December Comics Look Aheads

Nick Nazar 25 Nov 10, 2025

Hey you! We made it! This year is almost over and after what we’ve all collectively gone through you deserve to treat yourself to some new comics. And guess what - your friends over here at Phoenix have put together a compilation of new series, graphic novels, and industry updates to help you fill out your pull list this December.

Upcoming Publisher Catalogs

Before we get into our reviews and recommendations for December, here's a one-stop shop for all of the digital catalogs for most of the comics publishers we carry. If you're looking to get a head start on finding your own new favorites, or hey maybe you just want to stay well ahead of the deadlines, we've got you. We'll post links to the current plus upcoming months here in our look aheads every month.

December Release Comics

January Release Comics

Don't want to look through all these PDFs? If you're an active subscriber you can always visit our subscription page and search the upcoming comic catalogs that way! (And bonus, if you see something you want, you can preorder or subscribe to it RIGHT THERE!).

Reviews and Recommendations

We’ve got four upcoming new series to look forward too this December. For all you marvel folks out there Hulk is smashing his way into everything and Wiccan embarks on the journey of a lifetime. In the mood for something a little bit off the beaten path? We’ve got a brand new Kyle Starks wrestling heist book, and Briar returns for its third and final story arc! And for those of you following the events from the big two, we’ve got updates for the Absolute Universe, DC’s KO event and the beginning of the end(?) of the new Ultimate Universe over at Marvel.

Wiccan: Witches’ Road

Marvel Comics

By Wyatt Kennedy (writer) and Andy Pereira (artist)

This book is laser targeted at the people who shop at our store. As half of Marvel’s premiere gay comics couple, Wiccan is definitely a popular character around Phoenix. I know when Marvel’s annual pride anthology comes out every June, half of the people buying it are getting it just for the Hulkling and Wiccan story that’s inside. That this is his first solo series would already be enough for many of us to be on board, but what really has me excited about this book is who they got to write it: Wyatt &#$%ing Kennedy.

If you’re not familiar with his work, here’s a quick rundown. His first mini-series at Image, Bolero, is the best selling trade paperback in the store by a wide margin. It’s a surreal, poignant tale of addiction, trauma, multiverse-hopping queer romance, and self-destructive behavior. (It’s also, uh. Really hot, which helps with sales.) It’s easily one of my top-five favorite books we sell, and I’ve read it multiple times. Their second comic, Nights, is a bizarre Toonami-flavored fever dream about an alternate universe Florida populated by mercenaries and the undead, and is just as weird and sexy as Bolero.

That this is who is writing Wiccan is frankly bonkers. This is Kennedy’s mainstream superhero comic debut, and given his career so far in indie comics, I am so excited to see what he does with a Marvel title – especially given that he’s promised an unlikely ally for Wiccan and an original villain for the series. If it’s anything like what he usually writes, it’s gonna be strange, probably at least a little horny, and we’re gonna move a bazillion copies. (Probably best to preorder yours now before we sell out.)

- Sloane

Hulk: Smash Everything

Marvel Comics

By Ryan North (writer) and Vincenzo Carratù (artist)

As much as we all have enjoyed the more serious body horror turn Hulk comics have taken in the past few years since Al Ewing’s Immortal Hulk run, sometimes it's just fun to smash… everything. I’m not usually a huge Hulk reader but I’ll be honest seeing Ryan North’s name on something will carry it pretty far for me. I’ve loved his collaborations with Erica Henderson (Squirrel Girl and Danger and Other Unknown Risks) and Sloane is a long time fan his going back to his webcomic days so I always get a little excited to see he is working on something because the man loves a pun, and a joke, and visual gag which this book feels like the perfect stage for. The question being asked here is what all can Hulk smash? A person? Certainly. A dinosaur? Harder but still probably yes. Gravity itself? I guess you’ll have to read along and find out.

