Garth Ennis and John McCrea are reuniting on Hitman for the first time since their original series ended in 2001, writing and drawing a new one-shot called Hitman: It Was the Nineties Special #1. DC confirmed the December 9, 2026 release on September 18 as part of its December 2026 solicitations, bringing hitman-for-hire Tommy Monaghan back for one holiday-themed night of chaos.
DC Comics confirmed the news September 18, 2026, as part of its full December 2026 solicitations: Garth Ennis is writing and John McCrea is drawing and covering Hitman: It Was the Nineties Special #1, on sale December 9, 2026. It’s the pair’s first time back writing and drawing Tommy Monaghan — the wisecracking Gotham City hitman with X-ray vision and super-strength — together since their original 61-issue Hitman series wrapped in 2001.
What DC Actually Announced
The special runs 48 pages for $5.99, with a John McCrea main cover and variants from Amanda Conner and Declan Shalvey, plus a Gerardo Zaffino foil cover. DC’s own solicitation text bills it as “two twisted tales of yuletide cheer, violence, irreverence, and…ninjas?!” The book was first revealed as an exclusive by SKTCHD before DC’s full December 2026 solicitations went live the same day.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Title | Hitman: It Was the Nineties Special #1 |
| Writer | Garth Ennis |
| Art & main cover | John McCrea |
| Variant covers | Amanda Conner, Declan Shalvey; foil variant by Gerardo Zaffino |
| On sale | December 9, 2026 |
| Price | $5.99 standard; $6.99 card stock variant; $8.99 foil variant |
| Length | 48 pages |
What the Two Stories Are About
The lead story drops back into the DC Universe of the 1990s: Tommy is stuck with the annual chore of finding a star to top a Christmas tree, except every killer in Gotham with an old grudge and an eye on the bounty on his head decides tonight is the night to collect. The backup pairs the demon bartender Baytor — a fan-favorite from the original run — behind the bar of “a very familiar café,” teaming him up with one of DC’s World’s Finest heroes to save the night.
Why Fans Are Calling This a Big Deal
Hitman launched in 1996 as a spin-off of Ennis’s own The Demon run and ran a full 61 issues before DC ended it in 2001, a cult favorite that built one of the most devoted followings of any ’90s DC book on the strength of Ennis and McCrea’s gallows-humor take on the DC Universe’s C-list.
The two creators reunited on the characters once before, in 2026’s Section Eight mini-relaunch, but this is the first time since that 1996-2001 run that Ennis is writing and McCrea is both drawing and covering a Hitman story together.
DC’s decision to greenlight a full-price one-shot for a book that’s been off shelves for a quarter-century says something about where the publisher’s head is at heading into 2027: leaning on nostalgia reunions with proven creative teams alongside its new launches. It lands the same season DC has been reviving other legacy, creator-driven corners of its catalog — see our coverage of the Vertigo imprint’s 2026 relaunch for the bigger pattern.
Where This Fits in DC’s Current Momentum
The Hitman reunion is a small piece of a much larger story: DC has been crushing Marvel at the comic shop all year. Comics Bulletin’s sales tracking put DC’s market share at 49.19% against Marvel’s 27.42% for the week of September 1-7, 2026, and as we covered in DC’s market-share surge over Marvel, the publisher has leaned hard into creator-driven, legacy-character storytelling to hold that lead. A Garth Ennis/John McCrea reunion book won’t outsell a new Batman event’s first issue, but it’s the kind of release that keeps longtime direct-market retailers ordering DC with confidence.
Batman himself has a long, complicated history with Tommy Monaghan — the original series repeatedly put the two in the same room, usually to Tommy’s detriment. For more on how Gotham’s rogues and supporting cast have shaped stories like this one, check our ranking of Batman’s best villains.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Hitman: It Was the Nineties Special #1 come out?
It goes on sale December 9, 2026, as part of DC Comics’ December 2026 solicitations.
Who is writing and drawing the new Hitman special?
Garth Ennis writes and John McCrea draws and provides the main cover — the same creative team behind the original 1996-2001 Hitman series.
Is this a new ongoing Hitman series?
No. It’s a single 48-page one-shot special, not an ongoing relaunch.
Who is Tommy Monaghan?
Tommy Monaghan is Hitman, a Gotham City contract killer with X-ray vision and super-strength who first appeared in a 1993 Demon annual before headlining his own 61-issue series from 1996 to 2001.
Do I need to have read the original Hitman series to understand the special?
No. It’s a self-contained one-shot built for both longtime readers and newcomers, though familiarity with Tommy and his supporting cast like Baytor adds context to the jokes.
