Top 10 Comic Book Kickstarters for 2025
What were Lifeline Comics' Favorite Comic Kickstarters of the year?
Hello Lifeline Comics Readers.
With 2025 coming to a close, we’re running through our annual “Top 10” lists of comics, movies, and — in this post — Kickstarter Comic Campaigns! We always love taking a moment to spotlight the comic campaigns that have stood out to us throughout the year.
We’ll also announce the launch of our new Axolotl Enamel Pins campaign, and talk about new releases Zootopia 2, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, and more!
Let’s dive in!
LGBTQ+ Axolotl Enamel Pins
Phil: Yesterday, we launched the campaign for a new line of Axolotl Pride Enamel Pins!
“Celebrate Queer Pride with AXOLOTL enamel pins representing different LGBT Flags! GAY, TRANS, LESBIAN, BI, ACE, ARO, PAN, & NONBINARY!”
We’re already funded, so you’re guaranteed to get any pins you pledge for!
Slice of Life: An Anime Character Brought to Life!
The newest issue of “Slice of Life” is almost 80% funded! Help us hit that goal!
“Anime Protagonist, Lady Vengeance, CAME TO LIFE & GOT THE GIRL! What will she do next? Featuring “KPOP DEMON HUNTERS” Homage Cover + Story!”
We Have A Short In The Loud House Volume 25!
Kat: It’s always a pleasure working with Papurcutz and The Loud House. In their newest volume, Phil and I wrote a short where Lisa helps Lola, Lucy, and Lana with their Science Fair Projects…and, of course, things go awry.
Get Holiday Gifts On Our Website
Phil: For a limited time, you have the option to get Comics you order through the Lifeline Comics Website gift wrapped for FREE!
When you open the website, you’ll be prompted to add “FREE GIFT WRAPPING” to your cart. It’s the perfect way to find holiday gifts for your comic-loving friends!
Top 10 Comic Kickstarters of 2025
It’s time for our annual Top 10 Comic Book Kickstarters list. With THOUSANDS of amazing campaigns throughout 2025, we love doing our part to spotlight some of our favorites.
10. Kat’s Pick: Lake Yellowwood Slaughter
Publisher: Goats Flying Press
Writer: Alejandro Arbona
Penciler: Gavin Guidry, Colorist: Chris O’Halloran
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
If you have a known intellectual property, you have an edge when pitching to an entertainment studio to create a TV or movie. Comic books are a cheaper/plausible route for many creators to create an IP to later be adapted into another medium. It’s like a built-in storyboard!
What makes Lake Yellowwood Slaughter so unique is that the team took the complete opposite approach. This story was a screenplay that was never made into a movie. So the creative team decided that they’d use Kickstarter to fund a graphic novel based on their screenplay. And a well-crafted comic at that with a premise that gives a twist on the slasher genre with a veteran comic book artist that mixes gruesome with a slice of life feel.
9. Phil’s Pick: Come Out and Play: The Queer Sports Project
Publisher: Stacked Deck Press
Editors: Megan Praz, Meghan Kemp-Gee
Described by the creators as a “sporty queer comics mixtape”, this anthology is so up our alley. We love a queer anthology with a diverse range of stories, genres and art styles. And Come Out and Play offers exactly that with over 250 pages of story from over thirty contributors (including TONS of awesome names in the indie community).
9. Kat’s Pick: THE TRANSFORMERS Compendium Set
Publisher: Skybound
Creators: Daniel Warren Johnson, Bob Budiansky, and Simon Furman
Skybound is CONSTANTLY one upping themselves year after year breaking their own records and even Kickstarter’s records - funding way over 4 Million Dollars.
Transformers is the perfect book for a Kickstarter audience because it’s selling a premium collection of a title that is already VERY popular in the direct market and in the public consciousness. Comic readers love nostalgia and bringing in heavy hitters like Daniel Warren Johnson sells this once children’s franchise to not only the kids who grew up watching it but also to a completely new audience of comic readers who just want to read good stories. It’s truly the perfect storm!
9. Phil’s Pick: NO SAINTS NOR POETS issue #1
Publisher: Tightrope Press
Writer: Iolanda Zanfardino
Artist: Elisa Romboli, Colorist: Ilaria Chiocca
I’m always ecstatic to see more Boy Love content on Kickstarter. And to see such a beautiful- and fun-looking book from Iolanda Zanfardino and Elisa Romboli (the latter of whom we’ve collaborated with on some of our favorite EverAfterVerse and Slice of Life variant covers) only makes No saints Nor Poets more exciting.
