Entertainment Card Collecting With The 3 Most Unique Upper Deck Releases of 2026

The collectibles manufacturing company has branched out past traditional sports and into the world of entertainment

Batman and triple auto card from Upper Deck's Batman: The Animated Series set | Beckett

Upper Deck is one of the most recognizable brands in the card industry, particularly from their vintage sports collections. With the prominence of exclusive licensing deals in the industry's modern landscape, however, Upper Deck has had to turn to another beloved pastime for their trading cards — the world of entertainment.

Ranging from decades-old franchises to even video game likenesses, Upper Deck has done a lot in terms of bridging the gap between entertainment and trading cards in recent years, especially for brands that didn't have the same physical presence before.

Grateful Dead 60 Years So Far

The 'Grateful Dead - 60 Years So Far…A Visual Trip' trading card set is now available via Upper Deck. | Upper Deck

Upper Deck jumped in with music collectibles launching a trading card set
paying tribute to the one-of-a-kind 60s rock band Grateful Dead. The release celebrates the 60th anniversary of the iconic band with beautiful imagery, rare parallels and David Lemieux autographs for Deadheads and collectors.

If you're passionate about the band, then this set is a collectors item. Its a unique set with incredibly stunning design and visuals make it a special release in the age of modernity and simplicity.

Iconic artwork from show's throughout the Grateful Dead's epic career are featured in the new Upper Deck set. | Upper Deck

The Grateful Dead 60 Years So Far set was released back in February and has since been removed from the official Upper Deck store, but there are still multiple listings on various online marketplaces such as eBay selling boxes for around retail price of about $60.

Batman: The Animated Series

One of the greatest pieces of Batman media gets its very own set from Upper Deck | The Cardboard Connection

Batman: The Animated Series is without question a staple in the superhero experience. Loved by critics and fans alike, its legacy holds up even to the present day more than 30 years since the first episode aired.

Upper Deck and DC made sure to honor that legacy with a special box featuring iconic moments from the animated series. Autographs, printing plates, and even 1/1s are present in the special collaboration set.

Batgirl and Catwoman Dual Auto | Upper Deck

Just like the Grateful Dead release, the Batman: The Animated Series set has long been sold out and Hobby boxes are now only available through third-party marketplaces.

DC x NHL Collaborations

Connor McDavid in the Fortress of Solitude set | Upper Dec

Upper Deck released the last two DC x NHL collaboration sets this year, namely Fortress of Solitude and Secret Identity.

They're both extremely small sets that focus on a Superman-based theme, with Fortress of Solitude's card design bearing resemblance to Kal-El's home base and the Secret Identity set making cards that parallel Clark Kent's double-identity life.

One side of Alex Ovechkin's lenticular card features himself in a suit | Upper Dec

The other side of the Alex Ovechkin card in his "Superhero" outfit | Upper Deck

Both sets contain only one card in a pack with each pack costing $19.99 on the Upper Deck e-Pack site.