Gassiest Household of 2025: Mine--2025 in Review

It's the last post of 2025, and we're concluding with a bit of a fart joke--would you expect anything less from me? Seriously, however, I feel like when it comes to households with the most flatulence, ours has to be the winner. Between how much I fart due to my stomach issues (I love dairy, it doesn't love me), how much our boys love to toot, and how even Samii will fart sometimes (and she's a pretty polite lady), not an hour goes by without somebody cutting the cheese. Heck, this even applies to our cats. One of them, Clarence, will literally go to his catbox, rip a loud one without even using the box, and then proceed on his way (at least he goes to the catbox just to be safe, as you should never trust a fart, as they say). My family is incredibly gassy, and I love them in spite of and because of how loud and stinky we can all get. May our 2026 be just as or even more flatulent!

My Favorite Television Shows From This Year--2025 in Review

I will often watch shows that came out years ago. I often love them when I finally get around to checking them out, but to say they were among the best of 2025's television offerings would be factually incorrect. Hence, I am going to discuss some of my favorite TV shows that I watched this year, and which came out in 2025. In no specific order...

The Lowdown, Season 1--More Hopefully Coming?

A surreal neo-noir story with a large cast and an even bigger mystery, creator/director Sterlin Harjo gives us a wild ride. It is quite thrilling as truth-obsessed journalist Lee Raybon (Ethan Hawke) continuously finds himself in situations that result in getting beaten up, told off, or both. Filmed on location in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the show doesn't shy away from examining heavy topics such as systemic racism, fiscal inequities, and so forth--but it also manages to be incredibly funny and clever too. A hoot of a show, the entire season aired on FX and can be streamed via Hulu.

Severance, Season 2

In my review of, "Severance," I discussed how I enjoyed the first season that came out a bit ago just fine, but loved the second batch of episodes that were released during this year, hence it ending up on this list. Found on AppleTV, this quirky program imagines a World where people can undergo the Sevrance procedure and start having a new identity that exists at a mysterious office with zero memories/knowledge of the outside World. It's a trippy piece of sci-fi, and the second season is full of payoff that makes watching the show feel quite rewarding.

Doctor Odyssey, Season 1/The Only Season We're Getting

Yeah, I already touched upon this show in my post about how much of a bummer it was that it got canceled, and a chunk of the season did air in 2024, but there was enough in 2025 that I'm gonna argue it can count, okay? This was such a fun and silly show about a sexy doctor on a cruise ship. I know the whole program was absurd, but I adored it.

Traitors, The--Season 3 of the U.S. Version

As I said back in March, the third season of, "The Traitors," was some good television. Part game show, part psychological warfare, and all Alan Cumming being delicious as the host, this is such a wild program. A bunch of competitiors at a Scottish castle scheme and study each other closely in the hopes of figuring out who is a, "Faithful," and who is among a group of, "Traitors," that wants to pick off the Faithful. Season 4 is due soon on Peacock, and I can't wait!

Comic-Book Fiasco of the Year: Diamond Comic Distributors' Bankruptcy--2025 in Review

It is hard to believe that Diamond only declared bankruptcy at the start of this year, back in January. It feels like we've been following this slow-motion trainwreck for a decade. At first, it was going to be restructuring and business as usual. Then Diamond was trying to sell itself, but who was going to buy it got confusing. Diamond was bought, but basically turned into a zombie of a company, trying to sell off warehouse stock it did not own in the name of paying debtors...some of whom they were selling the inventory of without permission. 

From the ashes of Diamond, we saw further growth of Lunar as well as Penguin Random House, further announcements of new distribution options, and as the year ends, things seem to have finally settled into a mostly stable groove...Free Comic Book Day/Comics Giveaway Day arguments aside. Still, it has been less than 365 days, and the landscape of comic distribution has changed to a remarkable degree, which I think few could have foreseen coming.

Musical Return to Form of the Year: Clipse--2025 in Review

No Malice and Pusha T are brothers and, at one point a good chunk of time ago, they were busy as collaborators for the musical duo known as Clipse. Then, there hadn't been a new album from Clipse since 2009. A featured track here or there with them both as Clipse, but not much. Then, we learned Clipse was returning in July with, "Let God Sort Em Out." After all these years, could Clipse still have great tracks thanks to their razor-sharp wits and partnerships with fantastic producers? The answer turned out to be a resounding, "Hell yeah!" It really is an astounding piece of work.

With Pharrell providing some superb instrumentation, beats, and other friends stopping by to drop fantastic verses (Kendrick Lamar, Nas, and so forth), the resulting LP is a fantastic album that rewards repeat listens as all the clever metaphors reveal themselves and the music keeps your head continuously bopping. It has been nearly two decades, but Clipse remains a stellar rap group.

T.V.-Related Bummer of the Year: "Doctor Odyssey," Getting Canceled--2025 in Review

I quite enjoyed the off-the-wall, zany nature of, "Doctor Odyssey," on ABC. Created by Ryan Murphy and friends, it was a show about a sexy boat doctor (played by Joshua Jackson) who cures mystery ailments of cruise-goers while juggling romance with his staff. The program was absurd, silly, and had Don Johsnon as the captain--he's a treat in any show! It had good ratings, people liked it, and even bad Ryan Murphy shows seem to get renewed these days. Yet, "Doctor Odyssey," only got one season and then seemed dead in the water--pun depressingly intended. We may never get more of the show, but at least what we did get was a hoot.

Some of My Favorite Comics This Year--2025 in Review

There were many great comics throughout 2025. When I thought really hard about what stood out in my mind, however, five series released during this year/books published this year stuck out in my mind. Well, it was actually six series, but one was featured last year (more on that in a second), so I disqualified it. Anyway, here are some of my favorite comics/graphic novels/etc. this year.