A Swashbuckling Adventure comic about delivery men on motorized gondolas in the half-sunken city of Serena makes for such a compelling pitch for an adventure book. The aquatic setting is unique, colorful and dynamic. Right from the launch day of this issue 1, I was hooked and needed to learn more about these characters and this world.
8. Kat’s Pick: Terry Moore’s How To Draw 2026
Publisher: Abstract Studio
Creator: Terry Moore
Terry Moore is one of comics’ greatest artists with his depiction of characters who actually look like REAL PEOPLE. His line work speaks volumes as one of the few comics on stands that is sold with black and white interiors.
What if YOU could draw like Terry Moore?! Moore teaches inspiring artists to draw in his style. Learn how to draw from a master comic artist, while supporting the creator directly. What a deal!
8. Phil’s Pick: I Need Your Skin: Book 1 - A 28pg Supernatural Horror Comic
Publisher: Geek Collective
Story by: Joey Galvez, Writer & Co-Creator: Allen Dunford
Artist: Brian Balondo
Letterer: Dave Lentz
As a lifeline horror fan, I’m a sucker for a great Monster design. And I Need Your Skin is a project that has stuck with me for exactly that reason. With an absolutely killer thumbnail, the book sports a memorable and creepy creature to accompany an already haunting title.
Add on top of that the enthralling premise of a woman seeking eternal youth, a mysterious clairvoyant, a diverse slate of covers, and a unique red-scale interior art style and you’ve got a recipe for success!
7. Kat’s Pick: GHOST CHICKEN - The Graphic Novel
Publisher: Womp Stomp Films
Story By: Vincente DiSanti, Writer: Scott Alan Gregory
Artist: Samuele Giannicola
As a foodie who so happens to also love comics, a series about a chicken haunting a vegan restaurant really spoke to me. It’s an “out there” premise with juxtaposed themes that tie together nicely with an almost Adult Swim like art style that just fits perfectly on the platform. And because the concept was so specific it was easy to stand out from the hundreds of comic projects live at the same time.
7. Phil’s Pick: The Childless: a 120 page Comic Book Anthology
Creator: Oscar Osorio
A dystopian anthology about a world where the children of separated parents are sacrificed by a sanctimonious religious government party. I love a high-concept anthology where all of the stories are meant to take place in the same world. And The Childless delivers exactly that, with a unique premise that lends itself to all different types of stories within this horrific world.
Some of the stories in this book that stood out to me were two stories about Trans kids in this world, a story about a serial killer who targets parents on the verge of divorce, and a reality TV family with over 200 children. An exciting and memorable premise for the anthology is made only more intriguing by these varied story loglines.
6. Kat’s Pick: Krime Guys - Wet and Wild
Creator: Vince Vertical
I love when two different mediums find common ground to create something out of the box - and that’s exactly what Vince Vertical does with his graffiti inspired comic book. He uses his experience as a graffiti artist to tell a story about his love for the sometimes misunderstood art form. Krime Guys isn’t a history book, but instead shows culture through character!
6. Phil’s Pick: RIDE OR DIE: Chapters 1 and 2
Publisher: Marsoid
Creator & Illustrator: Mars Heyward
“Demons. Cars. Gay people. THE COMIC” Sold. This is a book that really knows how to pitch itself to its target audience (AKA, me). That includes both the simple 6-word subheader quoted earlier, and the lengthier elevator pitch at the start of the page: “Like if Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse met John Carpenter’s Christine, but everyone drove really fast and had a lot of emotional problems.”
I love a queer supernatural story with dynamic characters and an exciting setting. And Ride or Die delivers that in spades. I love the high-speed vibe of the series — from the writing to the art style — and the twists on the “demon-possessed car” trope that this book presents. It’s one that stayed in my mind long after the initial campaign concluded.
5. Kat’s Pick: Jeremonstar: The First Sports Comic by a D-1 Athlete
Publisher: Jeremonstar Comics
Story By: Jeremiyah Love & Jason Love, Writers: Karl Bollers & Matt Bird
Pencilers: Matteo Illuminati, Ryan Odagawa, Timothy Green II, Colorist: Helen Berti
Letterer: Taylor Esposito
What a unique premise, focusing on the stars of the future as D1 football player, Jeremiyah Love, gets his own comic book with some stellar art attached. It’s great to see a spotlight on football from a different perspective, all while adding anime and superhero elements to explore both Asian and Western comic book roots.
