Collector Keys Corner — Collectible Comics To Look Out For This Week

Welcome back to Collector Keys Corner! There are basically two kinds of people buying comics. Those who read them, and those who collect them. There is quite a bit of overlap between the two groups, but comics consumers generally lean hard one way or the other. This column is aimed at the collectors, highlighting this week’s comics keys.

It’s a DC-heavy week, as Batman Day is just around the corner on September 20, 2025.

Batman and Robin #25

With Memento’s reign of terror at an end, Damian is more committed than ever, both as Robin and as a Wayne of Gotham. But when an unassuming hitman known only as the Quiet Man arrives in Gotham on a mysterious mission of revenge, one of Batman’s deadliest enemies thought to be dead returns! 

This one has a few keys. There’s a first appearance of a villain called The Quiet Man, a new art team, and a promised return of a fan favorite. One of the things I really appreciate about this A cover is that DC has put “A new arc begins here!” on the chyron. It’s hard for new readers and casual readers to find entry points into comics, especially those with massive libraries of titles and continuous issue numbering. Any time publishers advertise those jumping on points in highly visible places, I’m for it.

Batman and Robin #25– Cover G 1:25 Ashley Wood Variant

This is an incentivized cover, and as such, will usually cost 1-2x the cover price. Your local shop has to order 25 A covers to get one of these G covers. It’s very stylized, but still very much has the flavor of Dark Knight mythos. There’s also loads of space around the central image to get creator autos if you’re trying to get this one signed/remarqued and graded.

Red Hood #1

Jason Todd has left Gotham and Batman behind him. All he’s taking with him is his costume, his bike, and a metal briefcase containing two handguns (and lots of bullets). New Angelique seems like the perfect place for Red Hood to put down roots. There’s crime, vice, and corruption everywhere. When Jason discovers a superpowered serial killer who is targeting the city’s police, he finds himself sucked into a terrible and bleak conspiracy with seemingly no end in sight. 

Jason Todd relocates to New Angelique. This issue features the first appearance of lieutenant Henrietta Forrest (think Gordon for Jason Todd in New Angelique), first appearance (and death) of Royale, and the first cameo (voice only) of The Tower. DC appears to basically be setting up Jason Todd with his own Gotham, his own “Gordon,” his own stage, separate from Batman and the rogues gallery. 

Red Hood #1– Cover I 1:50 Jim Lee Virgin Variant

This 1:50 incentive variant nods to A Death in the Family and Under the Hood. Super sexy cover from Lee, again with loads of space for autos/remarques.

Batman #1

A bold new era of Batman starts here! 

A new day dawns for the Dark Knight Detective as Eisner Award-winning writer Matt Fraction (Hawkeye, Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen) joins forces with superstar artist Jorge Jiménez (Batman, Summer of Superman Special) for an unforgettable new era of Batman! 

The best superhero in comics gets a brand-new first issue to kick off this new era that will test Batman and Bruce Wayne like never before!

Another #1. Solid creative team. Solid, if not slightly confusing, cover. I’m not sure what’s going on with the color scheme. That batsuit looks a lot like Nightwing’s gear, but with a stylized bat on the chest and a cowl. I don’t think this is the new look, since the other covers we’ll talk about for this title reflect a different style guide. I like that there are wide open spaces for autos, but I’m a little confused about Batman’s image on this one. 

Batman #1– Cover N Stanley ‘Artgerm’ Lau Blind Bag Foil Variant

DC is doing a blind bag for their N cover on this title. There are so many covers available in the blind bag option. I picked a couple of my favorites, but I honestly haven’t seen a bad one in this lot. Artgerm knocked it out of the park with this virgin variant. No notes, but do look at the belt buckle, the color scheme, the shape of the bat logo on his chest… These are the details that you will find in the next cover that make me think the A cover is off-brand for the new style guide.

Batman #1– Cover N Gabriele Dell’Otto Blind Bag Foil Variant

Another very ‘Batman’ cover. Dell’Otto’s watercolor (and maybe charcoal?) style is well suited to Batman. Note the bat symbol and belt that are identical to the Artgerm cover. Grey shirt and tights, blue chonies, blue cape and cowl. I’d bet dollars to donuts this is the Batman you’ll see within the pages.