It was another excellent year for DC Comics. The DC All In initiative continued to give readers solid mainline stories, from continuing series like Superman and Justice League Unlimited driving towards the DC K.O. event, to new launches like Sophie Campbell’s Supergirl, Jeremy Adams and John Timms’s Aquaman, and Matt Fraction and Jorge Jimenez’s Batman building out their own corners of the DCU. The Summer of Superman launched another new Super-title, Dan Slott and Rafael Albuquerque’s Superman Unlimited, and saw Mark Waid and Skyler Patridge’s Action Comics exploring the early days of Superboy. The Batman titles continued to offer a wide variety of Gotham-set stories, from Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Javi Fernandez’s Batman and Robin spotlighting the continuing evolution of Damien Wayne, to the return of Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee for “H2SH” in the pages of Batman, to the epic conclusion of Mark Waid and Chris Samnee’s instant classic Batman and Robin: Year One.
Challengers of the Unknown. Metamorpho, The Element Man. Birds of Prey. JSA. Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton. Mr. Terrific: Year One. The New History of the DC Universe. The Titans 2025 Annual. That’s just a smattering of the other great mainline DC books out this past year. Add to that the publisher’s always-quality Black Label output, plus the creative and sales juggernaut that is the Absolute DC line. DC is firing on all cylinders right now, and with the few things they’ve announced already for 2026 it sounds like they won’t be letting up any time soon. Picking the top releases out of all of their output for this year was a very difficult task, and the best kind of problem to have.
Without further ado, here are the 10 best DC Comics of 2025, in alphabetical order, as chosen by The Beat’s DC Round-Up team.
Absolute Batman 2025 Annual #1
Writers/Artists: Daniel Warren Johnson, James Harren, and Meredith McClaren
Colorists: Mike Spicer, Dave Stewart, and Meredith McClaren
Letterers: Clayton Cowles and Meredith McClaren
Absolute Batman has quickly grown into a maximalist’s dream. After an opening arc establishing the character as the protector of Gotham, the series has continually upped the ante, becoming about the alternate Dark Knight taking on kaiju-sized monster versions of his traditional rogues gallery. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why the story at the center of Absolute Batman 2025 Annual #1 stood out so much. Eisner-winning writer and artist Daniel Warren Johnson’s main story for the issue finds Bruce Wayne, on a trip out of Gotham to pick up crime-fighting supplies, stumbling upon a gang of small-town white supremacists threatening an encampment of immigrants. It’s a story with a smaller focus than the monthly series, but with no shortage of maximalist action as Batman tears through the racist villains, breaking bones and smashing faces. Few artists capture visceral action the way Johnson and longtime colorist Mike Spicer do, and they put all of their talents to good use for a sequence that illustrates just how terrifying this version of Batman can be. But it’s the examination of the very nature of Batman and his tactics that really take this story to the next level. It’s a tale that’s frighteningly relevant, extremely cathartic, and deeply poignant. The fact that it’s accompanied by a pair of excellent backup stories, from James Harren & Dave Stewart and Meredith McClaren, is icing on the cake. It’s one of the best single issue comics of the year, and a book all four DC Round-Up writers agreed needed to be included on this list. —Joe Grunenwald
Read Zack’s full review of Absolute Batman 2025 Annual #1 here.
Absolute Martian Manhunter
Writer: Deniz Camp
Artist/Colorist: Javier Rodríguez
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Absolute Martian Manhunter was truly an experimental title at its launch; it was something that most weren’t expecting to be a mainstay title for the Absolute Universe. However, it quickly became a staple. Writer Deniz Camp already had a sizable following with their current comic runs, and yet, this comic absolutely launched them even higher. Alongside Artist Javier Rodríguez, they brought to life a story that was as alien to its readers as its protagonist while simultaneously delivering a design and color palette that so many were not ready for, but absolutely adored. To tell a story about Martians who both exist and do not exist across the fourth dimension, framing a detective who can perceive a city tearing his family apart while he is forced to confront his inner demons, and transforming that struggle into a literal war with the city itself, is absolutely phenomenal. With its first six issues, it is a book that refuses comfort, challenges perception, and proves just how fearless the Absolute Universe can be when it commits fully to the unknown. —Diego Higuera
Read Zack’s full review of Absolute Martian Manhunter #1 here.
Absolute Wonder Woman
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Hayden Sherman, Mattia De Iulis, and Matteo Bergera
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire and Mattia De Iulis
Letterer: Becca Carey
On the opposite end of the Absolute universe from our previous entry is Absolute Wonder Woman. Where the rest of the Absolute line has radically reinvented its title characters, the Diana at the center of this series feels not too terribly different from her mainline counterpart, at least in terms of her temperament. That grounding in Wonder Woman’s familiar characterization makes all of the new and remixed elements around her – her childhood in Hell, her regular use of magic, her updated supporting cast and rogues gallery – feel particularly fresh. Kelly Thompson’s razor-sharp scripting and Hayden Sherman’s superb visual storytelling, along with some truly excellent fill-in art from Mattia De Iulis and Matteo Bergera, have made Absolute Wonder Woman not just a standout of the Absolute line, but of all of DC’s output this past year. —Joe Grunenwald
Read Diego’s full review for Absolute Wonder Woman #5, the conclusion of the series’ first arc, here.
