Following last year’s Deadpool/Batman and celebrating the 50th anniversary of Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man, the first-ever Marvel/DC crossover, Marvel and DC unite again this April in Marvel’s Spider-Man/Superman #1! Like last year’s crossover, fans can look forward to a double-dose of history-making comic book storytelling with DC publishing a separate one-shot, Superman/Spider-Man, in March.
The lead story where Spider-Man and Superman join forces will be written by New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer in his first full-length Marvel Comics story, and drawn by one of Marvel’s most acclaimed artists, Pepe Larraz. In addition, the one-shot will feature various bonus stories by a monumental lineup of industry talent, each co-starring Marvel and DC characters, including a few surprises readers will be talking about for the next fifty years!
Here’s what to expect:
THWIP, THWIP AND AWAY! Brad Meltzer and Pepe Larraz pit SPIDER-MAN and SUPERMAN against LEX LUTHOR and NORMAN OSBORN as their greatest villains exploit some of their greatest weaknesses!
In the shadow-laden 1930s, SPIDER-MAN NOIR encounters the original GOLDEN AGE SUPERMAN as told by Dan Slott and Marcos Martin!
Geoff Johns delivers his first Marvel story in over 20 years, teaming up with frequent collaborator and fellow superstar Gary Frank! A crisis ensues as the hit creative team bring the Super- and Spider-families against each together at the summons of MYSTERIO…but is their true foe an ally out of control?!
SYMBIOTE hordes invade Metropolis as a new War of the Realms ignites in Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman’s epic reunion starring Jane Foster as the Mighty Thor, Wonder Woman and more!
Co-creator of STEEL Louise Simonson and artist Todd Nauck hammer out the tale of John Henry Irons’ clash with the HOBGOBLIN.
Current Amazing Spider-Man scribe Joe Kelly and artist Humberto Ramos deliver a campus crossover between GWEN STACY and LANA LANG!
SPIDER-MAN (MILES MORALES) teams up with SUPERMAN in a tale by Miles’ legendary co-creators, Brian Michael Bendis, who recently made his grand return to Marvel, and Sara Pichelli!
And more!
Spider-Man/Superman will include a main cover by Pepe Larraz and an assortment of stunning variant covers by top artists, some of which reflect the one-shot’s bonus stories. Fans can check out variant covers by Sara Pichelli, Walter Simonson, Greg Capullo, Marcos Martin, Ryan Stegman, Peach Momoko, Erik Larsen, Jerome Opeña, Gary Frank, and Russell Dauterman along with a wraparound cover by Kaare Andrews and a Foil Cover by Mark Bagley. A Logo Mash-Up Variant Cover will also be available as well as covers by Ivan Talavera, E.M. Gist, Adam Hughes, Skottie Young, Frank Miller, Humberto Ramos, David Marquez, and Sanford Greene.
REIGN OF THE SUPERBOYS HEATS UP! Superboy Prime gets a new real-life job with a new secret identity while he protects Metropolis from dangerous threats! But there is a whole DC Comics universe out there for him to explore, and the fanboy in him wants to see it all… Too bad there are heroes who don’t trust him and think he should be locked up!
After the shocking events of DC K.O., Superman is missing. But one hero steps up to take his place…Superboy Prime?! Normally, Prime has only been part of massive DC events, but now he gets a real shot at showing the world he can be just as great a hero as Superman! Superman #36 kicks off a new direction for the series as a new Superman takes center stage.
Superman has been a series I’ve read off and on over the decades, rarely lasting for a long time. My knowledge of Superboy Prime is very limited beyond he’s done some horrible stuff. So, going into Superman #36 was pretty much a blank page as this version of Superman has taken over as the original one has disappeared at the end of the recent event DC K.O. Generally, the issue does a good job of catching up readers with what they need to know about Superboy Prime as he gets settled into his new life and attempts to shed his questionable past.
