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CBR's ten best comics of September 2026 · Gil I Am

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  Speaker 1: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to Gil I Am. September
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  Speaker 1: 2026 was one incredible month for comic books. Batman was
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  Speaker 1: fighting to save Gotham. Superman was confronting one of the
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  Speaker 1: darkest versions of a familiar villain we've ever seen. Thor
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  Speaker 1: was dead, and an ordinary man was being asked to
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  Speaker 1: accomplish something the gods themselves could not. And somehow, with
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  Speaker 1: all that going on, the number one comic book of
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  Speaker 1: the month wasn't Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, or Thor. It was
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  Speaker 1: a horror comic about a zombie with a beating heart.
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  Speaker 1: You heard that correctly. According to Comic Book Resources, September
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  Speaker 1: delivered an outstanding selection of comic books from DC, Marvel,
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  Speaker 1: and independent creators. Today, we're counting down CBR's 10 best
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  Speaker 1: comics of September 2026, from number 10 all the way
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  Speaker 1: to number 1. We'll talk about the stories, the creative teams,
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  Speaker 1: and what makes each of these books stand out. And
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  Speaker 1: believe me, this list has some surprises. So grab your
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  Speaker 1: favorite comic, settle in, and let's find out which books
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  Speaker 1: ruled September. Here we go. Number 10, Hammerfist No. 2,
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  Speaker 1: Image Comics. Coming in at No. 10 is Hammerfist, Issue No. 2.
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  Speaker 1: Written by Rick Remender with artwork by Steve Epting, this
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  Speaker 1: is the kind of comic that throws ordinary storytelling right
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  Speaker 1: out the window. At the center is Mike Denton, a
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  Speaker 1: criminal whose life has taken a spectacular turn for the worse.
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  Speaker 1: What began as a gritty crime story has exploded into
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  Speaker 1: a nightmare involving supernatural powers, a dangerous cult-like community, and
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  Speaker 1: a whole town that seems determined to kill him. Issue
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  Speaker 1: 2 becomes a desperate fight for survival. And here's what
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  Speaker 1: makes it work. Mike isn't some billionaire superhero with unlimited gadgets.
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  Speaker 1: He's not a noble champion who always knows the right
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  Speaker 1: thing to do. He's a flawed man trapped in a
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  Speaker 1: situation that keeps becoming more insane. Epting's artwork gives the
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  Speaker 1: violence weight, while Remender keeps tightening the suspense. You can
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  Speaker 1: almost hear the soundtrack of an old grindhouse thriller playing
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  Speaker 1: as you turn the pages. For readers tired of traditional
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  Speaker 1: superhero stories, Hammerfist offers something different. It's dark, violent, unpredictable,
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  Speaker 1: and full of energy. A worthy number 10. Number 9,
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  Speaker 1: Absolute Superman number 23, DC Comics. At number 9, we
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  Speaker 1: have Absolute Superman issue 23. And this is not your
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  Speaker 1: grandfather's Superman. Writer Jason Aaron and artist Juan Ferreira deliver
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  Speaker 1: a story that takes one of Superman's familiar enemies and
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  Speaker 1: transforms him into something genuinely disturbing. The villain is Toyman. Now, traditionally,
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  Speaker 1: Toyman might sound like a character you'd laugh at. A
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  Speaker 1: bad guy who builds dangerous toys? Not exactly terrifying. But
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  Speaker 1: in this version, Toyman's operation involves exploiting children and treating
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  Speaker 1: human lives like merchandise. And when Superman discovers what's happening,
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  Speaker 1: the Man of Steel is furious. This creates a fascinating question.
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  Speaker 1: What happens when a hero with nearly unlimited power confronts
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  Speaker 1: something so evil that ordinary justice doesn't seem sufficient? Superman
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  Speaker 1: has always represented hope, compassion, and restraint. But the absolute
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  Speaker 1: universe pushes those principles to their breaking point. The issue
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  Speaker 1: also builds tension around Superman's pursuit of Brainiac. Here's the
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  Speaker 1: brilliance of this story. Superman's greatest strength isn't his ability
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  Speaker 1: to punch through buildings. It's his decision about when not to.
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  Speaker 1: And issue 23 makes that decision harder than ever. Number eight.
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  Speaker 1: Thor number 801. Marvel Comics. Number 8 belongs to Thor.
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  Speaker 1: Issue 801. And here's the problem. Thor is dead. Not missing.
