You always see lists for Top Comics of the Year in December. You generally see this from comic book-reporting sites, but there’s also been an increase in YouTubers and podcasts over the last few years. These “Best of…” or “Top <insert number>” lists are primarily opinion-based, understandably so. But what about retailers? The local comic shops that place the orders, the sales registers that track what customers want, that intermediary bridging the gap between product and customer? A “Best of 2025” list from a comic shop brings a new perspective, going from opinion-based to customer-based. Sure, you could check out 2025 comic book sales reports, but it’s not quite the same – that list is based on orders from retailers. However, hearing it from a local comic shop reveals what customers are actually buying.
Cosmic Monkey Comics in Portland, OR has done just that. The Pacific Northwest retailer has taken a look at the graphic novels released this year that garnered the most “Cha-chings!” from their store register.
We recently published an article featuring Justin Zimmerman, a filmmaker & the owner of Bricker-Down Productions and the media director at Battle Quest Comics, who frequents the Oregon local comic shop and he revealed with us, at Comics Bodega, Cosmic Monkey’s look back at the year in sales. And to be honest, this is a list that opened my eyes to hot books at the retailer level.
Cosmic Monkey Comics is the largest and snazziest comic book store in Portland. They’re the destination for tens of thousands of new titles, trade paperbacks, back issues, manga, toys, card games, posters, supplies and more! And if they don’t have what you’re looking for, they’ll help you find it!
<—– Look! Jack Quaid from The Boys at Cosmic Monkey Comics. Hughie knows what’s up!
Not only does their Top 20 list reveal what the customers are purchasing, it also makes for some insightful regional data. Given Cosmic Monkey’s location, this seems to be a good indication of what comic book buyers and collectors from Oregon and Washington (mostly, I would presume) are grabbing as “must-haves.”
Looking over their list, a few of the books don’t come as much of a surprise. DC Comics’ Absolute titles and Marvel Comics’ Ultimate line generate a lot of buzz and their popularity is undeniable. It’s great seeing that indie titles make up a big percentage of the top twenty, too. You go, Portland!
Here is your look at Cosmic Monkey Comics Top 20 Graphic Novels of 2025!
Cosmic Monkey’s top 20 best-selling
graphic novels of the year!
Drum roll, please…
Number 20:
THE HARD SWITCH – Avery Hill
The time approaches when the mineral that makes inter-system jump navigation possible will run out. When the last piece has gone the vast and scattered inhabitants of the galaxy will be stuck wherever they are. Some will have the means to choose this – others will take what they’ve got or at least what they can get. Either way, society as it has been for aeons will exist in a new state.
In the face of this impending seismic change the crew of a small cargo freighter struggle to make a living amid the chaos and desperation. Survival would be enough but a chance discovery alters their plans and may prove to be a vital key to unlocking a future for all – not just the chosen few…
Number 19:
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: The Last Ronin – IDW Publishing
Who is the Last Ronin? In a future, battle-ravaged New York City, a lone surviving Turtle embarks on a seemingly hopeless mission seeking justice for the family he lost. From legendary TMNT co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, get ready for the final story of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles three decades in the making! What terrible events destroyed his family and left New York a crumbling, post-apocalyptic nightmare? All will be revealed in this climactic Turtle tale that sees longtime friends becoming enemies and new allies emerging in the most unexpected places. Can the surviving Turtle triumph?
Eastman and Laird are joined by writer Tom Waltz, who penned the first 100 issues of IDW’s ongoing TMNT series, and artists Esau & Isaac Escorza (Heavy Metal) and Ben Bishop (The Far Side of the Moon) with an Introduction by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez!
Collects the complete five-issue miniseries in a new graphic novel, an adventure as fulfilling for longtime Turtles fans as it is accessible for readers just discovering the heroes in a half shell.
Number 18:
PRECIOUS METAL – Simon & Schuster
An unforgettable companion to the award-winning dystopian, coming-of-age journey, Little Bird.
Thirty-five years before the events of LITTLE BIRD, VOL. 1: THE FIGHT FOR ELDER’S HOPE, disillusioned mod-tracker Max Weaver’s routine hunt for a modified child takes a grisly and unexpected turn. Now, saddled with an unpredictable mod who may be the key to unlocking his missing memories, Max will soon find that he isn’t the only one interested in the child’s unique abilities – and if he wants to know more, it’ll cost him everything. In fact, the future may well depend on it.
Eisner Award-winning creative team DARCY VAN POELGEEST and IAN BERTRAM reunite for their gripping return to the dystopian American Empire.