5. Phil’s Pick: A Very Carmilla Christmas Carol - Spicy Dickens ReVamp
Publisher: Bloodline Comics
Writers: Clay Adams and D.E. Schrader
Artist: Erik Tamayo, Colorist: Alex Zief
Clay Adams has been absolutely killing it this year on Kickstarter. He’s put out multiple showstopping projects, to the point where it was difficult to pick which one to feature on this list. At the end of the day, a Christmas tie-in to his popular Carmilla series just barely edged out The Blood of the Grunch for me.
We’ve seen Carmilla in Miami and now we’re seeing her for the holidays. This sexy vampire book is an irreverent retelling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with a Carmilla twist. I love it when creators do something weird and different with their ongoing properties, and a Sexy Dickens Vampire Holiday special fits that weirdly wonderful bill to a T.
4. Kat’s Pick: MURDER PODCAST The Cold Open
Published By: Ignition Press
Writer: Jeremy Haun
Penciler: Mike Tisserand, Colorist: Nick Filardi
Letterer: AndWorld
Ignition Press has truly made their mark as they use both Kickstarter and the direct market as an excellent launching pad for their company with comic juggernauts Cullen Bunn, Filip Sablik, and Jeremy Haun at the helm.
Off the heels of The Beauty’s Ryan Murphy TV show adaptation, Haun launches his newest comic book - Murder Podcast. What if the people who love murder podcasts star in the mystery, all while a group of best friends become the detectives.
It’s a fresh/very comic book take on a topic that has been explored in other mediums - but not like this. Instead of focusing on one murder or serial killer, Haun and Tisserand are much more intrigued by how the world is impacted by this striking universal event. If you liked The Beauty this is a great companion title.
4. Phil’s Pick: COUNTLESS LITTLE DEATHS #1 - NSFW vampire series begins!
Publisher: Cheeky Comics
Writer: Pat Shand
Artist: Manos Lagouvardos, Colorist: James Offredi
Letterer: Reed Hinckley-Barnes
Pat Shand and Space Between Entertainment always deliver quality comics, so there was some steep competition for their most exciting project this year. For me, NSFW Vampire title Countless Little Deaths has been the project that has stayed in my mind throughout 2025.
A story of lust and revenge following a vampire who is buried alive for centuries only to be unintentionally unearthed by the (presumed) descendant of a former lover. The series promises redemption and revenge — looking like it will toe quite an interesting line for its lead vampire. I love a story that can balance being sexy with being character-driven, and Pat’s whole team has that down to a science.
3. Kat’s Pick: PAPERFILMS TEAM-UP: PAINKILLER JANE & GI ZOMBIE & ZOMBIE TRAMP vs. HACK/SLASH
Publishers: Paperfilms, Still Ill Comics, Dan Mendoza
Writers/Story Bys: Jimmy Palmiotti, Tim Seeley, Shawn Gabborin
Artists: JUAN SANTACRUZ, Pablo Munoz, Colorist: The Xong Brothers
Letterers: Dave Sharpe
I’m cheating a little here by featuring two campaigns, but they are two projects that really go hand in hand. They even launched in the same month! The best way to find growth on Kickstarter is by collaborating with your fellow comic book creators. So seeing crowdfunding kings like Jimmy Palmiotti, Tim Seeley, and Dan Mendoza crossing over with their biggest properties makes me giddy. This is how you grow an audience, while simultaneously building excitement to your already existing fanbase.
3. Phil’s Pick: Dark Pink Comics
Creator/Writer: Christopher R. Ford
Artists: Koi Turnbull, PJ Kaiowa, Danny Perez, Caanan White, Colorist: Marco Lisko
New Orleans, detective noir, monsters, and an integrated soundtrack? Dark Pink has SO MUCH going for it that made it an instant backing for me.
I love a good pulpy period piece, and this comic looks like it delivers that in spades. It’s also not every day you get to see a noir detective story with a female lead — in this case, novice Private Eye Dara Pinkerton — so I found it particularly exciting to see her stumble upon a world of monsters in 1980’s NoLa!
The book has amazing covers from DC and Marvel artists Keron Grant, Khari Evans, and Robyn Smith. And Interiors by Koi Turnbull also look super cool from what is shown on the page.
