Top 5 New Key Comics 9-30-26

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LAST WEEK’S Top 5 New Key Comics 9-23-26

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The Amazing Spider-Man #1000
Writers: Joe Kelly, Noah Hawley, Frank Miller, Dan Slott, J.M. DeMatteis, Brian Michael Bendis and additional creators | Artists include Pepe Larraz, John Romita Jr., Patrick Gleason, Peach Momoko, Marcos Martin, Stuart Immonen and additional creators.

One thousand issues of Amazing Spider-Man is enough of a collecting milestone before Marvel adds anything else to the equation. Then Marvel goes and introduces Ravage. This is exactly the type of milestone issue speculators should separate into two categories: historical importance and potential key-comic importance. The thousandth legacy issue is permanently attached to Spider-Man history regardless of what happens afterward, but the first appearance of Ravage gives the comic an additional speculative element that could become more important depending on what Marvel does with the character. Marvel describes Ravage as Spider-Man’s most frightening new villain in decades, and Joe Kelly has specifically discussed the character as layered, complex and mysterious. This is not merely a commemorative anthology where everyone shakes Spider-Man’s hand, eats cake and goes home. Ravage is being introduced as part of the continuing Spider-Man mythology.
There is another legitimate “first” buried in this massive issue. Noah Hawley, known for television work including Fargo, Legion and Alien: Earth, makes his comic-book writing debut here. That is an unusual creator milestone worth recording because creators crossing into comics from major television and film work can give a milestone issue another reason to remain historically interesting. The issue also reunites Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen on Spider-Man and includes the first collaboration between Frank Miller and Peach Momoko. Marvel essentially looked at issue #1000 and apparently decided one notable event wasn’t enough.
The obvious speculation centerpiece remains Ravage. First appearances are ultimately judged by what comes after them. If Ravage disappears after an arc, this remains primarily a Spider-Man milestone. If the character becomes a recurring member of Peter Parker’s rogues gallery, The Amazing Spider-Man #1000 becomes the place collectors have to return to. That is the part nobody can know beforehand, which is precisely why speculation exists.
Amazing Fantasy #15 remains the foundation as the first appearance of Spider-Man, while The Amazing Spider-Man #1 established Peter Parker’s flagship title in 1963. For a more modern milestone comparison, The Amazing Spider-Man #900 is another logical book to place beside #1000 as collectors build milestone runs. None of those books predicts Ravage’s future, but they create the historical line that makes issue #1000 something considerably different from an ordinary oversized Spider-Man comic. One last thing to add here. While this is a first appearance in a major Marvel book, there are an abundant amount of variant covers and copies to go around. Do not get taken for the “Hot Comic” take from anyone. There is plenty to go around. Do grab the variant and first appearance cover of Ravage if you can.

Marvel Mangaverse: Web of Destiny #1
Writers: Joe Kelly and Jack Kelly | Artist: Kenny Ruiz | Colorist: Noiry | Letterer: Ariana Maher Cover artist shown: Yuji Kaku

Marvel’s Mangaverse experiment has officially reached the point where something that once seemed like an unusual early-2000s alternate-universe project now has a quarter-century history behind it. Marvel Mangaverse: Web of Destiny #1 brings together Miles Morales as Spider-Man, Laura Kinney as Weapon X-Tremis and Illyana Rasputin as Legion for the climax of the new Mangaverse storyline. The issue is positioned as the finale of the current saga, with Marvel promising that heroes emerge from the confrontation. 
For speculation purposes, however, the more interesting books may be sitting directly behind this finale. The modern Mangaverse revival introduced new Earth-2301 interpretations of characters that did not exist when the universe originally appeared. The preceding Marvel Mangaverse: Web of Blood #1 is identified as the first appearance of Spinja, the Mangaverse Miles Morales; Weapon X-Tremis, its Laura Kinney; and Legion, its Illyana Rasputin. That makes Web of Blood the logical companion key if these incarnations continue beyond this storyline. 
Then there is the original material. Collectors looking backward should know that the Mangaverse universe first appeared in Marvel Mangaverse: New Dawn #1 in 2002. That is the historical starting point for Earth-2301, while Marvel Mangaverse: X-Men #1 from the same period brought the mutant side of the concept into focus with alternate versions of Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, Rogue, Jean Grey and others.
That creates an interesting little speculation tree instead of a single book. There is the original 2002 Mangaverse key, the first Mangaverse X-Men issue, the modern first appearances of Spinja, Weapon X-Tremis and Legion, and now Marvel Mangaverse: Web of Destiny #1 completing the current storyline. Alternative-universe characters are notoriously unpredictable on the aftermarket, but when Marvel revisits a universe after roughly a quarter century, keeping track of its genuine firsts makes considerably more sense than randomly buying every comic with “Mangaverse” printed across it.

