. The interior remains Snyder and Dragotta’s book, but the Mann variant adds a separate art-collecting component. Midtown’s current listing identifies the uploaded edition as the Clay Mann card-stock variant.
If the Absolute Universe continues developing its own versions of Batman’s supporting cast, this type of early identity milestone is exactly the sort of comic that can remain attached to a character even after dozens of later appearances accumulate. That does not guarantee value. What it does guarantee is that collectors have a specific reason to distinguish this issue from the ones sitting immediately beside it.

marvel mangaverse new dawn #1marvel mangaverse ghost riders vol 1 1marvel mangaverse ghostlocke #1Marvel Mangaverse: Ghostlocke #1
Writer: Alyssa Wong
Artist: Michael YG
Cover shown: Yuji Kaku

Marvel Mangaverse: Ghostlocke #1 celebrates the 25th anniversary of Marvel Mangaverse and places Kwannon into a confrontation with Cletus Kasady, with Carnage cutting through humans and yokai while a female Ghost Rider and her Shinigami motorcycle enter the equation.
From the speculation side, collector databases are currently identifying Marvel Mangaverse: Ghostlocke #1 as the first appearance of this female Mangaverse Ghost Rider with the Shinigami bike. That certainly gives the comic a first-appearance hook, particularly with Kwannon at the center of the story.
However, collectors should be precise with the wording. Marvel already published Marvel Mangaverse: Ghost Riders #1 in 2002. Marvel’s own archive confirms that book featured Ghost Rider alongside the Sons of Satan, Werewolf by Night and Hellstorm. So calling Ghostlocke #1 the first time the idea of a Ghost Rider has ever existed within Marvel Mangaverse would ignore a comic Marvel published roughly a quarter-century ago.
The more accurate collecting angle is the debut of this new female Ghost Rider incarnation associated with Kwannon and the Shinigami bike. That may sound like splitting hairs, but splitting hairs is practically an unofficial certification course in comic speculation.
Then there is Marvel Mangaverse: New Dawn #1. Rather than loosely calling it “the first Marvel manga comic,” which opens a much larger historical argument, collectors can more safely identify Marvel Mangaverse: New Dawn #1 as the first appearance of the Mangaverse reality later designated Earth-2301. That makes it an excellent historical back issue to pair with the anniversary material being introduced now.
So the collecting chain becomes much more interesting. Marvel Mangaverse: New Dawn #1 establishes the world. Marvel Mangaverse: Ghost Riders #1 proves that Ghost Rider imagery and characters existed in the original Mangaverse era. Marvel Mangaverse: Ghostlocke #1 introduces a new female Ghost Rider incarnation with the Shinigami motorcycle and connects that concept directly to Kwannon. That is considerably more useful to a speculator than simply seeing a number one and tossing copies into a cart.

ghost pepper #13 ghost pepper #15 ludo lullabiGhost Pepper #15
Writer/Artist: Ludo Lullabi
Additional art: Julio Ferreira
Colors: Adriano Lucas
Cover shown: Ludo Lullabi

Ghost Pepper #15 may be the wild card of this group because Image and Skybound are openly telling collectors that “a new titan emerges to rival The Cinder.” The issue also reveals the origin of the Eclipse Makers, giving it two potentially meaningful story developments instead of simply continuing the current conflict.
The important word is “new.”
Does that mean a completely new character makes a first appearance? Is an existing character transformed into the titan?
Is this merely the first full presentation of something previously teased? Before the complete issue establishes exactly what the titan is, the responsible speculation approach is to mark the book as a potential first-appearance key rather than stamping an absolute conclusion on it beforehand.That restraint is especially relevant because Ghost Pepper #13 already contains a confirmed first-appearance connection to this story arc. Ludo Lullabi specifically described that issue as introducing a major new character named Ax when the new arc was announced.
That makes Ghost Pepper #13 the back issue I would immediately connect to #15. The current arc has already introduced Ax, and now another titan-level development is being advertised. If #15 establishes an additional character or permanently changes the status of someone already involved, collectors may eventually look at the two issues together as major checkpoints within this era of the series.
Creator-owned comics are particularly interesting in this regard. New characters can be introduced without decades of publishing history behind them, meaning early issues can establish a larger percentage of the mythology than a comparable issue of Batman or Spider-Man. At the same time, that does not mean every named character becomes a valuable key.
The long-term relevance of Ax, the Eclipse Makers, The Cinder, and whatever emerges in #15 will matter far more than the excitement surrounding one Wednesday.The Ludo Lullabi cover featured here also keeps the creator visually attached to his own series, something that can appeal to collectors who prefer creator covers rather than unrelated variant programs. The speculation question remains wonderfully inconvenient: is the “new titan” the beginning of a major character or simply a major story moment?

