You could say that 2025 was an unusual year for comics, but then every year seems to be unusual to some degree for the medium. Between economic uncertainty here in the United States generally, the overall state of the direct market, and some lean months from the Big Two, it's not exactly been a show of strength this year.
The GR+ team, which includes Newsarama, plus some freelance contributors put our heads together to determine our Comics of the Year for 2025. After some deliberation, a rough ranking was determined (including manga this year) based on arguments for or against that was then agreed upon by the team. The only criteria for inclusion was that it be sequential art published in English between Dec 1, 2024 and Nov 30, 2025.
It's also still been a solid year for manga, which we've included in our overall rankings this year. While we've historically separated manga out into its own yearly ranking, internal discussions this year concluded with: why? (There are plenty of arguments for and against, I know, and trust me they were all had.) As such, you'll find plenty of manga here as well.
Continue reading to discover the GamesRadar+ ranking of the 25 best comics of the year, culminating in our pick for the best comic of 2025. Don't agree? Feel free to also share what your pick is in the comments below. – Rollin Bishop, US Managing Editor
Comics of the Year 2025
25. Star Trek: Lore War (IDW)
The big closer to IDW's landmark revamp of its Star Trek titles, Lore War (which is an event and not a specific comic, but so it goes) crossed over from the main Star Trek series to Star Trek: Defiant, and even found time for a few one-shots like the delightful semi-sequel to the Eisner-nominated Shaxs' Best Day, titled – what else – Shaxs' Best Day.
In the crossover, Data's evil brother Lore became god of the Star Trek universe, remaking reality to his liking, with only Deep Space Nine's Benjamin Sisko remembering how things were supposed to be before… And eventually assembling a team of franchise all-stars to take down Lore and return reality to normal. A semi-remix of the classic X-Men crossover Age of Apocalypse but with Starfleet, the writers and artists involved absolutely go wild, giving us Borg Vulcans, Scotty with his brain ripped out, and all the absurdity and giddy inspiration you'd want from an event. Yeah, they boldly went for it with this one. – Alex Zalben, Contributor
24. Sleep (Image Comics)
The premise of Zander Cannon's new series, which is still ongoing as of this writing, is relatively simple: every time Jonathan Reason, an unassuming, religious man just trying to live his life in his small town goes to sleep… Something happens. Specifically, something destructive and deadly happens. But since he's asleep, we, the reader, never get to see what it is. Instead, alongside Jonathan we delve deeper into the spiraling horror that is the realization he can't be a good man if he's hurting everyone around him at the same time.
This central idea – is he werewolf? A vampire? Something far worse? – is explored in full both from the human and psychological perspective, and mythologically as well, as things start to happen to the daytime version of Jonathan, visible on his body. The art style Cannon employs is simple and cartoony, the whole thing rendered in black, white, and grey, with splashes of red… Not the ultra-realistic pencil-work one might expect for this sort of thing. But that inviting look only makes what's happening to Jonthan all the more terrible, even as there are also hints there might be a light at the end of the tunnel. It's glib to say, but do not sleep on this book. – Alex Zalben, Contributor
23. Batman: Dark Patterns
There are times when you read a Batman story and you go, "oh cool, he's doing Batman stuff." And then there are other times you read a Batman story and realize this is a run that's going to go down in history. Dark Patterns is the latter. In it, writer Dan Watters and artist Hayden Sherman craft four, three-issue mysteries for Batman, relatively early in his career (think: year two, not year one). Not only are they actually detective-style mysteries versus the sorts of things Batman can punch his way out of, each has its own unique direction and feel.
In one, an entire apartment building seems to be aligned against the Dark Knight for unknown reasons. In another, Batman starts seeing patterns of the old Red Hood Gang, where there might be none. Through Watters' careful prose, and Sherman's transcendent artwork, these patterns all build to come together into four unique tales that really are one, and will live on your bookshelf right next to other classics like The Long Halloween. – Alex Zalben, Contributor
22. I Was A Fashion School Serial Killer (Image Comics)
Creators Doug Wagner and Daniel Hillyard have never held back before with their books, which range from blood-soaked madness of Vinyl to the plushies-attack weirdness of Plush. And they don't hold back with this one, either, which you can probably intuit from the title. But it's also their most accessible work by far, following new fashion student Rennie Bethary. She excels in her studies, but also just happens to make all her clothes out of the human skin and bones of her victims.
