Upper Deck is bringing DC Annual back for 2024-25 with another release centered on modern comic storytelling, major heroes, villains, and a wide mix of chase content. The product builds from last year’s debut and leans heavily into recent DC publishing, combining a compact base set with multiple insert themes, hobby-exclusive parallels, autographs, sketch cards, and ultra-limited case hits.
For collectors, the headline is variety. Every pack includes chase appeal, hobby boxes promise a steady flow of parallels and inserts, and the checklist reaches well beyond the main 100-card base run. Between standard cards, inserts, autographs, and sketch content, the full product totals 250 cards.
The scheduled release date is May 27, 2026, subject to change.
2024-25 Upper Deck DC Annual overview
The main set has 100 base cards and spotlights a broad cross-section of the DC universe. Core names like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Darkseid, Nightwing, Green Arrow, Harley Quinn, The Joker, and The Flash lead the way, but the checklist also reaches into supporting characters, newer names, Green Lantern variants, and fan-favorite team and street-level characters.
Upper Deck also gives collectors several ways to chase the same base cards. Variant Cover parallels present black-and-white artwork, Silver Sparkle adds another recognizable finish, and numbered hobby and e-Pack exclusives push scarcity higher with Green, Gold Linearity, Hologram, Crystal Clear, and one-of-one Purple Diamond versions. Printing Plates and Hologram Printing Plates add further one-of-one possibilities for every base card.
Blaster buyers are not left out. Blue parallels are blaster-exclusive, giving retail its own identity while hobby remains the destination for most of the serial-numbered content.
Box configuration and hobby box expectations
Collectors opening sealed product should expect the following pack and box formats:
- Hobby packs: 5 cards per pack
- Blaster packs: 5 cards per pack
- Hobby boxes: 16 packs per box
- Blaster boxes: 6 packs per box
- Hobby cases: 16 boxes per case
- Blaster cases: 20 boxes per case
- Total set size: 250 cards
Upper Deck’s stated hobby box expectations are one of the more useful quick guides for this release:
- 6 Variant Cover parallels
- 4 Silver Sparkles
- 1 Backscatters card
- 2 Absolute Power inserts
- 3 rare inserts
That mix should make hobby especially appealing to character collectors who want a balanced rip rather than one built around a single hit type. The product is not just about autographs. It is also about building mini-runs, tracking story-driven inserts, and chasing thematic subsets.
Base set parallels and key chase formats
The base set checklist runs from Superman at card No. 1 to The Flash (Wally West) at card No. 100. The parallel ladder is one of the strongest parts of the release because it gives both casual and advanced collectors multiple entry points.
Base set parallels
- Blue, blaster-exclusive, 1:1
- Variant Cover, hobby/e-Pack 1:3, blaster 1:3
- Silver Sparkle, hobby/e-Pack 1:4, blaster 1:5
- Green /499
- Gold Linearity /88
- Hologram /25
- Crystal Clear /25
- Purple Diamond /1
- Printing Plates /1, with Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black versions
- Hologram Printing Plates /1, with Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black versions
Numbered base parallels are exclusive to hobby and e-Pack. That distinction matters for collectors deciding whether to rip retail or focus on hobby singles after release.
Selected base set names
The 100-card base lineup includes Superman (Clark Kent), Batman, Wonder Woman, Darkseid, Nightwing, Green Arrow, Amanda Waller, Zatanna, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Power Girl, Superman (Jon Kent), Black Canary, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Harley Quinn, Batgirl (Cassandra Cain), The Question, Batgirl (Barbara Gordon), Deathstroke, The Penguin, Trigon, Starfire, Raven, Big Barda, Superwoman, Black Lightning, The Flash (Barry Allen), Doctor Fate, Stargirl, Mister Miracle, Metamorpho, Two-Face, Gorilla Grodd, Cyborg, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Red Hood, The Joker, Doomsday, Dreamer, Brainiac, Lex Luthor, Lobo, Robin (Tim Drake), Beast Boy, Batwoman, Green Lantern (Jessica Cruz), Teen Lantern, Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner), Star Sapphire, Swamp Thing, Sinestro, Booster Gold, Donna Troy, Supergirl, The Riddler, Mister Terrific, Green Lantern (John Stewart), Robin (Damian Wayne), Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes), and The Flash (Wally West).
Other names on the checklist include Kilowog, Mon-El, The Atom (Ryan Choi), Lady Shiva, Jade, Orion, Highfather, Detective Chimp, Lor-Zod, Sinson, Lightning, Killer Croc, Doctor Mid-Nite, Flatline, Fire & Ice, Eclipso, Psycho-Pirate, The Atom, Thunder, Arsenal, The Flash (Jay Garrick), Sand, Green Lantern (Jo Mullein), Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark), Blue Beetle (Ted Kord), Sin, Plastic Man, Arrowette, Speedy, Bizarro II, and Green Lantern (Guy Gardner).
Insert sets carrying the product
DC Annual is especially deep on inserts, and this year’s release is built around several different themes. Some are pack-friendly and collectible as sets, while others are intentionally much tougher pulls.
