This week’s Top Comics to Buy for October 28 delivers the biggest issue of Absolute Batman yet, which given the popularity of that title, carries the potential to be the buzziest single issue of the entire year. Plus, with Halloween just a few days away, publishers are delivering an absolute banquet of great and varied horror comics.
You can find my five favorite books of the week below, followed by the other usual release lists!
Top Comics to Buy for October 28, 2026
Absolute Batman #25
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Nick Dragotta
Colorist: Frank Martin
Letterer: Tom Napolitano
Publisher: DC Comics
All the villains. All the heroes. All the stakes. What’s left… of Absolute Batman?
Why It’s Cool: Absolute Batman is a full-on sales/buzz sensation, with retailers across the country reporting it has done something once thought impossible — bring noticeable numbers of Gen Z readers into their stores, getting them engaged with periodical monthly comics. And this week we get to Absolute Batman #25, a culmination of everything that’s happened in this title to date. It’s a cliche, perhaps, to write it’s all been leading to this. But folks? It really has all been leading to this, with Batman battling this new dark world’s version of his greatest foe, and the way it plays out is spectacular.
Price: $5.99
Dispatched #4
Writer: B. Clay Moore
Artist: Daniel Gete
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: AndWorld Design
Publisher: Ignition Press
In another explosive issue, The Sons of Liberty finally make their plan, and their demands, known and despite their dwindling numbers, the white supremacists are still very much in control. However, their own missteps are nearly as deadly as Powers’ targeted attacks. As the force employed by the Sons of Liberty increases, Powers’ is thrown back to the worst moments of his military career. Will he be able to push through his trauma and pull off a daring rescue, or will the Sons of Liberty keep killing hostages?
Why It’s Cool: This book continues to be at the top of my stack every week it comes out. I’ve written in this space before how it feels like a modern update for Die Hard, and that’s a great concept. But the execution really makes it stand out. It’s tense and the rate of reveal for the character backstories is perfect. Don’t sleep on this book!
Price: $4.99
Hello Darkness #26
Creators: Jordan Alsaqa, Liam Johnson, Robert Hack, Mark Bouchard, Tini Howard, Sally Cantirino, Keith Browning, Val Halvorson, Savanna Mayer, Keyla Valerio, Brad Simpson, Triona Farrell, Walter Baiamonte, Jodie Troutman, Ed Dukeshire, Taylor Esposito
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Body horror is back on the menu! A man in the middle of transition finds himself in a sticky situation when an opportunity for some fast cash comes his way… it’s part one of Mark Bouchard and Val Halvorson’s new gruesome tale, “The Arrangement”! Meanwhile, Tini Howard’s breakout series Marian Heretic with art by Savanna Mayer continues to expand with Part II, after Marian’s journey for a spell leads her into a run-in with some mysterious maenads! And in “Umnitsa,” Leim Johnson and Keith Browning tell the story of a very good boy who returns to Earth from a spacewalk with a dire warning for all mankind…
Why It’s Cool: I feel like a broken record praising Hello Darkness in this space so frequently, but it really is a must-read comic, and that’s doubly true for the new comic book day of Halloween week. One thing I really admire about this anthology is the way it mixes established and rising creators, and this week’s issue is no exception.
Price: $5.99
Scream – Halloween Special 2026 #1
Creators: Alex Paknadel, Michael Gorman, Oliver Gerlach, Zach Thompson, Zoe Tunnel, Vic Malhotra, Alejandro Aragon, Babs Tarr, Chloe Brailsford, Mattia Monaco, Jason Wordie, JP Jordan, Kyle Fewell, Jonathan Stevenson, Maco, Jodie Troutman
Publisher: Rebellion
Following Scream!’s 40th anniversary and the success of the Eisner-nominated Scream! The Specials 1985-2024, the anthology comic is back with all-new episodes of The Dracula File and The Thirteenth Floor, and brand new one-shots to keep you up at night all through Halloween season… and beyond!
Why It’s Cool: It’s basically an extra-sized issue of 2000AD minus Dredd and plus all kinds of great, complex, and creepy horror concepts, from a fantastic and varied list of creators. I had a blast reading this seasonally-appropriate horror anthology. If you’re at your shop this week, I insist you throw this and Hello Darkness onto your stack and just bliss out on the great set of horror comics coming your way for Halloween.