It’s also rare to see a Kickstarter with such a thriving “post-campaign” life. Some viral marketing seems to have paid off well for Dark Pink Comics as I’ve seen the comic climb to incredibly heights via late pledges. It’s a real inspiration and showcase that strong marketing for a Kickstarter can continue to pay off heavily even after the initial funding period conclusions.
2. Kat’s Pick: CRUSH ISLAND KILLER #1 - A Sexy Tropical Thriller
Publisher: Space Between Entertainment
Writers: Amy Shand & Pat Shand Editor-In-Chief: Shannon Lee
Artist: Mauricio Mora
Letterer: Reed Hinckley-Barnes
It would be amiss to have a Top 10 Kickstarter List without including Kickstarter royalty, Space Between Entertainment. And Crush Island Killer’s hook just totally drew me in. As a reality show apologist, a story about a trashy reality TV show becoming the set for a real life bloodbath with the Shands and Mau Mora behind it…I mean how can you go wrong with that? If you are looking for a Kickstarter comic that you know is going to be a good product (from the writing to literally how the physical books are made), then Space Between is the place to shop.
2. Phil’s Pick: A Place Where Time Doesn’t Exist #1: A Sci-fi Adventure
Writer: Curtis Clow
Artist: Simone Pace
Letterer: Toben Racicot
“Humanity is going extinct. A small crew must find the cure on a strange alien planet at any cost.” This book is one that just grabbed me right from its launch day. I love the title. I love the logline. I love the color palette. I love the alien world and creature design.
The Kickstarter page makes it clear from the get-go just how much thought the team behind this book put into their environment and creature design with tons of concept art for the Sci-fi elements of the book. This leads into a mostly-silent preview that takes you through the titular planet and lets you take in the grandiose setting alongside the comic’s protagonist. It’s not every day that you see such a rich Sci-Fi world on Kickstarter, so I was happy that I grabbed this one when I saw it.
1. Kat’s Pick: SWAT KATS - FIRST EVER COMIC BOOK!
Publisher: Roditeli Productions
Writers/Story By: Tremblay Bros., Kevin Roditeli, Frank J. Barbiere, Editor: Joe Illidge
Penciller: Jorge Corona, Colorist: Sarah Stern
Letterer: Serge Lapointe
There are some Kickstarters that are just a masterclass for how to be successful on Kickstarter, and Swat Kats is that campaign. Swat Kats is a niche enough franchise that perfectly translates to a comic book audience. And what better than using the artist from the hit Transformers run…you know the one that made over 4 million dollars on Kickstarter…with the original creators of the TV show also attached. This combination expertly hands a great looking book to an audience yearning for nostalgia. No wonder why the series broke well over 6K backers!
1. Phil’s Pick: Lake Yellowwood Slaughter
Publisher: Goats Flying Press
Writer: Alejandro Arbona
Penciler: Gavin Guidry, Colorist: Chris O’Halloran
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
I’ve known that this Kickstarter would be my top pick since the moment it launched on the platform. And I had a feeling it would be one of the only overlapping campaigns between Kat’s and my lists.
A comic “adaptation” of an ‘80s Slasher movie that never actually got made. As a lover of ‘80s Slashers (including Sleepaway Camp 2, which was the film that the creator of Lake Yellowwood Slaughter was watching when he came up with the idea for his film/comic), this project immediately stood out to me. Everything from the title to the thumbnail to the art style captures the essence of the era so wonderfully that it feels like you’re reading a comic that was lost to time from forty years ago.
Lake Yellowwood Slaughter is more than just a retro remake. It also comes with the fun premise of a Slasher who goes after the horny parents of the teens that are dropped off at summer camp (a reversal of your typical Slasher formula that we’ve seen in many a Jason Vorhees or Angela Baker film). This campaign was firing on all cylinders and I’m so glad that it achieved the success that it did.
What Have We Been Up To?
Let’s talk about some of the things we’ve done to keep busy these last couple of weeks!
Try the World Monthly Unboxing (Exclusive to the Newsletter)
Kat: Phil for my birthday got me a 6-month subscription for a snack driven mystery box, and I thought it would be fun to do an unboxing video EXCLUSIVE to the newsletter for the first box.
Nerd Nexus 2026 — And Your Chance for a CAMEO!
Phil: We’ve been invited to attend Nerd Nexus at Salem Community College in New Jersey on March 15th, 2026.
