Top 10 Movies of 2025!
Kat and Phil's most anticipated Top 10 List of the year is here! What were their favorite movies of 2025?
We’re closing out 2025 with our favorite ranked list — our Top 10 Movies of the Year! What films did we most enjoy? Read on to find out!
We’ll also make some exciting announcements about our January Comic Release Slate, share some photos from Phil’s wedding, reveal our thoughts on HBO Max hit Boy Love series Heated Rivalry, and more!
Let’s dive in!
COMING SOON: FANGuary!
Phil: We’ve teased this before and we are excited to finally share some more details! We’ll be launching three vampire comics next month in what we’re calling our FANGuary Event!
Any backer who supports all three of our Vampire Comic Projects (with at least two backings being Physical and having some rewards shipped to you) will receive an EXCLUSIVE METAL COVER featuring the leads of all three Vampire series!
This Cover features Exclusive Art by Marco Maraggi and will be printed on actual metal cover stock. You’ll even get to choose which of the three comics you want to place the Metal Cover on top of!
We’ll be dropping the Vampire Comic Kickstarters weekly through the first three weeks of January. We recommend following the Pre-Launch Pages below to make sure you don’t miss the campaigns!
LAUNCHING 1/05: The Beast & Snow #1-4
“Can Vampire Snow White and Werewolf Belle survive an encounter with the Evil Queen, now a VAMPIRE/WEREWOLF HYBRID? Final Issue. Mature 18+”
LAUNCHING 1/12: Love at Second Bite #1
“Liam Graves is a CHEERY VAMPIRE. Dean Hikaru is his GLOOMY CLASSMATE with a troubled past. OPPOSITES ATTRACT in this Boy Love romance.”
LAUNCHING 1/20: Sink Your Teeth In #1
“An undead PI hunts a missing vamp, facing ancient Mob Families, corrupt cops, & a past she buried to survive. Written by Zoe Tunnell, Art by Lauren Knight”
Top 10 Movies of 2025!
This year, we beat our records for both 2023 (Kat saw 47 new releases, Phil saw 41) and 2024 (Kat saw 43 new releases, Phil saw 33) in terms of how many 2025 new releases we managed to see!
Phil’s 2025 Movie List:
Phil saw 50 new releases in 2025!
Kat’s 2025 Movie List:
Kat saw 63 new releases in 2025!
But which of these 2025 movies were our favorites? Read on to find out!
10. Kat’s Pick: Marty Supreme
If you’ve seen the likes of Uncut Gems and Good Time, Marty Supreme has a similar lead as a normal guy is thrown into dangerous circumstances because of the wrong choices he makes along the way. But the biggest difference between Howard and Connie compared to Marty Mauser is that Marty is a total egomaniac.
Mauser lies through his teeth to get to the next destination all with a syndictive smile. He truly believes he's not only the best Ping Pong player, but the best person on planet earth, and Timothée Chalamet plays him perfectly. He’s engaging, and surprisingly even likable at times.
Marty Supreme was less about ping pong than I expected, but still an excellent character study with thriller elements to land on my Top 10.
10. Phil’s Pick: Mickey 17
Mickey 17 is a movie that I found to be very charming. It juggles a lot of genres — action, comedy, sci-fi, and drama — in ways that don’t always mesh perfectly. But the film is anchored by stellar performances from Robert Pattinson (in dual roles), Naomi Ackie, and the rest of the supporting cast.
The film is funny in a way that sometimes borders on goofy (look no further than Mark Ruffalo’s performance), but for the most part it really works for me. As do the more dramatic moments, including some very moving scenes between the Mickeys and Ackie’s Nasha. It’s high-concept sci-fi that has a lot of really fun payoffs and a memorable lead performance that I don’t know if anyone could have pulled off as well as Pattinson.
9. Kat’s Pick: Sinners
Vampire stories have been around for centuries. Sinners proves that you can still put your own spin on the classics! Following his success with the Black Panther and Creed franchises, Ryan Coogler teams up with frequent collaborator Michael B. Jordan to tell a story that is obviously a passion project.