Ultimates

Full disclosure, this and, "Ultimate Spider-Man," were the two Ultimate titles I adored this year and couldn't wait to read every month from the first issues on back in 2024 to now. That said, I already put USM in this sort of list last year so I cut it this time and thought I would focus on, "Ultimates." For real, however, if you want the main/big book that is key to this latest Ultimate Universe, "Ultimates," is a fantastic read from start to (rapidly approaching) finish. Deniz Camp has consistently written a superb comic about heroes in a broken World who dream of a better tomorrow (with Juan Frigeri generally on art), and I'm here for it.

Orla!

A comic about a woman named Orla with a literal monster inside her that devours bad dates. Yeah, its a horror comedy, but it has some sweet romance elements too when Orla falls for a guy she doesn't want to ingest. An incredibly funny and clever mix of genres, "Orla!" has just concluded as of this month (I need to grab the last issue), and I would encourage everyone to purchase the upcoming trade paperback collection!

Santos Sisters Volume 1

This one is a bit technical, as the first volume of, "Santos Sisters," collects the initial five issues printed before 2025. That said, this book was released in this year, so I say it counts! In my review of the first TPB, I state how it is, "Joyful, undiluted fun." I continue to feel that way about Greg & Fake's superb mix of vintage Archie-esque style with modern and clever jokes. Definitely a book worth picking up.

Absolute Batman

The earlier issues of, "Absolute Batman," were solid, but as we entered 2025, the book started rolling full steam ahead. The mix of crime drama, body horror, and amazing artwork by Nick Dragotta, among others (with superb writing by Scott Snyder) has resulted in what is undoubtedly my favorite Absolute book of the line--although all of them are solid and have charms. It is wild to think that when the Absolute line was first announced how skeptical many of us were. Now, here we are with Absolute books, and, "Absolute Batman," in particular, getting rave reviews and selling lots of copies. The old adage remains true to not judge a book (or comic) by its cover.

Holy Lacrimony

Michael DeForge is a modern master when it comes to making comics. His original graphic novel, "Holy Lacrimony," is a superb read about alien abductions, support groups, and sadness. Quite trippy and a little raunchy at points while also being laugh-out-loud hilarious, I was super-into this book and consider it another masterful entry in DeForge's oeuvre. 2025 clearly had some quality comics, and I'm pleased to have enjoyed these among other stellar reads!

Merry Christmas 2025!

I want to wish a Merry Christmas to anyone who celebrates the holiday! Have a relaxing day, and hopefully you're getting an extended weekend without having to work Friday/tomorrow. One of our local doughnut shops was actually open today, so I bought a bunch for the family; I'm gonna go take a nap now because I ate far too many. Have a great day, ya'll!

15th Anniversary Giveaway Post 5--and Final: Another 3-month Free (Premium) CovrPrice Account

Update: Winner has been notified!

It's Christmas Eve, and I've got one final gift for all of you, my dear readers of the blog! The awesome people at CovrPrice gave me another three months of a free premium CovrPrice account to give away, and it can be yours if you'd like. Just comment here with your name and email address or send me an email at davidbitterbaum@gmail.com with your name. Around December 26th I will draw the final winner for this last giveaway, and I'll kick off my year-in-review posts then, as I generally do the day after Christmas. In the meantime, have a good Christmas Eve, everyone!

PSA's Parent Company (Collectors) Wants to Buy Beckett

PSA is the biggest name in trading card grading and has been trying to make inroads with comic-book grading. They have some competitors, in regard to cards, with Beckett and CGC being the bigger names that serve as other options. When it comes to comics, Beckett has CBCS for comic grading and it has always been the smaller company compared to CGC. Things are getting interesting, however, with PSA's parent company, "Collectors," wanting to buy Beckett (and Beckett only too happy to oblige).

If Collectors/PSA purchases Beckett, they claim that the Beckett card grading and CBS comic grading will continue to operate independently, but I doubt it that will be the case for long. Mergers are all about cutting extra stuff, and having two card grading companies and two comic grading companies is textbook redundancy. Something/s will probably be eliminated, and competition will continue to shrink, which isn't that great for the consumer. It is an era of mergers, however, with companies acquiring others every other week, lately (look at Netflix with Warner Bros. Discovery). The current Trump administration and the in-power GOP care little about monopolies or oligopolies as long as they get their cut through donations from wealthy backers or straight-up paid through questionable business deals. 

It'll basically be PSA versus CGC for cards and comics.

A Democratic Congressman named Pat Ryan has called for the sale of Beckett to be investigated by the FTC, and that's good! I doubt much will come of it, however, in this era of Trump and his cronies doing whatever they want, whenever they want, with little repercussions. As long as somebody at Collectors says something nice to stroke Trump's ego while also stuffing his wallet with a nice and fat check, this deal will probably happen. So it goes.

Music Mondays: It's Been Awhile Since We've Had a New Super-Popular Christmas Tune

You know how, usually every chunk of years there is a new Christmas tune that comes along and which absolutely dominates the radio? It's been some time since that has happened, wouldn't you agree? We've had some solid Christmas jams, but they haven't been totally nuclear-hot in terms of being a hit. "Santa Doesn't Know You Like I Do," by Sabrina Carpenter, is great, but more of a cult-hit from 2023. The last big tune that comes to mind might be, "Santa Tell Me," by Ariana Grande from 2014. 

Otherwise, you gotta look pretty far back for the huge bangers like, "All I Want For Christmas Is You," by Mariah Carey, back in 1994. I mean, if you're huge on the Jonas Brothers, they did release, "Like It's Christmas," in 2019, and Cher attempted to give us a hot new Christmas tune with, "DJ Play a Christmas Song," when it was 2023, but that pales in comparison to a lot of her discography. So yeah, maybe Grande in 2014 with the last really big song. That is over a decade ago!