What makes this one work so well isn't just the parallel of the cut-throat world of fashion school paralleled with literal cut throats, but that the team makes sure Rennie has a real awakening as a person at the same time. Add in absolutely hilarious and brutally over-the-top violence that goes several levels past Looney Tunes, and you have a new satirical classic that, fingers crossed, gets the great sequel all horror hits deserve. – Alex Zalben, Contributor
21. Tower Dungeon (Kodansha)
There are plenty of "climb down into the dungeon" and "climb up the tower" fantasy manga out there, with varying levels of quality, but none are quite like Tsutomei Nihei's Tower Dungeon. While the name is to the point – there's a tower, it's a dungeon – the minimalist worldbuilding and decisive linework make for a sprawling, fantastical story about climbing a dungeon that's a tower from the creator of Blame and Knights of Sidonia.
Notably, Tower Dungeon only finally started releasing English volumes this year, and it's quickly shot up my own personal list to the point that I recently spent 45 minutes digging through my local bookstore looking for the one and only copy of the third volume it had on hand. If there's one truly new recommendation from me this year, it's Tower Dungeon. – Rollin Bishop, US Managing Editor
20. News From The Fallout (Image Comics)
Writer Chris Condon and artist Jeffrey Alan Love have crafted a comic unlike anything you've ever seen with News From The Fallout. The six-issue Image Comics series starts with a nuclear test outside Nevada, and spirals into one of the most harrowing horror books you'll read this year.
Part of that is due to the central concept of the series, which is too good to spoil here (though we will say that at least in the first half, the best comparison point is the supernatural noose-tightening terror of 30 Days of Night). And Condon knows how to sharply craft characters thanks to his excellent work on everything from That Texas Blood to Green Arrow. But it's Love's art that kicks this to the next level. Somewhat riffing off the idea of the horrific human-shaped ash markings left behind from a nuclear blast, the whole book is presented like a shadow play, something the team explores to its fullest as the book continues. Truly, a book unlike any other. – Alex Zalben, Contributor
19. The Seasons (Image Comics)
Rick Remender and Paul Azaceta's whimsical horror for Image was instantly captivating and delightfully unsettling in equal measure. Summer, Winter, Spring, and Autumn are the Seasons Sisters, the daughters of a world-renowned detective duo who vanished in mysterious circumstances some years ago. That's the least of young Spring's worries, though, when a sinister circus comes to town, leaving devastation in its wake. She sets out to investigate and gets pulled into a candy-colored nightmare.
Feeling not unlike Ray Bradbury's creepy carnival story Something Wicked This Way Comes if it was brought to life by Wes Anderson, The Seasons is visually beautiful, witty, and at times genuinely scary. It's also shot through with a palpable love of the medium, particularly European comics (Tintin feels like a key influence). The first arc ran for eight issues, with the second, uh, season launching in February 2026. – Will Salmon, Streaming Editor
18. W0rldtr33 (Image Comics)
James Tynion IV and Fernando Blanco's cyberpunk thriller returned for a third season that explored the backstory of its naked assassin, PH34R. As the truth behind the Undernet's deadliest weapon becomes clearer, however, the more complex and troubling this story was revealed to be. Hopping back and forth between the comic's present and a blasted post-apocalyptic future, it was a trippy and often bracingly adult nightmare.