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  Speaker 1: Not taking a vacation somewhere in Asgard. Dead. Writer Al
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  Speaker 1: Ewing and artist Pasquale Ferry take readers on a journey
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  Speaker 1: into Norse mythology with an ordinary mortal named Sigurd Jarlsson
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  Speaker 1: facing an extraordinary assignment. He must travel into hell and
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  Speaker 1: begin the quest to bring Thor back to life. Think
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  Speaker 1: about that. You're a regular man, and somebody informs you
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  Speaker 1: that the survival of the gods depends on you walking
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  Speaker 1: into the kingdom of the dead. Most of us wouldn't
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  Speaker 1: even volunteer to clean out the garage. But Sigurd goes,
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  Speaker 1: and he doesn't have Thor's divine strength or a magical arsenal.
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  Speaker 1: He has determination, courage, and a hammer. What makes this
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  Speaker 1: story compelling is the contrast between human vulnerability and godlike power.
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  Speaker 1: For decades, Thor comics have explored what makes someone worthy.
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  Speaker 1: This issue asks a slightly different question. Can an ordinary
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  Speaker 1: human do something extraordinary simply because he refuses to surrender?
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  Speaker 1: That's the kind of mythological storytelling that made Thor a
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  Speaker 1: legendary character in the first place, and Marvel delivers it beautifully.
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  Speaker 1: Number 7, Nightwing No. 142 DC Comics. At number 7
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  Speaker 1: is Nightwing Issue 142, written by Dan Waters with artwork
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  Speaker 1: by David Lapham. This story connects directly to DC's Batman-Bad
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  Speaker 1: Seeds crossover. Gotham City is experiencing a terrifying botanical disaster.
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  Speaker 1: Dangerous spores are spreading, transforming ordinary people into violent threats,
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  Speaker 1: and the effects are reaching neighboring Bloodhaven. Now, Nightwing has
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  Speaker 1: enough problems protecting his own city, but Gotham's troubles have
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  Speaker 1: a habit of becoming everybody else's troubles. What makes this
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  Speaker 1: issue stand out is the emotional conflict. Dick Grayson is
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  Speaker 1: forced to choose between his personal mission and the innocent
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  Speaker 1: lives caught in the disaster. And unlike some superhero stories,
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  Speaker 1: the answer doesn't immediately come with a punch to somebody's jaw.
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  Speaker 1: Nightwing has to prevent a catastrophe. It's a story about responsibility, sacrifice,
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  Speaker 1: and what happens when the consequences of one city's problems
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  Speaker 1: spill into another. And that's what makes Nightwing special. He
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  Speaker 1: learned from Batman, but he isn't Batman. His greatest weapon
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  Speaker 1: has often been his humanity. At number seven, this issue
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  Speaker 1: reminds readers why Dick Grayson remains one of DC's most
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  Speaker 1: compelling heroes. Number six, Batman number 13 DC Comics. Number
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  Speaker 1: six brings us back to Gotham. Batman issue 13. written
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  Speaker 1: by Matt Fraction with artwork by Matteo Scalera. And if
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  Speaker 1: you love nonstop action, this comic delivers. Gotham is under
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  Speaker 1: siege during the Bad Seeds storyline. Poisonous vegetation is consuming
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  Speaker 1: the city, political and criminal forces are colliding, and Batman
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  Speaker 1: is fighting through an increasingly desperate situation. One of the
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  Speaker 1: issue's biggest attractions is a brutal action sequence inside Gotham's
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  Speaker 1: police headquarters. Batman battles his way through one opponent after another.
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  Speaker 1: It's almost like watching a martial arts action movie on paper.
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  Speaker 1: and Scalera's artwork makes every confrontation feel fast, physical, and dangerous.
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  Speaker 1: But there's something important beneath the action. Batman doesn't fight
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  Speaker 1: because he enjoys violence. He fights because there are people
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  Speaker 1: who won't survive unless somebody stands between them and danger.
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  Speaker 1: And sometimes, the simplest Batman stories are the most effective.
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  Speaker 1: Put the Dark Knight in an impossible situation. Take away
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  Speaker 1: the easy solutions. Then watch what happens when he refuses
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  Speaker 1: to quit. Number six earns its spot through sheer intensity.
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  Speaker 1: Number five, Legion of Superheroes No. 1 DC Comics. We're
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  Speaker 1: halfway through our countdown, and No. 5 takes us roughly 1,000
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  Speaker 1: years into the future. Legion of Superheroes Issue No. 1.
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  Speaker 1: Writer Joshua Williamson and artist Hayden Sherman launch a new
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  Speaker 1: chapter for one of DC's most important superhero teams. The
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  Speaker 1: Legion has always represented something extraordinary, the idea that Superman's
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  Speaker 1: example could inspire people centuries after his lifetime. But the
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  Speaker 1: future in this new series isn't exactly paradise. Superheroes have
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  Speaker 1: been outlawed. The United Planets are divided, dangerous enforcers maintain control,
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  Speaker 1: and the murder of R.J. Brande threatens what little hope remains.