I know you can't just magically create a Christmas hit, although there is a slight science to it as discussed in a recent, "Sunday Morning," segment on CBS. That bit even featured a new song crafted by David Pogue with some assistance from others--it honestly is pretty terrible, but points to him for trying. Watch it right above this paragraph. It isn't even a big deal if we don't get any new Christmas jams, as there are so many good ones. Hell, maybe we should focus on making more Hanukkah tunes, those are in especially short supply, and Adam Sandler can only do so much, after all! In the end, I suppose you can't force a hot Christmas (or Hanukkah) track. They just sort of magically appear and find themselves part of the regular holiday rotation. There could very well be something that came out this year to little notice that will slowly gain buzz and become a beloved classic in the next handful of years.

Bowen Yang's Last Episode as a Cast Member on, "Saturday Night Live," Happened Yesterday

Bowen Yang is quite the funny fellow. He's been on, "Saturday Night Live," for a chunk of years, but made the sudden-seeming announcement a few days ago he was leaving after the last episode before Christmas (which just aired yesterday). Wow, the last one before the mid-season break? Not too many people come to my mind as leaving in the middle of a season (Cecily Strong, Paul Brittain, and others, but I'd have to use Google and imagine there is a small list). That said, Yang has been getting more and more buzz as a talent and probably has some snazzy big opportunities awaiting him. 

It did not seem there were hard feelings with SNL, as Yang even got a star turn in a segment metaphorically about him leaving the show--although the theme was how he served eggnog at an airport and his last shift was almost over. The symbolism was clear, though, when he teared up discussing how much he valued his opportunity at the, "Airport," and loved everyone he worked with. I really enjoyed Yang on SNL, whether he was the main focus in a sketch, in more of a supporting role, or doing a zany character for the Weekend Update segment. When he's popped up on other shows or in various flicks, it has always been a hoot as well. I wish him the best and hope he succeeds in all his future ventures!

Oni Press to Publish Archie Comics in 2026

Archie Comics has been its own publisher for decades and will still exist, but starting in 2026, Oni Press will be publishing a number of Archie floppies as well. As Comics Beat observed, "That’s the short version of yet another comics publishing trend that is becoming increasingly common: legacy publishers licensing out their venerable titles to other publishers who can bring a fresh take." We saw this with EC popping up over at Oni as well, after all. Oni gets some well-known characters, and Archie gets an injection of new life in their properties. Archie still has the rights to publish the, "Classic,"-style material, and Oni does the monthly newer stuff with more modern sensibilities.

There are many plans as, "Oni will also publish their new ARCHIE #1 in September 2026, and the line will continue with brand-new collections spanning all eras of Archie’s history in a variety of formats – including compact digest editions, deluxe hardcovers and omnibi, and comprehensive box sets. In 2027, the Oni/Archie line will expand further with a line of middle grade and YA graphic novels, but set in their own continuity line." That's a lot of Archie-related content to look forward to, and yes, it includes a new, "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," comic as part of the new line and the horror-focused series that have been popular (I just posted yesterday about an, "Afterlife with Archie," comic giveaway). I look forward to learning more about all these new comics as we enter into 2026!

15th Anniversary Giveaway Post 4: An, "Afterlife With Archie," #1 First Printing Comic With a Variant Cover

What's this? Another giveaway thanks to my chums over at the website Comics Heating Up/Comics Heating Up Forums? That is correct! They are all incredible folks and courtesy of them I have a copy of, "Afterlife with Archie," #1 to have mailed to a lucky winner! This issue features a fantastic variant cover by Andrew Pepoy and is bound to only grow in popularity since the announcement of an, "Afterlife With Archie," show is in the works!

To win this incredible prize, you only need to comment with your name and email address on this post within the next 48 or so hours. That, or you can email me at davidbitterbaum@gmail.com if you would prefer your email not be public. Thanks yet again to the great folks at Comics Heating Up for this giveaway!

Jessica Jones' Comic, "Alias," is Coming Back! Oh, But Not How I'd Like

"Alias," was a comic by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos that was superb. The first Marvel Max comic, it showed a side of the Marvel Universe that was adult but not just swearing and sex--although it had that too! The series focused on Jessica Jones and what it was like being a C-list hero who quit the biz to be a private detective. She has super strength, but can get hurt with skin as easy to cut as anyone else's. She can fly, but sucks at landing. So yeah, she quit being a hero some time ago yet finds herself ending up doing hero-stuff often. The series ended with her pregnant by Luke Cage and a follow-up series, "The Pulse," was decent and featured the birth of their kiddo, Danielle. Then she was in, "New Avengers," where she and Cage got married in a fun special, but Jessica Jones definitely fell to the wayside some after that and was more of a supporting character outside of some decent mini-series. But wait, "Alias," is back...although not really?

"Alias: Red Band," is a five-issue series that will be a part of Marvel's new-ish Red Band line, where the comics can be full of violence, and they come in a polybag...but swearing is still a no-go or any nudity. We can have Tombstone skinning people alive as he hunts down the Punisher, but someone saying, "Fuck," somehow is worse, I suppose. That's okay, though, it isn't like the original, "Alias," series was only good due to swearing, I'm sure getting Bendis and Gaydos back will...wait, they aren't even doing the series? For real? I ask because anyone writing Jessica Jones besides Bendis usually falls flat.

Yes, the creative team for, "Alias: Red Band," is Sam Humphries and Geraldo Borges. They are both great, with Humphries especially having written some stellar comics, and Borges is a superb artist as well. That said, it feels weird to have an, "Alias," comic with no Bendis involvement, especially as he is even back doing some new work with Marvel! Still, this could be fun, as the series follows Jones teaming up with Typhoid Mary to investigate some strange murders. I'm bummed we have no involvement from Bendis or Gaydos, but at least David Mack is back providing covers, as he did for the OG series. That's snazzy, and I'm hoping the, "Alias: Red Band," issues are great even with a new team involved. We will see in March 2026.

