This Last Big Books NL Is Huge (Like The Books)! 👀

HELLO THERE

…and welcome to this year’s last instalment of the newsletter about the BIGGEST books in our warehouse. Books so big they turn shelves into expositions, expositions into libraries, libraries into museums! It is said that if you gather enough of these books, a ticket booth is automatically added to your doorway, helping to recuperate a sliver of your investments.

And the only citizen in that nation
2025 is drawing to a close, but not before I tell you all about the latest big book releases, share a quick look back and ahead, and reveal the top 10 absolute BIGGEST selling big books of the year. I will also, MAYBE, reveal an absolute must-read that I somehow haven't read yet (😱), but only if it's not too embarrassing...

Let's get things underway!

KNIVES OUT, DC STYLE

If you’re ever having one of those days where you feel that your job just plain sucks, just think of poor Christopher Chance, DC universe’s “Human Target”, the bodyguard who will pretend to be you to take a bullet for you. So, while he's doing that job, he has to do your job as well. Ouch.

If there’s any silver lining to the deal, it’s that his life takes some thrilling twists and turns, and it’s all laid bare before us in this magnificently drawn story by Tom King and Greg Smallwood. And boy did they cook up a mega stylish Hitchcockian murder mystery for us, having Chance take on the case of none other than Lex frickin' Luthor, who (imagine that) somehow someone wants to off (now he knows how it feels). The plot is a delight, leaving you guessing to the very end, as any great whodunnit should.

The Human Target by Tom King Deluxe Edition is out now, so you don't have to just pretend to own this book any longer!

X-MEN BY… EVERYONE!

The end of 2025 had a little something in store for anyone still hoping to wake up with their X-genes activated one day. That, of course, includes me. Though with my luck, I'll just end up with the power of three extra toes and a pig's snout, and the latter will be what I'm named for.

Luckier in badass power sets, though perhaps not so much in life, are Cyclops and Magik, two of the preternatural stars of the Uncanny X-Men by Brian Michael Bendis Omnibus. It’s their journeys in particular that will keep you hooked to the book’s action-packed pages, which sees the former outlawed, hunting for new mutants to recruit (as usual), while the latter faces off against the Dark Dimension’s top hothead, Dormammu. Don’t worry, the rest of the X-gang are all here, too, along with plenty new additions to boot. This run may be painted by the numbers, but that can be just what your doctor ordered.

And if it's not setting your X-genes aflame, give the X-Men By Gerry Duggan Omnibus a shot instead, which collects the author’s highly enjoyable take on Krakoa's champions. Taking over after Hickman noped out of the too-successful saga, Duggan penned a colorful and eclectic mix of adventures across multiple islands and planets, taking readers from one unforgettable gala to another. What’s more, this X-Men tale pairs up perfectly with another recently released book, the X-Men by Al Ewing Omnibus, which is also still available in the store.

X-pand your horizon and get any or all of these recent X-Men books that came out, today!

CYNICAL AVENGERS

I've seen Geoff Johns likened to Michael Bay, in the sense that he isn't one to let too much depth get in the way of some good explosive action, so prepare your Linkin Park reading playlist and don’t hold back on the banal one-liners as you crack open the Avengers by Johns & Coipel Omnibus. 

Not having read it yet myself, but doing my research so you don’t have to, this seems mostly a gap-filler purchase for completionists, as the Avengers material it collects is clearly not everyone’s cup of tea... though the art by Coipel is absolutely stunning. Beyond that, if that early 2000’s edginess just happens to be your vibe, and you like your Captain America a little meaner and snarkier than usual, this book will have you happily crawwwwling iiiin your skiiiin ♪

DOCTOR’S ORDERS

When self-described “queer Asian disaster” Alyssa Wong took over the writing duties on the similarly described Doctor Aphra, I couldn’t imagine a better match for the character. The Star Wars: Doctor Aphra - Friends And Enemies Omnibus is the third book in the criminal archeologist’s saga and concludes Wong’s time at the wheel, with a tale that’s perhaps a little richer in romance than in the usual mischief, but one thankfully still doesn’t go too far without the other.

MY FAVOURITE BOOK OF 2025

He can't fix her, but I swear I could

As a year draws to a close, it’s always fun to take a trip down memory lane and reflect upon the amazing books we added to our collections. My personal favourite purchase this year was without a doubt the Daredevil By Nocenti & Romita Jr. Omnibus. After years of hoping, if not outright begging, wilfully striking deals with any devils I met, Volume 1 was at long last willed into existence by efforts greater than my own. 

What makes it so great? It’s a "Big Two" superhero comic with a distinct, dissenting voice, mirroring our own society’s struggles in Marvel’s world outside your window. While squarely set and written in the late 80s, many of the topics touched on are ever-recognisable today, with a rare one even seeming eerily prescient. The book's main draw is of course the introduction of the chaotic powerhouse with branching personalities, Typhoid Mary, who disrupts Matt Murdock's life like no other antagonist ever could.

Granted, not all of Nocenti’s experiments bear fruit, but the ones that do will more than carry you through, and even the ones that don't just end up being weird in their own wonderful ways. This book's a beaut, and at the time I’m writing this, there are still a few copies hidden around the store. Ninja-nab one before an inferno of demons invade your city and be sure to keep an eye out for Vol. 2 coming out in July next year!

(PROBABLY) MY FAVOURITE BOOK OF 2026

This WCS Exclusive cover ain't so bad, man! 

The end of the year is also the perfect time to look ahead and get excited about what lies in store for us. For me, there’s one book that towers tallest in the distance, and that’s Batman by Chip Zdarsky Omnibus Vol. 1! I'm just the exact kind of person Chip Zdarsky seems to personally write to, finding new ways to make me smile on every other page on any of his books. I'm also convinced he's peeked at my list of favourite superheroes, crossing them off one by one. First Spidey, then Daredevil, now Batman making three for three... How the duck does he do it!?

It has never been easier to pick a cover either, since we are somehow in the privileged position to offer an exclusive one you can't get anywhere else! And it looks pretty damn slick, too. If you’re quick on the pre-order you can even still get one that includes an art plate that was hand-signed by Chip when he visited our store, so spread your cape and pre-order the World's Greatest Cover, asap!

TOP 10 BESTSELLING BIG BOOKS OF 2025

But enough about MY personal favourites... Let's talk about REAL winners, backed up by cold hard factual facts! That's right, the numbers can't lie, and it's time to reveal this year's biggest selling big books at WCS. Start the countdown!

10. Tomb Raider Colossal Collection Volume 1 HC 
As a massive video game enthusiast, I'm thrilled to see Lara do so well in comic books, too! With two new games announced just this month, the world clearly craves more adventurous treasure hunts and displays of athletic badassery. (And T-Rexes.)

9. Avengers By Jonathan Hickman Omnibus Vol. 1 HC
Reprints... assemble! As Hickman's magnum opus, this is one of those all-time classic Avengers books that should just always be available. Since it isn't, it makes perfect sense that everyone got it when it was available again. 

 8. Nightwing by Tom Taylor Omnibus HC
The Boy Wonder sold wondrous amounts of copies this year, with this vibrantly coloured, masterfully drawn adventure filled with heart and humor. This easy to recommend comic with a wide appeal will make anyone a fan of Dick Grayson.

7. