December / January Roundup

The end of the year has come and gone, and hopefully, you’ve carved out some time to indulge in a bit of reading. We’ve put together a massive “best of” collection to help you uncover some hidden gems and inevitably make that TBR pile even bigger.

The industry is currently riding a massive wave of momentum. Graphic novel sales surged 9.2% in 2025, proving that whether it’s the global phenomenon of Manga or the enduring power of kids juggernauts like Dog Man, the medium is more vital than ever. It might also be worth checking your comic stash. A new record was set when Superman #1 sold for an astonishing $9.12 million at auction.

Beyond the numbers, the stories themselves are evolving. From the National Literacy Trust championing comics as essential tools for modern literacy to numerous projects getting the greenlight for animated series, the transition from page to screen is accelerating. Meanwhile, legacy remains front and center as James Robinson’s Starman turns 30 this year, offering a moment to reflect on storytelling that weaves American myth and superhero tradition together.

However, the industry isn’t without its growing pains. Over in France, the Angoulême Festival faces a “girlcott” from over 280 creators protesting management and safety issues. Yet, French excellence continues to shine, with Christophe Chabouté taking home the Landerneau Prize and France Info spotlighting the urgent power of graphic journalism.

Closer to home, the Australian scene is buzzing with the announcement of the 2025 Ledger Awards shortlist, showcasing a diverse range of local excellence—from Louie Joyce’s high-energy Godzilla: Skate or Die to powerful self-published narratives. We also celebrate Matt Golding as the 2025 Political Cartoonist of the Year.

From record-breaking auctions to the future of Riverdale, here is your essential guide to everything happening in the world of sequential art.

NEWS

• Over 280 creators have launched a “girlcott” against the 2026 Angoulême Festival, protesting toxic management, gender-based violence, and a lack of transparency within the organization.
• Modern cartoonists are bypassing declining newspaper syndication to revitalize the comic strip through digital platforms, diverse storytelling, and direct creator-to-fan connections.
• French auteur Christophe Chabouté has won the 2025 Landerneau Prize for Plus loin qu’ailleurs, a meditative graphic novel exploring the beauty of daily life through “traveling while staying put.”
• France Info announces ten finalists for its 2026 Graphic Journalism and Current Affairs Prize, showcasing powerful nonfiction comics on social issues, memory, geopolitics and personal experience
• James Robinson’s Starman turns 30, reflecting on a unique, legacy-rich comic exploring Jack Knight, Opal City, and America’s mythos through history and superhero tradition.
• Violet Kitchen discusses creating Crawlspace, drawing on personal experiences, empathy, and messier childhood realities to shape Kel’s story and subvert typical coming-of-age tropes.
• Comics Bulletin lists the top 10 most valuable comic books ever sold, from Superman #1’s record $9.12 M auction to iconic key issues like Amazing Fantasy #15
• Australian political cartoonist Matt Golding, known for work in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, has been named 2025 Political Cartoonist of the Year
• Oni Press and Archie Comics are teaming up for a bold 2026 relaunch of Archie, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Archie in Hell, with top creators and new collections celebrating Riverdale’s future
• James Tynion IV is adapting his sci-fi horror comic The Woods as part of a new adult animation slate from Tiny Onion.
•  Libraries in the US may face longer wait times for comics and graphic novels, as changes in distribution affect how quickly new titles reach shelves.
• New print efforts like The Ducktown Weekly and similar zine-style newspapers are reviving newspaper comics with curated strips, puzzles, and features, offering a tactile, nostalgic reading experience.
• In 2025, Comics Plus reached a milestone of 2 million checkouts across 3,500+ libraries, providing unlimited, simultaneous access to digital comics, manga, and graphic novels.
• In this National Literacy Trust blog, Lucy Starbuck Braidley highlights how comics and graphic novels (re)ignite reading engagement, offering vital multimodal tools for modern visual literacy.
• In this Publishing Perspectives feature, David Saylor celebrates Graphix’s 20th anniversary, discussing the global graphic novel boom and Scholastic’s commitment to evolving visual storytelling for children.
• According to Comics Beat, graphic novel sales surged 9.2% in 2025. While adult categories like Manga drove the rebound, kids’ hits like Dog Man remain the industry’s heavy hitters
• Prime Video has ordered an animated Lore Olympus series. Produced with The Jim Henson Company, this Eisner-winning webcomic adaptation brings Hades and Persephone’s romance to life.