Batman: Dark Patterns
Writer: Dan Watters
Artist: Hayden Sherman
Colorist: Triona Farrell
Letterer: Frank Cvetkovic
This was perhaps the most universally-praised book of the year, at least by the four writers who contribute to this weekly DC Round-Up column. We celebrated this one throughout its 12-issue run for feeling like a true Batman noir detective comic, told through Hayden Sherman’s bold paneling and Triona Farrell’s moody colors. While limited to the maxi-series format, this was also a book that made sure each chapter landed on a staggering cliffhanger, making it a must-read month-to-month. —Zack Quaintance
Read Diego’s full review for Batman: Dark Patterns #12, the final issue of the series, here.
Cheetah and Cheshire Rob the Justice League
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Nicola Scott
Colorist: Annette Kwok
Letterer: Troy Peteri
I mean, the title says it all with this one: it’s a villain book about robbing the Justice League. And in addition to the two leads in the title, it stars a number of other fun villains readers might not expect. Moreover, I just had a great time with this one watching Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott revive their regular collaboration. Here’s hoping this is just the start of more comics from these two, ideally of the unlikely DC character variety. —Zack Quaintance
Read Zack’s full review of Cheetah and Cheshire Rob the Justice League #1 here.
Green Arrow
Writer: Chris Condon
Artist: Montos
Colorist: Adriano Lucas
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
After an opening run that took Oliver Queen on a cosmic adventure and bridged the gap between two massive event series, the creative team of Chris Condon and Montos stepped in to bring Green Arrow back to what he does best: street-level heroics and social commentary. Condon is a writer whose ear for dialogue is spot-on, and who knows when to get out of the way and let the visuals do the storytelling. Montos is a revelation on this series, as he and colorist Adriano Lucas’s artwork established a strong noir sensibility for GA’s adventures. That a Big 2 comic this good should be cancelled due to low sales is utterly criminal; here’s to its future ‘cult favorite’ status. —Joe Grunenwald
Read Matt’s full review for Green Arrow #31, the final issue of the series, here.
The New Gods
Writer: Ram V
Artists: Evan Cagle and others
Colorist: Francesco Segala
Letterer: Tom Napolitano
Writer Ram V’s work tends to have a strong sense of melancholy; to that end, I was obsessed with what that experience brought to the beginning of The New Gods, as readers watch as the void left behind by the disappearance of Darkseid sets forth a prophecy the likes of which would rattle the stars; I remember being instantly hooked. When I learned V’s and artist Evan Cagle’s intentions – to tell a story that would take Jack Kirby’s creations, his original ideas, and work as a parallel to the origins of Orion and Scott Free, as they act towards saving a baby, a “new god,” whose fate is directly tied to the destruction of The New Gods’ lives – I did not expect one of the most profoundly written and visually striking reading experiences I have ever had. To take multiple guest artists like Jesse Lonergan, Riccardo Federci, Bernard Chang, and Felipe Andrade to help explain the unexplainable. To tell a story that is meant to be so alien to us, but centered on one familiar, familial concept: our own humanity. To remind gods that they are not immune to mortality, grief, and emotional vulnerability. That even they have to come to terms with their mistakes and their past. To know that there will be more of the New Gods in the future, and the new status quo set by Mister Miracle, only leaves more to be expected. In grounding the infinite in grief and compassion, Ram V, Evan Cagle, and their collaborators deliver a New Gods story that honors Kirby’s legacy while proving these characters still have something urgent, human, and devastating to say. —Diego Higuera
Poison Ivy
Writer: G. Willow Wilson
Artist: Marcio Takara
Colorist: Arif Prianto
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
How amazing is it that we not only have a Poison Ivy title that is now officially pushing 50 issues, but that it has largely maintained a consistent creative team throughout the whole thing, with just the occasional fill-in. I also feel like we here at the DC Round-Up haven’t highlighted this one enough, entirely because it’s just so damn consistent. This is a book that month-after-month delivers engaging single issues that fit into a larger, compelling story arc. I’d thought superhero runs like this one — especially for non-marquee characters — were a thing of the past. Poison Ivy makes me so happy to be wrong. —Zack Quaintance
Supergirl
Writer: Sophie Campbell
Artist: Sophie Campbell, et al.
Colorist: Tamra Bonvillain, et al.
Letterer: Becca Carey
In 2025, DC’s main line embraced fun, high-energy adventures, and no book embodied that approach more than Sophie Campbell and co.’s Supergirl. This series successfully incorporated the best parts of its Silver Age inspirations – the tone, pace, and density of ideas – while never seeming hokey, dated, or overly nostalgic. The result is a colorful whirlwind of a read that, while not afraid to tug at your heartstrings, always leaves you feeling a bit more super for having read it.—Matt Ledger
Read Matt’s full review for Supergirl #1 here.
Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum
Writer: W. Maxwell Prince
Artist: Martín Morazzo
Colorist: Chris O’Halloran
Letterer: Good Old Neon
When I reviewed the first issue of Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum, I posited that we were in for a “timeless, innovative, and heartfelt story that is equal parts sci-fi adventure and personal examination.” With that high bar to clear, The Kryptonite Spectrum still exceeded my expectations. Every issue of this miniseries from the Ice Cream Man creative team was a joy to read, and contained moment after moment in which the team one-upped themselves. Together, they tell a heartfelt story about the Man of Steel, what “home” means, and where it really is. If you missed this one in single issues, do yourself a favor and pick up the collected edition when it hits in April.—Matt Ledger
Read Matt’s full review of Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum here.
What do you think of our picks for DC’s best 2025 titles? Sound off in the comments with your own choices! And check out all of the DC Round-Up’s 2025 reviews here.
