New Comics & Collected Editions Releases: DC Comics – January 22 2025

Next week is the 4th new comic book day of 2025! This post covers DC Comics January 22 2025 new releases. Missed this week’s releases? Check out last week’s post covering DC Comics January 15 2025 new releases.

This week in DC Comics: Grell’s Finest Green Arrow, Round 4 of Absolute Diana vs. Death Kaiju, Batman’s eternal youth, Flash family fun, Harley Quinn’s destructive agency, Ewing yucks it up on Metamorpho, Unlimited Justice League members, Doomsday for Superwoman, and more!

The Krisis Pick of the Week: Once again, DC is presenting me with a nearly impossible choice! Catwoman, Detective, Harley Quinn, Justice League, and Superman have all been superlative comics in the past few months. However, I think the cliffhanger in the last issue of makes me most eager to read Green Arrow (2023) #20!

This post includes every comic out from DC Comics January 22 2025, plus collected editions in omnibus, hardcover, paperback, and digest-sized formats.

This isn’t the typical comic releases post you can find on other sites. Why? I explain each collection and review every in-continuity series with a new issue out this week. Plus, for most new releases, I’ll point you to a personally-curated guide within the Crushing Comics Guide to DC Comics to find out how to collect that title in full!

There’s no other website on the internet that can claim that.

And now, onto DC Comics January 22 2025 new releases!

DC Comics January 22 2025 Collected Editions

DC Finest: Green Arrow – The Longbow Hunters TP
(2025 paperback, ISBN 978-1779529916)
See Guide to Green Arrow. Ollie enters the DC Finest line with what is truly his finest story, Mike Grell’s “The Longbow Hunters” mini-series and then the start of Grell’s length run on Arrow’s ongoing series. This is one of my favorite DC comics runs of all time and I think the writing, the pacing, and the artwork absolutely hold up in the modern day.

Highly recommended if you want to see where the myth of the modern version of Green Arrow began!

Green Lantern: War Journal Vol. 2 – The Builder TP
(2025 paperback, ISBN 978-1779528629 / digital)
Sorry, I’m not quite done my Guide to Green Lantern – John Stewart, but I really hope to get to it this year! This conclusion to a year-long Stewart-starring series (with a pinch of Guy Gardner) has some terrific art from Montos colored by Adriano Lucas (the team currently on Green Arrow (2023), as covered below), but the story by Phillip Kennedy Johnson was a hot mess.

Not a war, nor a journal, John doesn’t get much focus as a character in this story of him wandering into a society orbiting a mysterious dark star. He’s just there to let the plot wash over him and say brave things while projecting architectural plans from his ring.

Meanwhile, on Earth, his elderly mother is harassed by energy taking the shape of her past abuser in issue after issue, just constantly teasing out the abuse because that’s Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s #1 most-used theme – domestic violence against women! I would’ve hated this story even without PKJ’s go-to crutch just for how many pages it wastes doing nothing, but that just compounded my hatred.

I love John Stewart so much and Montos is quickly becoming one of my favorite artists, but I hope to never think about this run again beyond when I link it in my guide. I truly hope PKJ can get the help that he needs to process why every single one of his comic runs has a plot point about abusing women.

Read on for a summary of all of the DC Comics January 22 2025 single issue releases!

DC Comics January 22 2025 Physical Comic Releases

Absolute Wonder Woman (2024) #4 (digital) – See Guide to DC Absolute Universe. Kelly Thompson is my favorite comic writer and I am transfixed by Hayden Sherman’s art (and especially his layouts). However, all three of DC’s Absolute line are struggling to maintain their quality and excitement right now with overlong debut arcs.

Whoever decided these books should launch with standard 4-6 issue arcs was a dummy. Part of the magic of Marvel’s Ultimate Universe right now is how enjoyable each issue is on its own.

When it comes to this title, I couldn’t even really tell you how issue #3 different from the first two. Slightly more monster fighting… slightly more origin.

That’s nothing against Thompson as a scripter, because the plot and dialog of this are ace. But, purely from a pacing standpoint, this is feeling like a lovely Wonder Woman Elseworlds original graphic novel at the moment. It’s not shifting into a higher gear.

Black Canary: Best of the Best (2024) #3 (digital) – This is a series has art by the always-extraordinary Ryan Sook, colored by the legendary Dave Stewart. It is written by Tom King.

Catwoman (2018) #72 (digital) – See Guide to Catwoman. Torunn Grønbekk took over this title with DC All In at issue #69. I think it’s her first DC ongoing after several years at Marvel.