W0rldtr33 is a singularly unsettling fusion of science fiction concepts and eerie horror that probes at the dangerous edges of the internet. There's always been the risk that this comic could tip over into a heavy-handed anti-online screed, but the most recent run counteracted that by adding a hopeful note. As an older and wiser Yoshihiro Sato says at one point, the internet is "All of human knowledge. It's every good idea we ever had at our fingertips, to grow by and to learn by." Even with this sunnier outlook, however, W0rldtr33 remains one of the most disturbing comics on stands today. – Will Salmon, Streaming Editor
17. Assorted Crisis Events (Image Comics)
In the realm of writing licensed superhero comics that speak eloquently to modern political anxieties without crumbling under the juxtaposition of the (said with love) inescapably ephemeral consumerism of it all, Deniz Camp is maybe the best currently doing it. But what Assorted Crisis Events makes clear is how much Ultimate Avengers and Absolute Martian Manhunter represent Camp pulling his punches.
Assorted Crisis Events is where Camp puts his body blows. The short story series, a collaboration between Camp and artist Eric Zadawski is set in a world beset by as many different metaphorically resonant time-travel-related tragedies as their imaginations can conjure. Each issue is lightly linked by the appearance of an unhoused man with a jetpack, flitting through the background like a more compassionate but equally powerless Rorschach.
Comics storytelling offers a wealth of tools to present the passage (or lack there of) of time and enhance nonlinear narratives, and Camp and Zadawski leave none untouched. They're also really good at it, seamlessly pulling off feats like an issue where each page is read in a loop, except for the pages where it's important that it's not. All put together, it's the feel-bad series you still can't put down, a well-prescribed course of bitter pills masterfully bottled. – Susana Polo, Contributor
16. Gachiakuta (Kodansha)
I was initially drawn to Kei Urana's crack at shonen manga for the simplest reason: it looks cool. It has style – fashion – rarely seen in this space, drawn from a well of graffiti and streetwear viewed through a lens of clear admiration, and rendered with so much ink that I have to wonder if there's a tanker truck parked outside the mangaka's studio. The very literal world of trash that young protagonist Rudo roots through after he's framed for murder and exiled to the bottom of the world – he's understandably peeved about this – is remarkably easy on the eyes, though less so on the nose, we're told.
It still looks cool. Gachiakuta, as any fans of the recent anime will tell you, has striking character designs and intense, almost caricaturized expressions that stick to your mind. But what's kept me on this train is the unbelievable mileage the series gets out of its power structure, built around "Givers" who wring immense strength out of cherished, cared-for, and unassuming items. Nowhere else will you see glasses, boots, and scissors – or in Rudo's case, gloves capable of giving power to any neglected item – brandished with such inventive flourish. In Gachiakuta's quiet moments, you just want to see more of the world and its people; at its most intense, you want to see what the heck the fights will come up with next. – Austin Wood, Senior Writer
15. The New Gods (DC)
They say that if you come at the King, you better not miss, and that is also true for Jack "the King" Kirby's Fourth World characters. If a comic creator isn't approaching a New Gods story with ambition, what are we even doing here? Fortunately writer Ram V and artist Evan Cagle have ambition in spades.
In this story, Orion has orders to find and kill a child god before he can come into his mysterious powers. Horrified, but unable to refuse, Orion begs his brother/opposite, Mister Miracle, to save the baby, and gives him a week's head start. But that's really just the beginning of a story that grows bigger and more expansive with every chapter.
Each issue features at least one guest-artist-drawn sequence, allowing Cagle more time for his intricate linework on a monthly schedule. In another book, that could give the whole thing a distractingly disjointed feel, but the team here chooses their moments — flashbacks, meanwhiles, exposition — and collaborators to match. The New Gods is as much a celebration of artists as it is a cosmic adventure story, and that might be the most Kirby-honoring thing about it. – Susana Polo, Contributor
14. The Apothecary Diaries (Square Enix)
The manga adaptation of Natsu Hyuuga's novel series – art by Nekokurage, compiled by Itsuki Nanao, and with character designs from Touco Shino – remains some of the most compelling paper available today. Distinct from both the novels and the hit anime, the manga beautifully captures moments in time in a way that can repaint scenes in your head. Richly detailed and amusingly expressive, this period piece mystery drama marries Asian historical fiction and early medical science in an imperial court with few winners. It's a story of tireless political scheming, women exploited by the society around them, and a heroine too brilliant for the world to hide.