Joshua Williamson keeps the comic moving with a wink throughout the issue. There’s a lot of talk about Superboy Prime’s knowledge of the DC characters, who are just comics in his world, giving the series a fourth wall breaking vibe that we’ve seen in Deadpool and especially Gwen-pool who also have similar concepts baked within. But, there’s something a bit more going on here in the small details, for instance Lois’ outfit which is similar to a popular one from the recent Superman film. The comic is aware of the fun it can have and goes all in with swooning women, and a main character with a massive ego and not much of a clue. This is the asshat we want to see if he can redeem himself but also features a big ominous flashing warning underneath it all.
As mentioned, the art has fun with the concept of the comic. Dan Mora‘s work with color by Alejandro Sanchez and lettering by Ariana Maher pops. It’s clear that the team is having fun here with so many references and small details that show off just a love of Superman comics and history. Lois’ outfit mentioned above, certain poses, comic covers, it all comes together for a comic that has a hell of a lot of fun with itself and concept. The action looks great, the characters, just everything about this shines and shows off why Mora is such a beloved artist.
Superman #36 is fun. It takes an overused concept and unlikeable character and delivers it all at a level and in a way that you want to come back. It breaks the mold in some ways in expectations and just goes all out with its concept while not going over the top with it. It’s a joke to read that delivers pop culture excitement and entertainment.
Story: Joshua Williamson Art: Dan Mora Color: Alejandro Sanchez Letterer: Ariana Maher Story: 8.45 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
THE REIGN OF THE SUPERBOYS BEGINS! After the shocking events of DC K.O., Superman is missing. But one hero steps up to take his place… Superboy Prime?! Normally, Prime has only been part of massive DC events, but now he gets a real shot at showing the world he can be just as great a hero as Superman! Superstar artist Dan Mora returns to Superman for an action-packed and fun adventure that changes the face of the DC Universe!
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Frank Miller‘s legendary graphic novel, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns with Hot Toys’ stunning new Superman 1/6 Scale Collectible Figure.
DC Comics’ influential classic redefined Batman and left a significant mark on the super hero genre. This dystopian tale presents an aging Bruce Wayne emerging from retirement to reclaim the mantle of Batman as Gotham City plunges further into chaos. Meanwhile, the Man of Steel has become a covert enforcer for the government.
Based on his imposing appearance in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, the Superman 1/6 Scale Collectible Figure expertly captures the distinctive art style of the comic series. The figure features two detailed headsculpts that bring the character to life. The first captures his stoic, authoritative expression, while the second features a battle-damaged look with clenched teeth and bloodied paint application. Both portraits are equipped with an amazing rolling eyeball design for nuanced poses, plus a specially applied UV luminous reflective effect, allowing collectors to recreate Superman’s menacing heat vision under UV light!
Standing at approximately 13.38 inches (34 cm) tall, this meticulously crafted figure boasts a newly developed muscular body that perfectly portrays Superman’s massive physique. The finely tailored costume features a blue elastic fabric suit with the iconic red and yellow Superman symbol on the chest, and a yellow belt. His red cape is embossed with the yellow Superman symbol and has embedded wire for dynamic poses. A variety of interchangeable hands are also included for even more posing options.
Superman comes with key weaponry from the comic, including a Kryptonite arrow and a damaged sonic gun. The display is completed with a specially designed stand featuring the comic series logo.
THE END IS NIGH! Superman’s time in the tournament has taken its toll. And now Darkseid’s Legion plans to make a massive sacrifice for their lord, and Time Trapper is too late to stop them. Only three unlikely heroes can show the corrupted Legion the light… The end of this issue sets up the end of DC K.O. but also massive status quo changes for Superman!
ROCK OF APOKOLIPS! Darkseid’s plan worked! Earth has been transformed into Apokolips. His Dark Legion prepares the Earth for his imminent arrival. If Superman is locked in the tournament, who can stand up and defeat them?
