[SPEAKER_00]: absolute Batman leads graphic novel sales again.
[SPEAKER_00]: Firefly returns to comics from dynamite.
[SPEAKER_00]: Marvel's midnight universe shifts to October.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is comic book club news for June 23rd, 2026.
[SPEAKER_00]: In a surprise to absolutely nobody absolute Batman took the top two slots on the May 2026 sales charts for superhero graphic novels.
[SPEAKER_00]: For ICB-2, DC Comics took 14 of the top 20 slots on the chart, breaking down to 7 absolute universe titles including both the soft cover and hardcover versions of Absbad Volume 1 and 2.
[SPEAKER_00]: and eight compact comics editions with Batman The Court of Owls, Batman The Long Halloween, Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow and Nightwing leaping into the light rounding out the top six.
[SPEAKER_00]: Marvel only snagged three slots on the chart all for their premiere editions, which have the same
[SPEAKER_00]: Having done in one easy for new readers to grab purposes, compact comics that are slightly larger and cost $5 more.
[SPEAKER_00]: Planet Hulk was number 7 while Punisher welcomed back Frank and Daredevil born again both charted.
[SPEAKER_00]: Likely do at least impart to interest on the born-again TV show and Punisher special on Disney Plus.
[SPEAKER_00]: The loan other publisher on the chart was IDW for TMNT the last run-in coming in at number 20.
[SPEAKER_00]: Hey, if you're wondering where invincible was, well, that's been sorted over to another chart, which ranks books by author versus publisher.
[SPEAKER_00]: On that chart, vaults adaptation of Matt Denman's Dungeon Crawler Carl came in at number 1, but Robert Kirkman reigned supreme with 10 volumes of invincible in the top 20.
[SPEAKER_00]: Perhaps they shouldn't be quite as much of a surprise since Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel Comics have headed to Dynamite as well, but Firefly is back in comic book form with a new number one from Dynamite and a new creative team, Mark Russell and Lorenzo Rays.
[SPEAKER_00]: Scubs hot on the heels of the fan, frenzy ignited by the not quite yet an actual animated series, but maybe someday, announcement by the cast of the beloved Fox, I-Fi show.
[SPEAKER_00]: Here, Russell and Rays will deliver tales of the whole serenity crew during the period when
[SPEAKER_00]: In the new series, PerPR quotes, now Reynolds is desperate for cash to keep serenity flying.
[SPEAKER_00]: While Simon and Kaylee must pose as a married couple to pull off a heist, but end up with more than they bargained for when an old keeper comes back to haunt them.
[SPEAKER_00]: The book also marks return to Dynamite for Russell after previously working for the company on Red Sonia and the Loan Ranger.
[SPEAKER_00]: Firefly No.
[SPEAKER_00]: 1 hit stores that September 2nd, 2026, with Guess What, Premium Mystery Blind Bags.
[UNKNOWN]: Thank you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Previously scheduled for August, September, and October, Marvel's midnight light of horror books will now all hit stores in October, aka Prime Spooky Season.
[SPEAKER_00]: They'll also be the only comics Marvel releases on that day.
[SPEAKER_00]: In case you missed the initial news, the three titles are Midnight X-Men by Jonathan Hickman and Mateo Delafonte.
[SPEAKER_00]: Midnight Fat Testing 4 by Benjamin Percy and Kev Walker, and Midnight Spider-Man by Philip Kennedy Johnson and Sai Trong, all three are set in their own connected horror universe
[SPEAKER_00]: Now listen, there's a level where one might speculate that the relatively muted two-negative response to the initial announcement may have dampened orders for the line, and this shift gives Marvel more time to hype it up.
[SPEAKER_00]: For the more positive outlook, let's turn to midnight universe executive editor Dan Buckley, who said via press release
[SPEAKER_00]: To more we talked about Midnight, the more we realized it was far more than just the birth of another universe, it was on an entirely different scale creatively, a doorway to something that was not only immediately exciting, but had immense long-term progress.
[SPEAKER_00]: We wanted to match their ambition with this unique launch plan, one that allows both retailers and fans to fully immerse themselves into this new line right for the start.
[SPEAKER_00]: The clock strikes Midnight on October 7, these three series will unleash a bold new energy that
[SPEAKER_00]: And we hope Echos throughout the industry for the foreseeable future.
[SPEAKER_00]: I guess we'll see when all three books release and stores on October 7, 2026.
[SPEAKER_00]: For comic book club news, I'm Alex Albin.
[SPEAKER_00]: And as we all know, Marvel's Mid-Nine is inspired by Taylor Swift's Mid-Nights.
[SPEAKER_00]: True fact, not a true fact.
[SPEAKER_00]: Got tips or stories you'd like us to cover?
[SPEAKER_00]: Email us if comic book club live at gmail.com.
[SPEAKER_00]: For more comic book news, reviews and interviews, check out comicbookclublive.com.
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