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!
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