New Comics & Collected Editions Releases: DC Comics – April 2 2025

Next week is the 14th new comic book day of 2025! This post covers DC Comics April 2 2025 new releases. Missed this week’s releases? Check out last week’s post covering DC Comics March 26 2025 new releases.

This week in DC Comics: Absolute Al Ewing strips down the Lantern myth, a return to the original Elseworlds, Ram V’s rebirth of Resurrection Man, Atom Project blows up, a perfect Finest Peacemaker, Poison Ivy chooses between man and marsh, Secret Six’s strained queer relationships, and more!

The Krisis Pick of the Week: This might be a bit of a dark horse pick over new Absolute books, a new arc of Birds of Prey, and the return of Resurrection Man, but my pick this week is Secret Six (2025) #2! Actor turned DC author Nicole Maines really captured my imagination with her first issue and Stephen Segovia is on a continued hot streak of arc after his recent work in the Spawn Universe. More below on why I’m so enamored with this book based on it’s first issue.

This post includes every comic out from DC Comics April 2 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 April 2 2025 new releases!

DC Comics April 2 2025 Collected Editions

DC collected editions tend to hit the bookmarket on the same day as the Direct Market (or one day prior), so all of these DC Comics April 2 2025 collected editions should also be available from your local bookseller next week!

Absolute Batman: Zero Year
(2025 slipcased oversize hardcover, ISBN 978-1799500230)
See Guide to Batman (1986 – Present). For the rest of time, whenever an Absolute Edition of a DC hero is released we’re going to have to say, “No, not DC Absolute Universe Batman, a Batman Absolute edition.”

Anyhow, this is an absolute I never knew anyone wanted. I suppose by definition some people want it purely for being more of Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo’s run in absolute format. This is the third book, though by my count I think a few issues have been skipped along the way – so you can’t have all of Snyder’s run in continuous Absolute, just some of it.

Generally Absolute Editions aren’t all about collecting a run in full unless it’s a Vertigo series, but it seems particularly careless for this one to leave such a big gap after Death of the Family. Maybe a future Absolute with gather together the abandoned odds and ends, but that’s honestly a shitty reading experience.

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight – The Kryptonian Age
(2025 hardcover, ISBN 978-1799500964 / digital)
See Guide to DC Elseworlds & Alternate Earths. A collection of the return to the original Elseworlds setting – Gotham by Gaslight! Veteran writer Andy Diggle and Leandro Fernández explore the crash of a strange meteor into Victorian-era Gotham.

Batman: Off-World
(2025 paperback, ISBN 978-1799504900 / digital)
See Guide to Batman (1987 – Present). This mini-series is Jason Aaron’s first work for DC! It took an early-career Batman to space for a brutal, pulpy adventure that sometimes had some challenges in scope when it came to just how far it could break Bruce and still have him bounce back for more. But, if you’re more focused on pulpy action than any kind of realistic grounding, this was a neon dream.

DC Finest: Peacemaker – Kill for Peace
(2025 paperback, ISBN 978-1799500988)
This is a way to use the DC Finest line that I absolutely love, which is “let’s basically collect every significant story of this minor character from the Silver Age to the year 2000 into one book.” I wish Marvel would use their Epic Collections this way more often!

Of course, in this case the minor character is not really all that minor because it’s Peacemaker, one of James Gunn’s pet favorites in the DC film universe. But, Peacemaker really has very few continuity stories, as I discovered last year while mapping a potential omnibus for him for the Tigereyes poll.

Since this is an omnibus-sized paperback at 632 pages, let’s compare contents, shall we?

This book contains Fightin’ Five (1964) #40-41, The Peacemaker (1967) #1-5, The Vigilante (1983) #36-38 & 41-43, Peacemaker (1988) #1-4, Suicide Squad (1987) #27-30, Checkmate (1988) #16-26, 28, & 32-33, Showcase ’93 (1993) #6-11, & Eclipso (1992) #11-13.