Maomao, a young and eccentric apothecary with a tongue as sharp as her wit, escapes and inevitably stumbles into perilous fates through her own creativity and curiosity. Intrigued by the potential source and effects of an unknown poison, she is uncontainable. Confronted with the malice of an abusive poisoner, she is unflinching. Maomao keeps The Apothecary Diaries together and keeps it moving, cutting through sometimes-dragging exposition like acid through a rich sauce. Engrossing investigations and memorable side characters furnish a world that is ultimately hers – hers to analyze, hers to survive, and maybe one day hers to change. – Austin Wood, Senior Writer
13. Ultimates (Marvel)
Though 2025 has been a tough year for Marvel, its Ultimate Universe line has produced most of its best stand-out titles as it entered its third and final year. Though several Ultimate Universe titles could perhaps land among 2025's best, we're pinning the medal on the line's arguable flagship, Ultimates, which has been all about the trials and tribulations of rallying a force of unlikely heroes to take on The Maker, the megalomaniacal villain who crafted the entire reality.
The biggest failing of Ultimates is its expiration date. Its story of gathering an interesting team of the Ultimate equivalent of the Avengers has a big climax on the horizon with the final battle with The Maker looming in early 2026, which closes the book on the entire line. However, the work done by writer Deniz Camp and artist Juan Frigeri makes me wish the story had more time left. – George Marston, Staff Writer
12. Absolute Batman (DC)
There's a strong argument that there are better comics in DC's Absolute universe line – Absolute Wonder Woman is the more technically impressive, Absolute Martian Manhunter the more dazzlingly ambitious – but it's hard to deny that the Dark Knight's adventures were the most consistently exciting this year. In the comic's second year this none-more-jacked version of Bruce Wayne faced off against a freaky reinvention of Mr. Freeze and a Bane who is even bigger than he is.
There's a bananas energy to Absolute Batman, along with a mordant sense of humor – a panel of Bats gleefully booting a child villain into the ocean in #6 had no right being as funny as it was. But alongside the boundary-pushing violence, there's also a deep sincerity to this series, Scott Snyder's scripts finding new ways to torment Bruce Wayne, while also offering him unexpected hope in his friends from Crime Alley. In an up-and-down year for DC's core Batman book, Bruce's Absolute adventures have been never less than essential. – Will Salmon, Streaming Editor
11. Vinland Saga (Kodansha)
It almost feels unfair to include Vinland Saga, the long-running historical fiction manga from creator Makoto Yukimura, in any comics competition. But a new book did, in fact, release in English earlier this year – and the manga itself concluded its Japanese release after two decades – which means it is once again technically qualified to participate and inevitably appear.
Vinland Saga is and has been a beautiful treatise on protagonist Thorfinn's growth from a revenge-obsessed warrior to a pacifist looking to build a community, and Book 14 is firmly into the latter part of the story. Without spoiling anything, the latest English book is a renewed test of Thorfinn's most meaningful statement, "I have no enemies," that also happens to be beautifully executed. And with the Japanese release having finished and the English conclusion on the horizon, there's never been a better time to catch up. – Rollin Bishop, US Managing Editor
Comics 2025: The Top 10
10. Captain America (Marvel)
Marvel relaunched its core Captain America title this year with the red hot team of Chip Zdarsky (fresh off a lengthy run on Batman) and artist Valerio Schiti. Their new book immediately announced itself as a mature and melancholy take on Steve Rogers' adventures, taking us back to almost the beginning of his story and pairing him up with another super-soldier, the war-weary and damaged Dave Colton. The two Caps are dispatched to Latveria to deal with the rising threat posed by young dictator Victor Von Doom and find all their moral certainties challenged.
