Okay gang, I’m at it again…I’m looking for your predictions for the 2026 comic book industry! I’ve been doing this every year for (cough cough) years and it’s all in good fun and maybe, just maybe, we can learn a little something.
Just leave ’em in the comments to this very post, but please adhere to these simple yet necessary rules:
1. Don’t read the other predictions before entering your own.
2. Don’t criticize other people’s predictions.
3. Don’t predict any real person’s death.
4. Limit of three predictions per person! VERY VERY IMPORTANT! You can only do one or two if you’d like, but NO MORE THAN THREE PLEASE!
And I’m going to add here, since this has been a problem lately…NO SIDE DISCUSSIONS in these comments! Leave the comments section to this post just for 2026 predictions! I will delete non-prediction comments from this post. Please. Thank you.
Starting next month, I will begin to cover everyone’s predictions for 2025, and we’ll see how we all did. And then we’ll all regather in January 2027 to see how we did with this newest batch!
As always, thanks in advance for participating!
1. New Marvel initiative a la “Marvel Now” or “All New All Different.” May come with a new Editor in Chief, but that second part may be wishcasting.
2. A breakout creator owned series, and maybe a boost of some of the more recent crop of creator owned books like Kaya and Power Fantasy.
3. Some sort of major merger between publishers. Boom buys Dark Horse and keeps it as their mature line or something wild like that
1. Superman will win DC KO, but with a twist.
2. SUPERGIRL will outperform SUPERMAN at the Box Office. People were waiting to see if this new DCU was any good. It is, so they will eagerly sign up for more.
3. Marvel will also release a cheaper, smaller line of TPBs similar to DC Compact Comics.
1. Grant Morrison will write more comic work now that they’ve dipped their toe back in with the Batman/Deadpool story.
2. Marvel will make an announcement about the future of Miracleman, probably along the lines of “Mark Buckingham will be taking over writing.”
3. DC will publish a new Legion of Super-Heroes title by…Mark Waid and Dan Mora?
Predictions for the 2026 comic book industry
1) Some good things will happen, and
2) Some bad things will happen, and
3) People will argue about whether the things that happen are good or bad.
— MrJM
DC reboots its universe again. Twice.
1. Someone ambitiously revives a public domain Golden Age superhero character and it is actually successful for a change.
2. The mostly-finished-when-it-was-cancelled Netflix Grendel series will mysteriously appear on YouTube or one of those vaguely sketchy Russian video sites.
3. Marvel publishes a third CrossGen omnibus.
1) Buyers will get fed up with DC/Marvel crossovers so they will cross-over with other publishers’ universes, including some very surprising ones. Punisher/Rogue Trooper, anyone? Strontium Dog/Lobo?
2) DC will *finally* publish a collection including Gene Colan’s run on Wonder Woman.
3) Ragman will get a new series.
1. Alfred comes back to life in Batman
2. X-men relaunched under new editorial management.
3. Rogue trooper breaks into the US market
1. The critical and commercial failure of the Age of Revelation X-Men crossover leaves Marvel scrambling to find an immediate cash influx. This results in another poorly thought-out crossover that does NOT involve the X-Men.
2. The Oni Archie books will be a huge hit, and MLJ/Archie will finally close down, except as a character license.
3. As always, there will be no new Legion of Superheroes book in 2026.
1. Avengers: Doomsday will be a hit, but not so massive a hit that people will be saying the MCU is back on track.
2. Absolute Martian Manhunter will win at least one Eisner, and Deniz Camp will win best writer.
3. At least one Bad Idea comic will be optioned for a movie. My guess would be Planet Death, but I could see studio interest in Cul de Sac, Survive, and Ordained.
1. Marvel will start using AI to generate online content and use a “clever” name as the author (e.g., Arthur Incognito).
2. DC will publish a Christmas Omnibus of Christmas stories from across the decades…super-hero as well as science fiction, war, western, and romance.
3. Over at Image, Robert Kirkman will launch a shared universe of titles that both he as well as other writers will publish titles similar to the Geoff Johns Universe of titles.
“3. Don’t predict any real person’s death.”
I don’t think you COULD, nowadays.
1. No new Miracleman issues will be published.
2. There will be a new Criminal OGN that will be awesome, while the Amazon show of the same name will (finally) premiere to little fanfare and so-so reviews.
3. Sales of the Absolute line will start tailing off dramatically, with a number of new Absolute series being criticised as a glut on the market.
1. Either “Fatale” or “The Fade Out” by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips will be adapted to a film or a streaming series in 2026.
2. Either the “Lanterns” streaming series or the “Supergirl” film will open up the “DC Cosmic Universe” in the James Gunn-verse by featuring cameos from either The Omega Men, Thanagarians, Adam Strange and Rannians, some New Gods, or some members of The Legion of Superheroes–leading to eventual Omega Men, Rann-Thanagar War, New Gods, or Legion of Super-Heroes streaming series or film franchises.
