Welcome to Can’t Wait for Wednesday, your guide to what’s coming to your local comic shop this week. With Valentine’s Day coming up on Saturday, several publishers are releasing specials to coincide with the day of love. For the record, it’s never the wrong day to love comics.
I’ve pulled out some of the highlights for this week below, but for the complete list of everything you might find at your local comic shop and on digital this week, you’ll want to check out one or more of the following:
- Penguin Random House (Marvel + IDW + Dark Horse + more)
- Lunar Distribution (DC + Image + Mad Cave + more)
- ComicList (Pretty much all of the above)
- Amazon/Kindle new releases (digital comics)
As a reminder, things can change and what you find on the above lists may differ from what’s actually arriving in your local shop. So check with your retailer to see what’s arriving at their shop this week.
ThunderCats Valentine’s Day Special 2026 #1 (Dynamite, $5.99): Ed Brisson and Elton Thomasi deliver a 40-page tale of pride and passion in this Valentine’s Day story. After setting out on a solo mission, Panthro finds himself caught in the middle of an ancient battle between two rival warlords who used to be an item. Panthro must find a way to unravel a tangled web of old wounds and raw emotions, and ignite a spark of reconciliation between the star-crossed commanders.
EC Tortured Hearts #1 (Oni Press, $8.99): This 56-page, coffin-shaped bouquet of brutality from EC Comics features “soft whispers and death rattles” from Jordie Bellaire, Tini Howard, Blake Howard, Ann Nocenti, Sebastián Cabrol, Fabiana Mascolo, Dan McDaid and Arjuna Susini, along with a newly restored and authentically remastered classic from the EC vaults. Love hurts, man.
Supergirl #10 (DC, $3.99): Sophie Campbell and Joe Quinones deliver super drama as Valentine’s Day arrives in Midvale. Kara has finally worked up the courage to ask her crush out, but little does he know he’ll be on a date with Supergirl. Love is complicated when you’re the Girl of Steel.
DuckTales Valentine’s Day Special 2026 #1 (Dynamite, $5.99): Connor Ratliff, James III and Libero Ermetti deliver a 40-page one-shot featuring Scrooge McDuck and Magica De Spell, his nemesis-turned-lover? When the sorceress is caught in the same memory-fogging spell as Scrooge, these rival ducks turn into cooing lovebirds.
Sirens: Love Hurts #1 (DC Black Label, $5.99): Tini Howard returns to the Gotham City Sirens, along with artist Babs Tarr, for an out-of-continuity “Black Label” miniseries. There’s a killer of women on the loose in Gotham City, and when Black Canary realizes stopping the murders requires more criminal company than she’s used to keeping, she reluctantly teams with the infamous Sirens for the hunt. But Valentine’s Day brings romance and danger in equal measure for the team of Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Black Canary.
Witchblade Annual #1 (Image Comics, $5.99): Marguerite Bennett, Marc Silvestri, Ryan Cady and Matt Hawkins deliver a one-shot anthology featuring three 12-page stories that detail Ian Nottingham’s relationship with Sara Pezzini.
Bleeding Hearts #1 (DC, $3.99): Deniz Camp and Stipan Morian launch Vertigo’s first new #1 in quite some time, reuniting the team behind 20th Century Men. 10 years after the fall of humanity, zombies have developed their own society. Mouse-Pokes-Golf-Ball-Through-Hole-In-Head (Poke for short) is happy to shamble along until the day his heart mysteriously starts beating again. In a blink, the first humans he sees have stopped looking like food and have started looking like … friends?
Wade Wilson: Deadpool #1 (Marvel, $4.99): Benjamin Percy and Geoff Shaw launch a new Deadpool series where “the jobs are deadlier, the stakes are higher and the humor is darker than ever before.”
The Crown: A Tale of Hell #1 (Dark Horse Comics, $4.99): Mike Mignola and his brother Todd team with artist Warwick Johnson-Cadwell for this two-issue series about Hellboy’s demonic brothers. As they fight for control of Pandemonium, their mother returns from her prison for the first time in a hundred years and has plans of her own.