- Elise

Wrestle Heist

Image Comics

By Kyle Starks

I didn’t know that Kyle Starks (I Hate This Place) was a wrestling fan, but it certainly makes sense that he would be – his action scenes and dialogue are over-the-top and gonzo in a way that wouldn’t feel out of place in the squared circle. Even if you couldn’t guess that he was a fan from his other work, you’d definitely get the impression from his new book Wrestle Heist. In addition to being the kind of silly, macho romp you’d expect from Starks – and something that even non-fans can appreciate – it’s also a sincere love letter to the world of professional wrestling, both in the ring and without.

Wrestler Sterling Steele is left permanently injured and unable to perform after a disagreement with a crooked promoter. Years later, stuck doing small-time signings when he should be at the peak of his career, he begins to find other wrestlers with similar experiences and together they hatch a plan to get revenge by robbing him blind during his biggest event of the year. Image has sent us the first few issues of this one, and let me tell you, it’s just as good as you’d expect. Chocked full of witty dialogue and fun art, Starks also fills the back of each issue with pages from a fake wrestling fan-zine. Definitely a lot of fun even for folks like me who might not get all the references, you can tell this is really a passion project for one of the store’s favorite comics creators.

- Sloane

Briar Night's Terror

Boom! Studios

By Christopher Cantwell (writer) and Alex Lins (artist)

When Briar started in 2022 as a four issue mini I don’t think anyone expected it to come back not once but twice. Night’s Terror is the final arc of Briar, which sees the dark fantasy queer romance return once again as Briar Rose, Spider and the gang make their final assault on Grendrid. If you are one of our lovely subscribers for this series, here is heads up that its coming back! And if you’ve never read Briar but gay post-apocalyptic dark fantasy Sleep Beauty sounds cool to you, we have the collections of the first two arcs in the store and now is the perfect time to get caught up before the finale!

- Elise

Absolute Universe Update Corner

Sometimes I feel like it’s basically my job to keep people updated on the Absolute comics line at this point, so here’s what you need to know for December:

First off – Absolute Batman is getting the Ark M Special, a single issue about which DC has released exactly two sentences of information: “The origins of the enigmatic Ark M are explored! What terrible secrets lie within its walls, and just who is assigned to protect it from discovery?!” What’s happening in this one? Honestly, no clue. Is it going to reveal more about the Absolute Universe and be exciting world building for everyone’s new favorite Batman book? Almost certainly.

Secondly – We’re getting our first crossover issues! Batman and Wonder Woman are forced to work together after the mark of Hekate is found at a Gotham crime scene, and the two have to solve the mystery of a series of gristly murders in the city. I am so excited to see the two characters finally interacting and taking the first steps towards some kind of larger team-up, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Be sure to get both December’s Absolute Wonder Woman #15 and January’s Absolute Batman #16 to catch the whole storyline.

Finally – This is just an exciting time for all of our favorite absolute books right now. December’s Absolute Superman #14 has him finally facing off against Ra’s al Ghul. Absolute Batman #15 this month finally starts to reveal just who the Joker is. (Have y’all seen that crazy variant cover?) Absolute Wonder Woman #16 – which is technically the January issue – begins an arc of her finally facing off against Zatanna. Whichever books you’re reading, they’ll all be ramping up this winter, and I’m so excited to read these issues as they come out.

– Sloane

Ultimate Universe Conclusion

As the Ultimate Universe comes to its planned conclusion, things are getting a little crazy. As all the Ultimate series are creeping up on their 24th issues this winter the stage has been set for the ultimate crossover. Jonathan Hickman, the architect of the new Ultimate Universe has been very clear that he had a plan and it always had a very specific timeline and endgame planned. In interviews he has said that his plan has been executed without deviation and that he is happy to see all the pieces falling into place. Some of those pieces include the upcoming Ultimate Universe Two Years In special and the upcoming 5-part mini series Ultimate Endgame, both coming out in December.

Ultimate Universe Two Years In will set the stage for the endgame and sees the Ultimate Guardians traveling across space and time gathering the final heroes needed to defeat The Maker. Many fans will be excited to hear those new heroes include Ultimate Daredevil! According to co-writer Alex Paknadel in an interview, “... Daredevil retains the essence of the original—he's still a something without fear—but he's been scaled up to a cosmic-level hero”. Seeing Daredevil, a classically street-level hero, scaled up in this way is the kind of twist on these characters we’ve come to expect from the Ultimate Universe and I can’t wait to see how they pull it off.