Number 17:
THE HERO TRADE – Bad Idea
Described as superheroes through the lens of Elmore Leonard & Quentin Tarantino, this uber-hip, groundbreaking series of tour de force stories from New York Times best-selling author Matt Kindt (BRZRKR) and iconoclastic illustrator David Lapham (STRAY BULLETS) is now being made widely available for the very first time. This meticulously curated collection contains over 200 pages of THE HERO TRADE saga featuring a batch of brand-new stories including THE HERO TRADE 2, BOOTLEG, LIVE OR DIE, and the monumental two-part crossover event with HANK HOWARD, PIZZA DETECTIVE, as well as a wealth of bonus material and behind-the-scenes content exclusive to this edition.
The seemingly straightforward tale of a man with the body of a superhero in the trunk of his car, driving from one nefarious organization to another and selling it piece by piece. An ordinary man at the end of his rope, this score is his last shot, one night to make good. He’s bound and determined to carve out a place for himself in this world, even if he has to do it one bloody body part of Captain Fab at a time. His black market buyers all looking for a piece of the superpowered action, to own a piece of the paragon. To collect it. To touch it. Even taste it. Because eating even a tiny piece of The Fab? Grants you unbelievable powers. Ingest a drop of Captain Fabs blood? Develop a miraculous healing factor. Feast on an eyeball, snort some teeth dust, dine fabulously and take the ride… although the powers you get may not be what you expected. This is THE HERO TRADE. There have been many groundbreaking explorations into the superhero genre. This is not one of them. However, it may be the first groundbreaking exploration of the people who consume the superhero genre.
Number 16:
TONGUES Vol. 1 – Penguin Random House
From the three-time Igantz award-winning artist and author of Big Questions comes a fascinating graphic novel retelling of the Greek myth of Prometheus
Set in a version of modern Central Asia, Tongues is a retelling of the Greek myth of Prometheus. It follows the captive god’s friendship with the eagle who carries out his daily sentence of torture and chronicles his pursuit of revenge on the god that has imprisoned him.
Prometheus’s story is entwined with that of an East African orphan on an errand of murder, and a young man with a teddy bear strapped to his back, wandering aimlessly into catastrophe (a character readers may recognize from Nilsen’s Dogs and Water). The story is set against the backdrop of tensions between rival groups in an oil-rich wilderness.
Tongues is both an adventure story and a meditation on human nature in our present fraught, historical moment.
Number 15:
DAREDEVIL: Born Again – Premiere Collection – Marvel Comics
“And I — I have shown him… that a man without hope is a man without fear.” The definitive Daredevil tale! Karen Page, Matt Murdock’s former lover, has traded away the Man Without Fear’s secret identity for a drug fix. Now, Daredevil must find strength as the Kingpin of Crime wastes no time taking him down as low as a human can get.
Collects Daredevil #219, #226-233.
Number 14:
GEIGER Vol, 1 – Image Comics
The critically acclaimed team of writer GEOFF JOHNS and artist GARY FRANK unites with superstar colorist BRAD ANDERSON to bring their first creator-owned hero to Image Comics!
Set in the years after a nuclear war ravaged the planet, desperate outlaws battle for survival in a world of radioactive chaos. Out past the poisoned wasteland lives a man even the Nightcrawlers and Organ People fear. Some call him Joe Glow, others call him the Meltdown Man. But his name…is Geiger.
Collects GEIGER #1-6
Number 13:
ALL-STAR SUPERMAN: Compact Comics Edition – DC Comics
The Man of Steel goes toe-to-toe with Bizarro, his oddball twin, and the new character Zibarro, also from the Bizarro planet. And Superman faces the final revenge of Lex Luthor in the form of his own death! All-Star Superman is a spectacular reimagining of the Superman mythos, from the Man of Steel’s origin to his greatest foes and beyond. Combining their singular talents to create a new and brilliant vision of the Man of Steel, comics storytellers Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely are reunited with their WE3 collaborator Jamie Grant for one of the greatest Superman stories ever imagined.
Number 12:
DOG MAN: Big Jim Begins – Scholastic
In DOG MAN: BIG JIM BEGINS, discover the origin of our beloved characters from the Dog Man series as they join forces to stop the Space Cuties from destroying the city. Will the past predict the future for Dog Man and his friends? Will goodness and bravery prevail? Can anything happen if you truly believe?