"Bradley the Badger," Looks Like a Wild Upcoming Game

At the latest Game Awards, there were plenty of video-games given awards for being fun and new ones were announced as well. One very quirky-looking title was, "Bradley the Badger." It involves a badger named Bradley who is used to fun and lighthearted platform video-games, only to discover his game universe has become a dark, "Bloodborne,"-esque World. Plus, it isn't even finished and he can access secret developer tools to manipulate the game world...and even enters reality (voiced and physically portrayed by Evan Peters). There are also riffs on, "Cyberpunk 2077," "The Last of Us," and probably even more little parodies, along with the wild full motion video segments!

Designed to be, "Part love letter to games, part satire of them," I am quite intrigued by Bradley. I like a good meta experience, and this game seems to have zero fear about not only breaking the fourth wall but ripping it to metaphorical shreds!

Let's Review Three Superb New Comics From 2dcloud

Hey, remember when I reviewed three awesome indie comics from the publisher 2dcloud back in March? Well, they have some new books out that they offered to let me review, and you know I said, "Of course!" I always enjoy their output and couldn't wait to check out some comics from them. With that in mind, let's dive in...

"Girls Gone Wild," #1 by Katie Lane

Don't let the saucy title make you think this is a straightforward smut comic (although those can be fun too)! Instead, "Girls Gone Wild," and its ethereal pencils and inks give everything a weird otherworldly vibe as we witness various relationships and their dramas. A couple arguing about having sex, a phone call from a parent that raises stress levels, and so forth. Lane's ear for dialogue and surreal framing of the comic results in a fascinating piece I quite enjoyed. My only criticism would be sometimes the art and lettering gets so metaphysical that it can be a bit tricky to read the text--possibly this is intentional, but just something I wanted to point out as my sole minor quibble.

5 out of 5 Stars.

"Altcomics," #7 edited by and with contributions from Blaise Larmee, Katie Lane, and Others

A snazzy anthology of comics, featuring some more work by the above-discussed Katie Lane, as well as other interesting pieces. This comic contains a lot of quite abstract pieces with a cool interplay of text, art, and it is extremely experimental stuff. I enjoyed those entries, but my favorite comic was actually a more, "Straightforward," piece by Clair Gunther. It focuses on a musician who is asked by a grandparent to play music at the church--with them agreeing as long as the relative keeps up their end of an unsaid bargain. As the comic continues to the church and the pastor (who is also the grandparent) begins a hateful sermon why our protagonist wants to walk out of the church and escape the awful rhetoric. It is a bit of a, "Slice of life," we can relate to, of being in uncomfortable situations where we feel suck in spaces that are unwelcoming to us for one reason or another. A great piece in a snazzy comic.

5 out of 5 Stars.

Mirror Mirror #4; edited by Airplane Mode with Entries by Various Creators

Another comic anthology, which in this case also features interviews and reviews of various works. I loved all of these publications, but, "Mirror Mirror," #4 was possibly my favorite thanks to some amazing comics. From the stark front and back cover evoking the imagery of a plane hitting the Twin Towers, to some thoughtful interior comics, it is an edgy, provoking work--and I mean that as the highest praise. "What We Do We Learned From You," by Morgan Vogel starts out as a raunchy tale of people taking some drugs and getting sexual before it swerves quite violently into trippy horror--I dug it! 

An essay with various paintings by Inés Estrada about how we understand and view reality--especially with mental health issues--is thoughtful and gorgeous too. A manga entry, "Apocaylpse Blues," is at the back of the book and reads right-to-left as manga should and features some eye-catching art by Junichiro Saito as we follow a weird yarn about a magical bear and woman fighting in a strange city. These are just some of the highlights of, "Mirror Mirror," #4 and I eagerly recommend reading it as well as the other books I just reviewed! I wan to thank 2dcloud for keeping me updated on their superb publications and wish them continued success! Visit their site to get these rad comics!

5 out of 5 Stars.

Diamond Comic Distributors Converts to Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

God, it hasn't even been a year and we've been through way too much regarding Diamond Comic Distributors. Seriously, it was only in January that they declared chapter 11 bankruptcy with the intent to reorganize and come back stronger than ever (I just laughed so hard thinking about this in retrospect coffee nearly shot out my nose). There is basically nothing left of the old Diamond besides a bunch of inventory sitting in warehouses that belongs to the original publishers but Diamond held hostage. Well, with the announcement that Diamond is entering Chapter 7, it is a whole new series of filings to figure out where those go and how to buy them back. We are talking full liquidation, so Diamond is done, not even existing as a zombie company of sorts.

I know when reporting about Diamond it feels a bit like that meme from, "The Simpsons," where the kid yells, "Stop! Stop! He's already dead!" as Homer (in Krusty the Klown makeup when he did that as a gig) beats a Hamburglar analogue. Still, this is an interesting development in the unending saga of Diamond's messy clusterfudge of going out of business. Throw up the, "Spirit Halloween," banner over Diamond, I suppose, there ain't gonna be anything left to salvage before long.

Mixed Feelings: Five

December 15th in my life's history is a day with a mix of feelings associated with it. It is the day my mother was born some years ago, a wonderful day! It is the day where in 2019 we officially lost our pregnancy and the child who would have been our second baby, Shalom, a traumatic day. It's the day when, in 2021, my Bubbie was buried, having passed some days earlier at the age of 96, a sad day, but bittersweet thanks to all the memories we have with Bubbie and her long life. I've done four of these mixed feelings posts before. A mix of poetry, essay, introspection, and me just sharing how this day brings out a lot of mixed feelings.