Nightwing, Shazam!, Wonder Woman, and Star Rookies
These four insert lines combine to appear once per hobby pack, which should make them a major part of the opening experience.
- Nightwing, 25 cards, hobby/e-Pack 1:4, blaster 1:8, with Sparkle /199 and Retro Wave /25 parallels
- Shazam!, 20 cards, hobby/e-Pack 1:5, blaster 1:10, with Sparkle /199 and Retro Wave /25 parallels
- Wonder Woman, 20 cards, hobby/e-Pack 1:5, blaster 1:10, with Sparkle /199 and Retro Wave /25 parallels
- Star Rookies, 10 cards, hobby/e-Pack 1:10, blaster 1:20, with Sparkle /199 and Retro Wave /25 parallels
The Nightwing insert checklist mixes major story figures like Nightwing, Batman, Batgirl, Robin, Heartless, Deadman, Maggie Sawyer, Bitewing, Melinda Grayson-Lin, and The Zanni. Shazam! includes Shazam!, Black Adam, Tawky Tawny, Billy Batson, Mary Marvel, Freddy Freeman, Mister Mind, Zeus, and Hephaestus. Wonder Woman highlights Wonder Woman, Silver Swan, Yara Flor, Cassie Sandsmark, Circe, Grail, The Cheetah, Trinity, Hippolyta, and even Clark Kent.
Star Rookies focuses on newer and emerging names with Asema, Die, See-More, Vanadia, Billy Numerous, Kalden the Unseen, Hux-Ur, Robin of Zur-En-Arrh, Kamal, and Xylon.
#1 Spot and Absolute Power
The #1 Spot insert is a clever comic-cover driven concept and one of the more approachable themed sets in the product.
- #1 Spot, 25 cards, hobby/e-Pack 1:4, blaster 1:8
- Parallels: Sparkle /199 and Retro Wave /25
Checklist entries include Absolute Power #1, Gotham City Sirens #1, Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #1, DC All In Special #1, Batman & Robin: Year One #1, Zatanna #1, Red Hood: The Hill #1, Sinister Sons #1, Batman: Dark Age #1, Justice League Unlimited #1, Batgirl #1, Black Lightning #1, JSA #1, Secret Six #1, Justice League: The Atom Project #1, The Question: All Along the Watchtower #1, Suicide Squad: Dream Team #1, The New Gods #1, Superwoman Special #1, Challengers of the Unknown #1, Two-Face #1, Metamorpho: The Element Man #1, Green Lantern/Green Arrow: World’s Finest #1, Aquaman #1, and Green Lantern Corps #1.
Absolute Power is a 10-card insert that comes in four escalating levels of scarcity.
- Level 1: hobby/e-Pack 1:20, blaster 1:60
- Level 2: hobby/e-Pack 1:27, blaster 1:80
- Level 3: hobby/e-Pack 1:40, blaster 1:120
- Level 4: hobby/e-Pack 1:80, blaster 1:240
The 10 cards are Paradise Lost, Last Son, Velocity, Failsafe, Depth Charge, Jadestone, Global Guardian, Green Arrow, Brainiac Queen, and Amanda Waller.
Backscatters, Elseworlds, Iconic Artwork, and Suspended Animation
Backscatters adds a shiny, sticker-style chase element. Standard Backscatters fall once per hobby box, while Backscatter Gold is much tougher at roughly two per case. The 25-card checklist includes Zatanna, Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, Batman, Superwoman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Superman, Poison Ivy, Robin, Oracle, The Atom, Supergirl, The Flash, Aquaman, Cyborg, Shazam!, Nightwing, Catwoman, Black Canary, Mister Miracle, Star Sapphire, Metamorpho, and The Question.
Elseworlds is hobby and e-Pack exclusive and should draw significant attention from collectors who like alternate versions and limited serial numbering.
- Elseworlds base cards are numbered /299
- Blue parallels /199
- Gold parallels /99
The 20-card Elseworlds lineup includes Batman, Catwoman, John Constantine, Talia al Ghul, Wonder Woman, Deathstroke, Rose, Fru Caitlin (Killer Frost), Green Lantern (Alan Scott), Phantom Stranger (J'onn J'onzz), Smallville Sheriff, Damian Wayne, Green Arrow, Batgirl, Big Barda, Alfred Pennyworth, Mister Miracle, and Mister Freeze.
Iconic Artwork is one of the toughest insert sets in the product, falling 1:256 in hobby/e-Pack and 1:675 in blaster. The eight cards are Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, The Flash, Green Lantern, Shazam!, and Justice League of America.
Suspended Animation is hobby/e-Pack exclusive and broken into four serial-numbered levels:
- Level 1, cards 1-20, numbered /699
- Level 2, cards 21-35, numbered /399
- Level 3, cards 36-45, numbered /199
- Level 4, cards 46-50, numbered /99
Key names in Suspended Animation include Starfire, Batwoman, Superboy, Cyborg, Shazam!, Power Girl, The Question, Dreamer, Teen Lantern, Zatanna, Red Hood, Mary Marvel, Green Arrow, Mera, Raven, Black Lightning, Nightwing, Donna Troy, Harley Quinn, Catwoman, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Darkseid, and The Joker.