COLLECTIONS

• The Comic Arts Awards of Australia has unveiled its 2025 Ledger Awards shortlist, showcasing excellence in Australian comics—including Louie Joyce’s Godzilla: Skate or Die! Winners will be announced January 31
• Comic Book Club spotlights 11 standout December 2025 comics from Something Is Killing The Children, Rick and Morty, TMNT and more.
• NPR’s 2025 “Books We Love” graphic novels list showcases top comics and graphic novels of the year, selected by NPR staff and critics across diverse storytelling styles.
• Penguin Random House Comics’ 2025 Staff Picks showcase favorite graphic novels for kids and YA, featuring diverse stories, art styles, and standout storytelling.
• Comic Frontier’s Best Comics of 2025 highlights top Marvel, DC, indie and creator‑driven titles like New Gods, Avengers, Absolute Wonder Woman and more standout series.
• ComicsBeat’s Best Comics of 2025 showcases over 60 staff‑selected top comics from the year, spanning superheroes, indie gems, memoirs, sci‑fi and more standout stories.
• The Guardian’s best graphic novels of 2025 list celebrates diverse, standout works from memoir and history to experimental and mythic storytelling by top creators like Bechdel, Sacco and Anders Nilsen
• Kirkus Reviews Best Teen & YA Graphic Literature of 2025 highlights standout young adult comics, celebrating diverse stories, compelling characters, and innovative storytelling for teen readers.
• AIPT Comics’ Best Comics of 2025:  shares staff‑chosen standout comics from the year, celebrating storytelling, artistry, innovation and memorable moments across the medium.
• ComicBookHerald’s Best Comics of 2025 ranks the year’s top 50 graphic novels and trades, highlighting standout storytelling, diverse genres, and must-read books from across the comics world.
• Celebrates The SKTCHD AWRDS: The Creators of 2025, spotlighting the year’s favorite comics creators with 20 tailored awards honoring standout writers, artists, colorists, and editors whose work defined 2025.
• A.V. Club’s Best Comics of 2025 Highlights standout comics of 2025, spotlighting bold superhero reinventions, inventive indie works, and exceptional storytelling that defined the year across genres and publishers.

MEDIA

• On AIPT Comics Podcast, Christos Gage discusses crafting Battleworld, collaborating with artist Marcus To. Balancing fan service with accessibility, and his creative process.
• Comic Book Club News highlights Sara Pichelli on Miles Morales royalties, The Beauty’s reprint ahead of the TV adaptation, and the Lake Como Comic Art Festival guest list
• This video explores the legendary career of Darwyn Cooke, highlighting his journey from animation to creating masterpieces like Batman: Ego and DC: The New Frontier.
• In this Graphic Medicine podcast episode, hosts interview Shay Mirk about their new guide, Making Nonfiction Comics, exploring the impactful intersection of health narratives and visual storytelling.