Through a set of twins, both played by Jordan - Coogler explores race through its southern roots to tell a deeper story about the black history of music and vampires. And if that wasn’t enough, Coogler even dives into other cultures like the Irish and the complicated history of white presenting mixed people through Hailee Steinfeld’s powerful performance.
9. Phil’s Pick: The Long Walk
I’m a sucker for YA dystopia, and The Long Walk is such a beautifully bleak example of that genre. I really love how targeted the film is, keeping us on the “walk” itself for pretty much the entire runtime and only letting us see snippets of the dystopian world that would allow such a heinous event through the settings they pass on their walk and through the hushed dialogue of the characters who dare not speak too openly about their distaste for the cruel world they’re forced to occupy.
There are a lot of great characters and relationships in The Long Walk, but the real stand-outs are our leads: Cooper Hoffman’s Ray Garraty and David Jonsson’s Pete McVries. The Long Walk lives-and-dies on the rapport of these two characters, and thankfully their relationship and different worldviews remain engaging and moving throughout the runtime (walktime?) of the film.
The Long Walk is heavy with theme, not pulling punches in much of its commentary. But fans of films that leave some things up to interpretation will still be pleased and The Long Walk doesn’t do all of the work for you. There is plenty that is left unsaid or unexplored, and the film leaves you with a lot to think about when the credits roll.
8. Kat’s Pick: Twinless
As an old school Teen Wolf, Dylan O’Brien fan (and twin myself), Twinless had been on my watch list for a long time, and it was one of the final movies we saw to prepare for this list. And it was nothing like I expected. With all the buzz, I thought this was going to be a rom-com about two people who lost their twins.
But instead, it’s a psychological thriller about two very different people finding a unique friendship. As both a lead, director, and writer James Sweeney’s take on this very unhinged character is truly what makes Twinless a vivid watch. The use of “mirror” images, while trying to balance “crazy” without the character becoming completely unlikable, puts Sweeney on the “keep an eye on this guy” list. He’s the perfect foil to O’Brien’s himbo aesthetic, and his literal perfect girlfriend he finds along the way. Twinless is a character piece that will forever stay rent free in my mind.
8. Phil’s Pick: Wicked: For Good
I consider Wicked (2024) to be a perfect film. It’s my favorite movie of all time, and I think a perfect example of how to adapt a stage musical to film.
At the end of the day, Wicked: For Good is about as good as a faithful adaptation of the second act of the play can be. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande continue to soar in their roles. The production, look, and sound of the movie is beautiful. Some of the added scenes (particularly those centered around Glinda) enhance the material. Hell, they made “Wonderful” go from one of my least favorite songs in Wicked to one of my favorites.
But the shortcomings of the play’s second act also come through. Every character other than Glinda and Elphaba becomes a caricature with laughable motivation. And way too much of the plot happens off-screen to maintain the viewer’s image of The Wizard of Oz.
Despite my critiques, it does just feel really good to be in Oz again. Several of the musical numbers are mainstays on my work playlists. It’s impossible for me not to be moved by the tragic relationship between Glinda and Elphaba. And the final shot of the film is absolutely, positively perfect.
7. Kat’s Pick: Eternity
I love going into movies without any expectations and then falling in love with them by the end. And that’s exactly what happened with Eternity! Phil and I went to our local AMC on a random afternoon and were entranced by the film’s unique take on the afterlife.
Now I’ll say I’m already a big fan of Miles Teller with Whiplash being my favorite movie of all time, and was very impressed with Da’Vine Joy Randolph in The Holdovers. So I had some preconceived notions that I’d at least enjoy their performances.
I really love when a flick captures you right from the opening scene. A love triangle is a classic rom-com trope: your first love, and your newest love. But how about if your first love died before you could really know the relationship? And what if the man you were married to for decades got under your skin because you spent so much time together (and that’s the very reason why you love him). Eternity created a non-religious - more individualistic afterlife as a comedic, yet emotionally driven backdrop, to an equally funny/complicated trio.
7. Phil’s Pick: Twinless
I was expecting a cute gay romcom from Twinless and I got…something completely different. Twinless is an awkward, unsettling film. And I mean that in the most complimentary way possible. The film really keeps you on your toes and fills you with a sense of foreboding dread as it goes on. It made for a really unique viewing experience that I’m glad I knew almost nothing about going into it.
