If you're an Aaron Judge completionist, Topps just gave you a new avenue to chase a hard-to-snag autograph for your Yankees collection.
Topps Chrome Marvel officially returned for 2026 on July 1, releasing at an MSRP of $299.99 per hobby box and touting a run of Black Panther inserts. And those sound like dynamite. But, in my estimation, the only thing I'm really chasing is this likely-to-be-impossible-to-obtain Judge auto with a comic book-style Judge depicted on the front.
Now, I might be an idiot (I'm definitely an idiot), but this animation still isn't actually from anything, is it? Like, this isn't from Judge's seminal episode of "Paw Patrol" (that already has a corresponding 2024 Topps Update shortprint).
Judge has a bit of free time on his hands these days as he awaits new imaging on his rib fracture while hoping against hope that he can heal before the Yankees' freefall has any finality to it. But if he used that free time to write and star in a series of Marvel webisodes, than I must've missed it.
Aaron Judge has autographs in Topps Chrome Marvel Comics 👀 pic.twitter.com/VpnloJXEFy
— Topps (@Topps) July 2, 2026
2026 Topps Chrome Marvel Checklist: Who else has unconventional autos?
The "Cordially Invited" auto checklist is six cards deep, and they'll appear in a modest one in every 743 hobby packs. This tiny subset includes Judge, Baltimore Orioles slugger Pete Alonso, director Kevin Feige, comedian Patton Oswalt, DJ Steve Aoki, and late-night television host Seth Meyers. Obviously, that's an incredibly normal list of interconnected people!
The majority of autos in this product are either legendary comic book artists (35 different subjects) or facsimile autos of Marvel characters (15 subjects). I don't mean to yuck anybody's yum here - and I did just shower praise on the bizarre animated Judge auto - but I'm not sure that a facsimile auto of Vision, Doctor Octopus, or War Machine really moves the needle for me. Unless you can get it to me in a PSA 10! Then I'm all ears!
Judge, Alonso, and Meyers seem like must-haves for my delightfully haphazard collection and, for now, I will simply ignore the price point and pretend they're all viable purchases.
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