Midnight Ashcan & Absolute Batman: Top 10 Hottest Comics This Week

Posted in: Batman, Comics, DC Comics, Image, Marvel Comics, Spider-Man, X-Men | Tagged: absolute, Absolute Batman, hottest comics

Midnight Ashcan & Absolute Batman: Top 10 Hottest Comics This Week

Midnight, Last Driver, Bug Wars and Absolute Batman fill the Top 10 Hottest Comics of the Week

Article Summary

• Absolute Batman dominates the hottest comics list, with issues #11, #12, and #13 driving major aftermarket demand.
• Absolute Batman animated series buzz is fueling collector interest in key first appearances and breakout villain issues.
• Midnight Universe Ashcan, Bug Wars, and The Last Driver surge alongside Absolute Batman in this week’s Top 10.
• Marvel heat builds too, as Doctor Doom, Spider-Man, and X-Men keys spike from upcoming screen projects.

The Absolute Batman series continues to dominate the Top Ten, occupying 3 spots alongside Bug Wars, Last Driver, andMidnight, while MCU anticipation drives aftermarket demand for Doctor Doom, Spider-Man, and X-Men. All joining the Top 10 Hottest Comics List, courtesy of Covrprice, with a Bleeding Cool tag to keep up withprevious editions.

1. MIDNIGHT UNIVERSE ASHCAN PREVIEW #1 – RETAILER EDITION| MARVEL | 2026October 7th seems so far away, but hopefully this ashcan is enough to satisfy a fan’s hype! The response to DC’s Absolute Universe is finally here in the form of Marvel’s Midnight Universe. Marvel’s Midnight Universe will be a new publishing line that will allow creators to unleash the horrors of this alternate dimension. This ashcan gives readers a quick look at the flagship titles of the new universe: MIDNIGHT SPIDER-MAN, MIDNIGHT FANTASTIC FOUR, and MIDNIGHT X-MEN. While the ashcan has no dialogue or text, the artwork on the panels has many fans excited for the future of the Midnight Universe!We tracked it at a high sale of $30 for a NM copy and a current raw NM FMV of $18.
2. BUG WARS: THE COMING OF THE WARDOOM #1 – BABS TARR – NSFW POLYBAGGED| IMAGE | 2026BUG WARS has always tread the line with their NSFW covers, and the strategy is usually a hit! This cover, by Babs Tarr, is no exception. The polybag is also a playful tease about what is hiding underneath the censor box. Tarr has had a reputation for illustrating saucy and spicy covers. This particular cover has been highly anticipated for weeks, since she first gave a glimpse of the artwork on her Instagram. Fans couldn’t get their hands on it fast enough!We tracked it at a high sale of $50 for a NM copy and a current raw NM FMV of $31.
3. THE LAST DRIVER #ASHCAN – SEAN MURPHY – RETAILER PREVIEW | IMAGE | 2026THE LAST DRIVER was officially released last week, and it was a hit! The book is already back on FOC for a 2nd printing, and the 1:50 variant has also hit our Top Ten. Last week, the ashcan sat at our #9 spot. However, since the release of the series, the ashcan has just become an even more desirable collectible. The book has made a decent jump in value as fans are now hunting down this retailer preview of a hot new series! We tracked it at a high sale of $40 for a NM+ copy and a current raw NM FMV of $31.
4. ABSOLUTE BATMAN #12 – NICK DRAGOTTA – REGULAR| DC | 2025Absolute Batman books are taking off! The series itself has had massive success, but it recently got another big announcement. An Absolute Batman adult anime series is currently in development, leading to several of Absolute Batman’s keys getting hunted down on the aftermarket. This key is a double, featuring the first cameo appearance of Absolute Catwoman and the first cover appearance of Absolute Killer Croc! We tracked it at a high sale of $60 for a NM copy and a current raw NM FMV of $25.
5. ABSOLUTE BATMAN #11 – NICK DRAGOTTA – REGULAR | DC | 2025This book continues the strong sales of the Absolute Batman series. In this issue, we get the first full appearance of Absolute Joker. There can be no Batman without the Joker, and this universe’s Joker is wild! This iteration of the character is a monstrosity, unlike any version fans have ever seen. While this issue does not fully debut his demonic form, it still gives fans enough to see what dangers this Joker brings in future issues. We tracked it at a high sale of $345 for a Grade 9.8 copy and a current raw NM FMV of $91.