The cinematography in Twinless was also really impressive. Writer/Director/Co-Lead James Sweeney has only worked on two films (Twinless and Straight Up, which is on my “Watch List”). But you really wouldn’t think so watching this film, which has some truly unique and mesmerizing camera work and visuals.
6. Kat’s Pick: On Swift Horses
There are gay movies. There are lesbian movies. But what if you had a movie that gave you both?
Jacob Elordi has been making a lot of noise with his performance in Frankenstein and his upcoming role in Wuthering Heights, but I want to give a shout out to this little flick. In my last installment, I talked about the unique take Eternity took on love triangles - On Swift Horses, isn’t just a twist on the love triangle, but totally wrangles it. A 1950’s housewife is torn between her husband and her husband’s rascal brother - but not in the way you think.
She desires the life…the freedom that Elordi’s character represents - while the audience gets to intimately watch what exactly it means to be free through Elordi’s escapades. The film closely looks at the stiffness of the 1950’s through the lens of two very different queer narratives.
6. Phil’s Pick: Weapons
There’s a reason that Weapons has taken the world by storm. It’s one of those films that you know is going to become a horror classic. Everything from the haunting visuals, to the trademark Weapons run/trance/bulging eyes, to the unique framing and perspective shifts, to the big-bad Aunt Gladys herself is instantly iconic.
Writer/Director Zach Cregger’s previous film, Barbarian, is one of my favorite horror films of all time. And while I still prefer that film to Weapons (on the grounds of liking the more focused character-work and the grounded tension of the first act), I really love that Cregger delivered such a different-but-also-fantastic home run with his follow-up horror film.
Weapons is dripping with style, flare, and tension. And I really can’t wait to see what Cregger does next.
5. Kat’s Pick: Bugonia
Are aliens real?
Bugonia both wants you to believe, while still welcoming skepticism. The film follows two conspiracy theorist who kidnap a business mogul played by Yorgos Lanthimos’ frequent collaborator, Emma Stone. Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis’s characters have both dealt with tragedy, and go through rather whimsical resorts to get to the truth. It’s the boys’ delusions played with Stone’s uncanny valley performance that makes Bugonia such a memorable movie.
Much like Lanthimos’ past work, it’s hard to compare this to anything else, and the more I sit with it the better the film gets. This is one that will entice conversation with both the themes it explores and the twist and turns it takes along the way.
5. Phil’s Pick: Eternity
One of the best “love triangle” plots I’ve had the pleasure of seeing. Eternity is a high-concept film about Elizabeth Olsen’s Joan having to choose between two lovers in the afterlife — her “first love” who tragically died when she was a young adult versus her second husband who she was married to for decades.
Eternity makes for a fantastic viewing experience if you don’t know anything about the film going in. It’s one of those movies where I truly didn’t know what was going to happen next or what decision Joan was going to make in a given moment. There are a lot of twists, and the film does a great job exploring its complicated premise and showing the pros and cons of each decision that Joan could possibly make — in regards to her romantic life and her own afterlife.
The film is also very quick-witted. There are so many hilarious jokes about the afterlife — including tons of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments that I’m excited to be on the lookout for during future rewatches. The film reminds me a bit of The Good Place (one of my favorite sitcoms) for its quirky premise and sense of humor, but still manages to have a unique voice and not just be derivative of anything that came before it.
4. Kat’s Pick: Materialists
Celine Song made her debut with the indie darling, Past Lives, and follows the hit with another movie about love - Materialists. And just like Past Lives, Song is not here to sugar coat the concept of love.
In the age of dating apps, Materialists takes a unique approach to the modern “blind date” with a matchmaking service. A tool that doesn’t aimlessly swipe profiles, but expertly matches and meticulously pairs you with another customer. Sounds perfect, right?
As a former matchmaker herself, Song shows the ugliness of any company controlling your love life...or your life period. Dakota Johnson’s character is just a cog in that machine until an extreme incident exemplifies the cracks within commercializing love as she figures out exactly what she wants from her own romances.
Materialists does tell a love story, but it would much rather analyze society’s obsession with love, and the control it has on one’s personal value, and how that affects the relationships around them.
