October 2025 Comic-book & Graphic Novel news round-up.

It’s alive! – October 2025’s monstrous Comic-book haul

If you thought the summer’s glow had dimmed in comic-land, think again. Autumn 2025 has delivered a Frankenstein’s monster of new titles across science fiction, fantasy, horror and superhero genres – complete with bolts, stitches and a wicked grin. Put the kettle on and prepare to leaf through the highlights.

Mutant mayhem: Marvel’s Age of Revelation

Marvel decided that one crisis at a time simply isn’t dramatic enough, so October kicks off Age of Revelation, a dystopian future where Apocalypse’s heir rules the eastern United States and the X-Men have become a rag-tag resistance. The prelude one-shot X-Men: Age of Revelation Overture by Jed MacKay and Ryan Stegman sets the stage by revealing that the “Revelation Territories” stretch from the Atlantic to the Mississippi, but rebellion bubbles beneath this mutant utopia. A cascade of new #1s follows: Amazing X-Men sees a shattered team venture into the haunted ruins of Graymalkin; Book of Revelation drops readers into the dangerous capital city of Philadelphia where Fabian Cortez jockeys for power; Unbreakable X-Men finds survivors guarding a portal to the terrifying “Penumbra”; Expatriate X-Men unites a guerrilla team led by Ms Marvel and her allies, who control the Mississippi River and pick fights with everyone; and The Last Wolverine introduces a new hero – the Wendigo, Logan’s student – while teasing the fate of the original Wolverine. It’s part dystopian satire, part mutant soap opera, and wholly bonkers.

Crossovers we never saw coming

On the Marvel side, October also gives us Fantastic Four/Gargoyles #1, a one-shot that teams Marvel’s first family with Disney’s Manhattan Clan. Writer Greg Weisman and artist Enid Balám throw the Fantastic Four at Diablo when the alchemist discovers stone gargoyles may hold the secret to eternal life. Expect Tony Stark and David Xanatos to compare facial hair, Marvel’s own Gargoyle to bond with his new kin and the poor Baxter Building to pick up the repair bill.

Then there’s the utterly improbable Marvel/DC: Deadpool/Batman #1 – yes, Deadpool finally gets to annoy Batman and the world will never be the same. This 64-page special teams Zeb Wells and Greg Capullo with guest writers including Kevin Smith, Chip Zdarsky and Kelly Thompson. The main feature pits Wade Wilson against Gotham’s finest, while back-up stories pair Daredevil with Green Arrow and Captain America with Wonder Woman in case you thought cross-company licensing squabbles weren’t spicy enough.

Big green things and white tigers

Not content with leaving old bruisers in the past, Marvel also invites readers back to Sakaar with Return to Planet Hulk #1. Writer Greg Pak returns to his seminal storyline, throwing the Hulk back into gladiatorial arenas and forcing him to choose between becoming the planet’s saviour or its world-breaker. Meanwhile, White Tiger: Reborn #1 celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month by giving Ava Ayala a new mystery linked to the amulet’s history – one that reunites her with her murdered brother Hector Ayala.

On the cosmic horror front, the 30 Days of Night franchise awakens with 30 Days of Night: Falling Sun #1 from IDW. Rodney Barnes and Chris Shehan return to Barrow as vampiric revenge comes calling from Romania while a troubled teen seeks sanctuary in Alaska. The oversize issue is pitched as a revival of the cult horror series.

Dark Horse’s eclectic buffet

Dark Horse throws everything at the wall in October. Matt Kindt and David Rubín’s oversized Space Scouts #1 looks like a wholesome reality show but quickly turns lethal when the “winning” recruits are shipped off to fight a clandestine war at the edge of the universe. Gareth from The Office this ain’t.

For those who prefer biting satire, American Caper #1 by Dan Houser (co-creator of Grand Theft Auto) and Lazlow takes aim at America’s cultural extremes. The story follows a Mormon hitman and a gambling-addict lawyer caught in a real-estate scam, plus a beauty queen on the run, escaped convicts in love and a cowboy Wall Street billionaire – a “brutal satire” of modern politics and snake-oil culture.

Horror fans, meet Devil on My Shoulder #1, a four-issue revenge saga from Kyle Starks and Piotr Kowalski. A woman tortured and left for dead tracks down her attackers via a surreal path involving ex-hitmen, art-world sociopaths and literal devils. It promises violent, well-deserved retribution and is pitched as perfect for fans of The Crow and revenge-horror.

Image’s new launches

Image continues its run of head-turning debuts. Liam Sharp’s Spawn: The Dark Ages series begins with barbarian hordes, rebellious Britons and rumours of a Celtic-god-anointed “Devil Spawn”. Frank J. Barbiere and Morgan Beem’s Author Immortal #1 sends failed writer Hector Ramirez into the fantasy series that shaped his childhood – literally – when the original author vanishes and Hector is pulled into a living world of stories.

Henry Barajas and Rachel Merril’s Death to Pachuco #1 is a noir set during the 1943 Zoot Suit riots; private eye Ricardo “Ricky” Tellez must find a killer before a racist mob kills him. And ghost-hunter Hector Plasm returns in Hector Plasm Hunt the Bigfoot #1, where the itinerant exorcist goes up against a Pacific Northwest Sasquatch while clearing his own name.