Price: $9.99
Universal Monsters – Bride of Frankenstein Lives #1
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Mattia De Iulis
Letterer: Becca Carey
Publisher: Image Comics – Skybound
With no memory of her past or understanding of what she is, The Bride took her first steps into the world and was…displeased. Now, she must discover where and who she came from and begin what every living thing begins…the process of staying alive.
Why It’s Cool: One thing I really like about this continuing line of Universal Monsters books is that there’s no formula to how the relate with or connect to the movies that inspire them. Each one is different, and that’s a nice way to keep these comics fresh. This one also benefits from Bride of Frankenstein (imo) being one of the best of the classic Universal Monsters films. There’s a lot to play with, and the creative team uses it so well.
Price: $4.99
10 Other Comics I Enjoyed This Week
Absolute Wonder Woman #25- Archie #2
- Batman – Bad Seeds – Sunrise #1
- The Dogsitter #4
- The Flash #38
- Fort Psycho #3
- Innards #5
- Superman #43
- Terminal #4
- That Texas Blood – Hell Comes to Allison Ranch #2
New #1s and One-Shots
Batman – Bad Seeds – Gotham Central #1- Batman – Bad Seeds – Sunrise #1 (one-shot)
- DC All-In – Darkseid vs The World #1 (one-shot)
- From the World of Minor Threats – Welcome to Twilight – Villains and Vignettes #1
- Godzilla – Revenge of the Deadzone #1
- Justice League – The Dark Realm Special #1 (one-shot)
- Pathfinder – Vampirella – Blade of Darkness #1
- Satanic Panic #1
- Scream – Halloween Special 2026 #1 (one-shot)
- Star Wars – Rogue One – Darth Vader #1 (one-shot)
- Superman – The Wedding Album 30th Anniversary Special #1 (one-shot)
- Universal Monsters – Bride of Frankenstein Lives #1
- Witchblade Samhain Special #1 (one-shot)
Graphic Novels and Trade Collections
- 30 Days of Night – Deluxe Edition Vol 4 HC
Absolute Wonder Woman Vol 3 – Season of the Witch HC/TP- Afterlife With Archie Deluxe Edition HC
- Aliens Epic Collection Original Years Vol 4 TP
- And Out Comes the Wolf HC
- BRZRKR Blood Oaths Vol 1 TP
- Captain America Modern Era Epic Collection Vol 4 Reborn TP
- Carmen Red Claw – Belly of the Beast HC
- Complete Assassins Apprentice TP
- DC Finest – Teen Titans – Terra in the Night TP
- Dick Tracy 1961 TP
- Fall of the House of Slaughter TP
- Fireborn Vol 1 TP
- Godfather of Hell TP
- Godzilla – Here There Be – Complete Collection TP
- Golden Age Classics Minute Man Vol 1 HC
- Hellboy and the BPRD – The Ghost Ships of Labrador and Other Stories TP
I Saw Santa A Spawn Universe Christmas Story TP- In Your Skin TP
- Iron Man Vol 1 A New Nightmare TP
- Jughead New Riverdale Oni Press Compact Comics Edition TP
- Knull Coming to the Light TP
- Marvels Mightiest Monsters HC
- Moon Knight Epic Collection Vol 8 The Resurrection War TP
- Naruto x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TP Manga Edition
- October Faction IDW Classic Collections TP
- October Girl Vol 3 TP
- The Peril of the Brutal Dark – An Ezra Cain Mystery TP
- Phoo Action HC
Rogue Shadows of the Past TP- Rogue Trooper – The Complete Collection Book 4 TP
- Sh*t My President Says – The Illustrated Tweets of Donald J Trump TP
- Shock Treatment and Other Stories HC
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ongoing Compendium Vol 3 TP
- Thistlebone – The Complete Collection TP
- Uncanny X-Men Omnibus Vol 6 HC
- War Wolf Vol 2 TP
- White Sky Vol 1 TP
- Witcher Vol 11 Blood Stone TP
Read past editions of the Top Comics to Buy!
And check out the Beat’s most recent comics reviews!