4. Phil’s Pick: Final Destination: Bloodlines
I honestly don’t know if it’s possible to make a better Final Destination sequel than Bloodlines. It has everything we’ve come to love from the franchise — sarcastic humor, elaborate kills, disgusting gore — but also plays with the formula just enough to keep things fresh while still feeling like a Final Destination film.
The characters are some of the best to come out of the franchise (special shout out to Richard Harmon’s Erik Campbell). It’s a nice change of pace to see an extended family as the intended victims of Death’s design. It adds more weight and pathos to each kill when our heroes need to balance the mourning of their loved ones while remaining focused on not dying themselves.
And the film gives such a moving send-off to Tony Todd’s William Bludworth. It’s rare to see a Final Destination film manage to be so moving, but Todd’s final scene is such a beautiful cap on both his character and his real-life career. It’s a highlight moment in the series and one of many great moments in this sequel that surpasses all of the preceding films in the franchise.
3. Kat’s Pick: The Smashing Machine
The Safdie Brothers may have split, but both of their individual projects have landed on my Top 10.
It’s weird to call a movie starring The Rock and Emily Blunt something that “went under the radar”, but here I am telling you The Smashing Machine didn’t make as much noise as the title would appear, BUT IT SHOULD HAVE!
The movie follows real life fighter, Mark Kerr, as someone once destined for greatness who is slowly realizing that he can’t reach the heights he was once promised himself. The Safdie Brothers have an obsession with telling stories about greatness through very flawed characters, and Kerr falls into that category as his drug addiction really puts a wrench into his life.
And what I was most impressed by was The Rock’s…gentleness. He’s literally tearing doors down, but is still able to hold a fragile, soft-spoken nature. This is the perfect juxtaposition to Blunt’s loud, outspokenness. She doesn’t just play the “girlfriend” she has a real role in Kerr’s addiction journey, all while figuring out the type of life she wants to lead outside of his shadow.
The Smashing Machine is your classic sports story that’s heightened by Benny Safdie’s direction and the lead actors’ unique takes on characters that could have easily fell into stereotypes but they expertly “sidestep”.
3. Phil’s Pick: A Nice Indian Boy
“You know, that’s what I love about DDLJ. It doesn’t end with the couple getting together in the end, like in an American movie... because it’s not about two people going at it alone, clinging to each other like life rafts. It’s about everybody, together. The family, the wedding...”
A Nice Indian Boy wasn’t a movie I expected to love as much as I did. It had been on my watchlist for a while, and I watched it on a whim on an airplane. But I just found it to be such a moving, unique romcom with exactly my personal favorite kind of humor and heart.
I think the film does a fantastic job of making both Karan Soni’s Naveen and Jonathan Groff’s Jay flawed-but-loveable characters. Naveen’s deep repression of his wants and desires and his resistance to being a “character in a romcom” makes him both lovable and annoying in the same way that Jay’s wearing his heart on his sleeve and larger-than-life feelings make him insufferable but sweet. Even the supporting cast manage a difficult balancing act of saying and doing unlikeable things multiple times, but always finding their way back to the “humanity” and reality of the situation.
A Nice Indian Boy paints a complex tapestry of culture, traditions, responsibility, family — both actual and found — and love that is equal parts irreverent and genuine. It’s the kind of writing and voice that I personally find to be engaging and moving. Watching it felt more like watching a short TV series of a two-to-three film series. And I love a movie that can make me feel that way with a brisk 96-minute runtime.
2. Kat’s Pick: Final Destination: Bloodlines
What if the person who had visions was able to avoid death for decades and eventually had kids?
Final Destination: Bloodlines is the best version of the franchise I already love! There’s just something so special about a poetic horror film about death. Bloodlines streamlines the crew by making the targets all family.
Final Destination always had “lore”, but it was never really a focal point of the franchise. It much rather focus on teenagers finding their creative demise (and I’m not complaining, that’s fun too) But it was a breath of fresh air to see a more streamlined story, while still putting creativity into the very thing that made Final Destination famous - the kills (and even the fake outs).
