2025 is here, and for comic book fans, that means a whole new year of major releases from publishers of all types. And it’s shaping up to be a huge one for the industry. Marvel will soon be launching the One World Under Doom crossover and expanding its massively popular Ultimate Universe line. Not to be outdone, DC will be adding several books to its Absolute Universe line and kicking off the sequel to the iconic Batman: Hush storyline. And there’s plenty to look forward to from smaller publishers as well, including Image Comics’ Bug Wars, Dark Horse’s Bowling With Corpses, and IDW’s Star Trek: Lore War crossover.
Read on to see our most anticipated comics of 2025, and be sure to let us know in the comments what you have on your to-read list this year.
The Most Anticipated Comics of 2025
One World Under Doom
The core crossover will unfold in Ryan North and RB Silva’s nine-issue series One World Under Doom, which launches in February. Look for the effects of that story to spill out into a number of Marvel titles in early 2025. That includes both ongoing books like North’s Fantastic Four and Joe Kelly’s The Amazing Spider-Man as well as dedicated tie-ins like Thunderbolts: Doomstrike and Doom Academy.
Batman: Hush 2
Granted, it’s not as if DC hasn’t published stories featuring Bruce Wayne’s childhood friend-turned-bitter enemy Tommy Eliot in the years since Hush wrapped, but this is the first one to bring back writer Jeph Loeb and artist Jim Lee. Hush 2 again puts Batman at the center of a vast conspiracy orchestrated by Hush, one that also involves many of his closest allies and greatest foes.
As excited as we are for Hush 2, we’re also eager to see what comes after. Hush 2 kicks off in March with Batman #158 and runs for six issues. That means DC will be debuting the new regular creative team in Batman #164 the following fall. Who’s qualified to follow up on Loeb and Lee and take over arguably the biggest title in the comic book industry? We’ll find out later this year.
Mike Mignola’s Bowling with Corpses
Even as Mike Mignola’s beloved Hellboy and BPRD universe continues on through various one-shots and miniseries, Mignola himself has been busy establishing other, new shared universes with his collaborators. The upcoming graphic novel Bowling With Corpses and Other Strange Tales From Lands Unknown kicks off Mignola and Ben Stenbeck’s fantasy-centric Lands Unknown universe. It’s not often we get an entire graphic novel’s worth of new stories written and drawn by Mignola, so this is well worth a look when it hits stores in January.
The Ultimate Universe Expands
Elsewhere, look for the entire Ultimate Line to continue progressing in real-time as these books count down to the inevitable return of The Maker. We’ll even see the first major Ultimate Universe crossover this summer, a storyline that’ll be teased in one of Marvel’s Free Comic Book Day specials in May.
The Return of Vertigo
14 Comics That Defined DC’s Vertigo Imprint
Comic fans the world over were crushed when DC folded the hugely influential Vertigo imprint in 2019, which is why it was so exciting to learn that Vertigo is making a comeback in 2025. Once again, the Vertigo line will serve as a haven for groundbreaking, mature readers-focused comics at DC. The only catch is that we don’t yet know what books will comprise the Vertigo line. So far, DC has only revealed that James Tynion IV and Álvaro Martínez Bueno’s The Nice House By the Sea is retroactively being released under the Vertigo banner. Will we see more creator-owned titles join the Vertigo line? Will classic franchises like Swamp Thing and Hellblazer find a home here? We hope to learn more soon.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6: Exclusive Preview Gallery
IDW relaunched their flagship Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic in 2024 with quite the star-studded creative team. But the catch is that the new series debuted with a rotating team of guest artists and a status quo that saw the Turtles scattered and alone. Only now is the family coming back together, as writer Jason Aaron and new series artist Juan Ferreyra chart the next great TMNT chapter.
It all starts in January’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6, as the Turtles finally reunite and return home to their classic stomping grounds in New York City. But as if the psychological scars of their recent ordeals weren’t bad enough, the Turtles have to contend with the fact that NYC is now under the control of the Foot Clan.
Deadpool/Wolverine
Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the highest-grossing superhero movies of all time, so of course Marvel is going to exploit that partnership for all its worth. Logan and Wade Wilson are back in action and joined at the hip in this new ongoing series. Better yet, Deadpool/Wolverine hearkens back to the X-Men’s Krakoan era as it reunites the X-Force creative team of writer Benjamin Percy and artist Joshua Cassara. Expect a superhero comic that’s as uproariously funny as it is dark and violent. We’d expect nothing less from these two anti-heroes.