For me, Grønbekk’s voice for Selina Kyle is perfection. I noticed it by the third page of her debut on issue #69. The cadence. The terse, casual observations. I always wonder why writers seem have so much trouble with Catwoman because it is incredibly obvious to me that this is how she should be written.

Apparently it’s also obvious to Grønbekk.

This story is a chilly slow-burn that starts off with Selina finding out she was murdered. Except, clearly she wasn’t – so that’s a deliberate message sent to her. Kyle slowly unwinds the spool of mystery like a cat playing with yarn as Grønbekk navigates her from the familiar confines of Gotham to the wider world.

I think if you love a superheroic Catwoman this won’t hit for you, but if you dug her mid-00s comic that had a more indie feel this will be exactly what you’ve been waiting to get back to.

DC Horror Presents… (2024) #4 (digital) – I read an earlier issue of this horror anthology because it had a Wonder Woman story by the Boulet Brothers(!!!) of Dragula fame, but otherwise haven’t kept up with it. This issue features a pair of tales from Patton Oswalt & Jordan Blum and Brendan Hay & Steve Kostanski.

Detective Comics (1937 / 2016) #1093 (digital) – See Guide to Detective Comics (1987 – Present). I am absolutely 100% obsessed with the new creative team of Tom Taylor and Mikel Janín and the story they are kicking off with on this new run. I have loved every issue so far and this is sparring with Superman to be at the top of my DC heroic pull every month (and this week!).

I was initially skeptical that Taylor could adapt his breezy style from books like Suicide Squad, Titans, and Nightwing to the main stage of Detective Comics.

I needn’t have worried. I forgot this is the same Tom Taylor from Injustice and DCeased. This guy can go a lot darker than his mainstream DC books have been. In fact: it’s what he was most known for before his stellar Nightwing run with Bruno Redondo and Adriano Lucas!

This ‘Tec run definitely starts a bit dark – with child murders and Batman contemplating his morality. If Bruce agreeing to trial and anti-aging drug from an old family friend seems like too obvious of a plot for this opening arc, keep in mind how many early seeds Taylor planted in Nightwing that didn’t pay off for 20 or 30 issues. He’s good at playing a pleasing short game and a rewarding long game at the same time.

Also, we’ve already established that Taylor writes a great Damian, so it was immediately pleasing to see him here!

I am on pins and needles to see where this one goes.

The Flash (2023) #17 (digital) – See Guide to Flash. Si Spurrier continues writing Flash into DC All In. After a mega-arc about extra-dimensional Arc(h?) Angels that I found impossible to make sense out of, Spurrier is now steering things towards simpler stories with a West family vacation to check on Warlord in Skartaris.

The after-effects of that opening arc are still very much in play, with big ramifications for Wally and every member of his family. There are still some big ideas here, just not as hard to follow as when they were driving the entire plot of the big. Even though almost every DC book is a “heroic family” book right now, this is the one that is really leaning in to doing “Super-Kids” with Wally as more of a supporting character in the story so far.

I enjoy the Vasco Georgiev’s art with Matt Herms, which captures a perfectly speedy and carefree vibe, but it’s nothing like the eye-popping work from Ramón Pérez in that mega-arc.

Ultimately this is pleasing (especially if you like the growing West clan) but pretty lightweight. Pick it up from The Flash (2023) #14 for this arc.

Green Arrow (2023) #20 (digital) – See Guide to Green Arrow. This is the third issue of the new All In arc of Arrow penned by Chris Condon, who is also writing Ultimate Wolverine for Marvel.

As much as I love wholesome family vibe Green Arrow, I also adore urban leftist detective Green Arrow – and that’s what this is. The case isn’t the most fascinating story and the issues read quickly, but the extraordinary art from the monomynous Montos adds enough texture to make the pages worth lingering on.

The story is of a climate justice warrior turned climate justice murderer, and as they make their way through the dirty industrialist that Ollie has had to share a handshake and a deal with in the past he finds himself not entirely sympathetic about their deaths. Last issue added some likable supporting cops and a final reveal that puts a slight twist on what we might have assumed about this killer.

I’m definitely hooked! Pick this up with Green Arrow (2023) #18 (issue #17 had a brief teaser from this new creative team, but is onl requied if you want to see the prior family story arc wrapped up with a neat little bow).

Harley Quinn (2021) #47 (digital) – See Guide to Harley Quinn. This new All In run from Elliott Kalan is tickling me pink. Finally, we’ve relocated Harley’s funny bone!

Harley’s comic has been a bit of struggle-bus the past few years. Maybe that’s owing to DC not having that many writers who can maintain her madcap tone with stories that feel weighty, but also because she’s already being used so damn well in G. Willow Wilson’s Poison Ivy (2022).