In the horror world, Final Destination is a bit of an underdog of a franchise, but I hope anyone who sees Bloodlines can understand why it’s just as much of a gem as your Halloweens or your Screams.
2. Phil’s Pick: Sinners
A Genre-bending Black Western Supernatural Horror Musical Artistic Character-piece Blockbuster film. Sinners is so many things all at once, yet manages to soar in every single category.
It’s horrifying and heartbreaking, with such a weight and history behind it. It’s exciting and theme-heavy without dumbing things down for its audience. And it manages to balance so many iconic fully-realized characters in its just-over-two-hours runtime.
Sinners is one of those movies you watch that you just know is a gamechanger unfolding before you. It’s an instant classic that respects what has come before it in its many genres but also carves out a path that is completely unique unto itself.
1. Kat’s Pick: One of Them Days
And in the end, Phil and I have the same #1 pick!
One of Them Days expertly balances classic slapstick comedy with nuanced storytelling that puts a 2020’s stamp. Keke Palmer and SZA are childhood best friends and COMPLETE OPPOSITES. Palmer is the straight-laced grinder, while SZA is still trying to find her place in the art world and is dating the absolute dumbest man on the planet. That said man steals their rent money and the odd couple must go on an adventure to save their apartment.
One of Them Days is a buddy comedy that doesn’t make their relationship the butt of the joke. There really aren’t enough movies out there that center on the importance of friendship, and how those very people can shape you. One of Them Days is absolutely hysterical, but the reason it takes the #1 spot is the realistic portrayal of Palmer and SZA’s bond.
P.S. Let’s stop sleeping on Keke Palmer and admit she’s one of the greatest comedic actresses of our time (please and thank you!)
1. Phil’s Pick: One of Them Days
I really went back-and-forth about whether Sinners or One of Them Days should be my top pick for the year. While they’re incredibly different films with incredibly different goals, both are A+ movies in my book that accomplish exactly what they’re setting out to do.
At the end of the day, I gave the top spot to One of Them Days because it’s just the movie this year that I’ve come back to the most. Despite being a January release, it’s a movie that hasn’t left my mind in the eleven months since its premiere. It’s hilarious, quick-paced, endlessly quotable, and heartfelt. Keke Palmer and SZA make for such a fantastic duo and play off of one another so, so, so well. The side characters are hysterical and memorable, all getting just the right amount of screentime and a plethora of killer lines.
One of Them Days never fails to bring a smile to my face. This year alone, I’ve already watched it four or five times without it ever getting old. And I have no double that I’ll see it a dozen more times in the coming years.
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!
Phil and Julius’ Wedding (Part One)
Phil: It’s official: I have a husband!
After fifteen years together, Julius and I got married in a super-small ceremony the weekend before Christmas.
We plan to have the “big wedding party” at a later date, but now was the right time for us to finally get the “piece of paper”.
It was a great way to close out the year ❤️
Media
Let’s discuss some non-comics media!
Heated Rivalry (Season One)
Phil: Heated Rivalry is the newest queer romance show to take the world by storm. An enemies-to-lovers story of two rival hockey players who begin a steamy situationship that eventually develops into real feelings. The series has gotten a ton of buzz for its steamy sex scenes, the well-paced development of Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov’s relationship, the strong performances from a mostly-newcomer cast, and the level of attention the series has garnered despite a very low budget.
And honestly, Heated Rivalry deserves all of the praise it gets. I watch a lot of gay shows. Like, a lot. And it’s rare — especially in 2025 where the pickings are especially slim — to find a queer romance TV series that can unfold so naturally and capably in every department: writing, acting, pacing. The series grabs you right away with just how steamy it is with some of the sexiest sex scenes on TV. But then it keeps its hold with a fantastic pacing in the development of Shane and Ilya’s rivalry and their growing feelings for one another.
The series utilizes its six episodes very well, with a break in the middle during episode three to introduce a secondary couple — Scott Hunter and Kip Grady — who are effectively the antithesis of our lead couple (up to that point). It’s a great palette cleanser and the secondary couple manage to be incredibly endearing.