Just Brutal #1 (Ignition Press, $4.99): Dennis Hopeless and Brahm Revel team up for the story of the Savage family — whose twins discover their recently divorced parents are secretly ancient death-dealing barbarian warriors who have been living quietly for 3,000 years. But Farklar the Fleshless has returned, and his army of hideous Mordorks are about to devour Des Moines. The Savages pile into mom’s minivan and head for Iowa to wage war against Black Magic Armageddon, but no one is sure if mom and dad can get along long enough to save the world.
Cyclops #1 (Marvel, $4.99): The X-Men’s fearless leader takes the spotlight in this new series by Alex Paknadel and Roge Antonio, where Scott Summers is separated from the X-Men and lost in a mountain wilderness without the visor that keeps his powers in check. Meanwhile, here come Donald Pierce and the Reavers, who are on the hunt for solo X-Men leaders …
The Center Holds #1 (BOOM! Studios, $5.99): This new series from BOOM! features the final work of artist Mark Bright, who passed away in 2024. Larry Hama and Bright team up to introduce a world where superheroes have become commonplace, and heroes are required to join a union or face serious financial liability for damage caused during battles. Enter the Superheroes’ Union: genius Scyber, psychic Lakshmi, the mysterious Keeper and child prodigy Nekkotron, among others, as they battle villains and bureaucracy alike.
Absolute Wonder Woman Annual 2026 #1 (DC, $5.99): Kelly Thompson and Mattia de Iulis deliver the first Absolute Wonder Woman annual, as Diana seeks answers from the gods. The experience of briefly becoming Medusa back in Absolute Wonder Woman #5 changed her, but her pleas to Athena have gone unanswered … until now.
Barbarian Behind Bars #1 (Mad Cave Studios, $4.99): Elliott Kalan and Andrea Mutti launch a five-issue fantasy prison thriller. A mysterious, musclebound warrior arrives on our world in a storm of magic and violence, battling another weird magic dude and ending up in jail. That’s when public defender Irene Chang enters the picture.
Marc Spector: Moon Knight #1 (Marvel, $4.99): Jed MacKay’s run on Moon Knight has seen a couple reboot already, and this week brings another first issue. In it, Marc Spector finds himself in grave peril as MacKay and artist Devmalya Pramanik plot a kidnapping.
The Digger #1 (Invader Comics, $6.99): T.S. Luther and Sam Gudilin launch a four-issue series set in 1930s Mexico, as a young boy guides a rich American into the Olmec ruins, where they encounter the being known as “El Excavador.”
The Thing on the Doorstep #1 (Image Comics, $3.99): Simon Birks and Willi Roberts launch a five-issue miniseries based on the H.P. Lovecraft story of the same name. It’s about two best friends, one of whom supposedly shoots the other dead — a crime he swears he didn’t commit, despite all the evidence.
The Fall of Ultraman #1 (Marvel, $4.99): Massive-verse creators Mat Groom and Kyle Higgins team with Davide Tinto for the conclusion to the saga that began with the Rise of Ultraman. Ultraman and his team are given an unexpected glimpse at the path ahead, and that path leads unavoidably to the loss of our world’s greatest hero.
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #325 (Skybound, $3.99): Larry Hama and Chris Mooneyham present a special 325th anniversary issue of the long-running, original G.I. Joe series. Two all-new Joes make their first appearance as Duke and Roadblock lead an undercover op into Borovia. This issue also brings back the G.I. Joe file cards.
Gigante #1 (AMP Comics/Chispa, $4.99): Chispa, AMP Comics’ Latinx imprint, delivers this new one-shot by Shane McKenzie and JM Cuellar Chema on a timely topic. Marta and Felix are at the United States/Mexico border trying to capture footage for their documentary about immigrant abuse. While Felix puts himself in danger by trying to infiltrate the Heroes of the Homeland militia, Marta investigates an entity called El Santo de la Frontera.
