It’s that time again. This is Henry Chamberlain, your friend in comics, a longtime comics journalist, writer and comics creator. I sometimes take it for granted that you know who I am and what I do. I can take a lot for granted sometimes but, as 2025 has made it so clear, nothing can be taken for granted.
Each year is a little different. That said, excellent comics all share something in common: they are not to be ignored. Some make their way onto the scene with seeming ease and perhaps others need a boost to reach the coveted spotlight. I suppose anything worthwhile will find its way due to its intrinsic quality, one way or another. Yeah, sometimes a book won’t get the attention it deserves but time will tell. And some titles are actually the end result of many years of toiling, misfires and various versions that were tested along the way.
We began 2025 with a bang and that bang was the collected Tongues by Anders Nilsen. It is the summation of a lifetime in comics and the final word on what you can do with comics. Well, perhaps not the final word–but close. My review. My creator interview. I must add, this is one of my best interviews for a number of reasons: everything fell into place and I got to pose some questions that had not been asked before, a rare thing to achieve. It’s certainly worthy of being added to a future edition of the University Press of Mississippi’s Conversations with Comic Artists series. Just saying!
Oh, what a year it was. Makes me confident about the comics medium in more ways than you might imagine. Another masterwork for 2025 was Introverts Illustrated, by Scott Finch, a dazzling collection of stream-of-consciousness comics narrative. My review and creator interview here.
Talk about a true comics sensation! The graphic novel adaptation of Ethel Carnie Holdsworth’s This Slavery, by Scarlett & Sophie Rickard is the real deal! Paul Buhle’s review here.
Another amazing work by Joe Sacco in his grand comics journalism tradition. The Once and Future Riot is required reading you will love. My review. My interview.
It’s tricky to juggle genuine fine art work and work that specifically falls within the comics medium but Sue Coe is an exemplary example. You must read The Young Person’s Guide to American Fascism. Paul’s review here.
When We Were Trekkies is a fun look down memory lane inextricably linked to the phenomena that is Star Trek. Joe Sikoryak’s collected tales of fandom youth are sure to please. My review.
When you talk about giants in the comics industry, Peter Kuper is on anyone’s short list. Insectopolis has everything you want to know about insects in a most unexpected and delightful way. My review. My creator interview here.
Well, speaking of giants, it was a pleasure to dive into the collected Ginseng Roots: A Memoir, by none other than Craig Thompson. My review here. My interview here.
Well, 2025 is the year that keeps on giving. Add to your list of greats, Milk White Steed, by Michael D. Kennedy. As is the case with any give year, especially such a busy and notable one, I will forward along some titles into the new year so a full review is forthcoming.
The Poet and sampler books.
The world of comics is quite expansive to say the least. It can seem overwhelming at times. One good rule of thumb is to follow your instincts and simplify as you go. You may find yourself gravitating right back to a friend from childhood, the comic strip. One of the best around now is The Poet by Todd Webb. I had the pleasure of poring over the last two collected books. Check out this review and this interview. Once you read The Poet, you’ll be hooked.
And while we’re on the subject of comic strips, I would be remiss not to include Bob and Vicki Scott’s Molly and the Bear, a joy for any age. My review and creator interview.
Paul Karasik is a wonderfully talented artist, writer and editor. I know this book has been anticipated by so many and celebrated by so many. Paul Auster’s The New York Trilogy is a treasure trove of comics and an exploration of the meaning of life. If this is new for you, rest assured, you will want to read my review and creator interview.
The last time that I saw Bill Griffith, I got to see him at his drawing table working on this very book, Photographic Memory: William Henry Jackson and the American West. I know this is great and you need to know about it. This book falls within the “late arrivals” section, any title launched late in the year. I am including it for 2025 with a full review forthcoming. I am putting up the “Gone Fishin'” sign for now.
If you want a look at what the future of comics is about, Josh Pettinger is an excellent example of a cartoonist from a new generation who has rolled up his sleeves and gotten to work. He’s been at it for some time and Tedward is a milestone. Paul’s review.
When you consider what makes any work of comics and illustration worthwhile, you must include: authenticity, imagination and integrity. That is what you find in Wally Mammoth: The Sled Race, written by Corey R. Tabor and illustrated by Dalton Webb. Not an easy thing to achieve. My review here.
A spooky and engaging work, Raised by Ghosts, by Briana Loewinsohn, is a gripping look back at a melancholic, yet highly creative, childhood. Paul’s review here.
Another engaging take on childhood and beyond comes from Desmond Reed’s The Horrors of Being Human, a notable work well worth seeking out. My review and creator interview here.
Lest we forget the work involved in creating a truly worthwhile comic, I turn your attention to Mary Shyne’s You and Me on Repeat, a highly inventive and dazzling graphic novel. If you love good storytelling, especially time travel, this is for you. My review here. My creator interview here.
We end the year with another big bang: Carol Tyler’s Ephemerata. When I hold up the key ingredients to great comics (authenticity, imagination and integrity), I mean it. I don’t know about you but why bother with anything less? Instead, seek out more, like Ephemerata! Paul’s review here.
Well, it’s been a banner year. I feel safe in saying that Comics Grinder has done it’s part, as it has all along. I’d even dare say that we at Comics Grinder have earned ourselves consideration of an Eisner award nomination! Ah, one can hope. We’ve certainly been a comics-related publication for quite some time with great distinction. It has been an exciting, eventful and humbling year. Onward to 2026 and beyond!
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