And one of the coolest things about this event is that they’re sponsoring an Event-Exclusive Variant Cover for the HAUNTING/LFLD Crossover — a recreation of our original cover with a Nerd Nexus twist!
And YOU can cameo as a Ghost and Zombie on this cover (by Rafi de Sousa) when you register for the event!
Media
Let’s discuss some non-comics media!
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Phil: As a HUGE fan of both Knives Out and Glass Onion, I have been eagerly awaiting this third Knives Out Mystery film all year. I love the way Rian Johnson writes characters and twists. And his signature blend of the comedic and the dramatic is exactly my favorite tone to strike for a genre film series such as this.
Johnson continues his trend of making each anthological film in the Knives Out series feel unique and standalone. Wake Up Dead Man doesn’t seek to retread territory already covered in previous mysteries. It has a construction and a message that is completely unique amongst the trilogy.
Even as someone who tends not to enjoy religious storytelling, I found myself moved by the exploration of religion (specifically Catholicism) in this film and both the positive and negative ways that religion is utilized. Father Jud Duplenticy’s sincerity can move even the coldest of hearts (my own included) and is such an inspiring depiction of someone who sees the light and good in faith — even in the face of wickedness. Messages of “forgiveness” and “loving through hate” have become less prevalent in modern storytelling (no doubt due to our living in one of the most divided periods in history), but Wake Up Dead Man is shining example of how powerful this theme can be.
On the negative side, I will say that I didn’t think this installment soars quite as high as its predecessors. Benoit Blanc’s introduction takes a little too long to roll around (and inject some serious life into the film). And I don’t think the supporting cast is utilized nearly as effectively as the supporting casts of the previous films. In fact, the “suspects” are featured with such infrequency that the viewer can determine very early on that there is really only one possible suspect who appears on-screen enough to make for a satisfying reveal. Thankfully, it’s still a fun reveal via the details of the crime and the gravitas of the performances.
If you’ve enjoyed Knives Out and Glass Onion, then you’re sure to have a great time with Wake Up Dead Man. I sincerely hope that Johnson and Craig make a dozen more of these films.
Kat: There are so few franchises that break their tone and look as much as Knives Out does and STILL finds success with the same audience that fell in love with them in the first place. And honestly, that’s the charm of Knives Out! It’s truly a modern Sherlock Holmes as fresh mysteries draws Benoit Blanc into new places that brings a different energy than the case before.
As a girl who went to Catholic School for 10+ years, Wake Up Dead Man’s finds its success not with the mystery but instead its social commentary on religion. Blanc, as all good detectives do, is placed as the outsider in not only the mystery but also religion as a whole as we follow the priest with a shady past. But the true villain is not the suspects, but the cold body as we explore the toxic side of religion through Josh Brolin’s Msgr. Jefferson Wicks.
And that is truly what I enjoyed about this movie. Catholicism is either painted as an organization filled with secrets and hatred or a fantasy of love and peace. But Wake Up Dead Man shows (just like any organization) that there are bad people and there are people who try to do good. Josh O’Connor’s Jud Duplenticy showcases what Catholicism should be preaching, while Brolin’s character in a prime example for how the religion has easily become corrupted.
The mystery itself…was okay. There are some interesting biblical allusion to be on the lookout for, but the killer was more obvious than previous installments, and the explanation was a bit more convoluted than fun. But all in all, Wake Up Dead Man lets the characters take the wheel for another VERY DIFFERENT, but fun chapter of Knives Out.
Hazbin Hotel Season 2
Phil: Following a cultural phenomenon first season last year (which I did enjoy), Hazbin Hotel returns in 2025 with its second season picking up right where the first left off.
The most common criticism I’ve seen of Hazbin Hotel Season Two is that it feels like an “in between” season — a season that primarily exists to set up plot points for upcoming seasons. And, well…I kind of agree. At least to an extent.
Much of this season is dedicating to unpacking the cliffhangers of the first season, most notably: Sir Pentious being in Heaven, the Hotel’s (temporarily) improved reputation, Alastor’s curse, and the strife in Heaven. But we don’t get very many new conflicts or developments for the characters. And worse, the status quo never shifts very much, with all of the characters (save Angel) pretty much ending off in the same place they started the season.
The “Vees” (Vox, Valentino, and Velvette) take up the mantle of main villains this season. Unfortunately, I think most agree that this trio works best as secondary antagonists. They never really manage to be intimidating. At their best, they’re frustrating because their whole schtick is media and their mode of attack is to discredit our protagonists. This can be fun as a secondary plotline, but feels more frustrating as the primary conflict.