Autographs, sketch cards, and premium hits
The highest-end chases in 2024-25 Upper Deck DC Annual come from creator autographs, dual autos, original sketch work, and plates.
Creators Corner Autographs
The standard Creators Corner autograph set has 11 cards and lands at 1:256 in hobby/e-Pack and 1:600 in blaster. Signers are David Nakayama, Kelly Thompson, Jorge Jimenez, Dexter Soy, Jeph Loeb, Chip Zdarsky, Mark Waid, Jeff Lemire, Tom Taylor, Dan Mora, and Rafa Sandoval.
Dual autograph cards are hobby/e-Pack exclusive and each is numbered to 10. The pairings are Dan Mora/Mark Waid, Scott Snyder/Rafa Sandoval, Joshua Williamson/Dan Mora, Jackson Lanzing/Collin Kelly, and Daniel Sampere/Tom King.
Sketch content
Original art remains one of the biggest reasons many collectors open non-sport products, and this release includes both standard sketch cards and an ultra-tough booklet.
- Ready For Action Sketch Card Booklet by Aditya Chandra, hobby/e-Pack 1:2,000
- Sketch Cards, 67 artists, hobby/e-Pack 1:768, blaster 1:7,680
The sketch artist lineup is extensive and includes Cleber Lima, Andrew Laitinen, Hector Barros, Jason Christner, Kenny Calderon, Tony Esteves, Jose Lebron, Austin Ackert, Rob Demers, Alex Rodrigues, Noval Hernawan, Veronica Louro, Andre Toma, Adam Fields, Tim Shinn, Aditya Chandra, Allen Geneta, Pedro Wadt, GetAtom, Clay Rodery, Dan Viloria, Paul Hill, Yagmur Basgoz, Ricardo Veneziani, Matthew Maldonado, Yuriko Shirou, Don Nguyen, Mike LaPeruta, Tom Valente, Jomar Bulda, John Philip Cruz, Altair Messias, Jamie Sullivan, Denis Medri, Rico Dela Rosa Jr., Sinisa Matic, Morvan LeRest, Emrah Cildir, Michael Munshaw, Sugiarto Aliputra, Elfie Lebouleux, Frederick Haynes, and Kevin Norman. SP and SSP designations are attached to select artists, adding another layer of scarcity.
Checklist snapshot
For collectors who want the most important factual details in one place, here is a streamlined checklist snapshot for the set.
Base set checklist highlights
- Superman (Clark Kent)
- Batman
- Wonder Woman
- Darkseid
- Nightwing
- Green Arrow
- Amanda Waller
- Zatanna
- Catwoman
- Poison Ivy
- Power Girl
- Superman (Jon Kent)
- Black Canary
- Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)
- Harley Quinn
- The Question
- Red Hood
- The Joker
- Doomsday
- Dreamer
- Lex Luthor
- Lobo
- Robin (Tim Drake)
- Beast Boy
- Batwoman
- Green Lantern (Jessica Cruz)
- Teen Lantern
- Star Sapphire
- Supergirl
- Mister Terrific
- Green Lantern (John Stewart)
- Robin (Damian Wayne)
- Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes)
- The Flash (Wally West)
Insert checklist highlights
- Nightwing: Nightwing, Apex Ava, Bitewing, Heartless, Batgirl, Robin, Bruce Wayne as Nightwing
- Shazam!: Shazam!, Black Adam, Tawky Tawny, Billy Batson, Mary Marvel, Freddy Freeman, Mister Mind
- Wonder Woman: Wonder Woman, Silver Swan, Yara Flor, Cassie Sandsmark, Circe, Grail, The Cheetah, Trinity, Hippolyta
- #1 Spot: Absolute Power #1, Gotham City Sirens #1, Batgirl #1, JSA #1, Aquaman #1, Green Lantern Corps #1
- Backscatters: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Nightwing, Harley Quinn, Aquaman, The Flash, Shazam!
- Iconic Artwork: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, The Flash, Green Lantern, Shazam!, Justice League of America
Collector angle and release takeaway
This is the kind of non-sport release that can work for several parts of the market at once. Character collectors can stay focused on the base set and the main insert families. Parallel chasers have a large ladder to work through. Autograph and sketch collectors still get premium ceiling. And DC readers who follow current publishing lines get a product that feels tied to the present era rather than a generic all-time greatest hits checklist.
The toughest cards should be the Purple Diamond one-of-ones, printing plates, Iconic Artwork inserts, dual creator autographs numbered to 10, the Aditya Chandra sketch booklet, and top-tier sketch cards from SSP artists. Among more accessible targets, Backscatters, #1 Spot, Nightwing, Wonder Woman, and Shazam! give the product a lot of binder-building appeal.
Collectors planning sealed purchases should note the key split between formats: blasters bring Blue parallels and a lower-cost entry point, while hobby and e-Pack carry the numbered base parallels, Elseworlds access, stronger autograph odds, and the deepest premium chase content.
Photo Gallery