Our proposed map of this same era of contents was Peacemaker (1967) #1-5, Vigilante (1983) #36-43, Peacemaker (1988) #1-4, Invasion! #2 (1988) (could be excerpted), Blasters Special #1 (1989) (excerpts only), the core issues of the “Janus Directive” crossover (Suicide Squad #27, Checkmate #16, SS28, CM17, SS29, CM18, SS30), War of the Gods #4 (excerpts only), featured stories from Showcase ’93 (1993) #6-11, Eclipso (1992) #11-14 (last appearance for a while). I suspect we’ll skip Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #87, Checkmate #19-28, Justice League Europe #17, and Checkmate #32-33, for either being too long or not relevant.

I’d say we got pretty close! The big difference was that this book adds Fightin’ Five (1964) #40-41 and skips the recommended excerpts and the final Eclipso (1992) issue, but includes all of the issues of Checkmate (1988) that I deemed slightly less relevant than the rest.

Could there be a second DC Finest Peacemaker volume? I don’t think so. Other than appearing throughout Blue Beetle (2006), Peacemaker really doesn’t have any more continuity appearances and in backups to Booster Gold #28-29, Peacemaker doesn’t have any continuity appearances prior to New 52.

From the DC Vault: Death in the Family – Robin Lives
(2025 paperback, ISBN 978-1799500957 / digital)
See Guide to Robin(s). This is rework of the iconic “Death in the Family” – which featured fans voting to kill Jason Todd via a telephone toll line. What might have happened if they voted for him to live?

The original story was written by Jim Starlin, but here we have equally-classic writer J. M. DeMatteis revisiting the original story by starting not with the death of Robin, but the death of … The Joker?!

Gotham City: Year One
(2025 paperback, ISBN 978-1799503859 / digital)
See Guide to Batman (1986 – Present). A paperback recollection of the 2022 Tom King & Phil Hester series exploring a pre-Batman Gotham with pre-Batman Detective Comics (1937) star Sam “Slam” Bradley interacting with Bruce’s grandfather.

Jimmy Olsen’s Supercyclopedia
(2025 digest-size paperback, ISBN 978-1799500933 / digital)
An original all-ages graphic novel of Jimmy Olsen documenting his brushes with superheroism and that leading to his own adventure! Clearly this isn’t in continuity, since it features a black Jimmy Olsen, but it looks like a different black Jimmy Olsen than the character model for My Adventures with Superman. It’s the multiverse of black Jimmy Olsens!

Punk Rock Jesus
(2025 paperback, ISBN 978-1799500995 / digital)
A reprint of Sean Murphy’s 2012 Vertigo title about a reality TV resurrection of Jesus Christ! I am sure I’ve got a hardcover of this somewhere deep in the stacks, but I can’t remember if I ever read it!

Read on for a summary of all of the DC Comics April 2 2025 single issue releases!

DC Comics April 2 2025 Physical Comic Releases

Want to see each one of these DC Comics April 2 2025 single issues reviewed in one minute or less? Check out my weekly live stream “The Pull List” on YouTube!

Absolute Green Lantern (2025) #1 (digital) – See Guide to Absolute Universe. It’s time for our sixth Absolute Universe title as the second Wave of books continues!

Here, Al Ewing launches a reimagined Green Lantern Mythos, which line architect Scott Snyder described as, “Ewing wants to keep everything core, but what if instead of the Lanterns being space police they were space outlaws?”

The solicit adds to that, “Without the Corps… without the ring… without the willpower, what’s left of the Absolute Green Lantern?”

Absolute Superman (2024) #6 (digital) – See Guide to Absolute Universe. This title continues to be one of my favorite Superman reimaginings of all time… and certainly one of the most gorgeous. I always take a special delight in Superman being one of the best comics in the industry.

Last issue saw Jason Aaron, Rafa Sandoval, Ulises Arreola, & Becca Carey interweaving the narrative of Krypton’s delayed destruction in the past with Kal-El’s barely-contained rage in the present. I think it was a smart move to integrate both halves of the narrative rather than continuing to alternate between them. That’s fine for establishing an origin story (which this did in issue #3), but if you continue to keep two sides of a plot quarantined in alternating issues it kills the momentum of your storytelling.

Instead, we saw the raging environment of Krypton boiling over into climactic scenes of destruction, which bled across the split narrative to make Kal-El’s anger seem even more explosive.