I've discussed how December 2019-December 2020 was the worst year ever in my life, between multiple losses of loved ones, the rise of COVID-19 (and its impact on us as well as everyone else), and so forth. Then, I needed time to mentally recover and deal with the grief I had ignored. I quit trying to shut the pain/sadness away and let myself feel it, a healthy choice I finally got to with the support of Samii and getting some therapy. Then, the focus became healing and growing. We had our, "Rainbow baby," Gibson, in 2023. I know how that is a term some love, and some don't care for, but I like it. We went through an emotional storm with our loss, and at the end of the storm comes a beautiful and bright beam of joy. He and Clarkson are such joys--and sometimes real stinkers!

I am by no means, "Over," everything we've been through, as you can't be a human being with normal emotions and magically and totally get over loss completely. I am, however, in a better place now than I was a number of years ago. I can both be happy today to celebrate a birthday and consider this a day of remembrance. I can have a mix/balance of feelings, and that is good; it is healthy and (as I said) human. Hence, here we are on December 15th of 2025, and I am okay. I am okay with the celebratory feelings for the good stuff today. I am okay with sometimes not being okay when I think about the loss we've faced, too. Just as the title always says, it is all about mixed feelings. Acknowledging is key, without a doubt. 

 

Way back when I wrote the first of these in 2021, I closed with how, "Love is scary, love is hard, love leaves us feeling empty sometimes when those we love leave at any age or even before we get to fully enjoy their existence. I’m just trying to make it [in] America. I’m just trying to make it as a good parent and husband. I just want to make myself proud, frankly. To close, I don’t know how much I believe in a God but I really hope God believes in me. Somebody’s got to." At this point I still am not sure how much I believe in a higher power (although I hope one's out there). I do know that now, I can at least say I do believe in myself. I believe in myself as a husband, a father to two awesome kiddos, and as a human being. Life has been hard at times, but I've learned and grown from the hardships and joys. That's saying something, at least.

December 2025's ToyMan was a Great Way to Close Out the Year

Today was the last ToyMan Show of the year and the last comic show of 2025 that I'll be attending (unless I'm totally forgetting something on my calendar). It was a stellar way to close out the year! I will emphasize how ToyMan shows are always so full of stuff that if you can't find something, you probably didn't look hard enough. Toys (new and old), die-cast cars, laserdiscs, Funko, paper ephemera, DVDs, CDs, video-games of all eras, sports memorabilia, Pokémon, trading cards, and comics (but of course) are just some of the things I examined today while at ToyMan! Plus, they had special guest Kat Cressida, a well-known voice actress who was excited to meet with fans today! It was as lovely show as always, in other words. I'll break down some of whom I saw and what I got now...

The first level of the showfloor right before it opened to an excited crowd!

I kicked off the show chatting with my friend Spike from Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles. I then had the chance to chat with John Chaffee of Bigfoot Comics and Collectibles about his holiday plans with the family. Tim Metzger was present and had some cool comics to browse--I bought a snazzy one from him about Thrawn (an interesting character in the mythology). Give it a look:

As I proceeded to walk around the show, I saw my chums from Tatertot Comics and Collectibles, as well as the awesome Tri Fox Shoppe (on the upper level). As I continued exploring upstairs I found my good friend Jessica Mathews as well as the incredible folks from Perryville's Heroes for Kids--it was good to catch up with all of them! Back downstairs, I ran into Larry of Bug's Comics and Games and picked up a lovely second printing of the debut issue of, "Absolute Batman," for a superb price. I thank Larry for the rad deal! Here is a pic of it:

This ToyMan show was fantastic, as they always are! I got to browse so much cool stuff, chat with friends, and wish everyone a happy holiday season. I look forward to all the great upcoming ToyMan shows in 2026 and will see everyone at the next one on January 11th!

AI-Generated Junk Has Infested Etsy

When I want to give someone I care about a cool gift I sometimes will check Etsy. It has cool things made by folks far more creative and skilled than me...at least, it used to. The past few years have seen Etsy flooded with AI-generated crap. Things made by an AI that are slapped onto a product as if any effort were made, or false representations of what folks actually get. Artists who used an AI to make a painting, a cartoon, or any other computer-made slop sell that print/mug with a cartoon/whatever and laugh all the way to the bank.

Etsy doesn't seem to care because it is getting its cut. Everyone is looking for a get-rich-quick scheme, and legit crafters/creators are getting screwed. Why would someone pay you to draw a cartoon of their cats and themselves to put on a shirt for $50 if for $20 an AI can, "Draw," a crappier version based on a picture that gets slapped on a flimsy shirt and shipped out? I mean, if someone wants quality, they'll pay the extra 30 bucks, but we all love a deal, and the AI churns out content for cheap--quality be damned! Now, if you disclose you're using AI it is all okay in Etsy's eyes, but lying about it will get you in trouble. A lot of people seem to be fine with AI-created stuff if they're told a computer made that travel poster or whatever...so, I guess you get what you paid for. 

Personally, I feel ChatGPT/Google Gemini/AI has its place to help with simple tasks like examining some raw data, calculating the best time to arrive at the airport based on when you depart, or checking what year a theme park opened--random stuff. Not, "Creating," art! Etsy's embrace of AI seems hypocritical at best and full of malice in the name of making easy money at worst. There is still cool stuff on Etsy, but you have to dig through a lot of trash to find it.

Marvel and Image Reprint, "Marvel Team-Up," #14 Yet Again...More Crossovers on the Way?

