I am writing this list of Top Comics to Buy for July 22 in a relatively chill state of mind, mostly because I am not going to San Diego Comic Con this year. Don’t get me wrong, going to SDCC is a fun and exciting thing (if a bit pricey…or rather, a lot pricey), but it always makes for a pre-con crunch of getting all these regular features done before leaving. Well, this year I don’t have to worry about it!
Oh, and one more thing before all the regular lists this week: I have a new comic I wrote coming out, featuring art by the great Nick Cagnetti! You can learn more about it here, and be sure to follow the prelaunch page before the crowdfunding campaign goes live in September!
Top Comics to Buy for July 22, 2026
Estuary: A Ghost Story #4
Writers: David “DB Andry & Tim Daniel
Artist: Maan House
Letterer: Taylor Esposito
Publisher:Oni Press
The summer’s smash-hit dose of searing suspense rolls back out on a crimson tide as masterful writers Tim Daniel (Crush Depth) & DB Andry (Red Vector) and illustrious artist Maan House (Mine is a Long Lonesome Grave) deliver a must-read finale three centuries in the making . . . Old secrets are laid bare and the mystery unravels in ways Maris and Hunt never imagined when they first dipped below the surface of the murky waters beneath the Mission at Arbués Point. The chapel, the priests, and nuns, and even Maris herself, are entwined in a deathly dark plot that spans decades—but light can cut through even the deepest waters to reveal what’s hidden and lost . . .
Why It’s Cool: This summer’s moodiest horror comic gets even moodier, bringing more of all the elements that have made this book a must-read, plus some great new story twists for this fantastic and satisfying finale issue.
Price: $4.99
Giant Robot Hellboy Returns #1
Writer: Mike Mignola
Artist:Duncan Fegredo
Colorist:Dave Stewart
Letterer:Clem Robins
Publisher:Dark Horse Comics
Hellboy’s robot counterpart is back — but he’s not alone! Scientists comb the deep sea for any sign of Giant Robot Hellboy after his disappearance, but find more than they bargained for when an interdimensional portal threatens to pull them in — or let monsters of unknown origin out.
Why It’s Cool:The original Giant Robot Hellboy series is one of my favorite minis not only of late from the Hellboy Universe, but in the full of its run. It’s just such a perfect combo of great art and pulp storytelling, and this book picks up essentially right where the first series left off.
Price: $3.99
Powers 25 #11
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist:Michael Avon Oeming
Colorist: Nick Filardi
Letterer: Joshua Reed
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
The killer revealed! Powers detectives Kutter and Moon catch the killer who has ripped the world of powers in half. A reveal twenty-five years in the making.
Why It’s Cool: This is the most consequential issue yet of what has been not only a great return from Powers, but arguably the best arc in the book’s long, distinguished history. In this penultimate issue, a lot happens.
Price: $4.99
Swamp Thing 1989 #4
Writer: Rick Veitch
Artist:Tom Mandrake
Colorist: Trich Mulvihill
Letterer:Todd Klein
Publisher: DC Comics – Black Label
After over three decades of anticipation, Rick Veitch’s legendary finale to the Swamp Thing saga explodes! The child is born, and Anton Arcane has slithered out of hell to claim them as his final prize. Can John Constantine and Abby’s closest friends protect their baby? Will the fate of the world be tipped into an abyss of unalloyed hatred? Or will Swamp Thing do whatever it takes to return to his loved ones and save them from Arcane’s clutches? Welcome to the ultimate ending to the saga of Swamp Thing.
Why It’s Cool: I’ve had every issue of this incredible (and unlikely) revival in this space, and I’m not going to stop with the finale, which surprised even me with how satisfying and complete it felt, even if it is almost 40 years late. This series as a whole is almost certainly going to end up on my top comics of 2026 — I loved it.