The Absolute Universe: Wave 2
The Ultimate Universe may be the best thing Marvel is publishing, but it’s got some strong competition now in DC’s Absolute Universe. DC launched this new line in Fall 2024 with Absolute Batman, Absolute Wonder Woman, and Absolute Superman, books that fundamentally reworked many of the core tenets of these characters. Now readers can look forward to Round 2 in 2025.
DC will be debuting at least three new Absolute comics in 2025. March 2025 will bring with it a second wave of releases, including Al Ewing and Jahnoy Lindsay’s Absolute Green Lantern, Jeff Lemire and Nick Robles’ Absolute Flash, and Deniz Camp and Javier Rodríguez’s Absolute Martian Manhunter. Those are terrific creative teams, and we can’t wait to see how they reinterpret some of DC’s most iconic heroes for this exciting new universe.
Bug Wars
Star Wars: Legacy of Vader
Star Wars: Legacy of Vader – Preview Art Gallery
Charles Soule has explored many eras of the Star Wars timeline in his tenure at Marvel, but now he’s tasked with fleshing out the mysterious year between the events of The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. That’s the setting of Star Wars: Legacy of Vader, a new collaboration between Soule and artist Luke Ross.
Legacy of Vader focuses on Kylo Ren as he solidifies his grip on the First Order in the wake of Supreme Leader Snoke’s assassination. But following his latest encounter with Rey and his final battle with his uncle, Ben Solo is more tormented by the past than ever. His first order of business is to travel to Mustafar and get back in touch with the ghost of his grandfather (metaphorically, if not literally). We can’t wait to see what new layers this series adds to Kylo Ren and the events of The Rise of Skywalker.
New Gods
You Must Take Part in Revolution
The Future of Venom and Carnage
Spider-Man and His Venomous Friends Panel Artwork Gallery | NYCC 2024
With the Venom War crossover having recently wrapped up, Marvel is shaking up the status quo in a big way for both Venom and Carnage. First, Al Ewing and Carlos Gómez tee up a big mystery in All-New Venom, which drags the symbiote back to Earth and bonds him with a new host. But who is it? Second, Charles Soule and Jesus Saiz explore what happens when Eddie Brock literally becomes his own worst enemy in Eddie Brock: Carnage. If you’ve been looking for a good time to jump on board with Marvel’s symbiote-themed comics, this is it.
Zatanna
Star Trek: Lore War
Can someone truly be both man and god? That’s a question that’s been central to IDW’s Star Trek line lately, and it’s at the heart of Lore War.
The Amazing Spider-Man Relaunch
The answer is that Marvel will relaunch ASM with a new #1 issue. Writer Joe Kelly is sticking around, and he;ll be teaming with artists Pepe Larraz and John Romita, Jr. to chronicle the next big phase in Spidey’s life. Even as Peter Parker struggles to find a job, he’ll be dealing with the return of many iconic villains as a mysterious mastermind manipulates Spider-Man into conflict with his foes.
Invincible: Battle Beast
Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #1 Preview Gallery
Invincible fans have plenty to look forward to in early 2025. Not only is the animated series returning for a third season, but Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley are reuniting for a new series set in the Invincible Universe. The prequel series Invincible: Battle Beast follows the titular character as he continues his quest to find an opponent strong enough to defeat him in battle. We’ve been waiting years for Kirkman and Ottley to reunite, and we’re stoked to see that reunion take the form of new Invincible comics.
More DC Compact Comics
DC really hit on a winning formula with the Compact Comics line. These graphic novels reprint some of the most seminal DC storylines of all time, all packaged in a pocketable frame with a budget-friendly $10 price tag. If you’re interested in reading classic DC comics but don’t know where to start, it’s really hard to go wrong with these.
Thankfully, DC is expanding the Compact Comics lineup in 2025. Readers can look forward to new editions of greats like Kingdom Come, Y: The Last Man Book 1, Batwoman: Elegy, and V for Vendetta. This is a cheap, accessible format we hope all publishers start to prioritize going forward.
Death of Copra
One of the best superhero comics of the last decade is reaching its conclusion this year. Michael Fiffe is finally ending the Copra saga with the appropriately titled Death of Copra. This four-issue finale series kicks off in January. Copra has been a love letter to comics in general and John Ostrander’s Suicide Squad comics in particular, and it’s definitely bittersweet to see the series ending now.
What’s your most anticipated comic or graphic novel of 2024? Cast your vote in our poll and let us know in the comments below.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.