Which brings me to our lead: Charlie Morningstar. Maybe I’m being too harsh here…but I just thought she was behaving stupidly this season. In Season 1, her optimism and faith in the ability to redeem sinners was inspiring. Sure, she could be goofy and overexcited. But the show always regarded her as a hero and an inspiration. But Season 2 almost feels like it pushes Charlie to the side. She is in a constant state of being manipulated the Vees into making stupid decisions, or she is actively excluded from decision-making by folks who are meant to be her friends. It’s annoying to watch, especially if you really liked Charlie in the first season. It almost feels like the show pushed her to the side because she’s not a sarcastic pessimist type character that fans of the show tend to gravitate towards.
To the show’s credit, they eventually do give Charlie a strong moment with “Hear My Hope” (a highlight song from the season). And while I do really enjoy this song at the end of the season, I wish Charlie was more of a powerful force in the middle episodes prior to that song in order to give the moment more power — like with “Ready For This” and “More Than Anything” in Season One.
And finally: I think it was a big misstep this season to reveal to Charlie that Sir Pentious was in Heaven at the end of Episode 1. Wouldn’t a more satisfying (and thematically resonant) approach have been for Charlie to need to have faith in redemption rather than to literally receive divine confirmation in the first episode of the series? By confirming Charlie’s beliefs to her early on, the conflict has to shift to other folks not believing that “Prophet Charlie” has seen that Pentious is in Heaven. That is a far less relatable (and compelling) storyline to follow than a character who has to believe in the power of good without actual confirmation that it will result in a reward.
I know I listed a lot of my problems with Hazbin Hotel Season Two, but that’s just because I have a lot of thoughts about it. And that, I think, is a compliment. It’s a property that’s easy to engage with. There are strong character beats, themes, and twists throughout. The humor (if you like the crude humor of Hazbin Hotel) continues to be fun and consistent. And the music is a highlight, just like in Season 1, with a lot of earworm songs and a diverse track list (though Christian Borle’s Vox gets too many damn songs; he’s a great singer, but Vox is on more than half of the tracks with more songs than our actual protagonists).
Zootopia 2
Kat: Zootopia became a hit because of its social commentary told through a city of cute animals, the sequel leans into similar themes, but doesn’t focus nearly enough on Hopps and Nick’s friendship to create a narrative as moving.
Zootopia 2 is a good example of one of my biggest criticisms of recent Disney movies - its loss for all-ages storytelling. Many of their recent blockbusters have focused more on the kids watching rather than the adults taking those kids to the theater. What I love about Disney is how they magically balance that childlike wonder with relatable storytelling, and I just don’t think Zootopia 2 hits that mark as Disney much rather introduce new characters to build merchandise around.
I had a fun enough time watching the sequel, and it was a great excuse to go to the movies with my family. But if you are looking for a Disney film to absolutely WOW you…like the first one did almost a decade ago…this isn’t going to be that flick.
Phil: Almost ten years after the 2016 hit that was the first Zootopia, Disney returns with a sequel taking place about a week after the end of the first film.
I rewatched the first Zootopia to prepare for this sequel and was reminded of exactly the many things that made that movie so great. A fun, unique, and fully-realized setting. An incredibly strong lead relationship between Judy and Nick. Apt social commentary without losing its core audience. And flawed-but-loveable characters who don’t always make the right decisions and say the right thing but remain characters we can root for regardless.
Zootopia 2 has pretty much every one of those factors going for it…except for the last one. Whereas Judy was an ignorant-but-well-meaning cop in the first film, it was always easy to sympathize with and root for the character, even when her lack of real world experience shone through and she said/did the wrong thing. In this sequel, however, I found myself frustrated with Judy’s behavior more often than I was sympathizing with her…which made a large portion of the runtime a bit frustrating.
It also didn’t help that Judy and Nick were both at odds with one another and then physically separated from one another for a large portion of the movie. In the end, their reconciliation is the high point of Zootopia 2. But it made getting to that point a less enjoyable experience that is more focused on the “adventure” and “exploration” of Zootopia than it is on the core characters and their friendship.