Contrasting Steve Rogers with a very different bearer of the Captain America name is nothing new, but there's a timely purpose to Zdarsky and Schiti's series. The first arc tackled US intervention in foreign states and the legacy of 9/11, but struck a fine balance between real world politics and comic book action, with Schiti's work both elegant and visceral. Where this is all going remains to be seen, but the first five issues make for a sophisticated reinvention of an iconic hero. – Will Salmon, Streaming Editor
9. FML (Dark Horse)
This eight-issue series from writer Kelly Sue DeConnick and artist David López (with Clayton Cowles' letters and Christ Peter's colors) might best be described as Pacific Northwest Gothic. It's autobiographical. It's totally fiction. It's a gonzo look at post-2020 suburban life. It's a blisteringly earnest memoir of parenthood. It's about two protagonists, Gen X mom Patty and 16-year-old Riley, openly based on DeConnick and her own son, navigating supernatural metamorphosis and deadly real true crime.
FML is about all of those things, but it could really be about anything: DeConnick and López are such superlative storytellers it would be a pleasure simply to watch them cook. DeConnick builds a large cast of colorful characters with expert speed, and rides that sweet center of the Venn diagram overlap between parody, honesty, and satire so real you shout "YIKES" at the page. López switches between three distinct drawing styles — representing the present day/real events, and Patty and Riley's own in-fiction artistic styles — so adroitly you could believe he's three different artists. It's rare to see a comic so playful that is also so graceful in saying what it wants to say, and they should be commended for it. – Susana Polo, Contributor
8. Absolute Wonder Woman (DC)
While Absolute Wonder Woman, from writer Kelly Thompson and artist Hayden Sherman as well as colorist Jordie Bellaire and letterer Becca Carey, technically began in late 2024, the Absolute Universe title published the majority of its run so far in 2025 – and what a year it's been for the new take on the Wonder Woman mythos. Thompson and Bellaire are putting out some of their best work ever here.
Absolute Wonder Woman finds Diana having been raised on the Isle of Hell, for example, with a stronger focus on magic and while DC and Marvel have a bad habit of introducing new universes seemingly just to do so, Absolute Wonder Woman existing makes the entire line worthwhile. There's a reason it won the Eisner for Best New Series this year, and if you're not already experiencing the ongoing visual feast that is Absolute Wonder Woman, well, what's stopping you? – Rollin Bishop, US Managing Editor
7. Witch Hat Atelier (Kodansha)
The jury is still out, but this might be my favorite magic system. Witch Hat Atelier grabs the fantastical and supernatural with both hands, dragging them down to earth where we, too, can reach out and touch them. Magic doesn't just happen; it's not fireballs in your palms, and it's not a matter of will. It's drawn, carefully and systemically, and might be applied in countless ways, convenient or calamitous.
A young witch named Coco is catapulted into the world of magic through an encounter that hammers home both the dangers and delights of the craft and sets her on a course that could shake the fundamentals of magic – a powerful ancient art once available to anyone with the right tools, pens and ink and additives, but now guarded by the few witches trusted with its safekeeping and study.
Much is made of forbidden tomes, but the greatest spell in Witch Hat Atelier is the unmistakable art of creator Kamome Shirahama. Just as magic is made tactile, one of the liveliest fantasy worlds in years is rendered with texture and grit – rough stone and fuzzy wool, gnarled wood and cloying mud – that you can practically feel under your fingers as you hungrily turn page after page. – Austin Wood, Senior Writer
6. Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum (DC)
In superhero terms, 2025 is the year of Superman. James Gunn's summer blockbuster leads the charge, but in comic terms, it's DC Black Label's Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum that stands out. Created by writer W. Maxwell Prince, artist Martín Morazzo, and colorist Chris O'Halloran, the team behind Image's horror favorite Ice Cream Man, The Kryptonite Spectrum is less a scary take on Superman, and more a semi-twisted version of the Man of Steel's classic Silver Age sci-fi tales.
Comparisons to the legendary All-Star Superman are the easiest touchstone for The Kryptonite Spectrum, but the Ice Cream Man team puts a psychedelic body transformation spin on the throwback concept as Superman enlists Batman to help him test the effects of several new varieties of the eponymous mineral. It all winds up tying back to a classic villain, sealing the deal on a story that takes Superman into compellingly quirky new territory. – George Marston, Staff Writer
5. Chainsaw Man (VIZ)
Are there better comics this year than Chainsaw Man from creator Tatsuki Fujimoto? Sure. Unequivocally, even. But were there comics that I looked forward to reading every single week in the same way as Chainsaw Man? No. Unequivocally, even.