Star Wars: Jar Jar #1 (Marvel, $4.99): Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best co-writes this with Marc Guggenheim, as Jar Jar returns to face the consequences of giving emergency powers to Chancellor Palpatine — y’know, the move that basically formed the Empire and spelled the end of the Jedi Order. Apparently this is a redemption arc, though, as the notorious Gungan plays a role in forming the Rebel Alliance. It features Kieran McKeown and Laura Braga on art.
DC K.O. #4 (DC, $5.99): We’re down to the final four of DC’s King Omega tournament, and Scott Snyder, Joshua Williamson, Xermanico and Javier Fernandez put them to the “absolute” test with some unexpected gust stars — Absolute Superman, Absolute Wonder Woman and Absolute Batman.
Good Bones and Other Sordid Tales #1 (BOOM! Studios, $5.99): From the vaults of BOOM!’s acclaimed horror anthology Hello Darkness comes this one-shot featuring stories curated by writer Steve Orlando. It features several “familiar stories” along with a brand-new tale of terror by Orlando and Dillon Snook called “Good Bones,” which is about a house of forbidden love that harbors a grudge.
Free for All (Oni Press, $19.99): Beneath the Trees creator Patrick Horvath delivers a brutal vision of capitalism by combat in this graphic novel. In the future, the World Finance League randomly chooses from among the billionaires and trillionaires, presenting them with a choice: donate half their assets to the common good or defend them in ritual combat. Reigning champion Ted Brooks has 22 victories defending his wealth when he’s forced to face his ex-wife Luella Dominguez in a fight to the death.
A Blood Moon (Snowlands #1) (Graphix, $14.99): Morr Meroz and Collin Fogel launch a new graphic novel series in the vein of Wings of Fire and Warriors. Feba, an orphaned wolf cub, is believed to be cursed because of her rare white fur. When a mysterious creature starts killing members of her pack, all eyes fall on her. She has no choice but to run away and roam the perilous Snowlands on her own until she meets Usha, a fiercely independent leopard, and Batu, a bumbling wildcat.
Serendipity (Holiday House, $14.99): Gabbie Benda delivers this charming debut graphic novel. Serendipity is the luckiest kid in the world, serving as class president, lead in the school play and star of the basketball team. But when an accident at the town carnival curses her with bad luck forever, everything seems to fall apart.
First Freedom: The Story of Opal Lee and Juneteenth (Oni Press, $29.99): Angélique Roché, Alvin Epps, Millicent Monroe and Bex Glendining deliver the remarkable story of activist Opal Lee, a lifelong activists known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth.
Groupies (Mad Cave Studios, $19.99): Filmmaker and Superstate writer Helen Mullane and Somna co-creator Tula Lotay turn it up to 11 in this story of sex, drugs and the “true cost of rock’n’roll.” Mad Cave collects the miniseries that was originally published digitally by Comixology Originals.
Luna Express (Top Shelf, $19.99): Campbell Whyte delivers what’s gleefully described as “Sailor Moon meets late capitalism” in this new graphic novel. It’ s about Celeste, a delivery biker for her parents’ bakery who has magical powers of super-strength and speed that only appear at night. Celeste and her friends are targeted by a series of supernatural attacks, and this reluctant team must battle landsharks, roller-skating disco mushrooms, mind-bending art exhibitions and their own personal drama while unraveling the unsettling mystery that connects them.
Oh Brother: A Graphic Memoir (Random House Graphic, $14.99): Georgina Chadderton examines the fun and difficult parts of growing up alongside an autistic and nonverbal brother in this middle grade graphic memoir. As Gina’s life changes because her family is moving and she’s starting middle school, she also must contend with her brother Rob, a nonverbal autistic boy with an intellectual disability.
The Nobody (Dark Horse, $29.99): Dark Horse reprints this long out-of-print reimagining of H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man by writer/artist Jeff Lemire. First published by Vertigo in 2009, it sets the story in a tiny, isolated fishing village that never saw much excitement until the arrival of a mysterious stranger wrapped from head-to-toe in bandages and wearing weird goggles.