Number 11:
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN by Jonathan Hickman Vol. 2: The Paper – Marvel Comics
Spider-Man faces the Sinister Six! After their intense battle with the Kingpin, Green Goblin and Spider-Man both know they aren’t as ready to reshape the world as they hoped. Harry and Peter get to work, while Ben and Jonah search for “the truth” – and problems for their resistance arise when the Ultimates return! But they’re not the only team in town: The Kingpin has gathered six sinister super villains to deal with his masked-vigilante problem! But who, exactly, are the Ultimate Sinister Six? You won’t possibly guess them all – but would you believe that Parker luck, one of them is the Black Cat! Meanwhile, Green Goblin joins forces with…Doc Ock?! And with Tony Stark back, Peter must also explore his new suit’s limitations.
Collects Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) #7-12.
Number 10:
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN by Jonathan Hickman Vol.1: Married with Children – Marvel Comics
The most surprising Spider-Man story of the 21st century! Visionary writer Jonathan Hickman (HOUSE OF X/POWERS OF X) and acclaimed artist Marco Checchetto (DAREDEVIL) unite for a bold new take on Spider-Man at the dawn of the reimagined Ultimate Universe! After the events of ULTIMATE INVASION, the world needs a hero. Step forward, Peter Parker! But this is an older, wiser web-slinger – one who balances his costumed duties with his responsibilities as a husband and a father. That’s right, Peter and Mary Jane are married with kids! The stakes have never been higher – and as Spider-Man faces his first super villain, J. Jonah Jameson’s quest to uncover who’s really pulling the strings of this new Ultimate Universe leads to a shocking revelation! Plus: New York City welcomes its newest hero…the Green Goblin! But who’s behind the mask? And what does the Goblin know of the true status of the world in which he lives?
Collects Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) #1-6.
Number 9:
SUPERGIRL: Woman of Tomorrow – DC Comics
Her planet was destroyed. Sent to Earth to protect a baby cousin who never needed saving. Forever living in his shadow. The “Supergirl” to his Superman. But when Kara is sought out by an alien seeking revenge on those who destroyed her world, everything changes. She will need to embark on a mission across space to find herself, defy her pasts, and face her future.From Tom King and Bilquis Evely comes a character-defining cosmic masterpiece for the ages.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow The Deluxe Edition collects the complete saga (issues #1-8) and features a brand-new introduction by Tom King, a brand-new cover by Bilquis Evely, the never-before-published alternate script for issue #6, and a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes artwork from Evely.
Number 8:
ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN Vol. 1: Last Dust of Krypton – DC Comics
Spiraling out of the catastrophic events of Absolute Power, a new side of the DC Universe is born—the Absolute Universe!
In a different, darker world, Kal-El landed in a remote Kansas field, the last survivor from an alien planet…but even before that moment, nothing unfolded as you’d expect. As he tries to survive in a world seemingly determined to repeat the mistakes of the demolished Krypton, he’ll come into conflict with the globe-straddling Lazarus Corporation and its agenda of exploitation…and go fist-to-fist with its brutal army of Peacemakers!
Best-selling writer Jason Aaron (Star Wars, Thor, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)is joined by superstar artist Rafa Sandoval (The Flash, Action Comics) to reinventSuperman from the ground up!
Collects Absolute Superman #1-6.
Number 7:
SPECTATORS – Image Comics
Putting the “graphic” back in graphic novel, this unconventional supernatural romance takes a hard look at sex and violence, and the very different ways we obsessively watch both.
Hundreds of years in the future, New York City is haunted by many ghosts, including a voyeuristic woman who died in our present day and a mysterious gun-toting man from the distant past. Normally solo travelers, these two specters meet each other just in time to observe what might be the end of the (living) world.
Three years in the making, this lavishly hand-painted epic is the most ambitious collaboration yet between Pride of Baghdad artist NIKO HENRICHON and SAGA writer BRIAN K. VAUGHAN.
Number 6:
BOWLING WITH CORPSES AND OTHER STRANGE TALES FROM LANDS UNKNOWN – Dark Horse Comics
New folklore-inspired tales abound in this new anthology of fantasy stories written and drawn Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. From a search for the beating heart of a long-dead sorcerer, to a pirate girl who makes a deal with the devil, to the titular boy who wins a grim prize in a game with some undead interlopers, and more.
Mignola builds a brand-new world filled with the weird, wicked and whimsical in this volume that will delight longtime Hellboy fans and new readers alike.
Number 5:
ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN Vol. 1: THE LAST AMAZON – DC Comics
In a different, darker world, Diana of Themyscira was exiled to the underworld as ababy and raised by an enemy. They did not destroy her; instead, they made her all the stronger—tragedy, danger, and magic honed her into an even greater weapon. Long denied her Amazonian heritage, it is now time for Diana to rejoin the surface world. Armed with new weapons forged in Hell and a mission that looks a bit more like justice than peace, Diana won’t be stopped on her quest to save the world and discover her place in it, even if that means carving it herself!