While the earlier arcs of Chainsaw Man focused almost entirely on Denji, the recent ones are as much if not more about Yoru and Asa, the War Devil and her host. Chainsaw Man loves its gore and violence and horrible, inexcusable actions, but that's also why its unsubtle examination of America's love for all of the above while Denji continues to hope for connection despite his own misfortunes works so well. – Rollin Bishop, US Managing Editor
4. The Power Fantasy (Image Comics)
Two volumes in and counting, Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard's alternate superhero history is still as narratively twisty and visually spectacular as ever. Perhaps even more, as now that they've established a baseline they can start twisting the plot even harder.
Wijngaard brings his expressive color work, eye for fashion, and use of striking blacks, while Gillen brings his plot architect sensibilities and proven skills in winding up a bunch of psychologically damaged people and watching them bounce off each other. But in this case, each bounce could destroy the world, as the story revolves around seven people (colleagues? rivals?) whose capacity for instant destruction of human life equals the nuclear capacity of a world power.
Recent issues have dived into the past of this alternate history of the 20th century, paying off big secrets like exactly why Western Europe appears to have been wiped off the map, and piled more reveals, surprises, and Utilitarian philosophy on top. It's no small task, to build a new alternate superhero history of the world, as The Boys, Invincible, and Watchmen adaptations grab millions of eyeballs, but Gillen and Wijngaard have this one well in hand. – Susana Polo, Contributor
3. Dandadan (VIZ)
Creator Yukinobu Tatsu has taken a fairly basic premise – boy who believes in aliens, girl who believes in ghosts – and stretched it into a captivating battle-meets-slice-of-life manga. Even among contemporaries, Dandadan is a standout for its clean action and strong emotions, making everything from battling yokai the size of a castle to navigating the hardships of daily school life seem of equal importance.
A lesser manga would have run out of steam after completing its initial arc, but Dandadan continues to layer complexities and personal relationships all while expanding its core cast in a way that would make One Piece's Eiichiro Oda proud. There are plenty of comics that explore similar ground, if not exactly the same, but few do it with as much grace and love for both big feelings and big fights like Dandadan. – Rollin Bishop, US Managing Editor
2. Transformers (Image Comics)
One of the great comics surprises of the last few years has been Skybound's Energon Universe, which started when Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felici's sci-fi saga Void Rivals revealed itself to be linked to fresh new takes on both Transformers and G.I. Joe. Since then Daniel Warren Johnson has been steering the robots in disguise's headline book, initially drawing it himself before handing over to Jorge Corona. This Transformers emphasized the human scale of the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons, with highly-detailed and often bone-crunching work from Corona that made you feel every blow.
Alas, all good things must come to an end. Johnson and Corona bowed out with #24 and a devastating battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron. But ends are also usually new beginnings when it comes to comics – the series was relaunched with #25 and the new creative team of Robert Kirkman and Dan Mora. The latest arc has found the Autobots divided while the Decepticons re-group following their previous defeat. It hasn't quite hit the heights of the Johnson years yet, but the run is still young and this is still a great comic. – Will Salmon, Streaming Editor
Comic of the Year 2025
1. Absolute Martian Manhunter (DC)
All of DC's Absolute books are good, but Absolute Martian Manhunter transcends. Writer Deniz Camp and artist Javier Rodríguez reimagine J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter, as FBI agent John Jones and his psychic alien passenger, the Martian. It's a transcendental buddy cop duo against anti-social violence in their all-American community.
Color is the visual motif of the book, emotions rendered in flat primary and secondary colors, thoughts floating out of people's heads in vibrant invisible smoke that our hero huffs in order to read minds.
But AMM never gets so trippy that it forgets to be grounded. Camp and Rodríguez have a real point of view in the pilot's seat of this ship made of science fiction metaphor, and a playfully creative understanding of the comic book as a physical object. Together they've made a comic that has to be seen and held in the hands to be believed; the best Big Two book in a crowded field of contenders. – Susana Polo, Contributor
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