The Best Comics of 2025, Part 6a: Honourable Mentions
Breaking the rules a little bit and talking about single issues that really did it for me in 2025, regardless of whether they're from a series that launched this year or not! Let's get pithy with it!
A quick two-part post as we near the conclusion of 2025, where I share the single issues that really ticked my boxes this year, without being whole runs of wins across their entire run. Does that make sense? I hope it makes sense. On with it!
Honourable Mentions
Ultimates #17 (October 2025) | Deniz Camp’s stark deconstruction of 1616’s Reed Richards, this universe’s Doom, at the hands of The Maker, another version of Reed Richards, has been absolutely harrowing to follow. Phil Noto’s art makes it all the more terrifying, as the matter-of-fact way in which The Maker cuts away everything that makes Reed Richards Mr Fantastic from this man’s brain, leaving him nothing but Doom, is absolutely abominable to read. A story that started in earnest in Ultimates #4 last year, and continues to wend its way through the ongoing, took the spotlight with #17, and means I’ll be back for the conclusion.
Assorted Crisis Events #6 (November 2025) | I haven’t been reading this monthly, though after reading reviews for this issue, which prompted me to pick it up, I should rectify my mistake and go back for the rest. A man is struck by a condition known as “Retro Anterograde Temporal Diminishment”, which involves vacillating physically and mentally between child and octogenarian forms. His wife has to come to terms with his affliction, deciding whether she can stand by the man she loves as he shifts from one chronological position to another. It’s tragic, sad, and another winning issue by Deniz Camp1 and his collaborators.
Superman Red & Blue 2025 Special (October 2025) | I love an anthology, and the colour-coded books that both DC and Marvel have been putting out are always fun. Beautifully packaged with a cover by Chris Samnee, this one-shot features a variety of stories, with no misses. The opening chapter from Paul Dini and Mirka Andolfo showcases the strength of the El family, while also reinforcing the interesting film-adjacent status quo of Supergirl being more “black sheep” than “last daughter”. Michael Walsh goes solo and highlights the best of Superman in his story, which also highlights Clark’s relationship with Lois. Dan Abnett and Caitlin Yarsky team up to give us a story that shows how human Superman is, in keeping with the film’s portrayal more than anything, and the final tale, from Rainbow Rowell and Cian Tormey is a fantastic testament to journalism, romance, and partnership, with another story focusing on Lois and Clark. It was just a really nice collection that stuck with me, and was the highlight of a year full of colour-coded anthologies from the Big Two publishers.
Absolute Batman 2025 Annual (October 2025) | One of the most dramatic, kinetic, expressive issues of the year. I’ve not been following the monthly Absolute Batman, because it feels like Scott Snyder is writing his worst habits— writing comics that his teenage sons will think are cool— and that’s all fine and dandy, and Nick Dragotta’s art is wonderful, but it’s just a bit much, in my opinion. I know about the nineties excess, and the ongoing feels more like that than anything else. But this annual, with Daniel Warren Johnson writing and illustrating the first story, and James Harren on the second, showcases why the premise is actually so cool. I’ve spoken at length elsewhere in this newsletter:
…So I don’t want to go on at length about it, but this single annual was resonant, it was powerful, and it makes me want to seek out further DWJ work… which I then did.
Thor / Shazam! One-Shot (November 2025) | A surprise team-up that came in the wake of the aforementioned pairings of Batman and Deadpool, this online-exclusive took everyone by surprise, along with The Flash/Fantastic Four one-shot that released in tandem. This one was my preferred oner of the two, a pitch-perfect tale from personal favourite Al Ewing and Martín Cóccolo. This single issue is great, a scroll-down story that captures the spirit of the characters without doing a disservice to either. A great read that you should seek out.
Fantastic Four Fanfare #4 (October, 2025) | Another anthology, this one bringing back classic creative teams and new pairings to Marvel’s First Family. This issue featured a great short called “Ain’t Not Grave”, from the team of acclaimed writer J Michael Straczynski (creator of space opera opus Babylon 5 and one of the greatest writers to ever grace the pages of Amazing Spider-Man) and CAFU (a personal favourite who has delivered at a high level for multiple decades now, including stints on Action Comics, Avengers, Iron Man and Venom). The story puts the focus on Susan Richards, the Invisible Woman, as she confronts The Mole Man on his deathbed. It’s a poetic tale, reframing the Mole Man in time for his appearance in Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) this year, and it resonated with me enough that when I was racking my brain for stories to include here.
Daredevil: Cold Day In Hell #1 (April 2025) | Charles Soule and Steve McNiven first teamed up with The Death of Wolverine miniseries, and they fell into a strong creative rhythm very quickly, despite the lacklustre premise behind that series. This “alt future” take on Daredevil, where an ailing and elderly Matt Murdock regains his powers after an accident in the subway, and must contend with his failing body and the resurgence of an absolutely terrifying version of Bullseye. Add in Frank Castle being in the absolute worst shape of his life, and you’ve got a tight story in the vein of Hulk: Future Imperfect and McNiven’s own “Old Man Logan” story-arc. This could very much be one of those perennials that have a long-standing in the publisher’s catalogue.
From all accounts, Deniz Camp is probably the comics writer MVP of the year. Ultimates and Assorted Crisis Events have been big winners, and I hear fantastic stuff about Absolute Martian Manhunter. An argument could be made for Scott Snyder, with Absolute Batman and the DC K.O. event, or even Joshua Williamson, who’s a co-architect for the DC line and the current writer of Superman… maybe even Mark Waid, who’s doing so much with Action Comics, Batman and Robin: Year One, World’s Finest, Justice League Unlimited… perhaps Jed MacKay, who’s doing weird and cool stuff over at Marvel with the line-wide X-Men: Age of Revelation event, as well as running Avengers, Moon Knight, Nova: Centurion… I think that’s an entirely different conversation, and one that shouldn’t take up so much space in the footnotes…
I missed the Thor-Shazam one somehow, and that annoys me to no end. I generally read the new releases like day traders read the stock market.