Absolute Batman #25 is the comic-book market’s biggest heat magnet this week, with a foil variant climbing sharply alongside a surprising mix of Doctor Doom, Star Trek, X-Men, and indie-comic keys. The collector frenzy is being tracked through aftermarket sales data, where scarcity, variant art, major story turns, and screen-related buzz continue to reshape what fans chase.
The leading book is the Clay Mann and Nick Dragotta foil variant for Absolute Batman #25. A raw near-mint copy reached $80, with its reported current fair-market value sitting at $71. That momentum follows the series’ broader variant-cover boom, while DC’s official listing confirms that the milestone issue went on sale October 28, 2026, at a $5.99 cover price. The week’s collector rankings show just how dramatically the aftermarket can separate a hot variant from its original retail price. DC’s issue page bills the chapter as a major turning point for the alternate-universe Batman.
Marvel’s Captain America #16 follows, powered by a Riccardo Federici “Foreshadow” variant and the comic-book ramifications of Doctor Doom’s new position as ruler of Hell. The issue’s first cover appearance of Doom in that role reached $30 for a raw near-mint copy, with a current value of $23. That attention also reflects the character’s expanding importance across Marvel, especially with Doom positioned as a major figure in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.
Patrick Stewart’s legacy is also moving the market. A John Tyler Christopher variant for Star Trek: 60th Anniversary Special #1, featuring Captain Jean-Luc Picard, reached $35 and carried a reported raw near-mint value of $32. Meanwhile, The Uncanny X-Men #167 returned to collector attention because its cover depicts the X-Men mourning Professor Xavier, the role Stewart made iconic for a generation of moviegoers. A graded 9.8 copy reached $157, although the issue’s raw fine-condition value remained far lower at $8—a useful reminder that grade and presentation can matter as much as the underlying story.
The rest of the chart shows how varied the current market has become. The Last Driver #2’s 1980s video-game-inspired second printing reached $20, while DC All In Saga: Darkseid vs. the World #1, Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett #4, and a retailer-incentive cover for The Department of Truth #39 all benefited from distinctive variant art. Earlier Absolute Batman material remains strong too: the regular edition of issue #1 posted a reported $590 high for a graded 9.8 copy and a raw near-mint value of $346.
The sharpest speculation surrounds D’Orc #1, which reached a reported $450 for a graded 9.8 copy and $205 in raw near-mint condition after Sony Pictures acquired live-action film rights. Brett Bean, who created the Image Comics fantasy series, is attached to adapt it, though no director, cast, production date, or release date has been announced. The film-rights news gives collectors a clear example of how quickly Hollywood development can turn a relatively new first issue into a speculative key, even while the project remains in its earliest stage.