Marvel and Image have announced another reprint of when Invincible met the Amazing Spider-Man in, "Marvel Team-Up," #14. It first occurred back in 2004, and as far as I understand, it is in the official canon for Invincible and the 616/main Spider-Man. There was a surprise reprint of the issue when the blind bags for the first issue of, "Battle Beast," #1 dropped a bit ago and kicked off the whole blind bag craze we're currently swimming within (for better or worse). That was another property by Invincible's creator, Robert Kirkman, and a deal of some sort was worked out between him and Marvel. More deals must've been cut as it has now been declared that a new reprint is coming in 2026 with fun new variant covers by names as big as Todd McFarlane, Mark Bagley, Erik Larsen, and so forth. This makes me wonder, could more Marvel/Image crossovers be on the way?

Marvel and Image doing some more crossovers could be feasible. I mean, Marvel and DC started reprinting old stories, and then not too long after, we started getting the fresh crossovers between Batman and Deadpool. With Spidey and Superman on the way in 2026 and even more stories possibly due, that's a fruitful collaboration now. It seemed far-fetched for Marvel and DC to play nice again a few years ago, but here we are with them crossing over, so why not Marvel and Image properties that the creators there want to collaborate with, too? That is a slight wrinkle that Image's creators own their properties (which is a good thing), but I imagine Marvel could work something out. Maybe ask McFarlane if Spawn can hang out with Daredevil and they patrol New York City, or inquire with Larsen if Savage Dragon can get in a fight with the Hulk. There could be nothing else emerging after this reprint, but I'd suspect something is in the works!

"Supergirl," Dropped a Teaser Trailer Today

The teaser trailer for the next big DC project emerged onto the internet today. Coming hot on the heels of, "Superman," and, "Peacemaker," we have Milly Alcock as, "Supergirl." What is interesting is how the trailer has a lot more of a vibe like, "Guardians of the Galaxy," than the recent Superman flick. James Gunn (he and Peter Safran are the main architects of this new DC film Universe) isn't even directing (Craig Gillespie is), but there is a feeling that evokes GOTG with its weird-space-adventures and such. Give the trailer a look below if you haven't seen it yet:

The movie draws a good deal from Tom King's, "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow," and Alcock is a great talent (she was stellar in the recent, "Sirens," limited series on Netflix). I'm all for crazy fights in space, and we even get a glimpse of Jason Momoa's Lobo (that could be pretty wild) so I'm hopeful this is a fun experience. "Supergirl," will be the first DC project with Gunn involved more as a producer than the main guiding hand, so that is a bit important too for setting a tone for what we can expect from DC flicks he's a bit less involved in, without a doubt. Come June of 2026, we can judge the movie for ourselves!

15th Anniversary Giveaway Post 3: A CGC 9.8 Slabbed Comic!

Update: The winner has been notified!

This giveaway comes courtesy of my good friends over at the website Comics Heating Up and the awesome Comics Heating Up Forums. If you like discussing what comics might become, "Hot," or chatting about popular books, this is the site for comic speculation. What am I giving away, you ask? A CGC graded 9.8 copy of, "Star Wars: The High Republic," #1, and it is a harder to find second printing!

To win this superb prize, you just need to comment with your name and email address on this post within the next 48 or so hours, OR you can email me at davidbitterbaum@gmail.com if you would prefer your email not be public. Then, wait and find out if you won, simple as that. Thanks again to the great folks at Comics Heating Up for this giveaway!

"Free Comic Book Day," Will Go Up Against/With, "Comics Giveaway Day," Due to Trademark Disputes

Universal Distribution bought the rights to Free Comic Day from what was left of Diamond after Populum/Sparkle Pop ripped it to shreds. I mean, in the sense of owning the name and the general idea of how it is a day for stores to give away free comics from publishers to folks who stop by the shops. Many places do promotions, giveaways, and sales for FCBD, and now it is back, but wait, there are complications, as with anything that comes from the remains of Diamond!

Universal was going to just have DC and Dynamite (who they are set to distribute) as a part of theire Free Comic Book Day, but an agreement was made with Lunar and the companies they distribute, which also include DC and Dynamite, plus Archie Comics, Image Comics, Mad Cave Studios,  Oni Press, Titan Comics, Udon Entertainment as well as Vault Comics. The thing is, Penguin Random House could not reach an agreement with Universal and is the distributor for Marvel Comics, Boom, IDW, DSTLRY, Ignition, and more. Hence, PRH said, "Screw you guys, we'll do our own comic event!" As a result, we now have, "Comics Giveaway Day."

Both Free Comic Book Day and Comics Giveaway Day will happen on the first Saturday of May. That is when FCBD always occurs, and when the other event will just so happen to take place as well. People who go to a comic shop on May 2nd of 2026 won't be impacted per se, you'll just get your free comics regardless of the branding. Shops might have a slight headache filling out differing forms and such, however. Whatever the case, I look forward to Free Comic Book Day/Comics Giveaway Day/whatever, free stuff!

Now Paramount is After Warner Brothers Discovery, With a Vengeance

Remember on the fifth when I posted about how Netflix had a tentative deal to buy Warner Brothers Discovery for 76-83 billion dollars or so? I noted how Paramount had been angling for WBD and was none too pleased. Well, now they're engaging in a,"Hostile Takeover," attempt by going straight to shareholders with an offer worth around 108 billion dollars. This whole thing is messy, clearly.

It seems Netflix saw this coming, so it is relatively calm about everything, and regardless of who scoops up Warner Bros. Discovery, there is zero plan to bring back the Snyderverse take on DC (so quit asking). How could Netflix or Paramount owning WBD end up impacting DC Comics is something that nobody is sure of in this jumble of corporations jockeying for position. One would hope things stay somewhat orderly and don't turn utterly disastrous (we've already had enough comic-related drama with Diamond's bankruptcy alone this year).

December 2025 Links, News, and Other Goodness

We're into December now, and a variety of interesting things continue to happen. Some of this news doesn't need a whole post, so why do a bit of a round-up? It gives you something to read between all the storms, at least.

