The Stampies: Best Comics of 2025 (Part Two)

Welcome back, friend. Our end-of-the-year celebration concludes with The Stampies: Best Comics of 2025 (Part Two). If you missed the Part One party, click here, and discover the comics we considered the saddest of 2025, the most stylish, the most genre-bendy, etc, etc.

For this week’s second half award show ceremony, we’re tackling the more traditional categories of Best Limited Series, Best Ongoing, Best Original Graphic Novel, and more. We wrap it all up by anointing the Jesse Tapia II Champ Stamp in honor of our dear departed friend, and announce how we’ll be kicking off 2026 next week.

As was the case in our first half, The Stampies: Best Comics of 2025 (Part Two) features several guest-stars from folks across the industry. Each and every one of these cool cats is worth your attention, and we encourage you to follow their work and their socials listed below. This year produced too many dang great comics, but thankfully, these creatives helped us break beyond our limited perspective, and you benefit with even more titles to add to your ever-expanding to-read pile.

The Best Comics of 2025 Part One Guest-Stars:

• Gregg Katzman (Bluesky), IDW Publishing's Senior Publicity Manager.

• Owen (Bluesky), Owen Likes Comics.

• Tyler Crook (Bluesky), The Lonesome Hunters, Out of Alcatraz, etc.

• Avery Kaplan (Bluesky), The Beat, Star Trek, TCJ, etc.

• BJ Kicks (Bluesky), Comics Are Dope.

• David Brooke (Bluesky), Owner, Writer, Host at AIPT.

• Chris Condon (Bluesky), That Texas Blood, Green Arrow, Ultimate Wolverine, etc.

• Chris Piers (Bluesky), Host of ComicTropes.

• Christian Ward (Bluesky), Batman: City of Madness, Event Horizon: Dark Descent, Two-Face, etc.

This Week's Sponsors

GlobalComix is the all-in-one digital comics platform offering unlimited reading of thousands of titles from top publishers, indie creators, across comics, manga, and toons. With GlobalComix Gold, members unlock access to more than 100,000 books and genres - superheroes, horror, sci-fi, manga, fantasy, romance, and more. Right now, GlobalComix is running a special Holiday Gold promotion: when you sign up for a year of GlobalComix Gold for $69, you'll get a bonus premium comics bundle from Dark Horse, DC, Kodansha, and Marvel - included for free. This bundle is valued at $67, making the annual plan essentially pay for itself with the bonus alone. How to Redeem: Use the link https://globalcomix.com/holiday-bundle-2025 to sign up. The offer is live now and available for a limited time (through January 4, 2026). Once subscribed, the bonus bundle will be added to your GlobalComix library.

Are you ready to face the future? Look no further than 2000 AD – it’s the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! Every week 2000 AD brings the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper and more! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD, and it’ll arrive at your mailbox every week, and your first issue is free. You’ll also receive the HUNDRED PAGE 2000 AD Christmas Special this December at no extra cost! Or, subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!

This Winter, from IDW Publishing, the Heroes in a Half-Shell take on the King of the Monsters! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Godzilla #1 crashes into comic shops on November 12th. Written by Godzilla Kei-Sei Scribe Tim Seeley and illustrated by the brilliant Turtle artist behind the Nightwatcher series, as well as the Stranger Things/TMNT crossover, Fero Pe, this new series finally brings two of our favorite franchises together. How can this reptilian miracle be?  Long before the organization was corrupted by Shredder, the Foot Clan’s original purpose was to save Japan from Kaiju! Now, in the present day, Godzilla and its fellow monsters have reappeared. Not only is the Foot not prepared to stop them…it would seem Shredder himself is behind the attacks! The Turtles are always crossing over into rad nerd realms, but this one might be the king crossover of them all. 

The Best Comics of 2025 Part One Category Timestamps:

• Intro (New Year's Intentions) - 2:52

• Global Comix Gold Bundle - 12:23

• Best Sleeper Superhero Story - 19:16 - WINNER (TIE): Supergirl: Universe End and Two-Face: Trial Separation (DC Comics)

• Best Anthology - 30:45 - WINNER: Monkey Meat: The Summer Batch (Image Comics)

• Best Adaptation - 37:47 - WINNER: Dracula Book II: The Brides (Dark Horse Comics)

• Best Memoir - 44:26 - WINNER: The Ephemerata (Fantagraphics)

• Most Engaged Comic - 53:28 - WINNER: Black Arms to Hold You Up (Pantheon)

• Best Limited Series - 1:02:23 - WINNER: Spectrum (Mad Cave Studios)

• Best Ongoing Series - 1:13:18 - WINNER: Absolute Batman (DC Comics)

• Best Original Graphic Novel - 1:24:38 - WINNER: Drome (23rd St. Books)

• Cartoonist of the Year - 1:31:38 - WINNER: Patrick Horvath (Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring)

• Jesse Tapia II Champ Stamp - 1:37:27 - WINNER: Randy Clute (Our Day)

• Lisa's Pick - 1:42:52 - WINNER: The Confessional (Silver Sprocket)

• Brad's Pick - 1:45:40 - WINNER: More Weight (Top Shelf Productions)

Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):

Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.