One thing I really enjoy about Heated Rivalry is that it feels like a series that doesn’t “cut away” at the easy moment. This is apparent from episode one with the sex scenes, which we linger in for quite a long time to great effect. But it also extends to the dialogue and “longing” scenes. The series grabs us with its steam and keeps us with the quiet moments in between where Shane and Ilya get to just be themselves and talk about their family lives, or their homes, or Shane’s car, or what they’re eating for dinner that night.
My only real criticism of Heated Rivalry is that I think it could have used another episode or two. The series focuses almost all of its attention on the rivalry-to-romance (which, if you’re going to focus on any one thing, is the thing to focus on). But with a bit more time, it would have been nice to see more scenes of Shane with his family and Ilya with his father/brother. Having a stronger basis for the relationships these characters have outside of one another would make their eventual relationship and “coming out” all the more exciting.
Similarly, we don’t really see much of the hockey/sport homophobia that Scott Hunter references in his speech in the final episode. I can understand not wanting to give much screentime to homophobia in a gay show. But I actually think we needed the world of the show to further justify the fear and pressure that our three gay hockey players feel to keep their secrets. If anything, we really only see positive and neutral reactions to queerness from the characters outside of our leads. I think more of a view of casual homophobia and/or the image that these players need to maintain would have helped to put the reader more in their shoes.
That said, when you’re biggest criticism of a show is “I wish there was more”, you know it’s a good watch. Heated Rivalry is an exciting and well-constructed romance that is sure to please fans of competent queer storytelling.
Kat: It really brings me with glee that Heated Rivalry has taken off as much as it has…sex sells but so do good characters.
It’s a truly engaging show that brings the “heat”, but then slows things down to really learn about the characters and why they should be together. I also enjoyed the supporting cast that the show introduces along the way, especially their side couple - Scott and Kip. They won me over with one episode, where the leads took me a little longer to fully embrace.
But I do wish these supporting characters had more time to shine. I loved the screen time the main couple had, but I could have used less yearning when they were separated and more time with their friends, family, and fellow hockey players - who all made an impression with the small moments they had along the way.
This series has it all for many different types of audiences to enjoy it. Straight women who want to see emotional competent men, the people who like sports (even straight men), and, of course, the queer audience it’s attended for. Heated Rivalry shows that gay content DOES SELL to multiple markets, and I hope this is the start for more high quality queer content on streaming platforms.
Tournament of Champions: Holiday All Star
Kat: I’ll never say no to more Food Network’s Tournament of Champions. Usually only an annual event, the Mayor of Flavor town adds a new installment with a twist - for the holiday season, All Star chefs create pairs of twos to compete in both savory and sweet categories. Some savory chefs challenged themselves leaning into sweet, and we even saw pastry chefs that would never compete in a show like this get a chance to shine.
Guy Fieri formed together some heavy hitters this season with Top Chef fan favorites, Tournament of Champions up and comers, and Food Network stars who have never appeared on the show up to this point. I’ll be honest, there were multiple upsets from my personal favorite groupings that didn’t go as far as I thought, but I did enjoy watching the ride, especially with all the chefs competing for charity. And it was inspiring to see Shirley Chung and Tobias Dorzon following personal struggles get back into the competition scene.
If All Star Christmas becomes an annual event, I wouldn’t mind seeing more chefs compete for trophies (but save the belts for the main event!)
Crashing (2016 British Comedy Series)
Phil: A short-lived British comedy from Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Killing Eve) that has been on my radar for years, but I finally sat down to watch recently. Often descripted as a twisted take on Friends, Crashing follows a group of housemates who all live in dirty-cheap apartments within a defunct hospital.
It’s rare to see a sitcom that can accomplish so much in only a six-episode run. But Crashing utilizes its short runtime so expertly, delivering such complicated arcs for each character that in another sitcom would have taken seasons to fully explore. And Crashing does this while also being absolutely hilarious. If you’re a fan of dark British humor, Crashing is a must-watch that will have you on the floor more than once.
All of the characters are fantastic. But I especially love Jonathan Bailey’s Sam and Amit Shah’s Fred Patini, who have such a unique queer relationship for television. I also absolutely love Louise Ford’s neurotic Kate.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge is an all-star when it comes to writing incredibly flawed characters who say and do terrible things but still manage to feel human and likeable — even when you kind of hate them.