Alan Moore is launching his own record label, "Other Shoe." The first featured band with a release will be a group called 72%. As much as I'd like for Moore to craft comics, I know the industry in general did him dirty and he'd rather write novels or do other fun projects such as this, so I'm happy for him.

The, "Postal," series of games has a messy history. I legitimatley enjoyed the surreal open world of, "Postal 2," and found the Boss Fight Books history of the franchise fascinating. A new game was just announced within the brand and then canceled within a few days due to controversy over AI generation being used in the game. I guess even those who enjoy the anti-PC/edgy/"Anti-woke," humor of Postal have their limits. As it is, "Postal: Bullet Paradise," is now DOA.

More gaming news, with it noted that, "Animal Crossing: Wild World," came out 20 years ago and was arguably the game that took the brand from being somewhat popular to a huge name.

The screenwriter behind, "Dude Where's My Car?" wrote an intriguing essay examining his time in Hollywood and how some of the movie holds up well, and other aspects are a bit cringe-inducing today. It is far from a perfect movie, but it definitely is fun.

Comics had a great year in 2025, by many accounts. Getting raw data has proven tricky these days, however. Tangible metrics would be helpful.

"The Beauty," was an interesting comic about a sexually transmitted disease that causes people to become good-looking and otherwise seems harmless, but (obviously) is not. Ryan Murphy has turned it into a show that'll be hitting FX and Hulu this January 21st. Murphy is incredibly hit-or-miss, but I'll check it out.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is insanely unqualified to be our Health and Human Services Secretary, but he continues to do that job and harm our country. His latest move was getting an advisory council he picked much of to vote against giving a perfectly safe Hepatitis B vaccine to newborns.

I greatly enjoy watching, "Plur1bus/Pluribus," and cracked up at a recent celebrity cameo in the most recent episode. If you have AppleTV, it really is worth checking out.

Finally, this article by Katie Rife discusses how the re-release of both, "Kill Bill," flicks as, "Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair," illustrates the best and worst of Quentin Tarantino. It is a movie with some definite highlights and issues, that's for sure.

15th Anniversary Giveaway Post 2: Signed Copy of, "A God Somewhere," by John Arcudi

Latest Update: 

The winner has been notified!

Update on 12/8/25: 

Some people have expressed to me they do not feel comfortable posting their email publicly, which I totally understand. If anyone wants to email me at davidbitterbaum@gmail.com to enter this giveaway, please feel free to do so! Also, all future giveaways will have the option to comment or email me to ensure this is easy for all my readers! With this in mind, I'll keep this giveaway going a bit longer to allow folks the time needed to email me.

Original Post:

Now for the second giveaway on my blog! Before the giveaway details, a brief story! You see, back in December of 2010, when I had started my blog, it was barely getting any views. I wondered if anybody, anywhere, cared about what I was posting. Then, in early January, I got an email from comic creator John Arcudi! Someone he knew had seen my post where I declared that the graphic novel he scripted, "A God Somewhere," was my favorite original graphic novel of 2010, and told him. He thanked me for my kind words, and that was the first instance where I could go, "Wow, folks really are reading my blog and at least some care what I think!" It was a big motivator to keep going way back then. Since that event, I've even interviewed John for the blog and kept in touch with him over the years.

Considering how John Arcudi is an important part of my blog's history I asked if he'd mind contributing something for my celebratory giveaways. He was kind enough to send me a signed copy of a first printing of, "A God Somewhere," that I'm going to ship to a lucky reader of my blog! As with the first giveaway, you just need to comment with your name and email address on this post within the next 48 or so hours. I will randomly select a winner and then contact you so that I can ship you, "A God Somewhere," at no cost to you (if you're within America or its territories--I will ask International readers to cover some shipping expenses)! Thanks to John Arcudi for this awesome giveaway and even more thanks to him for being an early source of motivation in the history of my blog!

Marvel Sure Loves Doing X-Men Comics Set in Dark and Depressing Timelines

You know what Marvel seems to love? Doing events where we look at a horrible future for the X-Men. Every few years, we have some kind of mini-series/crossover/whatever where we peek into the future for the X-Men, and it is bad. This can be fun, with, "Days of Future Past," or, "Age of Apocalypse," being a good time set in a grim timescape. I mean, even the time-travel shenanigans of, "Messiah Complex," served a purpose. Did we need the current, "Age of Revelation," however? I've skimmed it and found what I read fine, but I lack much more of an opinion. Apparently, it is leading into more, "Depressing future," stories with, "Shadows of Tomorrow," on the way too, where the X-Men continue to be hated! 

We've got that whole, "Sins of Sinister," "Battle of the Atom," and Cable is himself from an awful future, too. X-Men alternative timelines tend to always be awful for mutants. They aren't all hunted per se in the, "Old Man Logan," timeline, but it is a World where the villains wiped out any superheroes and didn't care much about mutants as they quit appearing and were more of a blip in evolution than the next step. If the X-Men visit a future or even an alternate present, it usually is horrific for them, which is maybe why a rare exception to this theme is a storyline I quite dug. Yes, "House of M," although it was set more in an alternate, "Present," and didn't end well for mutants, either.

"House of M," happened when the Scarlet Witch used her immense powers to create a World where the birth/development of mutants accelerated significantly in the past and as a result, by the 2000s, almost 90% of the World's population is made up of mutants, with humans a minority who either get put up with or treated with outright scorn as being outdated. It was a clever event full of tie-ins that flipped the idea of the X-Men and mutants on its head. Then, when it ends, the Scarlet Witch puts reality back, but says, "No More Mutants." As a result, almost all the mutants in the regular reality lose their powers/die/etc. We get a brief view of a reality that is actually kinda happy for mutants, but in the end, makes them even more of a minority/rare demographic. 