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  Speaker 1: A mysterious Brainiac figure begins gathering young heroes to confront
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  Speaker 1: this troubled future. Characters like Cosmic Boy once represented the
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  Speaker 1: optimism of an entire generation of comic readers. Now that
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  Speaker 1: optimism is being tested. What makes this debut important is
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  Speaker 1: its accessibility. The Legion has decades of complicated continuity. That's
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  Speaker 1: intimidating for new readers. But a successful first issue offers
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  Speaker 1: an invitation rather than a history exam. And this one
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  Speaker 1: introduces a universe worth exploring. Because the greatest question about
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  Speaker 1: the future isn't what technology will invent. It's whether we'll
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  Speaker 1: still have heroes willing to fight for what's right. Number 4.
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  Speaker 1: Absolute Wonder Woman, number 24, DC Comics. Number 4 is
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  Speaker 1: Absolute Wonder Woman, issue 24. Written by Kelly Thompson, this
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  Speaker 1: chapter continues the heretic storyline. Wonder Woman is facing an
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  Speaker 1: unusual kind of threat. Phobos and Deimos, gods associated with
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  Speaker 1: fear and terror, are manipulating events and perceptions around Gateway City,
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  Speaker 1: and Diana must confront not only external danger, but her
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  Speaker 1: own powerful emotions. The situation involving Barbara Minerva, better known
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  Speaker 1: to comic fans as Cheetah, adds another complicated layer. Here's
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  Speaker 1: why this series stands out. Wonder Woman has always been
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  Speaker 1: one of the most powerful figures in comic books, but
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  Speaker 1: her importance has never come simply from physical strength. Diana
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  Speaker 1: represents compassion guided by courage, and this absolute interpretation forces
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  Speaker 1: her to fight for those principles in a darker and
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  Speaker 1: more frightening world. What do you do when fear becomes
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  Speaker 1: a weapon? What do you do when your anger is justified,
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  Speaker 1: but surrendering to it might make things worse? These are
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  Speaker 1: the questions that make superhero storytelling interesting. The gods can
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  Speaker 1: unleash nightmares, but Diana's greatest challenge may be controlling the
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  Speaker 1: storm within herself. and that earns Absolute Wonder Woman the
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  Speaker 1: number four position. Number three, Escape number nine, Image Comics.
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  Speaker 1: Now we're entering the top three, and number three is Escape,
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  Speaker 1: issue number nine, written by Rick Remender with artwork by
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  Speaker 1: Daniel Acuna. This is a war story set in an
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  Speaker 1: alternate world populated by anthropomorphic characters, but don't let the
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  Speaker 1: unusual visual concept fool you. The subject matter is devastatingly serious.
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  Speaker 1: The series follows soldiers caught in a brutal conflict, where
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  Speaker 1: the boundaries between enemy and innocent civilian become increasingly difficult
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  Speaker 1: to navigate. This particular issue introduces another perspective through a
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  Speaker 1: soldier named Flynn. His experiences differ dramatically from those of Milton,
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  Speaker 1: one of the story's central characters. Where one man has
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  Speaker 1: learned to see humanity in his enemies, another is becoming
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  Speaker 1: consumed by fear, trauma, and suspicion. And that's the brilliance
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  Speaker 1: of this issue. Two people can experience the same war
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  Speaker 1: and emerge with completely different understandings of the world. Acuna's
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  Speaker 1: artwork captures the psychological weight of that experience. The shadows,
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  Speaker 1: facial expressions, and atmosphere communicate emotions that dialogue alone could
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  Speaker 1: never express. Escape isn't simply interested in who wins the battle.
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  Speaker 1: It's interested in what happens to the people who survive it.
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  Speaker 1: That's powerful storytelling, and a very deserving number three. Number two,
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  Speaker 1: Absolute Batman No. 24 DC Comics at No. 2 is
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  Speaker 1: one of the biggest superhero comics of September. Absolute Batman
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  Speaker 1: Issue 24. Scott Snyder and Nick Drogada continue their remarkable
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  Speaker 1: reinvention of the Dark Knight. And this Batman is very
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  Speaker 1: different from the traditional billionaire Bruce Wayne. He's a massive,
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  Speaker 1: physically imposing fighter operating in a world where power and
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  Speaker 1: corruption seem almost impossible to overcome. But in this issue,
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  Speaker 1: even Batman's strength isn't enough to protect him from psychological torment.
