5 Marvel #1s and One

Comic books never stop pumping out new and exciting content. Every Wednesday is the chance for a new issue to rocket onto store shelves and completely change the game, but as it stands, they have plenty of competition when it comes to capturing an audience. The fact of the matter is that dozens of comics release every week, and hundreds every month. Audiences just can’t keep up with that massive volume, nor would they want to. Most people can tell if they enjoy a series or not by a couple of issues, if not one. Longtime fans know what series they like, but for new fans, navigating this massive spectrum of options can easily get overwhelming.

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Thankfully, old and new fans alike can all agree on one thing: number ones and one-shots are always a great place to start. Series that begin or tell a complete story in one are perfect for fans looking to pick up a new series or have a solid read in one place. Series are constantly starting and stopping in the comic book industry, especially with Marvel ending most at ten issues nowadays, but there’s something special about the potential that these new series and one-shots have. So, today, we’re going over the five ones you need to keep an eye on from Marvel for September 2026. Without further ado, let’s get into it.

5) Spider-Woman 50th Anniversary Special

This month is something special, because it sees the fiftieth anniversary of the legendary Jessica Drew, better known as Spider-Woman. She’s been gliding around New York for decades now, defending it with her unique blend of spider-like powers and ex-secret agent training. Jessica has been all around Marvel’s Earth, from working for SHIELD to being an Avenger to fighting alongside Spider-Man to protect the Spider-Verse. She’s done it all, and this special issue is all about celebrating her, featuring two distinct stories, one of which is a precursor to her next ongoing, starting in November.

This special has already been released, and while the first story is underwhelming, the second promises an interesting new direction for Jessica in the coming months. Dan Watters, scribe behind the instant classic Batman: Dark Patterns, is taking our hero, the newest host of Carnage, to a darker place than she’s ever been before, and throwing her into uncharted territory as she fights to control the murderous symbiote. Watters’ story here wasn’t special, but it laid the groundwork for her new status quo, and he’s always excelled in multi-issue stories, anyways. This one-shot is a great way to show your support for such a beloved character, and celebrate another fifty years of Spider-Woman to come.

4) Marvel Mangaverse: Web of Blood #1

Speaking of anniversaries, this year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of Marvel’s Mangaverse, which was a manga-inspired alternate universe that featured new versions and takes on classic Marvel heroes. It was mostly forgotten about after its fourth volume, but the series is making a roaring comeback, starting with the beginning of the Web of Blood series. This comic will follow Magik, Weapon X-Tremis (Laura Kinney), and Spider-Man (Miles Morales) as they seek to restore technology to a nearly apocalyptic world where it no longer works. To do that, they all pursue their own path of dark magic.

This new series is insanely stylized and wacky in a very manga-centric way, and it’s only the beginning. I’m specifically recommending this series because how can you go wrong with this cast of characters, but other Mangaverse number ones are dropping in the coming weeks, including stories focusing on a magical Avengers team led by the Winter Soldier and Psylocke as Ghost Rider versus Carnage. This new wave of Mangaverse stories has something for everyone, and you do not want to miss this universe’s glorious return.

3) Alien vs. X-Men #1

AvX is an abbreviation that makes most fans shiver, but this new story is about to reclaim that title and make us all terrified in a brand-new way. The X-Men have plenty of experience fighting aliens hell-bent on destroying everything in their path, but this miniseries will pit them against the original alien apex predators, the Xenomorphs. The X-Men go to space to find a Phoenix Egg, only to return to Earth with a much, much worse cargo than they could have ever imagined. It’s the next step in human evolution versus the universe’s perfect hunter, together in one action-packed story.

Now, this story is going to be worth it from the premise alone. Who doesn’t want to see their favorite superhero team go up against a classic sci-fi horror villain like this? Any fans of either property will definitely get their fill from this series. It offers even more incentive, however, as the legendary Chris Claremont will pen a backup featuring Kitty Pryde as she finds herself in the middle of a brawl between the Xenomorphs and the Brood, which is one sentence that I never thought I’d be able to write but am so darn happy that I am. This is the type of comic that appeals to everyone’s inner child, and we need more like it.

2) DNX #1

DNX is the culmination of the past two years of storytelling from Jed McKay’s X-Men (2024), being a five-issue miniseries that will feature tie-ins from both X-Menand Fantastic Four (2025). The evil version of Beast, now calling himself the Chairman, has cracked Revelation’s code for a virus that will transform humans into mutants. That is, of course, if they survive the conversion, which the majority of people won’t. The X-Men are racing to stop 3K, while Marvel’s First Family battle against the clock to create a cure in case things go south, which they inevitably will.

This is the X-Men’s big event of the year, but don’t let that turn you off, even if you have event fatigue. They’ve been building towards this story since the From the Ashes comics started, and it is going to finalize one of the greatest X-Men character arcs in modern memory. The heart of this story will have to focus on Beast and the Chairman, both versions of the same man, each trying to save the world in their own way. Beast is terrified of his potential to become the man he’s fighting, knowing that evil lives inside of him, while the Chairman is trying to fully eliminate his humanity, hoping only for mutantdom’s success. It’s the most interesting the X-Men have been in a while, and I cannot recommend this massive story enough.

1) Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment

Every other story has been an original release, but this is actually a reprint of Marvel Graphic Novel #49, which was a series centered around creating standalone, mature stories featuring iconic Marvel characters. This one was, undeniably, one of the greatest successes from that series. It saw Doctor Doom recruit Doctor Strange to travel to Hell to battle the devil Mephisto and free his mother’s damned soul. This was truly a breathtaking story, delving deep into both of these characters’ motivations and what they would give to win.

In the end, the two managed to free Doom’s mother, but it came at a cost that perfectly encapsulates who Doom is and how he approaches the world. Now, this classic story is reprinted and looks better than ever, with higher-quality paper and prints that make every color and iconic line pop. As if that wasn’t enough, it also features a new cover by the incredible Peach Momoko, which just fits the story perfectly. This is one fantastic story that no comic fan should pass up, as I guarantee it’s something that any fan of any of these characters, or those who love stories about quests to outwit the Devil, will love.

Which Marvel one-shots and number ones do you think we should all keep an eye on this month? Let us know your favorite in the comments below!

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