Known as, "M Day," it eventually was reversed with more and more mutants reappearing on the scene, but it goes to show how when you even dare to imagine a happy present or future for mutants, the end result can only be further hating on those with an X-gene. I guess if you're in the X-Men or even simply just a mutant, you have got to take things day-by-day and not plan too far ahead for the future, seeing as you have zero clue which of the many futures it might be and how awful things could go.

Netflix to Tentatively Buy Warner Brothers Discovery and Therefore DC Comics as Well

Warner Bros. Discovery has been wanting to sell much of itself for a bit now. Skydance/Paramount had expressed a lot of interest and had been repeatedly rebuffed. Others were rumored to be wanting a piece as well. However, it has been declared that WBD wants to sell to Netflix. Yes, "Overnight, Netflix announced it had entered a, 'definitive agreement,' to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery’s film and television studios, including Warner Bros., HBO, and HBO Max, for $83 billion," with it also mentioned that if the deal falls through, Netflix will still throw five billion Warner Bros. way for their trouble. Another report says 76 billion is the total amount we're dealing with, so the exact number seems to be in flux, but it is a lot of zeroes. Regardless of the full amount, imagine being such a big company that you're cool with tossing away five billion if a deal doesn't work out. I mean, if my chips don't fall out of the vending machine that I put two dollars in, you know I'm not going to just walk away empty-handed for two single bills, never mind five billion.

For those of you into DC comics and their films, this does mean Netflix would now own that film division as well as being in charge of the comic-books, leading multiple sites to ask what happens to DC's movies and especially the comics if this sale goes through? We, obviously, can't know for sure, but based on how the latest DC projects are performing it would seem James Gunn and Peter Safran might be left to their own devices with DC's films/shows. Others and I would wager the comic-books will remain a comparatively inexpensive afterthought out of everything else in the Warner Brothers Discovery catalog that are treated as a source for ideas, but hopefully left mostly alone. I mean, Netflix is after the film/television content and probably shrugged with vague amusement at how a comic-book company comes along with all that, too. Don't get me wrong, ya'll know I love comics, but I also am aware that they are far from the focus of this 83 billion dollar deal.

One comic-book creator who stands to benefit from this deal immensely could be Mark Millar. He has worked closely with Netflix for years and now could very well find himself in a position of power with DC's flicks, shows, and comics. What that would mean for DC, only time could tell. For now, there is a lot of regulatory paperwork to get done, so who knows when this deal will truly be done or if it will get held up by those who (rightfully) see this as the formation of more monopolies/oligopolies. Again, we'll see what the next chunk of months (possibly years) holds. One thing is for sure, however. Theater owners are pissed based upon how Netflix has treated them in the past. That will only get uglier as this possible sale continues. The new Hollywood is buying out the old Hollywood; how could it be anything but messy?

15th Anniversary Giveaway Post 1: A 3-month Free (Premium) CovrPrice Account

UPDATE: Winner has been notified!

Time for the first giveaway to celebrate my blog turning 15! I reached out to the good folks at CovrPrice, and they were kind enough to team up with me so that my first giveaway is three months of a free premium CovrPrice account! I personally find the site very helpful for figuring out the potential value of a comic and I greatly enjoy their various articles. If you don't have CovrPrice, you can get set up with an account at no expense, and if you do have it, they'll add the three months for free onto your subscription! You don't have to pay anything or do much besides commenting with your name and email address. After 48-ish hours, a winner will be randomly selected and notified, with the post updated to reflect the lucky prize recipient. 

Oh, and even if you don't win, there is a cool offer available. CovrPrice made a promo code just for me that allows any brand-new members of CovrPrice to subscribe for 30 days for just a buck. That's right, if you subscribe and use the code NewestRant2025 you get access to all of CovrPrice for a simple dollar--you just gotta do it before the 25th, AKA Christmas. Heck, if you want me to make it even easier, just go to this link, and the promo code is already applied! Note, I am not getting any kickback for this code, CovrPrice was just kind enough to provide it upon my request, so my readers can get a discount there!

To reiterate: Comment with your name and email address on this post within the next 48 or so hours and find out if you won. Should you not win but be new to CovrPrice, you can get a 30-day subscription for just a buck if you use the promo code up to and including the 24th (it stops working on Christmas day). Thanks and good luck to everyone on this first giveaway. There will be more to come!

The Newest Rant is 15 Years Old! Celebratory Giveaways Are Incoming!

As of today, December 3rd, this humble blog/website/rambling mess is 15 years old. Other sites have come and gone, but I'm here. Some folks do more videos or podcasts, but I keep making articles. I went from maybe being lucky to get 10 views in a day to averaging 450,000 unique visits in a month. I've made some amazing friends thanks to this blog and, admittedly, angered some folks with negative reviews/critical opinions too. This blog has definitely helped me meet more awesome individuals than jerks, however!

When I published my first post back in December 2010, I just wanted a way to share my opinions on comics, movies, television, books, toys, and popular culture in general. I continue to write a lot about all that stuff, as well as sometimes posting about my own life and my thoughts on the general state of the World. I am proud of myself for keeping at this for so long, and honored to think any of you keep coming back.

The, "Birth," of my site.

Oh, and in honor of my blog's birthday, I'm going to be giving out presents to you! Throughout this month, I will post various giveaways of my own cool stuff, neat things provided by friends of the blog, and so forth. All you'll have to do is comment on a post when it goes up with your name and email address within the timeframe I say the giveaway is going to run for. Then, sit back and wait for me to have a name selected at random and tell you if you won! Consider it my way of thanking all of you, whether you've known of my blog for a matter of days or over a decade. 15 years is a long time, and thanks to this blog, it has (generally) been a good time. There have been hard moments I've shared and joyful ones too, but through it all, I've been here, typing away. Thank you for spending any of your time here as well.