Following last year’s Deadpool/Batman and celebrating the 50th anniversary of Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man, the first-ever Marvel/DC crossover, Marvel and DC unite again this April in Marvel’s Spider-Man/Superman #1! Like last year’s crossover, fans can look forward to a double-dose of history-making comic book storytelling with DC publishing a separate one-shot, Superman/Spider-Man, in March.
The lead story where Spider-Man and Superman join forces will be written by New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer in his first full-length Marvel Comics story, and drawn by one of Marvel’s most acclaimed artists, Pepe Larraz. In addition, the one-shot will feature various bonus stories by a monumental lineup of industry talent, each co-starring Marvel and DC characters, including a few surprises readers will be talking about for the next fifty years!
Here’s what to expect:
THWIP, THWIP AND AWAY! Brad Meltzer and Pepe Larraz pit SPIDER-MAN and SUPERMAN against LEX LUTHOR and NORMAN OSBORN as their greatest villains exploit some of their greatest weaknesses!
In the shadow-laden 1930s, SPIDER-MAN NOIR encounters the original GOLDEN AGE SUPERMAN as told by Dan Slott and Marcos Martin!
Geoff Johns delivers his first Marvel story in over 20 years, teaming up with frequent collaborator and fellow superstar Gary Frank! A crisis ensues as the hit creative team bring the Super- and Spider-families against each together at the summons of MYSTERIO…but is their true foe an ally out of control?!
SYMBIOTE hordes invade Metropolis as a new War of the Realms ignites in Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman’s epic reunion starring Jane Foster as the Mighty Thor, Wonder Woman and more!
Co-creator of STEEL Louise Simonson and artist Todd Nauck hammer out the tale of John Henry Irons’ clash with the HOBGOBLIN.
Current Amazing Spider-Man scribe Joe Kelly and artist Humberto Ramos deliver a campus crossover between GWEN STACY and LANA LANG!
SPIDER-MAN (MILES MORALES) teams up with SUPERMAN in a tale by Miles’ legendary co-creators, Brian Michael Bendis, who recently made his grand return to Marvel, and Sara Pichelli!
And more!
Spider-Man/Supermanwill include a main cover by Pepe Larraz and an assortment of stunning variant covers by top artists, some of which reflect the one-shot’s bonus stories. Fans can check out variant covers by Sara Pichelli, Walter Simonson, Greg Capullo, Marcos Martin, Ryan Stegman, Peach Momoko, Erik Larsen, Jerome Opeña, and Russell Dauterman along with a wraparound cover by Kaare Andrews and a Foil Cover by Mark Bagley. A Logo Mash-Up Variant Cover will also be available as well as covers by Ivan Talavera, E.M. Gist, Adam Hughes, Skottie Young, Frank Miller, Humberto Ramos, David Marquez, and Sanford Greene.
Even though I didn’t quite live up to my personal goal of writing a full length film review every week, 2025 was a really fun year for me at the cinema. If I had to sum up my viewing in one word, it would be “auteurs”. Seriously, let talented filmmakers like Ryan Coogler, Guillermo Del Toro, and Paul Thomas Anderson cook and have massive budgets, and they will make art that won’t just be discussed on opening weekend, but by posterity. (I’m definitely including/referencing Sinners in my popular music library instruction.)
Here are my 10 favorite movies of 2025. I didn’t watch everything that came out this year, but I loved most of what I saw. (Sorry, Captain America: Brave New World.)
10. The Naked Gun (Akiva Schaffer)
Conservatives claim that comedy is dead, but they just haven’t watched The Naked Gun yet. Liam Neeson is oblivious, deadpan perfection as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., and he and Beth Davenport (Pamela Anderson) have silly chemistry that addsa dollop of romance to the spoof flick. To sweeten the deal, The Naked Gun is under 90 minutes and the most joke-dense film I’ve seen in the cinema in some time. It also roasts the hell out of tech bros and has the most hilarious end credits.