With just over two hours of total runtime, Crashing is a quick watch that is definitely worth your time. (Just make sure you watch the 2016 British show currently on Netflix. Very confusingly, there is a 2017 American comedy series also called Crashing on HBO Max).
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: Devil on My Shoulder (Dark Horse)
Kat: Kyle Starks first came onto my radar with his well-balanced run on Peacemaker and Piotr Kowalski’s gritty pencils were the perfect match to make Devil on My Shoulder an automatic pick up.
And, oh my, was this first issue brutal! How does a normal girl who works at your local retail store get to the point we see above? Devil on My Shoulder succeeds in telling a moving story as the main character feels like a real girl you’d pass in the street, while SADLY these group of boys who abused her are also exactly the type of people you could cross paths with. This series is a story about revenge, and issue 1 is a great primer for what’s to come.
Marvel: The Amazing Spider-Man: Torn
Kat: The Amazing Spider-Man: Torn just feels like CLASSIC Spider-Man, which makes sense with JMS on board. And with Pere Perez on interiors, the creative team makes this “lost episode” styled series into what feels like a flagship title.
I’m going to be honest, it’s hard to make a “good” nostalgia comic. How do you retell a story that everyone already knows and make it feel different? The reason Torn succeeds is because it focuses on character beats that the college days didn’t have the foresight to see, all while introducing a fun new villain to fill up the Spidey scenes with a ton of action and even a little bit of mystery.
If you aren’t happy with modern Spider-Man, then The Amazing Spider-Man: Torn is the perfect palette cleanser.
Webcomic: The Spookiness (GL)
“A supernatural story following two friends whose lives have been turned upside-down by a myriad of monsters that have started to appear. Jaquie and Brooke fight to discover the answers to mysteries, all while navigating their feelings for each other.”
Phil: The Spookiness is a horror comedy/drama webcomic following a pair of friends with the innate ability to see “the spookiness” — supernatural happenings in the real world.
The comic has a lot of comedy but balances it with a fair share of spooky visuals and with some creative monster design. And when the series makes use of overarching narration, it’s often to great effect with creepy flowery language that is reminiscent of the kinds of scary stories you would hear as a kid that would make you sleep with the lights on.
The series also features several Queer Sapphic characters, which is always a plus for us!
Kickstarter: Frost Bitten - Supernatural Horror
“A town in Northern Canada is overrun by flesh eating creatures and the local police officer and his pregnant wife try to survive!”
Phil: Described as a mature horror comic that fans of The Terror, The Walking Dead, and 30 Days of Night are sure to enjoy, Frost Bitten is immediately eye-catching in its design. With cool white and blue tones being the color palette of the interiors and cover…except when the harsh blood red steps in when the horror begins.
The comic also promises a historical/folk element, touching on the idea that the people of Northern Canada were originally named for a term meaning “eater of flesh” and putting forth the question of: “What if the term wasn’t referring to the Canadians themselves, but rather cannibalistic, supernatural creatures that overrun the town?”
If you’re looking for some cool (and cold) winter horror, this book looks like a great fit!
In Closing…
Thanks so much for reading this week’s post! We hope you enjoyed our Top 10 Movies of 2025. Be sure to let us know your own Top Movies picks in the comments below and on social media! We always love reading folks’ movie rankings!
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out our live Slice of Life and LGBTQ+ Axolotl Enamel Pins Kickstarter campaigns, ending this week and next week, respectively.
And get geared up for our FANGuary Vampire Comic Event next month by following the Pre-Launch Pages for our three upcoming Vampire campaigns: The Beast & Snow, Love at Second Bite, and Sink Your Teeth In #1!
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Buy Lifeline Comics on our Website!
Current Kickstarters:
Slice of Life #1-8: An Anime Character Brought to Life! (Ends 1/08)
LGBTQ+ Axolotl Enamel Pins (Ends 12/30)
Next Kickstarters (FANGuary):
The Beast & Snow #4 (Launches 1/05)
Love at Second Bite #1 (Launches 1/12)
Sink Your Teeth In #1 (Launches 1/20)
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)
Congrats Phil and Julius!