3. DC will continue to publish facsimile editions of first appearances of key characters or of key story arcs–realizing that it is easy money and what the people want. Among the facsimile editions for 2026 we will get one or more of the following: New York World’s Fair Comics no. 1 (1939) –the first appearance of Wesley Dodds/Sandman; All-Star Comics no. 5 (1941)–the first appearance of Shiera Sanders as Hawkgirl; All-Star Comics no. 8 (1941)–the first appearance of Wonder Woman (as well as Dr. Mid-Nite and Starman’s first JSA membership appearances); Blue Beetle no. 1 (1939)–the first appearance of Dan Garret/Blue Beetle; The Big All-American Comic Book (1944); Whiz Comics no. 25 (1941) –the first appearance of Captain Marvel Junior; Captain Marvel Adventures no. 18 (1942)–the first appearance of Mary Marvel; Police Comics no. 1 (1941) –the first appearances of Plastic Man, Phantom Lady, Firebrand, and Human Bomb (who would all go on to become Freedom Fighters members); and More Fun Comics no. 52 (1940)–the first appearance of Jim Corrigan/The Spectre.
1. Archie will license their titles to another publisher, possibly Oni… sorry, what? Oh. Oh!
Never mind.
1. The flood of digital reprints of public domain Golden Age story will uncover the work of some forgotten genius who becomes (became?) the next Fletcher Hanks.
2. “A well-known actor creates a comic” on its own isn’t much of a prediction. My prediction is that Kate Mulgrew writes a comic, probably a Voyager one.
3. Marvel Comics, desperate to get me back into a comic store, decides to release SLEDGE HAMMER! #3.
Mike, having made a full recovery, is asked by his physician if he would like to try some optional experimental treatments:
1. Exposure to gamma radiation. Things do not go as planned.
2. Being bitten by a radioactive spider. Things do not go as planned.
3. Drinking a ‘super soldier’ serum. Things do not go as planned (since you are not Steve Rogers).
1. Scott McCloud will write and publish in some format a new Zot! story, catching up with the fully adult cast and showing us the quiet version of The Blotch.
2. Doomsday will disappoint (not quite flop, but not be much bigger than Thunderbolts and FF) both critically and financially, leading to massive reshoots for Secret Wars.
3.DC and Marvel will make the Doomsday Clock prediction come true and lay groundwork in other crossovers and announce Secret Crisis for 2027.
OK, here goes.
1) My annual Legion prediction: It’s been heavily implied that there’s going to be a Legion book debuting sometime in 2026, so I’m going to do this in hard mode: It’s going to have Gates as one of the members.
2) The next storyline in the DC Finest: Events reprints will be Final Night.
3) DC will follow the lead of 2025’s Untold Legend of Batman tabloid and issue several new tabloid-size reprints of previously regular-size material (say, Action Comics #500, JLA #200, or Batman Year One).
1. Absolute Ambush Bug
2. The Big Two start moving in the direction of AI art, at first for backgrounds.
3. Marvel finds a paperback format cheaper per page than their Epic Collection line to compete with DC’s Finest.
I don’t always remember to submit every year but I love that this tradition exists.
1. Disney’s recent hookup with OpenAI will lead to Marvel releasing an all-AI generated comic. With DC getting big sales with their Absolute and K.O. lines, they’re gonna be desperate for some big moves, especially with their MCU franchise waning. Maybe the novelty (and outrage) will generate the kind of attention Shatter by Mike Saenz garnered back in the day as the first digital comic.
2. Somehow Trump will hear that Obama once appeared in comic books and will demand one of the big two give him his own special edition — written by his own people, of course.
3. Comicraft will create two new fonts in honor of Carl Barks: Unca Carl (based on his lettering style in his earlier Duck comics) and Garé (based on his comics’ later style when his wife Garé took over lettering duties). I’ll admit this is just wishful thinking on my part rather than a prediction, but I’ll bet the European Disney licensees would love it.
1. A publisher will license Marvel/Disney stuff and make you go “Wait, who’s publishing that? Why isn’t Marvel publishing that?”
2. Something similar to the Archie/Oni thing with some publisher licensing (non-Marvel/Disney) characters for new comics (instead of just reprints).
3. A comics crowdfunding campaign has a controversy with a massive backlash.
1. The new Diamond announces it will stop distributing comics to focus on merchandise instead.
2. DC and Marvel announce a new round of Amalgam comics
3. Marvel announces a New Ultimate Universe line.
Oops, posted to the wrong thread!
I guess I’ll try my hand:
1- the absolute line will continue to keep DC afloat, as All-In winds down and nothing steps up to take its place.
