The Year in Comics, 2025 Edition
By Dan Brown Another year gone! That means it’s time again to pick out the highlights from the last 12 months in the comics and graphic-novel world. As I always say when introducing the annual list, the categories are entirely my own invention, the choices reflect my tastes and no else’s, and I would love to see you chime in with your own picks! Best graphic novel of the year: Contenders include Jeff Lemire’s 10,000 Ink Stains (more of a memoir than a graphic novel, I know), Guy Delisle’s Muybridge and David Petersen’s Mouse Guard: Dawn of the Black Axe (yes, I know it will be several weeks before it appears in collected form), but I am going with D. Boyd’s Denniveniquity, which recounts the creator’s misadventures growing up in 1970s New Brunswick. I was transported back in time to a different Canada, and the book’s central character made me laugh! Best comic of the year: I’m going to say the J.Michael Straczynski-written Doctor Doom & Rocket Raccoon No. 1, in which the Latverian ruler drafts the genetically engineered rodent to help him travel back to a time before the Big Bang to understand the purpose of the universe. It includes a Jack Kirby-inspired collage, which got me excited. Local comics coming on strong: With offerings like Scott Wojcik and Jeff McClinchey’s Probed and Loaded, as well as Jeff McClinchey and Scott Brian Woods’ Black Helm Saga, it was a strong year for local creators. Speaking of which, Byron comic creator Jeff Lemire took over art duties on Skottie Young’s I Hate Fairyland this year! Best graphic novel I read this year not from this year: The second volume of Chip Zdarsky’s Public Domain came out in February, collecting previously published issues. As I wrote, “it’s a sophomore collection that enriches the storyline of an ongoing comic series, putting the characters in new and surprising situations.” Best comic adaptation of the year: The Sook-Yin Lee version of Chester Brown’s Paying For It came to London in 2025, and it stayed with me long after I saw it last winter. Brown himself sat a couple rows over. Most underwhelming comic adaptation: This is a tie between this summer’s Superman and Fantastic Four: First Steps. There, I said it. These movies were popular for about one second, and consider this: The best character in Superman is Krypto, the superdog. The most intriguing character in Fantastic Four is Doctor Doom, who is in the thing for like half a second. Blerg. Comic adaptations still hanging in: Despite all the talk of superhero fatigue, there were four such motion pictures in the domestic box office’s Top 12 for 2025: Superman (No. 3), Fantastic Four (No. 7), Captain America; Brave New World (No. 10), and Thunderbolts (No. 12). What was cool for comic fans is that for Superman and the FF movie, magazine-sized digests were published showing the stories that inspired each movie. Most confusing comic marketing: As part of the industry crossover involving the two biggest comic companies, DC released the one-shot Batman Deadpool and Marvel released Deadpool Batman. Got it? These were two different things. Creators involved with the making of these titles had to take to social media to combat the resulting confusion. Best local comics-marketing move: Joe Ollmann helped put together Bonk’d Volume 1, which collects work from Hamilton-based and -connected comic creators (Ollmann also has The Woodchipper coming out next year, his latest collection of short stories, which I am eagerly anticipating). Comic villain of the year: Alberta Premier Danielle Smith took aim at graphic novels in school libraries, particularly the ones depicting LGBTQ relationships. I thought we were done with comic witch hunts in the 1950s, but apparently not. Biggest comics-adjacent development of the year: Netflix’s animated movie K-Pop Demon Hunters has caused quite a stir, although I have yet to see it. Now, it’s over to you! Tell me in the comments about your picks for this year! Dan Brown has covered pop culture for more than 33 years as a journalist and also moderates L.A. Mood’s monthly graphic-novel group.
Autumn Mini-reviews
By Dan Brown Here are brief reviews of a some of the comics I’ve been reading this fall. As always, there’s no logic to these selections, other than each cover caught my eye on the new-releases shelf at L.A. Mood. Alien Vs. Captain America No. 1: The result of a partnership between Marvel and 20th Century Studios, this miniseries takes place during the Second World War. Last seen on the big screen in Alien: Romulus, the xenomorph is the weapon Nazis hope will turn the tide as the allies march closer to Germany. Best moment is when Cap uses his shield as a Frisbee to decapitate a baby alien that has just burst out of a chest cavity, about to jump Nick Fury. Herobear and the Kid: What can I say? I’m as much a sucker for a cartoon polar bear as the next guy. This all-ages book taps into the Calvin and Hobbes vibe with the young protagonist alluding to the final Bill Watterson strip by declaring, “We’re going explorin,’” in one of the opening panels. Also, the bear exists as a stuffed animal until he is bopped on the nose, which brings him to full-sized life. Fun. Binary No. 1: One of the big events happening over in the Marvel Universe these days is its Age of Revelation crossover, which takes place a decade into the future in an alternate North America where a virus has killed millions and turned the survivors into mutants. Oh, and Carol Danvers is once again Binary, but a Binary on steroids. “I have the powers of the Phoenix,” she explains. No biggie. Cloak or Dagger No. 1: Cloak and Dagger are also caught up in the Age of Revelation event. They seem to be government/military operatives. This story also has a marauding hippo, which I did not have on my bingo card. Probed & Loaded: Love the heedless energy of this