Absolute Batman

Next week is the 2nd new comic book day of 2025! This post covers DC Comics January 8 2025 new releases. Missed this week’s releases? Check out last week’s post covering DC Comics January 1 2025 new releases.

This week in DC Comics: A shocking Aquaman collection, a hunk of Ellis Stormwatch, a new superstar run on Action Comics, creepy Dark Patterns for Batman, a Fractured Spectrum of Lanterns, and more!

The Krisis Pick of the Week: Batman: Dark Patterns (2024) #2! I cannot get the first issue of this Dan Watters & Hayden Sherman comic out of my head. Sherman’s page layouts were mind-blowing, as was the final page twist in both art and story. More about why I’m so excited below.

This post includes every comic out from DC this week, 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 8 2025 new releases!

DC Comics January 8 2025 Collected Editions

The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries Vol. 5
(2025 paperback, ISBN 978-1779528582 / digital)
Collects The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries (2024) #1-6. These stories are more or less standalone, so you don’t have to worry about picking up Volumes 1-4.

Birds of Prey Vol. 2: Worlds Without End
(2025 paperback, ISBN 978-1779528575 / digital)
See Guides to Birds of Prey. This is very much the epic conclusion to the set-up in Volume 1, so I would not recommend starting here! This is easily one of the most-binge-able books of the past year full of action, humor, and tremendous colors from Jordie Bellaire. You can read more of my thoughts on the run in last week’s DC New Releases post.

DC Finest – Aquaman: King of Atlantis (DC Finest, Silver Age Vol. 1)
(2025 paperback, ISBN 978-1779529893 / digital TBA)
See Guide to Aquaman. This is the most interesting DC Finest volume yet! Not only does it collect material in color for the first time, but it does something I don’t think anyone would have predicted!

Generally, DC has always treated Adventure Comics (1938) #260 from May 1959 as the beginning of Silver Age stories for Aquaman and their collections have reflected that. An old Showcase collection starts there. Issue #260 is collected with “origins” collections and Aquaman’s anniversary collections.

Yet, this book reaches back to begin with Adventure Comics (1938) #229-259, which began in October 1956 – the same month Barry Allen debuted as Flash in Showcase (1956) #4.

Generally, the beginning of the Silver Age at DC Comics isn’t treated as something that happened all at once. Flash got things started in an obvious way because he was a brand new character (as was Hal Jordan as Green Lantern), but the start of the Silver Age for the Trinity and Aquaman tends to have more to do with when their origins were redefined to their definitive Earth-1 pre-Crisis versions.

As DC Silver Age collections go, this is a pretty wild development! All of the other various breakpoints between Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Post-Crisis ages are well-defined down to the issue. I had to change elements of my guide to reflect this new break point.

I am SO EXCITED to own and read this material in color!!! This is one of the books that nudged me over the line to start picking up DC Finest Collections despite having a relatively slim collection of physical DC Comics outside of Wonder Woman. [Read more…] about New Comics & Collected Editions Releases: DC Comics – January 8 2025