Chad Burdette
Yesterday at ComicsPro in Glendale, CA, DC thanked Direct Market comic book retailers for their support throughout 2025 and unveiled new details about the publisher’s 2026 comic book lineup. DC’s presentation highlighted the next wave of DC Vertigo titles, a new event miniseries coming in the Absolute Universe, major additions to DC Next Level, and a first look at a Gotham City event arriving later this year.
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Following the successful launch of Bleeding Hearts, End of Life, and The Nice House by the Sea—with The Peril of the Brutal Dark: An Ezra Cain Mystery launching February 25—DC shared updates on the forthcoming slate of DC Vertigo titles arriving throughout 2026.
Beginning this summer, Vertigo will publish 100 Bullets: The US of ANGER and Fanatic, followed in the fall by Necretatious and Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy. Winter 2026 will see the arrival of The Crying Doll and A Walking Shadow, rounding out the imprint’s first full year of its return.
Vertigo News and Reviews:
- Bleeding Hearts #1: Heartless?
- End of Life #1: Home is Where the Hate Is
- Vertigo’s Bleeding Hearts Goes Back For Second Printing In March
- Vertigo’s Highly Anticipated Relaunch Arrives February 2026 With Variants By DC Absolute Artists
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DC Absolute Universe Expands with Green Arrow and Catwoman, Plus a Tease of the First Absolute Event Mini-Series
DC announced two new series set in the Absolute Universe: Absolute Green Arrow by Pornsak Pichetshote and Rafael Albuquerque, launching May 20, and Absolute Catwoman by Che Grayson, Scott Snyder, and Bengal, launching June 10. Both titles continue the imprint’s mission to reimagine iconic DC characters in bold, continuity-free stories from top creators.
Comic Watch Review:
- Absolute Batman #17: BATanical Gardens
- Absolute Wonder Woman 2026 Annual #1: All The Pieces On The Board
- Absolute Superman #16: Absolute Hawkman
- Absolute Flash #11: Back to Barry
- Absolute Green Lantern #11: Colorvision
- Absolute Evil #1: A Jump-On Point with Bad Guys
Absolute Catwoman
Kaare-Andrews Variant Cover:
Mateus Manhanini Variant Cover:
David Nakayama Variant Cover:
Absolute Green Arrow
Gerald Parel Variant Cover:
Guillem March Variant Cover:
Tula Lotay Variant Cover:
Reiko Murakami 1:25 Incentive Variant Cover:
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DC Next Level
Retailers were shown a new trailer for DC Next Level, highlighting the initiative’s rollout through the first half of the year. Lobo #1, Batwoman #1, and Deathstroke: The Terminator #1 will all launch on March 18, followed by The Fury of Firestorm #1 on April 8 and Zatanna #1 on April 29.
DC Next Level News
- DC Comics All-In Era Begins Second Act In March 2026 With Lobo, Batwoman, And Deathstroke
- The All-In Era Explodes As The Show Goes On With The Next Round Of DC Next Level Titles: Fury Of Firestorm & Zatanna This April
DC then spotlighted two newly announced Next Level titles arriving this summer: Barbara Gordon: Breakout by Mariko Tamaki and Amancay Nahuelpan in May, and The Deadman by W. Maxwell Prince and Martín Morazzo in June.
Barbara Gordon: Breakout
Yanick Paquette Variant Cover:
David Nakayama Variant Cover:
Jorge Corona Next-Level Variant Cover:
Amancay Nahuelpan 1:25 Incentive Variant Cover:
The Deadman
Retailers were also provided a look at DC’s upcoming slate of Next Level titles ahead of solicitation, including Legion of Super-Heroes, Doom Patrol, Jonah Hex, The Demon, and Batman: Shadow of the Bat. Creative teams and launch dates will be announced soon.
DC’s ComicsPro presentation further revealed the next major Next Level series: Teen Titans, launching this summer from Kyle Higgins and Daniele Di Nicuolo, the acclaimed team behind Power Rangers: Shattered Grid. In Teen Titans, Red Hood uncovers a network of missing powered teens and reluctantly joins forces with a new generation of plugged-in, hyper-capable young heroes to find them and expose the lie dividing their world.
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Gotham Faces “BAD SEEDS” in a Major Q3 Event
DC closed its publishing announcements with a first look at “BAD SEEDS”, a Gotham City event arriving in Q3 2026. Gotham City police commissioner Vandal Savage has declared war on the Bat-Family and flooded the streets with his private, para-militarized police army. Gotham’s new mayor, Pamela Isley, deserted by her allies both political and arcane, is about to make a last-ditch power play that will leave all of Gotham decimated by daylight.
More Recent DC News:
- DC Comics Announces The Summer of Supergirl Slate As The Girl Of Steel Takes Over Superman Day 2026
- Vertigo’s Bleeding Hearts Goes Back For Second Printing In March
- DC Comics Releases More Variants For Upcoming Superman / Spider-Man #1
- DC Comics Announces New Addition To Young Reader Graphic Novel Series
These events converge in “BAD SEEDS”, spanning a long, dark night in Gotham that threatens to turn the entire city into a primeval world of hostile plant life unlike anything on Earth for millennia, at a time when its greatest heroes are hunted and in hiding. More details on “BAD SEEDS” will be shared in the months ahead.
DC also teased that the first Absolute Universe event miniseries will arrive in Q4 2026, with additional details to be revealed later this year.
Stay tuned for more ComicsPro News as it becomes available