Price: $4.99
Terminal #1
Writers: Robert Kirkman and Joe Casey
Artist: Andy Kubert
Colorist: Dave McCaig
Letterer: Rus Wooton
Publisher: Image Comics – Skybound
There is a secret war being waged across the world by two violent forces with superhuman abilities who blur the lines between good and evil. When Marilyn Howe’s search for her missing sister Alessandra puts her in the center of this conflict, she’ll learn that the power to save the world comes from unlocking your genetic code and giving up everything you thought you knew about yourself… if you survive the experience.
Why It’s Cool: For a fan of a certain age (my age) this is as top-tier a creative team as it gets … and they’re teaming up for a grandiose, superhero tinged story concept that takes a huge swing at being the next Invincible-style comics sensation.
Price: $4.99
10 Other Comics I Enjoyed This Week
Absolute Wonder Woman #22- Action Comics #1100
- The Beauty #7
- The Flash #35
- Mind MGMT – New & Improved #2
- Odin #3
- The Peril of the Brutal Dark – An Ezra Cain Mystery #6
- Skate Ali #2
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #20 (300th Issue Special)
- Usagi Yojimbo – Kaito ’85 #5
New #1s and One-Shots
Dark Knights of Steel – Heir to the Sea #1 (one-shot)- Dread the Hall H 2026 #1 (one-shot)
- Dungeons and Dragons Total Party Killers #1
- Gambit Wanted #1
- Giant Robot Hellboy Returns #1
- Giant-Size Youngblood #1 (one-shot)
- Godzilla Conquers The Multiverse #1
- Godzilla vs. America: Godzilla vs. San Diego #1 (one-shot)
- Good Devils Don’t Play Fair With Evil #1 (one-shot)
- Sicko #1
- Star Trek Red Shirts – Ghost of the 21st Century #1
- Terminal #1
- X-Men The Hellfire Murder #1 (one-shot)
Graphic Novels and Trade Collections
30 Days of Night – Falling Sun TP- All-New Roy of the Rovers Vol 1 TP
- Amazing Spider-Man Pocket Book Fascimile Edition TP
- Apocalyptic Horseplay HC
- Atlas Comics Library Vol 9 Adventures Into Weird Worlds Vol 1 HC
- Avengers by Jed MacKay Vol 6 The Grail TP
- Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees HC
- Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees – Rite of Spring HC/TP
- Bitchy! The Exasperating Existence of Midge McCracken TP
- Captain America Omnibus Vol 5 HC
- Captain Henry and the Graveyard of Time HC
- Craniacs Vol 1 TP
- Cruel Universe Vol 2 TP (EC Comics)
- D’Orc Vol 1 The Book of Certain Doom TP
- DC Finest Suicide Squad The Nightshade Odyssey TP
- Dick Tracy 1944 TP
- EC Archives Panic Vol 2 TP
- Flash by Joshua Williamson Omnibus Vol 3 HC
- Flight Vol 8 Inklore Edition
- Grit Vol 1 TP
- Gunnerkrigg Court Vol 4 Materia TP
- House of Slaughter Deluxe Edition Book 2 The Colors Trilogy HC
- Infinity Wheatpaste Vol 2 Universe Sol Remote TP
- Internet Crusader TP
- John Constantine Hellblazer by Paul Jenkins and Sean Phillips Omnibus HC
- Milestone Compendium 5 TP
- Nightwing Vol 3 The Cirque Du Sin HC
- Powers 25 Vol 1 TP
- Radiant Black Vol 8 New Number One TP
- Salvage A Graphic Novel HC
Spawn Origins Collection Vol 17 HC- Star Trek Strange New Worlds – The Seeds of Salvation TP
- Star Wars Modern Era Epic Collection Vol 3 The Screaming Citadel TP
- Supercrooks Library Edition HC
- Superman Action Comics by Dan Jurgens Omnibus Vol 2 HC
- Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – A Very Mechazoid Summer TP
- Ultimate Spider-Man by Jonathan Hickman Vol 4 One Last Day TP
- Uncanny X-Men by Gail Simone Vol 4 Where Monsters Dwell TP
- Void Rivals Vol 5 Quintesson War TP
- X-Men The Messiah Trilogy Omnibus HC
Read past editions of the Top Comics to Buy!
And check out the Beat’s most recent comics reviews!