Kalan is striking a careful balance between Harley spouting non-stop aphorisms, Harley making social commentary, Harley flirting with most things that move, and Harley just being dumb. In the process, he’s set up what is sure to be a quixotic “Harley vs. Gentrification” plot with a stock of lovable new side characters and absurd antagonists.

Never fear – this book isn’t all preaching about the evils of capitalism (although Harley’s vendetta against online commerce last issue came close). Instead, there’s a weird little heart in here about the inner turmoil between the “not in my back yard” urge to keep the things you love the same and the gentrifying urge to want to move up in the world (without caring to look on what you’ve built on top of).

Harley plays both roles in this plot, and that’s part of what makes it so charming. Mindy Lee’s art really sells the jokes. I love Tríona Farrell’s ultra-bright, cartoonish colors, but Lee’s art is busy enough that sometimes Farrell could stand to knock back some of the backgrounds a bit so we can focus on the action.

If you have a love of Harley I strongly recommend checking out issue #44, which is the start of this Kalan run and very nearly a perfectly-executed comic book.

Justice League Unlimited (2024) #3 (digital) – See Guide to Justice League. This is it – the ostensible Center Ring of DC’s present day circus of continuity. This is the main Justice League book, despite it picking up the “unlimited” adjective that usually belongs to Marvel Comics.

Why unlimited? Because this is a Justice League that has any cast that a mission requires. The Trinity are joined by Black Lightning as their fourth main player, but we’ve also seen Firestorm, Star Sapphire, Shazam and Mary Marvel, Kid Flash, Blue Beetle, Doctor Occult, Martian Manhunter, and more in the field, plus Mister Terrific and Red Tornado as the strategic minds in the Watchtower, and the pair of Atoms in a side plot that leads to their own book Justice League: The Atom Project (2024). Plus, easily another two dozen characters in the margins of the story, as seen in the many other books that connect to this Justice League relaunch.

Any comic (or era of comics) that uses a massive cast of beloved characters is usually a bit hit with me. It’s a big part of why I loved Krakoa, and it got me immediately on board with this run.

Beyond my affinity for this style of super-community book, I think the first two issues from Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Tamra Bonvillain, & Ariana Maher are about as strong as any superhero comic could be. Characters are voiced consistently with big, bold action beats that show off the best of their powers. Smaller characters get bigger moments, since they don’t have their own books. Both issues #1 and #2 had some genuinely emotional moment – of two very different emotions.

And, this isn’t a single-minded book. The first two issues introduced a pair of very different conflicts, plus a C-plot introduced in the stinger of issue one, and the looming issue of heroes with swapped powers that will continue to play out here alongside Atom Project.

If you love big, bombastic, high-gloss superheroics in the DC universe, this is the book to be reading. I’d encourage you to check out All In Special (2024) #1 before jumping in just because it’s great, but you can also easily start with issue #1.

Little Batman: Month One (2024) #3 (digital) – An adorable kid version of Batman as the son of Batman by Morgan Evans with terrific art from Jon Mikel, but be warned – this isn’t an All Ages series! The cover says it is 13+, which makes me question who its for. (Not me.)

Metamorpho: The Element Man (2024) #2 (digital) – This is Al Ewing in full-on funny mode, as abetted by the similarly silly Steve Leiber on art.

Leiber is the go-to guy for these sorts of humorous Bronze-Age-flavored books for a reason – because the guy can really aid and abet your punchlines with his expressive characters.

We’ve seen Ewing go funny before on U.S.Avengers (2017), but I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him this silly aside from a random slapstick scene here and there. He’s silly, but there’s still a semblance of plot that will introduce you to Metamorpho’s character, powers, and supporting cast. Plus, it pairs him with another similar hero to create friction and a similar villain for the most possible chemistry puns.

It wasn’t immediately clear to me if the first issue was in present continuity, though it does bear the “All In” corner box granted only to in-continuity books. I guess that underlines the fact that Ewing is going for something timeless here that’s not anchored as closely to the overarching Justice League plot across the DC Universe as most of DC’s other in-continuity titles.

Power Girl (2023) #17 (digital) – See Guide to Power Girl (eventually). I can’t say that Power Girl is the highest on my list of potential guides, partly because certainly a Supergirl Guide would need to come first, but if you demand it then it could happen!

I’m mildly entertained by this Leah Williams series. I really dug the Adriana Melo in issue #16 and it had a well-paced fight.

My hesitation on the entire run is that I feel like I only got a glimpse at a character that feel distinct and specific in the first few issues of the book. I know so many people who love Power Girl from her decades of Pre-Flashpoint appearances, but there’s not much of a character to love here. Aside from being a bit hot-headed and quick-to-act, she feels like a random stock character.