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  Speaker 1: Scarecrow has pushed Bruce toward the edge. Fear, pain, and
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  Speaker 1: emotional trauma threaten to destroy the man behind the mask,
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  Speaker 1: and Batman must confront the very thing that makes Scarecrow
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  Speaker 1: so dangerous. But that's only part of the story. Barbara
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  Speaker 1: Gordon steps forward into a new heroic identity, helping expand
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  Speaker 1: the developing Batman family of this universe. Meanwhile, an even
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  Speaker 1: more terrifying confrontation with the Joker looms ahead. Here's what
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  Speaker 1: makes this series extraordinary. Snyder understands that Batman's greatest superpower
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  Speaker 1: has never been money, armor, or physical strength. It's resilience.
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  Speaker 1: Bruce Wayne gets knocked down. Then he gets back up.
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  Speaker 1: Again and again. Drogada's artwork transforms that determination into an
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  Speaker 1: almost overwhelming visual spectacle. And issue 24 reminds readers that
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  Speaker 1: even in the darkest version of Gotham, Batman remains a
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  Speaker 1: symbol of resistance. An outstanding choice at number two. Number one,
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  Speaker 1: Bleeding Hearts number eight, DC Vertigo. And now, ladies and gentlemen,
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  Speaker 1: the number one comic book of September 2026, according to
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  Speaker 1: comic book resources, is not Superman, not Batman, not Thor.
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  Speaker 1: It's Bleeding Hearts, issue number eight, written by Dennis Camp
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  Speaker 1: with artwork by Stepan Morian. And this may be the
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  Speaker 1: most emotionally powerful comic on the entire list. At first glance,
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  Speaker 1: Bleeding Hearts appears to be another zombie horror story. But
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  Speaker 1: there's a remarkable twist. One of the central characters, Poke,
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  Speaker 1: is part of the undead world. yet he's developing emotions
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  Speaker 1: and sympathies that threaten everything around him. And in this issue,
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  Speaker 1: a young character named Rabbit is fighting for her life.
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  Speaker 1: Poke and Rabbit's mother desperately struggle to save her. What
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  Speaker 1: follows is a story about mortality, compassion, fear, and the
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  Speaker 1: meaning of being alive. Think about the irony, a zombie
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  Speaker 1: story exploring what it means to have a human heart.
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  Speaker 1: And it does so with more emotional weight than many
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  Speaker 1: stories about living superheroes. Because underneath all the horror is
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  Speaker 1: a fundamental question, Does humanity come from our biology, or
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  Speaker 1: does it come from our willingness to care about somebody else?
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  Speaker 1: The creative team turns that question into a deeply unsettling
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  Speaker 1: and moving narrative. And that's why this number one selection
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  Speaker 1: is so fascinating. Sometimes the best comic isn't the one
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  Speaker 1: with the biggest fight. Sometimes it's the one that makes
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  Speaker 1: you feel something long after you've closed the book. For
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  Speaker 1: September 2026, CBR gave that honor to Bleeding Hearts No. 8. Well,
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  Speaker 1: ladies and gentlemen, there you have it. the 10 best
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  Speaker 1: comics of September 2026, according to comic book resources. And
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  Speaker 1: what an interesting list. Batman, Superman, Thor, and Wonder Woman
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  Speaker 1: all made appearances. But the top spot belongs to a
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  Speaker 1: horror series proving that extraordinary storytelling isn't limited to the
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  Speaker 1: most recognizable characters. And that's a healthy sign for the
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  Speaker 1: comic book industry. Great storytelling can come from anywhere, from
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  Speaker 1: the darkest corners of Gotham to the mythical kingdoms of Asgard.
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  Speaker 1: From a futuristic superhero team to a battlefield where war
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  Speaker 1: challenges everything a soldier believes, or even from the unlikely
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  Speaker 1: emotions of a zombie. Now I want to hear from you.
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  Speaker 1: Did Bleeding Hearts deserve number one? Should Absolute Batman have
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  Speaker 1: taken the top spot? Or did your favorite comic get
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  Speaker 1: left off the list completely? Tell me in the comments.
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  Speaker 1: And if you enjoy comic book history, collectible cards, superheroes,
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  Speaker 1: and the stories behind the legends, make sure you like, subscribe, share,
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  Speaker 1: and comment. Because comic books aren't just pictures and words.
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  Speaker 1: They're modern mythology, and the stories are far from over.
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  Speaker 1: I'm Gil, and this has been Gil I Am. Until
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  Speaker 1: next time, keep reading, keep collecting, and never stop believing
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  Speaker 1: in a great story.