The Dragon's Cache

Thursday, October 29, 2026

Archie #2 Preview

Cover A By Stuart Immonen

Archie Andrews and Forsythe Pendleton “Jughead” Jones III enjoy their lives in Riverdale. Even if he often falls short, Archie tries hard at his studies. He sings and plays guitar. He's even got a closet full of varsity jackets. Jughead has a voracious appetite and loves hanging out at Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe. He's even prone to the occasional transcendental experience.

Lately, Archie has been struggling to fit everything he wants to do into each day. And Jughead has begun to contemplate a future when he doesn’t attend Riverdale High, hang out with his friends, and order everything on Pop’s menu (twice). How might meeting their predecessors at a school reunion affect them? And who are all the other people in Archie and Jughead's lives?

Here's all the info from Oni Press:

Archie #2 Preview

Writer: Ben H Winters

Artist: Fábio Moon

Colorist: Jason Wordie

Cover Artists: Stuart Immonen, Fábio Moon, Rachael Stott, David López, Dan Parent & Matt Kindt

Publisher: Oni Press

Issue Description: 32 Pages, Full Color

Price: $4.99 US

Release Date: October 28, 2026

It’s A Riverdale High Reunion.

And Josie And The Pussycats are about to

Bring The House Down!

The groundbreaking return of the most joyous comic book icon of all continues as New York Times bestselling writer and Eisner Award nominee Ben H. Winters (EC’s Cruel Universe, The Last Policeman Trilogy) and multiple Eisner Award–winning artist Fábio Moon (Daytripper, Casanova) reveal the interlocking past lives of Riverdale’s elder generation—and just what they might mean for Archie Andrews’s future—in a party for the ages!

It’s reunion weekend at Riverdale High, and Archie is playing waiter—all while gathering wisdom from returning alumni about how to lead a life well lived. “You always have to make sure you’re living in the moment and having fun. You don’t want to look back on what you missed! But also! Don’t forget, you need to work hard or you’ll never get anywhere.” Thanks for delivering the ultimate contradiction! With a looming date night and a crushing academic deadline, Archie’s newfound ideals will soon be put to the test. Does he have what it takes to make the next step toward adulthood? Will Jughead eat all the hamburgers before they make it to the guests? Will Josie and the Pussycats play an encore?!

These are the pressing questions of our generation . . . and all will be answered as the year’s must-read new ongoing series greets a new day!

Here are more collectible covers:

Cover B By Fábio Moon

Cover C By Rachael Stott

Variant Cover (1:10) By David López

Legacy Variant (1:20) By Dan Parent

Variant Cover (1:50) By Matt Kindt

B&W Variant (1:100) By Stuart Immonen

Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for sharing this preview with us.

For how this series started, see Archie #1 Review.

Absolute Batman #25 Review

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Nick Dragotta

Colorist: Frank Martin

Letterer: Tom Napolitano

Cover Artists: Nick Dragotta & Frank Martin

Variant Cover Artists: J Scott Campbell & Tanya Lehoux; Greg Capullo & Dave Stewart; Bryan Hitch & Brad Anderson; Jonboy Meyers; Gabriele Dell’Otto; Lewis Larosa & Rico Renzi; Clay Mann & Nick Dragotta

Editors: Sabrina Futch, Katie Kubert & Chris Conroy

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $5.99/$6.99 Card Stock

Release Date: October 28, 2026

After the Joker threw his friends in Ark M and experimented on them, Bruce Wayne told himself he didn't need anyone. When his mother returned to Gotham, Bruce pushed her away, just like his friends. The Scarecrow even asserts that his father didn't die. But Bruce refuses to let the Joker, Scarecrow, or anyone else control him. So, after silencing the Scarecrow, Bruce sets his sights on the Joker.

Alfred Pennyworth realizes that Bruce has awakened something in him. When he looks around Gotham, he sees that same fearlessness reflected in other people's eyes. He senses their hope that perhaps they can join the fight for a better world. Even if he doesn’t want their help, how many people will arise and help Bruce as he prepares for the biggest fight of his life? And can Batman take down the man who controls the world? Let’s leap into Absolute Batman #25 and see!

Story

When Bruce Wayne hoodwinked Carmine Falcone, he helped Waylon Jones realize his dream. Still, Bruce had to repay Carmine or risk the crime boss attacking his friends. After paying his debt, Bruce opted to continue working for him. Yet when Carmine made him wield a bat, Bruce remembered the people and events that shaped him.

After remembering how Bruce rejoined his friends, Absolute Batman #25 showcases Bruce's anger with Jack Grimm. Crashing into the Grimm Manor, he demands the man show himself. Instead, Bruce makes an unwelcome discovery.

