DC & Marvel Have Plenty of Work To Do in 2026

DC Comics has had a massive year thanks to the Absolute Universe line of books, with readers absolutely eating up the stories. The quality and accessibility make them great for new and old comic fans. When also factoring in the success of DC Comics compact books and the relative quietness surrounding the Marvel Premiere Collection, Marvel has to be looking at DC Comics like this:

Pricing their version of compacts five entire dollars more than the compacts was a major mistake.

What’s going on with Marvel

DC dominated the list of best-selling comics of 2025, and the only Marvel book in the Top-20 is the crossover between the two rivals.

The X-Men books have struggled in the post-Krakoa era, and the overall lack of excitement is reflected in sales. Not a single mainline X-Men title made the Top 50. Ultimate Wolverine #1 did, but that’s part of Marvel’s Ultimate line. The mainline X books have been fine for the most part, but the crossovers feel like they’re doing the “greatest hits” once again (another Age of Apocalypse-related book is frankly tiring) and relying on nostalgia to sell books. What made the Krakoa books so hyped was that they were taking some major swings creatively. Now, it seems the X-books are kind of afraid of taking even minor creative swings (although this could apply to several Marvel titles).

At this point, whatever happens with Armageddon and the future of Marvel Comics stories, things need to change. The old guard needs to relinquish some control. It’s time to inject some new blood and take bigger risks.

DC isn’t perfect

It’s not all perfect scores for DC Comics from me (and readers). There are still some major concerns about the lack of Black characters with their own ongoing books. It’s been WAY too long since a Black hero led his own ongoing series. When you have Vixen, John Stewart, Static, the Milestone Universe, Mr. Terrific, and Cyborg, that’s unacceptable. And while I’m excited for DC’s ‘All-In’ line of books, all four leads — Deathstroke, Lobo, Firestorm (Ronnie Raymond), and Zatanna — are all white characters. At some point, it starts to feel intentional.

Marie Javins

And I just wanted to offer my thoughts on Marie Javins, Editor-in-Chief, being named Comics Industry Person of the Year by Comics Beat (a site I respect and have written for before). I think Javins has done an amazing job when it comes to the compact editions, the Absolute Universe, and the currently released stories at DC. However, the Red Hood cancellation saga (and catering to some of the worst people) and the lack of diverse characters in the spotlight are major obstacles for me to be able to say she truly deserves that honor. I’m hoping those oversights and decisions can be corrected in 2026. DC is doing a lot of things right, but still has work to do.