marvel team up vol 1 131spider man hulk fire and brimstone #2 greg land white rabbit appearanceSpider-Man/Hulk: Fire and Brimstone #2
Writers: Kevin Smith and Andy McElfresh
Artist: R.B. Silva
Cover shown: Greg Land

Spider-Man/Hulk: Fire and Brimstone #2 gives us one of the best opportunities this week to connect a current comic to an established first appearance. Kevin Smith and Andy McElfresh continue their Spider-Man/Hulk team-up with R.B. Silva on art, while the Greg Land variant shown here puts both title characters front and center. The issue brings White Rabbit into Spider-Man’s path on Broadway and also includes Daredevil.
White Rabbit is the important speculation connection.
Lorina Dodson, the White Rabbit, first appeared in Marvel Team-Up #131 in 1983. The issue was written by J.M. DeMatteis, with Kerry Gammill and Mike Esposito handling the artwork, and the Grand Comics Database identifies White Rabbit’s appearance there as her first.
So Spider-Man/Hulk: Fire and Brimstone #2 is not White Rabbit’s first appearance. What it does is put an established Spider-Man villain back into a noticeable role within a high-profile project written by Kevin Smith.
When an older supporting villain receives renewed attention, the original appearance becomes the logical back issue to check before assuming the newest book is automatically the more important collectible.That is precisely the sort of correlation worth making because Marvel Team-Up #131 is not some random Spider-Man issue selected because White Rabbit happens to be standing nearby. It is the character’s actual debut. If renewed use of White Rabbit creates additional collector interest, #131 is where that history begins.
The stronger speculation case here remains the character connection. New comic, older villain, original first appearance. Simple, traceable, and considerably more useful than pretending every guest appearance requires a new label.

infernal hulk #1the incredible hulk #30 2025the infernal hulk vs. wolverine #1Infernal Hulk vs. Wolverine #1
Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Artists: Jonas Scharf and Kieran McKeown
Art/Color team: Alex Guimarães and Yen Nitro
Cover shown: Leinil Francis Yu

The Hulk side of Marvel has been building toward something larger, and Infernal Hulk vs. Wolverine #1 is specifically positioned as the opening one-shot in the march toward Hulk War. Phillip Kennedy Johnson sends Wolverine after mutants who have been abducted and corrupted by Infernal Hulk, with Marvel planning four crossover one-shots as the road toward the larger event continue.
Infernal Hulk did not originate here. Collectors tracing the character backward arrive at The Incredible Hulk #30 from 2025, currently cataloged as the first appearance of Infernal Hulk on the final page.
That issue also carries the first appearance of the Mother of Horrors, making it a particularly relevant book within this mythology.
Then comes Infernal Hulk #1, which establishes the dedicated title and fully develops the horrifying status quo in which Eldest has separated Bruce Banner from Hulk and taken Hulk’s body.
Now Infernal Hulk vs. Wolverine #1 pushes that mythology outward into a larger Marvel conflict and begins the sequence leading toward Hulk War.
That gives collectors three very different reasons to track three different books: The Incredible Hulk #30 for the earliest Infernal Hulk appearance, Infernal Hulk #1 for the series launch and expanded status quo, and Infernal Hulk vs. Wolverine #1 for the opening chapter of the Hulk War buildup.The larger question is whether Hulk War becomes a storyline with enough staying power to keep its prelude material relevant. That cannot be determined from a promotional paragraph. What can be established is that this one-shot has a specific position in the chronology, and that is the kind of information collectors can actually use.

-Jay Katz