2025 has been a standout year indie comic publishers so far. There’s been numerous outstanding entries in the indie space. In this list, we walk you through ten of our highlights.
Narrowing down this list to just 10 indie comics was an incredibly daunting task, so we enlisted the help of our various contributors, as well as reaching out to our readers on X and Facebook. After a couple of weeks, several titles started to float to the top of our radar.
From horror to fantasy, from big name creators to upcoming comic scribes — here’s the best indie comics of 2025 so far.
Ripperland
From John Harris Dunning (Summer Shadows) and Steve Orlando (Midnighter, Martian Manhunter) is Ripperland, a unique 4-issue comic series from Dark Horse Comics that blends the Jack the Ripper mythos with Westworld. The comic is drawn by Alessandro Oliveri, coloured by Francesca Vivaldi and lettered by Fabio Amelia.
The story takes place in the year 2188, where post-Brexit England now operates as a theme park run by Americans. What’s more, in this new Victorian era London, infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper has returned. The murder of a U.S. mogul sparks Special Agent Jesse Holden to travel to investigate the mysterious killing. Paired with British Police Detective Edwin Fogg, the unlikely duo must work together to solve the case.
The comic brilliantly portrays the colonial power of America, and the aggressive use of that power on the international stage. Cleverly written with gorgeous artwork — it’s a real treat!
Buried Long, Long Ago
Published by Mad Cave, Buried Long, Long Ago is written by Anthony Cleveland with art by Alex Cormack and lettering from Justin Birch. The five-issue miniseries is based on true events, from 1901-1908, in which Belle Gunness lured men to her farm, only to savagely murder them and take their money. She was rumoured to be responsible for upwards of 40 murders. And yet, she never faced trial nor punishment for her evil acts.
This comic has a dark, fairy-tale style — covering the horrific story from the unique perspective of Belle’s children. It’ll shock you to your core, and stick with you long after you finish it.
News from the Fallout
While at this point. News From the Fallout is still only just beginning, it has got all the hallmarks of being an immensely popular series. A gloomy, atmospheric series, News From the Fallout is reminiscent of George A. Romero’s The Crazies, but very much exists in a realm of its own. The comic is created by the esteemed team of writer Chris Condon (That Texas Blood, Enfield Gang Massacre, Ultimate Wolverine) and artist Jeffrey Alan Love (The Last Battle at the End of the World, The Thousand Demon Tree).
News from the Fallout is set in 1962 Nevada after a nuclear bomb test goes awry unleashing a contaminate into the atmosphere that turns people rotten. Otis Fallows, a private in the U.S. Army who is present for the test and is the only known survivor, flees the secret army base in search of a safe haven—but does such a place exist? You can find our review of issue #1 here.
The Wrestler
The Wrestler has very much gone under the radar upon its release in June 2025. A debut work for creator John Kenn Mortensen, The Wrestler follows freestyle wrestler The Sledgehammer, a seasoned, feared fighter who’s never once lost a fight in his career. He simply doesn’t lose, not even to the notorious Painkiller, Handsome Jens, Fezzik the Giant or the Angel of Death. However, there’s a reason he never fails. Earlier in his life, Sledgehammer made a deal with the devil… and the past is catching up to him.
In our review, we gave Mortensen’s debut graphic novel a perfect 5-star rating. In fact, The Wrestler was the first graphic novel that we gave a perfect rating to this year.
You’ll Do Bad Things
Created by the esteemed team of Tyler Boss (What’s The Furthest Place From Here?), artist Adriano Turtulici, and lettering legend Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, You’ll Do Bad Things follows a once-famous true crime writer whose fictional tales become a reality when a serial killer strikes.
The official synopsis reads: In You’ll Do Bad Things, it’s been ten years since the release of He Came in with a Smile, the true crime smash hit that chronicled the brutal murders committed by the Nursery Rhyme Killer. But in the decade since its release, its author Seth Holms hasn’t produced another title. He wants to write a story with a happy ending, but every time his fingers clack across the keyboard it always ends in his character’s death. Worse yet? These tales of blood and barbarity that flow so freely from Seth’s mind are starting to happen in real life.