Zootopia 2 is a middle-of-the-road Disney sequel in my book. It has a strong start and a strong finish (the last thirty minutes were definitely the highlight for me). But the entire middle felt like mostly-forgettable standard Disney “adventure” fair. On the bright side, there are some pretty funny jokes along the way. If you enjoyed Zootopia, the sequel is worth checking out. Just have measured expectations about its ability to compete with its predecessor.
Comics
Let’s discuss some comics we’ve enjoyed recently!
As usual, we’ll spotlight an Indie Book, a DC/Marvel book, a Webcomic, and a Live Kickstarter book!
Indie Comic: American Caper (Dark Horse)
Kat: While you continue to wait on the next installment of Grand Theft Auto, wet your palette with Rockstar’s Co-Founder Dan Houser’s American Caper with David Lapham on interiors.
A story about the American Dream through a twisted modern lens. Lapham does a brilliant job at following the life of a mundane man whose house is at a political divide and just wishes he can have the life of the perfect family beyond the white picket fence. But this perfect family isn’t exactly who they appear to be on the outside as a crime story unravels. American Caper has a unique commentary on a frequent literary theme as it blends multiple genres into a must buy first issue.
DC Comics: DC K.O.
Kat: Let me preface by saying…I’ve never been a big fan of comic book events because most lack stakes and are driving forces on lost momentum of my favorite titles that unnecessarily tie into said events.
But DC K.O. is everything a comic book event used to promise. It’s been building in the pages of DC’s flagship Superman for MONTHS, which has now come to a head to spin off its own tale. A tournament style story has been done before, but never at this scale. Scott Snyder, Joshua Williamson, and co. are truly building stakes, while crafting in WOW moments for every issue and tie-in. I seriously don’t know where this story is going and that’s exhilarating!
I haven’t been this excited for a comic book event since Blackest Night as DC K.O. follows the roadmap for why Geoff Johns’ event was so successful. It has heart, it has cliffhangers, and crazy visuals that only the best of the best would deliver.
You need a reason to unite all these heavy hitters - and bringing in the likes of Homelander and Annabelle feel like a big enough reason for the whole Justice League to put a pause on their personal issues to be part of DC’s largest battle yet. As a lifetime comic fan, I just love seeing new and old readers alike feel the same excitement for every new installment - and that sense of community is exactly what’s so special about comics.
Webcomic: Play Pretend [BL]
“Fake it till you make it. Cole and Max pretend to be a couple for a social class project to find out if ‘pretending’ can lead to actual love. But what will happen after the project ends? Will they go back to being friends or will the ‘pretend’ become reality?”
Phil: A quirky Boy Love Comedy series about a pair of classmates conducting a social experiment of “going through the motions” of being a couple, with Max being the more “invested” in the project and the architect of their manufactured romance and Cole being the aloof “passenger” along for the ride.
It’s a fun set-up and a fun dynamic, made better by the fact that Cole isn’t as dismissive of the project as he may seem at first glance. It makes for both funny and cute moments in the series that make you root for the romance to become a reality.
The artistic framing of the series is that all of the events are recorded (with date and time stamps) on Max’s camera for their project. This is a fun device in that there’s a performative layout to each panel and a direct acknowledgement of the camera (and thus the reader) in each panel. But on the negative side, it means that panel layouts aren’t always dynamic and typically have similar framing and poses in each chapter (even if the setting changes).
If you’re a fan of quirky comedy Boy Love, this one is definitely worth checking out. It’s a cute, easy read that manages to make both boys likeable and funny despite their very different personalities and outlooks.
In Closing…
Thanks so much for reading. We hope that you enjoyed our Top 10 Kickstarters list. Be sure to share your own favorite Kickstarters from 2025 in the comments below.
If you haven’t already, be sure to support our current Slice of Life and Pride Axolotl Pins campaigns. We’ll be back soon with even more Top 10 Lists to close out 2025!
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Current Kickstarters:
Slice of Life #1-8: An Anime Character Brought to Life! (Ends 1/08)
LGBTQ+ Axolotl Enamel Pins (Ends 12/30)
Read our Webtoons for FREE:
Slice of Life [GL] (Anime Character x Closeted Cheerleader High School Romance)
Love at Second Bite [BL] (Vampire College Adventure/Romance)
Thanks so much for the shoutout and kind words! Illustrious list to be a part of...and you two are rocking it yourselves. Enjoy the holidays!
Just read issue 2 of D.C. KO and the round 1 issue. As someone who doesn't read a lot of DC, this event is a ton of fun so far.