Titan’s bizarre delights

Titan Comics continues its eclectic adaptations. Savage Sword of Conan: Reforged #1 recolours classic Conan stories The Tower of the Elephant and The Frost-Giant’s Daughter and packages them with variant covers. Horror gamers should note Little Nightmares: Descent to Nowhere #1, where mute girl Hush wakes in a jail cell and teams with fellow prisoner Mono while detective Myra investigates disappearing children. Then there’s Craniacs #1 – a flip-book comic about two skull-faced societies, Retrovia and Futurra, who blame each other for a planet-splitting calamity. Tilt it one way to read Retrovia’s old-school adventures; flip it to follow Futurra’s high-tech heroes.

DSTLRY, BOOM! & friends

From DSTLRY comes Endeavour #1, where a luxury recreation cruise on the HMS Endeavour goes horribly wrong, stranding seven children and forcing them to choose between cooperation and cannibalism. The series is pitched as Lord of the Flies with nicer cutlery.

BOOM! Studios unleashes Marian Heretic, a nunsploitation horror series about Sister Marian, a witch-hunter branded a heretic. The series positions Marian as a Mother Superior guided by a goddess the Church refuses to acknowledge and forced to strike a dark bargain to protect her sisters. Palmiotti and Conner’s Harley Quinn x Elvira #1 meanwhile delivers exactly what it says on the tin: Harley misses Halloween due to flu, drafts Elvira to co-host the biggest Halloween party ever, and together they lampoon both companies with fourth-wall breaking humour.

DC’s Absolute Universe & beyond

Over at DC, the Absolute Universe continues with Absolute Evil #1, written by Al Ewing and drawn by Giuseppe Camuncoli. The one-shot sees villains like Ra’s al Ghul, Veronica Cale, Hector Hammond and the Joker unite—until inevitable betrayal introduces two new antagonists. Tie-in issues like Absolute Batman #13, Absolute Wonder Woman #13 and Absolute Superman #12 promise final showdowns and moral dilemmas as each hero confronts Ra’s plan to turn Smallville into a living hell. At New York Comic Con, DC also teased 2026’s revival of the Vertigo imprint with new horror and mystery series (Bleeding Hearts, The Peril of the Brutal Dark, Necretaceous and more), and announced that Rick Veitch’s long-suppressed Swamp Thing 1989 story – the one where Swamp Thing meets Jesus – will finally be published in April 2026.

IDW’s other offerings

Beyond 30 Days of Night, IDW continues to lean into space-and-monster mash-ups. In Event Horizon: Dark Descent #2, the crew of the Event Horizon are transported to a hellish realm where the king of the underworld is about to make his entrance. For kaiju lovers, Godzilla Vs. America: Kansas City sees the King of the Monsters rampaging through an American city stuffed with comics creators; plus, Tim Seeley’s ongoing Godzilla [Kai-Sei Era] series continues as G-Force fights new kaiju while Godzilla tunnels under Atlanta.

More quick bites

• Star Wars: October brings more galaxy-far-far-away adventures. Star Wars #6 depicts the New Republic on the brink of war while Luke, Han and Valance face War-era threats; Princess Leia plays her only card. Han Solo: Hunt for the Falcon #2 has Han and Chewie chasing their stolen ship past raptor droids and through a gauntlet of irate Irving boys. Jedi Knights #8 focuses on Soona Taj, a young girl strong in the Force who’s kidnapped by pirates – the story is told through her viewpoint with guest star Kelleran Beq. Doctor Aphra: Chaos Agent #5 reveals who tampered with Aphra’s electro-tattoos after she joined the New Republic to avoid prison, while Boba Fett: Black, White & Red #2 pits the galaxy’s greatest bounty hunter against one of his sneakiest bounties. Also, Hyperspace Stories – Tides of Terror #3 sees water flooding the Axil Research Station as Kit Fisto battles sabotage, and Tales from the Nightlands #2 continues Luke Skywalker’s nightmares about the boogeyman Nightlander.
• New York Comic Con teasers: DC announced two Gotham-centric Black Label series: Sirens: Love Hurts by Tini Howard & Babs Tarr starring Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Catwoman and Black Canary in a Sex and the City-style romp, and Absolute Catwoman by Scott Snyder, Chey Grayson and Bengal.
• IDW Dark 2026: the horror imprint previewed upcoming books including Smile: For the Camera (a psychological horror set at New York Fashion Week) and A Quiet Place: Storm Warning, a new story in the silent horror universe; plus The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace and Operation: Iron Coffin, a Dracula-infused WWII adventure.
• Other oddities: Titan’s Little Nightmares and Craniacs may be joined by Titan’s Savage Sword of Conan reprints; Dark Horse’s Archie vs Minor Threats #4 promises crime, milkshakes and magic in a crossover finale; and DSTLRY’s G.I. Joe #12 introduces the secret Night Force member Shooter.

Final thoughts

October 2025 feels like the month where publishers collectively decided to smash genres together and see what happens. Between Deadpool crashing Batman’s brooding and mutant revolutionaries fighting Apocalypse’s heir, there’s no shortage of big swings. Horror continues to invade spaces highbrow (30 Days of Night’s return) and lowbrow (Devil on My Shoulder’s revenge spree), while sci-fi fans can look forward to Space Scouts’ cosmic reality show gone wrong and Return to Planet Hulk’s interstellar melee. And if all else fails, remember: when the world outside your window is gone, you can always join a gargoyle for a cuppa on the Baxter Building roof.