In Scott Snyder's story, Bruce's life has come full circle. His mother has resumed her life in Gotham, and Alfred Pennyworth is leaving Bruce to find his own way again. Bruce even has his friends back. And while they weren’t with him when he confronted the Scarecrow, a memory of something they shared kept Bruce going.

Bruce never intended to embroil Eddie Nygma, Ozzie Cobblepot, Harvey Dent, and Waylon Jones in his life as Batman. And when they tried to function as a team, Jack Grimm hurt them. After enduring so much suffering, his friends wanted to hurt Bruce because he had recovered, while they remained forever changed. Yet just like when Bruce stopped working for Carmine Falcone, his friends want to return to the lives they once had with Bruce Wayne in Absolute Batman #25.

Art

His friends sit around the table, surrounded by the gym that Bruce's duplicity helped secure. Instead of studying their surroundings or looking for tells, they stare at their cards or their chips. When Bruce enters, his right arm in a sling, the bill of his cap shields his features. Ozzie doesn't look up or face Bruce. Yet he turns enough to peer at him while keeping his face oriented toward the floor.

After a two-page close-up amid shards of glass, Bruce rises from the debris beneath a skylight. A portrait on the wall further unbalances Bruce. Yet an exterior shot of Grimm Manor suggests the fearful symmetry of Jack Grimm's life. As Bruce demands that his enemy appear, his open mouth evokes the Joker’s wide jaws.

As Nick Dragotta fills Absolute Batman #25 with drama and action, Waylon's green shirt links him with memories from Croc's Gym. Harvey Dent and Ozzie Cobblepot wear black and white, while Bruce wears black and gray. Eddie wears an indigo coat as he remembers a meeting in his dome of violet screens. Amid the friends' conversation, Frank Martin colors the night orange. Yet Batman's greatest battle becomes a clash between red and green.

While Tom Napolitano fills white balloons with black uppercase conversations, colored boxes reveal offscreen dialogue. Bold words suggest phrasal stress. Lowered voices shrink words, while bold and enlarged letters herald raised voices. Sound effects accompany threats and battles, while giant colored dialogue rewards taunting with laughter. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

Final Thoughts

Everyone has a choice in life. We can accept what we have, or work to change our options. Bruce Wayne and his friends grew up in a world rigged against them. They risked everything to correct society's wrongs. Now, Bruce's friends contemplate a more measured approach to making things right in Absolute Batman #25.

Rating 10/10

To look inside see Absolute Batman #25 Preview.

For how Martha Wayne reacts to Bruce pushing her away, see Absolute Batman #24 Preview.

For Alfred's reunion with his daughter, see Absolute Batman #23 Preview.

For the truth and lies surrounding Harley Quinn's childhood, see Absolute Batman #22 Review.

For the confrontations at Jim Gordon's funeral, see my review of Absolute Batman #21.

For Bruce's meeting with his father's killer, see my review of Absolute Batman #20.

For two farmers' worst nightmare come true, see my review of Absolute Batman #19.

For how this series started, see Reinventing Batman with Scott Snyder & Nick Dragotta.

Wednesday, October 28, 2026

Conan The Barbarian #36 Preview

COVER A: Mark Bagley

Morley may not have been Conan or Valeria’s favorite traveling companion. Still, his humor and lighthearted attitude enlivened their days at sea. But when the Red Brotherhood found themselves trapped on an uncharted island, they discovered the smiling pirate had a dark side. And as a servant of Jaggta-Noga, the expert swordsman wielded sorcerous power.

Now, Morley and his cult have whittled down the pirate band to Conan and Valeria. And a god hungers to consume them both. Can Conan and Valeria escape from this dark isle? Or will their skeletons join those fused to the strange pillars that greeted them when they steered their ruined boat to the shore?

Here's all the info from Titan Comics:

Conan The Barbarian #36 Preview

Writer: Jim Zub

Artist: Fernando Dagnino

Colorist: Diego Rodriguez

Letterer: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith

Cover Artists: Mark Bagley, Doug Braithwaite & Sedat Oezgen

Editor: Chris Butera

Publisher: Titan Comics

Issue Description: 32 Pages, Full Color

Price: $4.99 US

Release Date: October 28, 2026

Who Can Stand

Before a Hungry God?

Conan and Valeria are pirates of the Red Brotherhood, living a life of lawless adventure on the Western Sea. But occult forces from the Cimmerian’s past have him in their sights once more. And they will not rest until the barbarian’s body and soul are torn asunder!

Now, let's take a look inside:

Here are more collectible covers:

COVER B: Doug Braithwaite

COVER C: Sedat Oezgen

COVER D: Mark Bagley Virgin Cardstock

COVER E: Doug Braithwaite Virgin Cardstock

Available from local comic shops. For UK & Europe visit Forbidden Planet.