9. Lurker (Alex Russell)
Lurkeris a frighteningly intimate look at the relationship between artist and fan as retail clerk Matthew (Theodore Pellerin) grows closer to British R&B star Oliver (Archie Madekwe). Alex Russell does an excellent job progressively showing Matthew cannibalizing Oliver’s clout while simultaneously ending up becoming the inspiration he needs. A lo-fi score from Kenny Beats and grainy, intrusive cinematography from Pat Scola makes Lurker even more voyeuristic and uncomfortable.
8. Pavements (Alex Ross Perry)
Alex Ross Perry’s Pavements is a five layer movie burrito of documentary, biopic, musical theater, performance art, and tribute all centered around seminal, fiercely anti-commercial 90s rock band Pavement, who has recently reunited and gone on tour. (I was able to see them in 2024 at Riot Fest.) The film hits the right balance between irony and earnestness, and my favorite bits were seeing footage of the Pavement jukebox musical as well as Joe Keery’s quirky performance as the band’s frontman Stephen Malkmus during the biopic segments. As a band, Pavement didn’t care about appealing to the masses and/or Lollapalooza/Alternative Nation, and neither does this film, which makes it great in an era of estate-massaging ego trips disguised as art.
7. Marty Supreme (Josh Safdie)
Marty Supreme is another stressful, entertaining movie from a singular Safdie Brother about a table tennis protege named Marty Mauser (Timothee Chalamet), who must gather enough money to go to the World Championships in Japan with the help of an evil businessman (A perfectly cast Kevin O’Leary), a silver screen star in decline (Gwyneth Paltrow still has her fastball.), and his pregnant childhood friend/situationship (A breakout performance from Odessa D’Azion). The film is set in the 1950s, but is chock-full with 1980s New Wave needle drops that give it that sports movie sheen although Mauser is the epitome of narcissism. However, Chalamet gives his all in the role, and you can’t help but root for him in the end and then shudder about the college boys watching this movie on winter break and seeing him as an aspirational figure. (I want one of those orange ping pong balls though.)
6. The Secret Agent (Kleber Mendonça Filho)
The Secret Agentis a tense sociopolitical thriller set at carnival in Recife, Brazil during the height of the country’s military dictatorship. However, it’s also a film about constructing identities, misinformation, and maybe even the research process. Director Kleber Mendonça Filho and cinematographer Evgenia Alexandrova tap into 1970s sleaze in creating the film’s visual palette with plenty of yellow evoking the classic Brazilian football kit. This, of course, turns to red when shit hits the fan. The main takeaway from the film is the magnetic, yet earnest Wagner Moura as ex-professor/wanted man Armando, who really deserves a Best Actor nomination.
5. Superman (James Gunn)
Like both the epic poems and comic books of yore, James Gunn’s Supermanskips the origin story and plunges into the Man of Steel’s career in media res as he tries to mediate a conflict between Jarhanpur and Boravia, uncover a conspiracy connected to tech billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), dog sit, and maybe even get the girl. In the best way, Superman feels like picking up a random trade paperback with Gunn crafting an entertaining supporting cast that doesn’t take the spotlight away from its titular protagonist’s arc. Above all, Superman is a sincere film, and that starts with David Corenswet’s performance as the Big Blue Boy Scout, who can say “Kindness is the real punk rock” and mean every word. It’s a near-perfect tone setter for James Gunn and company’s vision of the DC Universe.
4. Queens of the Dead (Tina Romero)
Tina Romero queers the horror comedy in the hilarious instant cult classic Queens of the Dead. This film has an elevator pitch to die for, namely, Brooklyn drag queens, queer folks, and one homophobic plumber fight zombies and try to find safety. However, Queens of the Dead isn’t just jokes, gore, and fabulous fits, and Romero and co-writer Erin Judge and actor Jacquel Spivey give anxiety-ridden drag queen Sam a beautiful heroic journey as they try to express themselves artistically in a late capitalist hellscape. And speaking of hellscape, Tina Romero brings plenty of pointed satire to the film that would make her father smile. We should really be on our phones less.