Ultimate Endgame, premiering at the end of the month, will be springboarding off the story unfolding in Ultimates and carry the series through to its conclusion. Two years have passed, both in our universe and theirs, and The Maker is finally set to emerge and confront the heroes. We’ll finally get to see all the heroes from across the universe in the same book together after all this build up. Seeing Marvel execute a crossover of this magnitude is truly impressive and handing Deniz Camp the reigns will make for such an exciting conclusion.

- Elise

DC K.O. Reading List

Okay folks! DC K.O. is taking over a bunch of titles this month. In order to make sure you’ve got the ones you want, do yourself a favor and peruse this list of the 8 books that comprise Round 1. I don’t think you necessarily need to read all of them, but I’m including them here for the sake of completeness.

Round 1: DC K.O. Superman vs Captain Atom #1
Round 2: Aquaman #12
Round 3: DC K.O. Wonder Woman vs Lobo #1
Round 4: Titans #30
Round 5: DC K.O. Harley Quinn vs Zatanna #1
Round 6: The Flash #28
Round 7: Superman #33
Round 8: DC K.O. Red Hood vs Joker #1

(Pedantic lil note from Nick: they’re calling these “rounds” in the solicitation catalog but really they’re matches within the second ‘round’ of the fighting in the tournament. :P )

One-Shots & Graphic Novels

Our graphic novels section this month contains a pair of books that hearken back to some of the earliest books Nick ever read here at Phoenix when it just opened. So if you don’t mind them getting a bit nostalgic and waxing about some good good Grant Morrison, or talking fondly about a weird and goofy school for assassins, read on!

The Invisibles Compendium

DC Comics

By Grant Morrison (writer) and Phil Jimenez, Sean Phillips, Steven Yeowell and others (artists)

When we opened back in 2013, the Invisibles was one of if not the best selling book in the store. If you’ve never read it (and I don’t blame you - DC has done a miserable job of making this available in anything other than a $150 omnibus/pulpit folio), I really don’t have a good way of describing this to you. This is Grant Morrison at a creative peak, using a comic book to talk about the philosophy of direct action against authoritarianism and fascism and urging you, the reader, to wake up and take a hard look at the narratives around you that make up your story. And taking a step further to look at the story that those in positions of power are telling about themselves and about the world around them. It’s a story that’s not afraid to throw a molotov cocktail or three, or take a drug (or really a few of them cause let’s be honest this book reads like Grant was on a bit of a bender at the time). And yet it also is a book that is also not afraid to remind us “We are not at war. There is no enemy. This is a rescue operation.”

All that heaping of praise aside, some notes - This is a fairly dated book (written in the mid-late 90’s and wow do I feel old writing that). The language within reflects the language that was fairly progressive at the time, and maybe isn’t so progressive anymore (specifically it does use the F-Slur and T-Slur more than a little bit). Do I still think it’s worth the read? Absolutely. But be an informed reader and know a little bit of what to expect going in.

- Nick

Five Weapons

Image Comics

By Jimmie Robinson (writer)

This is one of those books that I was introduced to by an early coworker (hi Ember!) and absolutely loved. It’s what happens when an extremely observant teenager gets sent to an exclusive school for assassins while under a strict vow of pacifism. When the school’s various clubs try to force him into choosing their specific style of weapon (Clubs, Guns, Knives, Poison, and Bows) to specialize in, Tyler’s gonna need all of that observation power to keep that promise! And if you like that premise, you’ll like this book. It’s cute, and fun and witty and feels an awful lot like you’re watching an episode of Doctor Who except without all of the weird time travel shenanigans. It’s been out of print for a hot minute, and I’m looking forward to having this back on the shelves! And bonus - this version of the trade contains all ten issues, the entirety of the series.

- Nick

And that’s a wrap for 2025! Next month we’ll have a brief look forward at January of 2026, and then look back at the books that really hooked us this past year with our 2025 Wrap-Up. If you saw something you wanted, please reach out to us and ask us about ordering it or setting it aside for you, or head over to our subscription page and add it to your pull!