We hugely admired the work in our review of issue #1, praising its combination of horror elements with a profound critique of the stark impact of true crime.
Be Not Afraid
Be Not Afraid, published by BOOM! Studios, is an ambitious and evocative entry into the realm of horror comics that skillfully explores themes of faith, identity, and the complexities of maternal love.
Written by Jude Ellison S. Doyle, with striking illustrations by Lisandro Estherren and atmospheric coloring by Francesco Segala, the comic offers a compelling narrative that resonates on both a spiritual and psychological level.
The story centers on Cora Reims, a young farm woman who experiences a prophetic vision that leads her to give birth to a Nephilim, an entity caught between the celestial and the mortal worlds. Seventeen years later, this child exhibits increasingly disturbing abilities that not only threaten the natural order but also cast a shadow of fear and suspicion over the local community. The tension builds steadily as Cora grapples with the duality of her son’s existence and the weight of a divine mandate to confront what she has brought into the world.
In her review, our writer Charnice Horne prised the comic as “a striking example of collaborative storytelling at its finest.”
Yucatán 1512
Yucatán 1512, a powerful and visually stunning graphic novel by Spanish artist and writer Alex Vede, offers a fresh perspective on the early stages of European colonization in the Americas. Set during the Age of Discovery, the novel combines historical facts with mythological and supernatural elements, weaving a rich narrative that explores the complexities of guilt, redemption, and the brutal consequences of imperialism.
Through vivid illustrations and compelling storytelling, Vede invites readers to delve into a world of moral ambiguity, where survival, loyalty, and personal transformation intersect with the violence of colonial conquest.
In her review, our writer Charnice Horne said, “Yucatán 1512 is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of history, mythology, and storytelling, and it marks Vede as a talent to watch in the world of graphic novels.”
Assorted Crisis Events
Assorted Crisis Events #1 was the second comic that we scored a perfect 5-stars to in 2025. Since then, we’ve given it another perfect score in its fourth issue. The comic comes from a stellar creative team, including award-winning team of Deniz Camp (Absolute Martian Manhunter), artist Eric Zawadzki (House of El), colourist Jordie Bellaire (Birds of Prey), and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Assorted Crisis Events is an action-packed, chaotic, multi-apocalyptic series pushes the boundaries of the comic medium, while also being grounded enough to tell a very human story.
Assorted Crisis Events is utterly bonkers from the outset. It sets the scene in a word where time has become so distorted that everything happens at once — events and people from the distant past and far future collide. Behind every corner there could be cavemen, medieval knights, cyborg soldiers, and other unlikely entities. And naturally, there’s people cashing in on the end of the world. Every page will shock you, surprise you, or simply bewilder you. If you’re a fan of Doctor Who, Black Mirror, or Crisis on Infinite Earths — this’ll be right up your alley.
Exquisite Corpses
Earlier this year, Forbes hailed Exquisite Corpses as the “the comic event of the year,” and they weren’t wrong. James Tynion IV (Something Is Killing The Children) and Michael Walsh (The Silver Coin, Universal Monsters: Frankenstein) have a major hit on their hands with Exquisite Corpses.
The series is what happens when you blend Tynion’s writing prowess with the brutal, ever-popular ‘Battle Royale’ genre. Think of it as what you’d get if The Purge, The Hunger Games, and Squid Game all had a baby. Add to that a hint of The Running Man, and you’re thinking along the lines of what this comic is. You can read our review of issue #1 here.
We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us
When we reached out to our readers on social media, We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us was far and away one of the most popular picks. The 6-issue Image Comics series is created by the esteemed team of Matthew Rosenberg and Stefano Landini. A story of revenge, it follows and orphaned girl and her dad’s bodyguard robot.
The official synopsis reads: After her mad-scientist father is killed by the world’s greatest spy, 13-year-old Annalise is left all alone in the world. Sort of. Her dead dad’s robot bodyguard is following her around for some reason. Now Annalise has a choice: try to lead a normal life for the first time ever…or seek revenge and maybe overthrow the world order in the process.
What have been your favorite indie comics of 2025? Tell us in the comments down below!