3. Sinners (Ryan Coogler)
Sinnersis an exciting vampire thriller meets blues musical that explores the concept of race and whiteness in the United States. The main juke joint sequence is worth the price of admission alone as director Ryan Coogler and star Miles Caton demonstrate that the history of popular music in the United States is the history of Black music. Caton’s triple threat performance is bolstered by Michael B. Jordan playing a dual role as Stack and Smoke. He has charming chemistry with Hailee Steinfeld, his bi-racial ex-girlfriend. Sinners has real heat to it, and you can smell the sweat and sex of the juke joint as carnal, supernatural, and spiritual unite, and Remmick’s (Jack O’Connell) Irish vampires try to break off a piece of it just like real life artists like Elvis Presley would in the near future. Finally, Sinners might have the best post-credits sequence of all time. (I feel like Buddy Guy playing himself slightly edges out Samuel L. Jackson’s debut as Nick Fury in Iron Man.)
2. One Battle After Another (Paul Thomas Anderson)
Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio) juggles fatherhood and rekindling the ashes of revolutionary spirit in Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic film One Battle After Another. Just like the works of the author that inspired it (Thomas Pynchon), OBAA is more encyclopedia than film with the most exciting car chase scene, the most tender father/daughter moments, and the funniest supporting performance as Benicio Del Toro has the time of his life as the beer-guzzling “Sensei” Sergei. One Battle After Another doesn’t have any clear answers about being a good parent or fighting a cause while still trying to have a life and family, but that makes it all the more compelling and a lovely use of Warner Brothers’ $130 million.
1. Frankenstein (Guillermo Del Toro)
My favorite film of 2025 was Guillermo Del Toro’s none more Goth adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankensteinthat I was thankfully able to see in theatrically courtesy of my local independent theater, The Belcourt. Frankenstein is truly the loveliest film of 2025 with Del Toro and cinematographer Dan Lautsen conjuring frames that look like English Romantic oil paintings, Gustave Dore woodcuts, and Berni Wrightson’s pencil and ink illustrations depending on the mood. This attention to visual detail extends to the exquisite costuming and set design, especially anything Mia Goth’s Lady Elizabeth/Baroness Frankenstein wears. (Yes, this film is quite Freudian.) Frankenstein isn’t a plot beat by plot beat adaptation of the novel, but Del Toro captures the overarching themes about the destructive nature of technology (*cough* Generative AI) and the hubris of humanity. To top it all off, Jacob Elordi gives a truly tragic performance as The Creature, especially in one poignant scene where the Blind Man (David Bradley) teaches him to read and engage with art. (John Milton’s Paradise Lost, of course.)
Honorable Mentions: The Ballad of Wallis Island (James Griffiths), The Bad Guys 2 (Pierre Perifel), Hamnet (Chloe Zhao)
James Gunn turned to social media to announce that Lars Eidinger has been cast as Brainiac in the Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow. Eidinger has a packed career with a mix of television and films with eight upcoming projects including this film.
Gunn has teased that Man of Tomorrow will have Superman and Lex Luthor working together to take on Brainiac.
Brainiac debuted in Action Comics #242 in 1958 and created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino. While there’s been variations to the character, he travels the galaxy shrinking cities to bottle size to preserve them, brings them on his ship, and then destroys the planet. Among those cities is Kandor, the capital of Superman’s home planet of Krypton. It’s unknown if Kandor will make an appearance in the film but the first film’s leaning towards some of the classic elements of Superman would make us believe there’s a good possibility.
The character has appeared in more than just comics but also in the various Superman related television shows, animation, video games, LEGO video games, and was considered for previous Superman films, some that were never made.