I did have a few quibbles with issue #5 – I think the crowd scenes on Krypton lost the clarity of their physical geography, and I think the complete lack of Lois in the present day made it feel slightly disconnected to issues #2 & 4 where she was the lead.

However, the positives far outweighed the negatives. Seeing the people of Krypton dying despite the House of El coming so close to heading off disaster was surprisingly emotional. And, seeing Kal-El unable to contain his emotions in the present at the idea of someone taking innocent lives was the perfect narrative to intercut with that.

Batgirl (2024) #6 (digital) – See Guide to Batgirl (eventually). Despite my love of Cassandra Cain and the spectacular art and colors on this book, I’m starting to think Tate Brombal and I simply disagree too strongly on what makes a great comic script.

Last issue we finally were through with what felt like a never-ending  establishing story of what this book will be about. What to do with out newfound narrative freedom? Let’s have Cass get captured and have a lengthy non-continuity dream sequence… that’s a great use of panel time and of the legendary art talents of Takeshi Miyazawa. (/sarcasm)

I’m so angry about this book. I’m still reading because I want Batgirl to be a sustaining solo brand at DC and I think there is so much to explore with Cassandra Cain. But, as I say every month, it’s hard to root for this title when it’s failing so hard at storytelling fundamentals while also coming out on the same release week as a better Batgirl book with Birds of Prey (2023).

Birds of Prey (2023) #20 (digital) – See Guide to Birds of Prey. After a briefly shaky transition from the first mega-arc to the second more contained story, Kelly Thompson seems to have hit her stride on delivering a non-stop string of satisfying issues of this all-ladies team.

Last issue resolved a quick two-and-done arc with terrifically choreographed fight scenes from Juann Cabal that leaned into the connection between Black Canary & Sin and the comedy between Barda & Batgirl.

Now, Sami Basri (WHO I LOVE) is back on art duties for an arc that unites the core foursome against a new set of villains.

This is the way to do Big Two comics in 2025. Quick arcs of varying lengths. Conflict that deepens the characters. Understanding what clicks about your book and leaning into it rather than saving it to revisit later.

I don’t know how sales are on this title because I barely pay attention to these things, but it’s neck-and-neck with MacKay’s Avengers and Camp’s Ultimates for being my favorite team title in all of comics right now.

DC Horror Presents: Creature Commandos (2024) #6 (of 6) was delayed to next week.

JSA (2024) #6 (digital) – See Guide to Justice Society. Jeff Lemire’s JSA continues to fail to tell a coherent, compelling story on every single page. It’s many brief setups with zero context on the characters. There’s no time to sink in.

We’re five issues in and we still aren’t reading a story about the JSA, just the back and forth about two or three of them being captured and released and re-captured.

I’m hoping that this issue ends a belabored first arc about a siege that never made much sense to begin with so we can see the JSA actually doing something interesting, instead of two and three page increments of them exclaiming “Oh no… we’re trapped!” over and over again.

Justice League: The Atom Project (2025) #4 (of 6) (digital) – See Guide to Justice League (for now). Last issue hit a perfect turning point for a middle chapter of a mini-series.

I’ve had my doubts about this book and the way it was juggling multiple lead characters across multiple timeframes. But, in issue #3 Ryan Parrott and John Ridley closed the loop on their back and forth story at just the right moment. They finished explaining why Captain Atom has so many powers just in time to thwart his suicide by technology in the present day.

I think three issue is the perfect length to let an establishing mystery of a comic stretch out. I’m not saying you can’t lay longer threads of plot and let them spool out over a year or two. But, when it comes to explaining the premise of your book, you can’t take until the end of the first arc and beyond to keep dangling that thread in front of readers.

(In fact, I think that is what turned fans against Zeb Wells’s run of Amazing Spider-Man (2022) more than anything about MJ or Paul.)

Now we have all of the pieces on the board. We know how far the two Atoms have come in trying to fix the swapped powers of DC’s meta-humans, and we understand why Captain Atom has become more meta than ever before. Now we can move forward into the ethics of both situations, as the Atoms debate the right thing to do and Captain Atom’s powers make him as much a danger as he is a hero.

Poison Ivy (2022) #32 (digital) – See Guide to Harley Quinn (for now). After feeling like both this title and its titular character have been lost in the wilderness for several issues running, last issue finally snapped back to the sort of story that earned this book such a loyal legion of fans.