2 – Marvel will continue to publish more titles than it has the talent to support, resulting in even more f-list books.
3 – we’ll see more planned shared universes a la absolute, ultimate, and energon.
1. Jim Lee leaves DC after the initial to whomever is approved.
2. Fallout from Diamond closing and not paying its debts will cause several small publishers to go under.
3. Marvel’s second Ultimate Universe will end, but the third one will start right up, further confusing customers.
Argh! Initial SALE!
1. Out of those new Vertigo titles, one will take off like a rocket, and rest will seem disappointing (sales-wise) in comparison. Vertigo will then greenlight more books like the big one, fast as they can, crowding that space.
2. I’m worried Paramount’s going to either price Star Trek out of comics, or just yank it to be jerks.
3. Larry Hama gets to write Uncle Scrooge! (I would really, really like to finally be right here, just this once!)
Three predictions sure to be wrong:
1) An Avengers/JLA collection will be back in print, possibly as a pricy hardcover.
2) “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “Avengers: Doomsday” will do similar box office; both less than the previous Spider-man and Avengers movies, but higher than the 2025 MCU releases.
3) Collected editions of Matt Howarth’s “Bugtown” stories are finally announced (I will continue to predict this every few years in the hopes of willing it into existence…)
Memo to Mikester of 2027: the low-hanging fruit of the funnybook industry’s evergreen tree of predictions goes great with a white wine.
1) Oof! That highly anticipated adaptation of comic book/cartoon IP certainly under-performed at the box office/streaming service/direct neural interface. I’m sure the responsible party or parties be held accountable, and soon be clearing booths at Waffle House!
2) Sigh… The comic book industry lost a legend this year, and yet I can’t help feel that at best that titan leaves behind something of a mixed legacy, and comic fandom was right/was wrong in its collective wisdom. Your thoughts?
3) Whoa! The debate is over: creativity is more important than continuity and canon in comics, and we have only to look at the brilliant reimagining/retconning of Character X! Can’t wait to see him/her/them/it to be cast and/or cosplayed.
4) Good grief! Did Lucy pulled the football away on Charlie Brown AGAIN?!
Memo to Mikester of 2027: the low-hanging fruit of the funnybook industry’s evergreen tree of predictions goes great with a white wine.
1) Oof! That highly anticipated adaptation of comic book/cartoon IP certainly under-performed at the box office/streaming service/direct neural interface. I’m sure the responsible party or parties be held accountable, and soon be clearing booths at Waffle House!
2) Sigh… The comic book industry lost a legend this year, and yet I can’t help feel that at best that titan leaves behind something of a mixed legacy, and comic fandom was right/was wrong in its collections ve wisdom. Your thoughts?
7) Egad! I’m more confused then ever about where we are with the rights to Character X. Care to explain it to me?
8) Good grief! Did Lucy pulled the football away on Charlie Brown AGAIN?!
Marvel will publish a Spidey-wide event series: During a lab mishap, Peter Parker unknowingly taints a batch of web fluid with his irradiated blood. The mixture proves to be virulent on contact with his webbing, so that jewel thieves, muggers, people he rescues, Jameson, the Lizard, even the rats that come across its residue all develop manifestations of Spider-Man’s powers. Spider-sense tingling in particular proves to be overwhelming for the unwitting victims, but proportional strength and wall-crawling also wreak their havoc. Mayhem ensues. The city once again regards Spidey as a menace. Peter is wracked with guilt at having produced a biological hazard and the resultant personal and physical damage it causes. He works with Reed Richards to develop an antidote but rejects Richards’ plans to mass-expose the populace through aerial spray or the water system, preferring to use his spider-sense to track down each individual. But then he is faced with the moral dilemma of forcing each victim to ingest the solution. Some are willing, some don’t trust him or his science, some of them are happy with their new powers and don’t want to give them up, some of them have psychotic or emotional damage that remains, or have destroyed property or hurt relationships because of their conditions. Dr. Connors’ human arm has grown back, and he struggles with having to give it up again. Jameson publicly takes the antidote to make himself heroic in the people’s eyes while still vilifying Spider-Man, and that convinces the other holdout victims to take their medicine, too. All except for one person, a woman who S-M rescued early on from a mugging (or worse) and decides she’s not going to let herself be a victim any more. She evades Spidey’s pursuit, keeps her powers, and leaves New York. But will she become a protector of others or a figure of vengeance? Only time will tell… Peter, dejected, depressed, weighs whether to give up being Spider-Man, and when he does fight crime, he avoids using his webs for quite some time after.
1) Avengers Doomsday will be commercially successful but critically savaged, widely considered nothing but cheap nostalgia bait.
2) Someone important at DC will say that the Legion of Superheroes is a dated concept and they don’t expect any more LSH comics to ever be produced.
3) A new comic written by Joss Whedon will be announced.