6. ABSOLUTE BATMAN #13 – NICK DRAGOTTA – REGULAR| DC | 2025Late last week, Scott Snyder shared in an interview that he is excited about the future Absolute Batman animated series. Both Snyder and Dragotta have begun working on the “bible” of the series, meticulously planning out the entirety of the series before writing each individual episode. This project is sure to include many early appearances of classic Batman villains, likely including Catwoman and Harley Quinn. Both of those villains show off their Absolute counterparts in this issue, making it a must-grab for ABSOLUTE BATMAN collectors! We tracked it at a high sale of $174 for a Graded 9.8 copy and a current raw NM FMV of $24.
7. FANTASTIC FOUR #57| MARVEL | 1966Avengers: Doomsday is pushing out marketing to drive up the hype for the film. The return of so many previous MCU stars has been working in their favor, making Doomsday one of the most anticipated films of the year. This Jack Kirby classic cover is the latest cover that collectors have honed in on. It features Dr. Doom as well as the Fantastic Four. It is also the issue in which Dr. Doom uses one of his inventions to steal the Silver Surfer’s powers. The issue ends with Dr. Doom vowing to strike down the Fantastic Four and all who oppose him with his new powers. Is this a possible storyline we could see come to life on the big screen? Who knows?! But it’s still fun to add to the collection! We tracked it at a high sale of $114 for a FN copy and a current raw NM FMV of $75.
8. THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #10 – OLIVIER COIPEL – REGULAR | MARVEL | 2014A couple of weeks ago, the teaser for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse was leaked online, and reactions were extremely positive. Producer Christopher Miller was not happy, expressing his frustration with the leak on X. However, many fans shared that if the leaked footage was unfinished, then the film would likely be a mind-blowing spectacle. The footage featured many different Spider-people but lingered a bit on Hobie (Spider-Punk), who delivered a brief monologue seemingly encouraging Miles to save his dad, defeat Spot, and bring down Miguel’s operation. The leaked footage left us on the edge of our seats, as we can’t wait to see more of Hobie, Miles, Gwen, and the rest of the Spider-Verse! We tracked it at a high sale of $60 for a VF copy and a current raw NM FMV of $33.
9. THE UNCANNY X-MEN #239 – DIRECT EDITION | MARVEL | 1988The X-Men have arrived at the MCU! At D23 this year, Marvel blew fans away by walking out their cast for the new Mutant Saga of the MCU! Sadie Sink, Kit Connor, Christopher Abbott, Samara Weaving, Inde Navarrette, and Maya Boyd were all announced to be taking on the new X-Men project. There was also a surprise announcement: Adam Driver was brought on to be Nathaniel Milbury (aka Mr. Sinister)! This announcement has driven sales for Mr. Sinister keys, and this is the latest book to see a huge spike. This is the first cover appearance of Mr. Sinister, as well as the first cover for Madelyne Pryor as Goblin Queen. A great cover to hunt down while we wait for the X-Men to hit the big screen! We tracked it at a high sale of $225 for a Grade 9.8 copy and a current raw NM FMV of $12.
10. THE LAST DRIVER #1 – RYAN OTTLEY – NEW MUTANTS HOMAGE (1:50) | IMAGE | 2026THE LAST DRIVER is burning rubber with its debut! The new original series, by Sean Gordon Murphy, drew a lot of attention with the release of its ashcan last month. The series started generating heat, and soon the ashcan was a top-hunted commodity on the aftermarket. This past week, the first issue officially dropped, and it drove sales upward! Especially this 1:50 retailer incentive by Ryan Ottley, capturing a perfect homage to NEW MUTANTS #87. The hype for the series, paired with the homage cover, makes this book a top grab for collectors! We tracked it at a high sale of $100 for a NM copy and a current raw NM FMV of $65.

Disclaimer: CovrPrice’s Top 10 list is automatically generated from real aftermarket sales data and is not manually curated. It reflects the week’s top trending comic books based on a weighted mix of sales volume and price movement. This list is not a recommendation on what to buy. It simply shows what collectors are actively purchasing online and how those choices shape the market for the week ending Sunday, August 23rd, 2026.

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