For more details, visit Titan Comics.

Thanks to Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures for sharing this preview with us.

For Valeria's discovery in the ancient caverns, see Conan The Barbarian #35 Review.

For the Red Brotherhood's first day on the Island of Death, see Conan The Barbarian #34 Review.

For Conan's battle with a specter with crimson eyes, see Conan The Barbarian #33 Review.

For how this series began, see my review of Conan The Barbarian TP Vol 1.

Absolute Batman #25 Preview

After the Joker threw his friends in Ark M and experimented on them, Bruce Wayne told himself he didn’t need anyone. When his mother returned from the grave, Bruce pushed her away, just like his friends. The Scarecrow even wants him to believe that his dad’s still alive. But Bruce refuses to let the Joker, Scarecrow, or anyone else control him. After silencing the Scarecrow, he’s set his sights on the Joker.

Alfred Pennyworth realizes that Bruce has awakened something in him. When he looks around, he sees that same fearlessness reflected in other people's eyes. He senses their hope that perhaps they too can fight for a better world. Even if he doesn’t want their help, how many people will rise up and help Bruce as he prepares for the biggest fight of his life? And can Batman take down the man who controls the world?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

Absolute Batman #25 Preview

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Nick Dragotta

Cover Artist: Nick Dragotta

Variant Cover Artists: J. Scott Campbell & Greg Capullo

Glow-In-The-Dark Variant Cover Artist: Jonboy Meyers

Connecting Variant Cover Artists: Bryan Hitch

Showcase Variant Cover Cover Artist: Gabriele Dell’otto

1:25 Variant Cover Artist: Lewis Larosa

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 40 Pages

Price: $5.99 US | Variant $6.99 US (Card Stock)

Release Date: October 28, 2026

Absolute Batman Celebrates 25 Issues!

All the villains. All the heroes. All the stakes. What’s left…of Absolute Batman?

Now, let's take a look inside:

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

For how Martha Wayne reacts to Bruce pushing her away, see Absolute Batman #24 Preview.

For Alfred's reunion with his daughter, see Absolute Batman #23 Preview.

For the truth and lies surrounding Harley Quinn's childhood, see Absolute Batman #22 Review.

For the confrontations at Jim Gordon's funeral, see my review of Absolute Batman #21.

For Bruce's meeting with his father's killer, see my review of Absolute Batman #20.

For two farmers' worst nightmare come true, see my review of Absolute Batman #19.

For how this series started, see Reinventing Batman with Scott Snyder & Nick Dragotta.

Batman: Bad Seeds: Gotham General #1 Preview

Like many great cities, Gotham offers newcomers a chance to start over. Yet, living there can exact a heavy price on its citizens. Bruce Wayne lost his parents there. And it’s where Pamela Isley became Poison Ivy. Dick Grayson has every reason to hate Gotham. Yet in his youth, he fought alongside Batman to protect it. Even now, when a man steals a truck filled with TNT, Nightwing abandons the people of Blüdhaven to save Arkham Towers. Even if, like Benjamin James, Nightwing has every reason to hate those villains, too.

Still, when Gotham goes dark and chaos rules the streets, the doctors and nurses in Gotham General keep working. They have people like Duke Thomas’s mother to care for. If the superbloom and Vandal Savage’s TUCO squads allow people to reach Gotham General, the medical staff can offer aid to people like Mimi, the sick girl Batgirl wants to save.

Can the security guards prevent Poison Ivy’s ravenous plants from getting inside the hospital? And if she survives the night, will Dr Natalie Evans choose to remain in Gotham?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

Batman: Bad Seeds: Gotham General #1 Preview

Writer: Greg Rucka

Artist & Cover Artist: Rosa Ekedal

Variant Cover Artists: Javi Fernández & Mitch Gerads

Bad Seeds Spot Foil Variant Cover Artist: Dustin Nguyen

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Series Length: Two Issues

Price: $4.99 US/Variant $5.99 US (Card Stock)/Variant $7.99 US (Foil)

Release Date: October 28, 2026

When Disaster Strikes,

Not All Of Gotham’s Heroes Wear Capes!

A Batman: Bad Seeds Tie-In!

Welcome to General, Gotham City’s tier one trauma center.

Power is out, fires are burning, transpo is shot, and the calls just keep coming. There are more patients than beds, half presenting with respiratory complications, the other half suffering hallucinogenic psychotic episodes. In every other emergency department in the DCU, this would be a catastrophe.

For Dr. Ava Dastur and the men and women working at General, it’s a Tuesday.

DC Comics is pleased to introduce you to the staff of Gotham General. No capes, no costumes, and don’t call them heroes—this is their job.

Now, let's take a look inside: