Top Selling Comics of 2025

At Neighborhood Comics, anyway

2025 was the Year of Batman (and it wasn’t even close)

Our sales numbers from 2025 reaffirmed what every one of our staff members guessed at our end-of-year party: Batman moved units.

Top Selling Single Issue: Batman #1

2025 saw the relaunch of the flagship title Batman, helmed by Matt Fraction and Jorge Jimenez. All number ones sell to some degree, but Batman #1¹ exceeded our expectations. What I thought would be six months of inventory lasted two weeks.

In the top 10 single issues of 2025, Batman starred in or was featured in 7 of the books. Chief among them, Synder and Derrington’s Absolute Batman. Eight of the top 10 were from DC Comics.

2. Absolute Batman #1 (Batman Day Edition)

3. Absolute Batman #8

4. Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #3²

5. Absolute Batman #9

6. Absolute Green Lantern #1

7. DC x Sonic the Hedgehog #2 (features Batman)

8. Immortal Legend Batman #1

9. Invincible #1 (Image Firsts Edition)

10. Absolute Batman #12

Top Selling Graphic Novel: Absolute Batman Volume 1: The Zoo

While the super-buff, axe-wielding Absolute Batman didn’t come in at number one for the single issues, he more than made up for it in graphic novel sales with a large margin between it and second place. Even with strong single issue sales, the paperback³ and hardcover were consistent sell-throughs.

Without Batman in the picture, 2025 was the year of Invincible. Which is weird, because the issues collected here⁴ debuted in 2003. The impact of the animated series continues to drive readers to comic shops. The successful new Invincible: Battle Beast limited series only missed the top 10 because of that pesky Absolute Batman.

But it wasn’t just Invincible back from the dead. Catalog titles made up a large part of our 2025 graphic novel sales. One of the factors on that front was the debut of “compact” editions, bound in 5.5” x 8.5” standard trim sizes more akin to manga than traditional comics.

2. Invincible Vol 1 (Compact Edition)

3. TIE: Head Lopper Vol 1⁵, Tempo Book One⁶

4. Ain’t No Grave⁷

5. Batman: Hush (Compact Edition)

6. Absolute Superman Vol 1

7. Ultramega Vol 1

8. Something is Killing the Children Vol 1⁸

9. Invincible Vol 2 (Compact Edition)

10. Little Bird Vol 1⁹

Some notes and asides

Apart from the odd Star Wars title (sigh), Marvel was shut out of the top 10 in both categories and only appeared a few times in the top 50 for each (almost exclusively Ultimate Spider-man, Ultimate Wolverine and Rivals-fueled It’s Jeff). Our top selling manga titles were Death Note Black Edition 1 and One Piece 3-in-1 Vol 1. The continuing success of Snotgirl is still amazing to me, with the first volume only one spot out of the top 10 graphic novels.

Predictions

For 2026, compact editions will continue to multiply across publishers and genres. While they won’t completely overtake the traditional comic-trim volumes, we’ll see more in the end-of-year lists. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will claim a place in the top graphic novels category thanks to the film. The new Marvel/DC crossover Superman/Spider-Man will meet sales of Deadpool/Batman and just maybe crack the top 10 single issues chart. For indies? I can’t wait to be surprised.

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If you’re keeping score at home, here’s a handy print-out with the rankings.¹⁰

1. Batman #1 cover A was solidly in first place. We do not count single issue variant covers or subsequent printings in our end of year stats. But with those factored in, Batman #1 accounted for 2.5x the units sold for the number two title. Not including variants is also why Deadpool/Batman was kept out of the top 10.

2. Do you ever worry when you’re placing an order that you’ll put an extra zero at the end of your quantity? Yeah, this is why. After covering subscribers and ordering one copy for the shelf, I was shocked to find a full case of this issue in our deliveries. Upon checking my order sheet… ooops. Most of these copies were sold at $1 each in a “Lee Screwed Up” sale.

3. This list only accounts for the trade paperback sales, but including the hardcover, the margin increases even more.

4. And the reprint at #9 in the single issue category.

5. Thanks to Andrew MacLean serving as Free Comic Book Day 2025 special guest.

6. Thanks to creator/employee Kevin Betou.

7. Signed copies from Jorge Corona and Skottie Young didn’t hurt.

8. When this goes to compact sizing: WATCH OUT.

9. A sweet surprise. Little Bird has a special place in our store history which I hope to write about later.

10. With a guest appearance by top graphic novelist Kevin Betou.