In fact, if you simply rebranded this Supergirl and redrew PG’s costume in every panel, I’d hardly blink.

In a world where both characters exist, I think you need to do a little bit more to make Power Girl feel distinct – or else there’s really no point in bringing her back.

I love that Leah Williams has finally found a Big Two character she can write for an extended run, but after eighteen months I feel like this series should be doing more for its leading lady.

If you want to decide for yourself, the past arc begins with Power Girl (2023) #14, but this issue is being billed as a fresh start!

Superman (2023) #22 (digital) – See Guide to Superman (1987 – Present). I don’t know how Joshua Williamson manages to deliver such a perfect Superman comic book every damn month, but he’s been doing it for nearly two years now with no signs of slowing down. And, now he’s got Dan Mora drawing the book – one of the biggest of the big guns and sales draws that DC has to deploy. (Yes, he is also drawing Justice League Unlimited! HOW?!)

In fact, last issue may have been the best issue in the entire run so far, which is saying a lot for a run that immediately climbed to the top of my DC pull list and has never once descended from its perch. It was literally the first book I caught up with when I got back to DC in December.

This comes with the caveat that right now the story is focused on both Lois having powers AND on Doomsday, and if those are plot beats you dislike then they aren’t going to work for you.

However, Lois having powers is consistent with the status quo of the entire DC Universe after Absolute Power, and Doomsday is being used in a fascinating way that makes him more than just a force of destruction.

While I think even the mildest of Superman fans ought to pick this up from issue #1, the newest jumping on point is Superman (2023) #19 – but don’t miss Superwoman Special (2024) #1 which fits neatly after issue #20.

Wonder Woman (2023) #17 (digital) – See Guide to Wonder Woman. At this point, we all know I’m an avowed non-fan of Tom King, but I had nearly a year of this series sitting unread on DC Infinite so I took the plunge.

I regret it so much.

To me this is the most offensive Wonder Woman run of all time. I think that’s disguised by the fact that she has a BIG WRITER on the title with sumptuously gorgeous art and what feels like a huge, sustaining plot.

Yet, when you read more closely, the cracks in this facade are exposed. Tom King fundamentally does not understand Diana as a character. Ever since the start he has never had a handle on her voice. Sometimes she reacts to thing in a way that’s consistent with her 80 years of history, but just as often she does not. And, when King goes inside her head for her internal monologue and her self-image, the problem gets even worse.

(Let’s not get into King’s characterizations of the three Wonder Girls, whose inclusion he has positioned as a late-breaking realization that he could have more women in the book, but who he writes as a Greek chorus of stern morons.)

Part of the issue is that Tom King centers this series, as he centers every series, on men. Even when he allows us to occasionally spend an issue with Diana in her own comic, it is packed with the smarmy narration of his villain “The Sovereign.” I’m not saying we can’t have a villain, or that we can’t have them sometimes narrate. But, this entire comic feels like The Sovereign’s comic, and everything we know or observe about Diana is via his perceptions of her.

Then there is Steve Trevor. I understand he is a huge part of Wonder Woman lore, but it’s interesting how much male authors center him and Diana’s feelings for him while female authors often just… don’t.

This run only centers him and Diana’s feelings about him, but he is the entire focal point of the run. Diana is so rocked over a development with Steve that she makes the relatively rash decision to have his baby.

That’s what this Woman Woman run is about – how Wonder Woman is so secondary to the men in her life that her entire comic should be about them, and that she ought to be reduced to the role of a mother to her adopted daughters and he new actual daughter (who King fawn’s over in dull kiddy back-up stories in every issue).

Superman and Batman are parents now, and there seemed to be a directive – editorially or by King – to make Wonder Woman their equal. Except, we know that both in comic books and in the world that no one gives the credit and attention to strong moms that they give to barely-participatory dads.

King wasn’t allowed to do it in canon for Catwoman, but somehow he got permission to do it to the most famous female superhero in the world.

And, you know what? Good writing forgives all. This development written by Kelly Sue DeConnick would probably land better for me, but KSD wouldn’t write a whole goddamn series about men swinging their dicks around and call it “Wonder Woman.”

There is ONE good issue in this run. One. Wonder Woman (2023) #10 focuses entirely on Wonder Woman and Cheetah and how they are not truly each others antithesis in the same manner of Batman and Joker or Superman and Lex. There were still many moments in it that made me groan, and I still hated the narration, but the core of the King’s idea was very true.

I wish I could call this entire series disposable, but it will have unfortunate long-term effects on my favorite character that will likely never be reversed.

That’s for DC Comics January 22 2025 new releases! What were you already pulling? And, did I convince you to check out anything new? Sound off in the comments below.