Scott Wojcik/Jeff McClinchey joint. Our redneck heroes are abducted by a UFO, which is bad news for their alien captors. It’s a weird situation. “Lucky for me, weird is where I shine,” the Elvis-esque Gunny narrates. McClinchey’s art calls to my mind classic Mad Magazine stuff. Black Helm Saga No. 1: My favourite of the bunch. Created by Jeff McClinchey and Scott Brian Woods, it takes place in the interregnum between Ragnarok and the coming of a new world in a snowy forest. SBW’s pencils remind me of Jeff Lemire’s expressive lines. And the idea of a many-eyed, fanged monster lurking beneath the snow, waiting to push its way up like a great white shark, actually makes a lot of sense to me this dreary fall. Fantastic Four No. 4: A thought-provoking one-and-done story about aliens that appear to be cute, harmless puppies, but are actually many-tentacled beasts with jagged teeth. The only problem is that Alicia, Ben Grimm’s blind partner, is the only one who can perceive them in their true form. Loved the Skottie Young cover featuring H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot, who was last seen on the big screen this summer in First Steps. The Amazing Spider-Man No. 15: With a cover that riffs on Peter Parker’s first-ever glimpse of Mary Jane Watson, this story finds our arachnid hero having deep-space adventures which involve a sentient costume. “I have a complicated history with alien suits,” he deadpans at one point. This suit, called Glitch, is mechanical in nature, not organic like Venom. He also gets to kiss an alien with yellow skin and cat’s ears. Absolute Batman No. 1: This one actually came out a few months ago, and imagines a Gotham City in which Bruce Wayne is of humble means while the Joker is a billionaire. It has apparently generated quite a stir among fans of the Dark Knight. With Alfred as a traveling mercenary, it doesn’t lack action! What comics or graphic novels have you picked up this fall? If you have recommendations, I’d love to hear them in the comments! Dan Brown has covered pop culture for more than 32 years as a journalist and also moderates L.A. Mood’s monthly graphic-novel group.
Local Mini-comics Are Where It’s At!
By Dan Brown It’s been a month since Free Comic Book Day. So the time is right to go over the freebies handed out at local comic stores like L.A. Mood on May 2 to put a spotlight on the ones that stand out. What really jumped out at me this year are the mini-comics from local creators, more on that in a moment. There were more than 40 titles in all, with something for members of every fandom. Such heroes as the Hulk, Spider-Man, Judge Dredd, Archie, the Thundercats and the Transformers show up. Publishers from Dark Horse to IDW to Image to Boom! are represented. Off the bat, I noticed how Titan Comics extended its streak for having the best cover of the FCBD lot, with the Scourge of the Serpent preview featuring a Roberto De La Torre rendering of everyone’s favourite barbarian, Conan, almost being swallowed by a giant snake. It’s a dynamic image and recalls the glory days of the Cimmerian over at Marvel, when he was drawn by John Buscema. And no surprise, Marvel put out a Fantastic Four sampler – the new FF movie, First Steps, comes out July 25, so expect lots more hype. The story concerns a group of bored teenage aliens who summon Marvel’s First Family by occult/scientific means. The Thing even gets to bellow, “It’s clobberin’ time!” but I’m not a fan of Johnny Storm’s handlebar moustache. (Nor Pedro Pascal’s, as regular readers of this column are aware.) There is a symbolic passing of the torch in I Hate Fairyland, with Byron illustrator Derek Laufman taking over art duties from Skottie Young. You can’t help but dig the four-page splash section Laufman supplies, including a glimpse at Hellicorn – his spoof of a certain demonic anti-hero. London/L.A. writer Sam Maggs is also part of the local contingent, handling script duties on Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins. The backup story is a Black Hammer prologue written by another Southwestern Ontario comic creator, Jeff Lemire. Now, about those mini-comics . . . They are not to be missed! Many of them were published by Kitchener’s Studio Comix. There’s a horror offering from Becka Kinzie titled Gehenna: Death Valley in which the characters recognize they are not acting wisely: “This is the stuff from horror movies! Stupid people doing stupid things!” one proclaims when they ignore warnings not to trespass In Wendy and the Sprite, Eric Olscvary sets himself the challenge of writing and drawing a comic about . . . a pile of snow. He more than rises to the occasion. Craig Ferguson and Alfonso Espinos offer readers a tale of the Night Spike, which has a Spy vs. Spy flavour and is also self-aware. At one point, after some back story is related, the Night Spike’s sidekick admits she embellished saying the duo had fought in the Secret Wars: “Well, I just said that to make the flashback a bit more dramatic!” I greatly enjoyed Scott Wojcik’s Cereal Box Time Machine, which tells the story of a trio of young siblings who get their hands on an all-powerful magic wand. They wish for a time machine – in the form of a cereal box – and are transported to a magical setting where they must rid a far-off land from a dragon who looks suspiciously like an overgrown version of their own cat. And I was utterly charmed by The Mini-Fridge Space Adventures from Roxy Reed Creations. It features a spaceship in the shape of a kitchen appliance with a penguin piloting the craft. The whole thing reminded me of Bob Burden’s Flaming Carrot. It also appears the mini-fridge of the title is larger on the inside. Hey, if it worked for a police call box, then why not? Dan Brown has covered pop culture for more than 32 years as a journalist and also moderates L.A. Mood’s monthly graphic-novel group.