NEW GRAPHIC NOVELS

Junior

• Action Cat And Adventure Bug: Let’s Do This by Art Baltazar (Papercutz) [9781545824559]
• Mechanical-Ude: Mechanical Arms by Yoshino Koyoka (Scholastic) [9781761727047]
• Queen Kodiak by Christopher Greenslate, Riccardo Faccini (Maverick) [9781545821015]
• A Quick and Easy Guide to Healthy Relationships by Mariah-Rose Marie (Oni Press) [9781637157947]
• The Sword in the Stone: Arthur’s Magical Kingdom by Gabriel Valentin, Michael J. Snow, Lorenzo Colangeli, Chas! Pangburn (Papercutz) [9781545812983]
• The Sword Thief A Graphic Novel (The 39 Clues: Book Three) (Scholastic) [9781761728105]
• Gravity Falls Graphic Adventures Volume 1 by Alex Hirsch (Scholastic) [9781761725180]
• Talons Of Power The Graphic Novel (Wings of Fire, Book Nine) By Tui T. Sutherland, Mike Holmes (Scholastic Inc) [9781761729379]
• Sidekicks Thick as Thieves by Dan Santat (Scholastic Inc) [9781338879186]
• Medusa Gorgon’s Bad Hair Day by Bethany Walker, Katie Abey (Scholastic Inc) [9780702340659]
• Sonic the Hedgehog Graphic Adventures: Book 2 by Ian Flynn (Scholastic Inc) (9781761724992)
• A Blurmp in Time By: Jim Benton (Scholastic Inc) [9781546186557]
• Wrong Friend by Charise Mericle Harper, Rory Lucey (St Martins Press) [9781250851963]

YA

• Always Raining Here by Hazel and Bell (First Second) [9781250870124]
• Queen Kodiak by Christopher Greenslate, Riccardo Faccini, Dearbhla Kelly, Justin Birch (Maverick) [9781545821015]
• Quincredible: A Better World by Rodney Barnes, Selina Espiritu (Oni Press)
• Mouse Guard Dawn of the Black Axe by David Petersen, David Rodriguez (Random House) [9798892157247]
• Love Bullet Vol. 1 by inee (Yen Press) [9798855430301]

Adult

• Free Planet by Aubrey Sitterson, Jed Dougherty (Image Comics) [9781534335004]
• Globetrotters: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland’s World Tour by Julian Voloj, Julie Rocheleau (Abrams ComicArts) [9781419784477]
• Pigeons! A Fable for Our Times by Marc Chalvin (Street Noise Books) [9781951491505]
• Plague House by Michael W. Conrad, Dave Chisolm (Oni Press) [9798894889023]
• Total THB Vol 1 (of 3) by Paul Pope (Roaring Books Press) [9781596434059]
• Under York by Sylvain Runberg, Mirka Andolfo (Image Comics) [9781534335660]
• I Was a Fashion School Serial Killer by Doug Wagner, Daniel Hillyard (Image Comics) [9781534330382]
• Geiger Vol.2 Deluxe Hardcover by Geoff Johns (Image Comics) [9781534335097]
• Arcana Royale by A.C. Zamudio, Cullen Bunn (Dark Horse) [9781506741949]
• Chainsmoker Cat Vol. 1 by Nyan Nyan Factory (Random House) [9798895614358]
• The Magnificent Bastard 1 The Legend of Keiji by  Keiichiro Ryu, Tetsuo Hara (Random House) [9781647295004]
• Aquaman Vol. 1 The Dark Tide by Jeremy Adams, John Timms (DC Comics) [9781799505884]
• BRZRKR Bloodlines by Keanu Reeves, Ron Garney, Matt Kindt (Boom) [9798892155014]
• Complete Labyrinth Beyond the Goblin City by Delilah S. Dawson, Sas Milledge, Gustavo, Duarte (Boom) [9798892155960]
• The Traveler Complete Collection by Mark Waid, Che Hardin, Stan Lee (Boom) [9798892155991]
• New History of the DC Universe by Jerry Ordway, Mark Waid (DC Comics) [9781799505402]
• Resurrection Man Quantum Karma by Jackson Guice, Ram V (DC Comics) [9781799505969]
• The Pass by Katriona Chapman (W W Norton & Company) [9798875000652]
• I Am Their Silence by Jordi Lafebre, Montana Kane (Random House) [9781506747293]
• This Ends Tonight by Gerry Duggan, Robert Windom, Kelvin Mao, Jae Lee (Image Comics) [9781534331839]