The Amazing Venom #1
Writer: Jordan Morris | Artist: Luke Ross | Additional art/color credits include Julius Ohta and David Curiel | Cover artist shown: Stefano Caselli

Fred Myers has had one of the stranger career paths in Marvel Comics, which is saying something considering this is a universe where death routinely functions more like an extended vacation. The former Boomerang is now Comeback, bonded with the Passenger symbiote, and The Amazing Venom #1 establishes the next stage of that combination in its own series. Jordan Morris writes the book with Luke Ross on art as Fred and Passenger move forward in the aftermath of the larger symbiote conflict involving Hela and Knull.
The book collectors should immediately connect to this one is Web of Venom #1 from earlier in 2026. That issue contains the first appearance and origin of Passenger and Fred Myers’ first appearance under his Comeback identity. Passenger bonds with Fred there, establishing the red, blue and black symbiote identity that now moves into The Amazing Venom #1.
Go much farther back and Fred’s history leads all the way to Tales to Astonish #81 from 1966, his first appearance as Boomerang. That is where the speculation becomes especially interesting from a character-history standpoint. A villain introduced sixty years ago is being repackaged under a new identity with a newly introduced symbiote and a new ongoing title. It does not mean Comeback automatically becomes the next Venom-level phenomenon. It does mean Fred Myers now has several distinct collectible checkpoints instead of one old Boomerang key sitting by itself. 
Symbiote speculation has produced plenty of ridiculousness over the years because apparently attaching an alien organism to almost anyone is enough to get collectors reaching for their wallets. Passenger at least has the advantage of being genuinely new. If Passenger and Comeback develop staying power, Web of Venom #1 is the origin key and The Amazing Venom #1 becomes the launch of their dedicated series. That is a clean relationship for collectors to follow.

Alien vs. X-Men #1
Writers: Kieron Gillen and Chris Claremont | Artist: Geraldo Borges | Cover artist shown: Ryan Stegman

Sometimes the key-comic argument does not require a brand-new superhero or villain. Sometimes two franchises simply meet in a combination that somehow managed to avoid happening for decades. Alien vs. X-Men #1 brings Marvel’s mutants into direct conflict with the Xenomorphs in a dedicated crossover, with the X-Men returning to Earth carrying what turns out to be some exceptionally bad cargo after searching for a Phoenix egg. Kieron Gillen and Geraldo Borges handle the primary story, while legendary X-Men writer Chris Claremont contributes an additional new story involving Kitty Pryde, the Brood and the Xenomorphs. 
For collectors, the significance is straightforward: this launches the X-Men/Xenomorph crossover as its own series. Marvel’s Alien license has already collided with other Marvel properties, but this is the dedicated meeting of two concepts that fit together almost suspiciously well. Mutants, alien biology, genetic nightmares and the Brood are not exactly strangers to one another thematically.
That makes Uncanny X-Men #155 an especially appropriate back issue to associate with this book. It is an important early Brood issue from the Chris Claremont era and marks the Brood’s introduction into X-Men mythology. With Claremont now returning for a story combining Kitty Pryde, the Brood and Xenomorphs, the connection is not some random back issue pulled from a hat. The Brood represent the X-Men’s established history with parasitic extraterrestrial horror, making their presence alongside the Xenomorphs a natural bridge between old and new.
Collectors can also look toward the beginning of Marvel’s modern Alien publishing era with Alien #1 from 2021. The Xenomorph franchise has moved steadily deeper into Marvel’s comic ecosystem since Marvel acquired the publishing license, and a crossover with the X-Men is another step in turning Alien from a largely self-contained licensed property into something capable of interacting with Marvel’s superhero universe.

Superman: Kingdom of Zod Special #1
Writers: Joshua Williamson, Mark Waid, Dan Slott and Sophie Campbell | Artists: Paolo Villanelli, Bruno Frenda, David Messina and Sophie Campbell | Cover shown: Kyuyong Eom

Superman: Kingdom of Zod Special #1 represents the culmination of the Kingdom of Zod crossover, bringing Superman against General Zod, Supergirl against Ursa and the Super-Force against Zod’s army. The storyline began with Supergirl #16, where the Kryptonite Kingdom of El Caldero was destabilized by a military coup and Supergirl assembled a Super-Force that included Superboy-Prime, Conner Kent, Tomorrow Man and Steel. From a collecting standpoint, that makes Supergirl #16 considerably more relevant to this special than randomly attaching an old Superman key simply because Superman happens to be standing in both of them.
DC has also stated that the conclusion carries consequences for the Super-Family, which gives this special the potential to function as more than the final fight scene of the crossover. Finale issues are harder speculation targets than first appearances because their importance depends heavily on what actually changes afterward. If a status-quo change survives into subsequent Superman titles, collectors tend to circle back. If everything resets three issues later, the market usually notices that too. Comics can be remarkably efficient at teaching expensive lessons.
For a historical Zod connection, the obvious back issue is Adventure Comics #283, the first appearance of General Zod. The character has evolved from a Silver Age Phantom Zone criminal into one of Superman’s most recognizable Kryptonian adversaries, and Kingdom of Zod once again puts him at the center of a Superman-family event.

-Jay Katz