It told an eco horror story of the (former) town of Marshview ripped right from real life. It wasn’t supernatural horror but horticultural horror – nature fighting to reclaim itself from man. The creeping suspense brought back a level of tension to the book that has been missing these past few issues of Ivy wandering from place to place.

Now we’ve got that as the core of Ivy’s story. She often sides with nature, but is she really on the side of a sinister marsh that has a seemingly unsated appetite for human lives? Will she feel compelled to side with it at she words to connect to and negotiate with The Green? Or, is this the case of a mouse pulling a thorn from a lion’s paw… is there something she needs to fix?

I’m not sure how it will go, but after my attention had begun to wander away from the issues after #26, now I’m back to eagerly awaiting the next issue.

Resurrection Man: Quantum Karma (2025) #1 (of 6) (digital) – See Guide to Resurrection Man (eventually). I love Resurrection Man. Love. It was one of my favorite reads of DC New 52 and I was utterly shocked that it didn’t become a breakout hit because the idea of a non-superhero whose powers just won’t let him die invites so many cool interpretations.

Not only didn’t it become a hit, it was canceled after 12 issues and a #0, and then Resurrection Man got stuffed back into the black hole of forgotten characters he was after his original late 90s series. He’s appeared a few scant times in the past decade and that’s it.

Next week, Ram V & Anand RK are bringing him back in a Black Label maxi-series. The minor problem? Black Label books are explicitly not in continuity. Ram V’s solution? He’s using that to lean into the idea that ever prior Resurrection Man story is in continuity to this series – even though his New 52 series slightly conflicts with his original run.

I have every single Resurrection Man appearance bagged and boarded in a stack for a bind that never materialized, so I think it might be time to start enjoying those 40-some issues as a catch-up read each month for this series.

Secret Six (2025) #2 (digital) – See Guide to Secret Six (eventually). I found the first issue of this book by Nicole Maines and Stephen Segovia incredibly charming and I’m excited to see how the story continues to develop.

What worked for me is that it started with relationships – between Jon Kent and Jay Nakamura, and the two of them and Dreamer. I think too many writers at DC are precious about both the platonic and romantic relationships of their queer characters. They have them fall instantly in love and have unbreakable friendships. I know that’s partly because LGBTQA* audiences tend to riot when their favorite ships are broken apart.

However, Maines came into this with the idea that things aren’t perfect between Jon and Jay. Why should they be? They are far too young to be moving in together and then moving to a totally new city with no support system. They just went through unbelievable trauma, including Jon losing agency over his body and Jay seeing his mother die. And, they’re starting to keep little secrets from each other.

What a fantastic idea to take that unstable relationship, lean into the instability, introduce a third wheel in the form of Dreamer – who Jon adores and Jay now despises – unite them in their common hated of Amanda Waller, and then shove all three of them into the pressure cooker of a super team-up none of them were asking to join that includes a pair of villains.

I have no idea how this relates to classic Gail Simone Secret Six, but as far as I’m concerned it’s exactly the story I want from a book like this. Maines’s script is snappy. Segovia’s art looks evolved even from how great it has looked on Spawn titles in recent months. I’m ready for more.

Teen Titans Go! (2025) #2 (digital) – See Guide to DC Elseworlds and Alternate Earths. DC launched this new ongoing after years of sticking with OGNs to support a new season of the show that’s airing now.

Two-Face (2024) #5 (of 6) (digital) – See Guide to Detective Comics (1987 – Present), since this is an outgrowth of backups in Ram V’s run on Detective Comics (1937 / 2016).

Last issue of this Christian Ward series gave us a brief repackaging of Harvey’s origins, tracing the Two-Face identity back to his childhood habit of sealing away his pain. It was well-constructed but a quick read that didn’t give us much present day plot.

Now that we know that this series could have been extended to 12 issues but is remaining capped at six, I question how many big moves can happen before this mini-series ends. I suspect it will just return Harvey to his dual-identity status quo.

That’s for DC Comics April 2 2025 new releases! What were you already pulling? And, did I convince you to check out anything new? Sound off in the comments below.