Eisner Award-winning writer Kelly Thompson is joined by breakout artist Hayden Sherman to reinvent Wonder Woman from the ground up!
Collects Absolute Wonder Woman #1-7.
Number 4:
SAGA Vol. 12 – Image Comics
In the epic twelfth volume of SAGA, Alana takes on a dangerous new role, her 12-year-old daughter Hazel forges an important friendship, and the galaxy’s balance of power begins to shift.
Romeo & Juliet meets Star Wars in this genre-blending, sci-fi/fantasy space opera about star-crossed lovers from enemy worlds. An epic for mature readers, SAGA follows new parents Marko and Alana as they risk everything to raise their child amidst a never-ending galactic war. A multiple award-winning, critically acclaimed masterpiece and one of the most iconic, bestselling comic book series of its time.
The SAGA series has sold over 7 million copies to date across all formats, has been translated into 20 languages, and has garnered multiple Eisner and Harvey Awards, plus a Hugo Award, British Fantasy Award, Goodreads Choice Award, Shuster Award, Inkwell Award, Ringo Award, and more. It has been featured in such mainstream media outlets as TIME, Entertainment Weekly, The Atlantic, NPR, and beyond, and has become a pop culture phenomenon.
Collects SAGA #67-72
Number 3:
BENEATH THE TREES WHERE NOBODY SEES – IDW Publishing (IDW Dark imprint)
Live, laugh, shed blood. Dexter meets Richard Scarry’s Busy, Busy Town in this twisted debut graphic novel!
Don’t. Murder. The locals.
This is small-town serial killer, upstanding citizen, and adorable brown bear Samantha Strong’s cardinal rule. After all, there’s a sea of perfectly ripe potential victims in the big city just beyond the forest, and when you’ve worked as hard as Sam to build a cozy life and a thriving business in a community surrounded by friendly fellow animal folk, warm decor, and the aroma of cedar trees and freshly baked apple pie…the last thing you want is to disturb the peace.
So you can imagine her indignation when one of Woodbrook’s own meets a grisly, mysterious demise—and you wouldn’t blame her for doing anything it takes to hunt down her rival before the town self-destructs and Sheriff Patterson starts (literally) barking up the wrong tree.
Cute critters aren’t immune to crime in this original graphic novel debut by writer-artist Patrick Horvath.
Number 2:
THE KNIVES: A CRIMINAL Book – Image Comics
THE FIRST NEW CRIMINAL BOOK IN FIVE YEARS!
A sprawling CRIMINAL epic, THE KNIVES is the most ambitious tale BRUBAKER and PHILLIPS have ever tackled. Three dark journeys wind around each other over a decade, like sharks hunting for a kill.
Cartoonist Jacob Kurtz goes to Hollywood in the era of peak TV to work on an adaptation of his comic strip, only to find himself caught up in the life of his aging aunt and the vultures circling her estate. Angie was raised at the Undertow, but now everything she loves has been taken from her. She’s on the streets with vengeance on her mind, her eyes set on the city’s kingpin. And finally, Tracy Lawless is home from the special forces, finally a civilian again, but he’s in bad shape and this city has always brought out the worst in him. These three tales collide in THE KNIVES, a breathtaking noir story about greed, ambition, heartbreak, and blood ties. A must-have for all BRUBAKER and PHILLIPS fans!
Number 1:
ABSOLUTE BATMAN Vol. 1: THE ZOO – DC Comics
A gang of masked killers terrorizes the streets of Gotham. A vigilante fightsfor his city—but he’s not the Batman you know. The Absolute Universe, born out of the Justice League’s apocalyptic battle with Darkseid, ushers in a set of brand-new realities that reimagine your favorite heroes as you’ve never seen them before.
In Absolute Batman, meet a young Bruce Wayne with no Wayne Manor, no Alfred by his side, and a different axe to grind as the Dark Knight.
From the minds of writer Scott Snyder and artist Nick Dragotta, and featuring special guest artist Gabriel Walta, comes an origin story you won’t want to miss!
Collects Absolute Batman #1-6
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About Cosmic Monkey Comics:
Cosmic Monkey Comics is the largest and snazziest comic book store in Portland. We’re your destination for tens of thousands of new titles, trade paperbacks, back issues, manga, toys, card games, posters and supplies. And if we don’t have what you’re looking for, we’ll help you find it!
We carry a full selection of new comics, back issues, graphic novels and supplies. Whether it’s that elusive hot new title or an obscure back issue from the vaults, we can find it for you. We delight in filling special orders and searching for the issues you need to fill those empty holes in your collection.