This Week in Comics December 24, 2025

What I've liked reading this year or maybe just the ramblings of a madman.

So many people are doing “Best of” or other year end lists… 🙄 I figured maybe I should pontificate on the comics I’ve read and maybe on those I’ve stopped reading. For the most part you can go back through the archives and see what I thought about most individual issues and titles. Then again, like I said in my Holidaze year-end post, I have read so many comics it’s hard to remember which ones were this year and which ones were last year. Some overlap.

What I’ve Liked

The Absolute DC Universe

While I try to avoid event comics, because their “universe changing” impact doesn’t last more than a a few weeks after it ends. Dead heroes and villains are reborn, costumes that changed end up back to the original - Superman goes back to wearing his red underwear over his tights. So while I know this experiment (like Marvel’s Ultimate universe) will fade away, that doesn’t mean I don’t like it. The dark take on the world, the non traditional art style in many of the books have been amazing. While DC K.O. seems to mark an ending (no, I don’t follow rumors or internet chatter it just seems logical) I have enjoyed what has been produced. I currently read all the titles: Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Superman, and Wonder Woman.

Ignition Press

When asked at Comic Carnival about interesting titles I tend to talk about what Ignition Press has been releasing. While none of the titles have progressed far enough to get beyond the introduction of the universe and characters they have been great non traditional reads. Most will only be short series, which makes them even more fun, and I’m looking forward to rereading them once the entire story has been told. Bouncing around genres and avoiding superheroes they’ve been a break from what would be considered by many as “traditional” comic books. I’m currently reading pretty much all their titles except The Beauty. I read that one when it was first released.

I believe Alexander Calder was once asked what his favorite piece was, he answered “Whatever I’m currently working on.” It’s kind of the same for me and comics. I like whatever I’m currently reading. Besides that, this year I’ve read some or continue to read some great stuff. Sadly, some of it isn’t found at my LCS. 🙁

Nothing Special by Katie Cook On Webtoon the first two “books” are available in print as three books. Yes, three volumes cover the first two stories.

Flash Gordon daily strip by Dan Schkade While I’d love to have this in print it can be found online at Comics Kingdom and I read it pretty much daily.

Hilo by Judd Winick Patience as we wait for the next book in this series. Although a new Hilo Universe book is being released in February. 😁 From Random House available at fine booksellers (and not so fine booksellers). I just wish my LCS would carry the series in its entirety so I could sell it to kids. Right now they only have books 8 and 10. Hard to hook a kid when they come in midway through the third arc.😱

Stuff I’ve Stopped Reading

The first new issues of Amazing Spider-Man were amazing! Then after that first arc things changed and since I was about to drop the title after the previous “eight deaths” storyline it wasn’t too hard for me to pull the trigger. Same with Miles Morales. After the whole vampire crossover storyline and now his champion of Anansi role… Is it bad to have Spider-Man just be a geeky guy beating up normal bad guys while making puns? Not dealing with Gods or outer space- you know, your “Friendly Neighborhood” guy. I have kept reading Ultimate Spider-Man which ends with the next issue. It’s been an interesting format with each month’s comic covering a key happening that month. Cliffhangers leave a lot to the imagination.

Sadly what I’ve noticed is I’m dropping a lot of Marvel titles, and I wasn’t reading a lot of Marvel anyway. I need to think about why. Maybe it’s the overload from the movies, maybe it’s that sometimes its seems too gimmicky too many crossover events, then again DC has those too. Maybe I have something against Wolverine or Deadpool appearing in every title, or almost every title.

On the DC side, I’m looking at going down to one Superman and one Batman title after whatever current story arc is over. Why? Because DC K.O. making it easier to cut titles since there really isn’t a story when you’ve got a few months of fighting or crossover story telling. Who knows what’s going to happen when things finally come to a close? Will it only impact those titles who participated? Detective and Action Comics won’t go back to issue number 1, but the others may, so it’s a perfect time to reboot what I am actually consciously collecting- if anything.

Yes, I have thought about just spending my resources on filling holes in my older comics. The Silver Age stuff I have (The Flash and Teen Titans mostly). Which returns me to the question “Who would I leave this stuff to? Who would want it?”

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With that said…

This Week’s Comics

• Detective Comics #1104 DC Comics W: Taylor A: Janín we all know confidence can be a problem. Sometimes a little bit of fear isn’t a bad thing. That little voice inside your head asking “Are you really sure you want to do that?” So now there is an infection going around silencing that little voice. Batman’s got it and needs to quarantine, but he also needs to stop the guy responsible. He’s smart, he has a plan… it will work. Or maybe that’s just his overconfidence talking.

• The Flash #28 DC Comics W: Waid & Cantwell A: Georgiev. DC K.O Golden Age Flash vs. Guy Gardner. Yes, there’s more, but the main focus is Fight Month with a little bit dealing with time travel and the bad guys stopping Barry Allen from becoming the Flash in the first place.

• Superman #33 DC Comics W: Williamson A: Sherman DC K.O. Lex Luthor vs. The Demon. I’d rhyme, but I don’t have the time.

• Absolute Wonder Woman #15 DC Comics W: Thompson A: Sherman The first meeting of Wonder Woman and Batman! In the immortal words of Admiral Akbar “It’s a Trap!” Now we have to wait until the new issue of Absolute Batman comes out to see if and when the Absolute Justice League is going to happen.

• Absolute Superman #14 DC Comics W: Aaron A: Sandoval The battle of Smallville comes to a close. While Kal-El has lost Sol, his sentient companion, he is now ready to face the world. Is he? The Absolute Universe is a dark and scary place.

• Absolute Martian Manhunter #7 DC Comics W: Camp A: Rodríguez After a brief hiatus we’re back into a weird world where we, the reader, can use Martian powers to see feelings and thoughts. The first six issues were amazing and definitely non traditional in their storytelling. It looks like we’re back for some more.

• Skinbreaker #4 Image Comics W: Kirkman A: Finch The first three issues gave us an understanding of the culture we would be dealing with and the difficulty some have with change. So the challenge has been made and accepted, now what happens? I’m guessing the new chief, Paca, will put his name on everything after dismantling everything Anok, the past chief, has done. Don’t forget the beautiful tariffs that will save them all from the attacking monsters in the forest. Oh, and any problems- were the fault of Anok and his policies. 🙄 Sound familiar?

• Roots of Madness #3 Ignition Press W: Williams A: Cadonici Etta is figuring things out as she deciphers her family notebooks. She discovers that while a guest, there are still secrets that the Foundation will not share. Then again, she’s got doorways to open and bunnies, cute fluffy bunnies to heal!

• Voyeur #3 Ignition Press W: Williams A: Baldeón Who is the bad guy? While we know Rook is an international art thief it seems Madeline is up to something also - is it just stealing art or something more nefarious? Is that blood?