Our Best of 2025 continues! We find out which comics and artists made it on to the comics industry’s most prestigious (and accurate!) awards list: The Corner Box Best of 2025! This week's awards include Best Original Graphic Novel, Best Collection and Archival Collection, Best New Series, Favorite Comeback, Favorite Artist and Cover Artist, and Best Continuing Series.

Timestamp Segments

• [00:54] The Best Best Of List.
• [01:56] Recap of last week’s Bests.
• [01:58] Best Original Graphic Novel.
• [02:17] Best Collection.
• [02:32] Best New Series.
• [02:51] Favorite Artist.
• [04:39] Best Archival Collection.
• [08:53] The self-publishing movement.
• [13:46] John’s first publication.
• [14:27] David’s comics manifesto.
• [18:40] David’s 2024/25 Best Archival Collection.
• [22:47] Favorite Cover Artist.
• [28:30] Favorite Comeback.
• [39:39] Where does John buy his comics?
• [42:32] Best Continuing Series.
• [49:46] Honorable Mentions.

Notable Quotes

• “This is the only true, valid list of Best of 2025 that’s out there.”
• “This is what we wanted. As fans of comic books, people have been screaming for this, for a while.”
• “Fletcher Hanks froze to death on a bench.”

Books Mentioned

• Absolute Batman, by Scott Snyder & Nick Dragotta.
• Absolute Batman 2025 Annual.
• Absolute Wonder Woman, by Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman, & Jordie Bellaire.
• Aquaman, by Jeremy Adams & John Timms.
• Assorted Crisis Events.
• Bacchus, by Eddie Campbell.
• Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, by Frank Miller.
• Batman: Hush 2, by Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee, Scott Williams, & Alex Sinclair.
• Batman: The Long Halloween, by Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale.
• Batman: Year 100, by Paul Pope & Jose Villarrubia.
• Blueberry, by Jean-Michel Charlier & Moebius.
• Bone, by Jeff Smith.
• Captain Marvel (2019-2023).
• Cerebus, by Dave Sim.
• Complete Megaton Man Universe Volume 1: The 1980s, by Don Simpson & Bill Morrison.
• Cornelius: The Merry Life of a

John and David bring us their BEST OF 2025! They take a look at the comics that took the world by storm, the stories that shaped the industry, the artists that made it all possible, and a few honorable mentions (some maybe not from 2025... the fellas got a little excited).

Timestamp Segments

• [00:38] The true 2025 review.
• [04:00] John’s Favorites: New Material.
• [08:10] The story of Prometheus.
• [09:36] David’s Favorites: New Material.
• [13:25] Favorite Interior Artist of the Year.
• [17:21] OGN of the Year.
• [25:10] Best New Ongoing Series.

Notable Quotes

• “We’re probably the only truly valid Best of 2025 List that’s really going to be out there.”
• “It’s the most David Finchy thing that’s ever been drawn.”
• “Keep on comic-ing, everyone.”

Relevant Links

TheCornerbox.Club

Books Mentioned

• 20th Century Man, by Stipan Morian & Deniz Camp.
• Absolute Batman, by Scott Snyder & Nick Dragotta.
• Assorted Crisis Events.
• Absolute Martian Manhunter, by Deniz Camp & Javier Rodriguez.
• Absolute Wonder Woman, by Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman, & Jordie Bellaire.
• Batman and Robin: Year One, by Mark Waid & Chris Samnee.
• Invincible, Invincible Universe: Battle Beast, by Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, & Annalisa Leoni.
• Copra, Death of Copra, by Michel Fiffe.
• Don’t Go Where I Can’t Follow, Tongues, by Anders Nilsen.
• Dreadstar, Gilgamesh II, by Jim Starlin.
• Drome, Hedra, Kaya, Man’s Best, by Jesse Lonergan.
• Fire Power, by Robert Kirkman & Chris Samnee.
• G.I. Joe.
• G.I. Joe: Real American Hero.
• Helen of Wyndhorn, by Tom King, Bilquis Evely, & Matheus Lopes.
• Hitman, by Garth Ennis & John McCrea.
• Little Bird,

Heroic Signatures Editor, Chris Butera, joins David and John to talk about all things Conan the Barbarian! They get into Jim Zub’s mastery of Conan lore, the expansion of the Howard-verse, the importance of a good writer-artist pairing, and fitting stories into a modern context, and David learns about comics without pictures.

Timestamp Segments

• [01:14] This is the Barbarian.
• [02:51] How Chris fell into comics.
• [04:15] Jim Zub is made for success.
• [08:37] Starting on Conan.
• [11:47] Into the Howard-verse.
• [16:38] Finding new artists.
• [17:37] The Rob and Roy comic magic.
• [21:51] Why writer-artist pairings are so important.
• [28:12] Dealing with Solomon Kane.
• [37:35] Robert E. Howard’s prolific output.
• [39:34] Staying true to Conan while gaining new readers.
• [43:46] How Conan stands the test of time.
• [47:17] What’s in-store of Conan in 2026?

Notable Quotes

• “Prose is comic books without pictures.”
• “Let the artist cook.”
• “We have this goldfish memory, culturally, sometimes, where we forget how acceptable certain things were, how recently, and then cast back 100 years from that, and expect those values to have been in place 100 years earlier…”

Relevant Links

www.ChrisButera.com

www.HeroicSignatures.com

Books Mentioned

• Alter Ego, by Roy Thomas & Ron Harris.
• Conan, Shadows in Zamboula, The Dark Man, by Robert E. Howard.
• Conan the Barbarian.
• Conan the Barbarian: Battle of the Black Stone, by Jim Zub & Jonas Scharf.
• Conan the Barbarian: Frozen Faith, by Jim Zub & Doug Braithwaite.
• Conan the Barbarian: Scourge of the Serpent, by Jim Zub, Ivan Gil, & Joao Canola.
• Corto Maltese, by Hugo Pratt.
• Dungeons & Dragons.
• The Frost-Giant’s Daughter, by Robert E. Howard & Raymond West.
• Head Lopper, by Andrew MacLean.
• The Invincible Iron Man (2004-2007).
• Popeye.
• Savage Avengers (2019-2022).
• Savage Sword of Conan.
• Transformers.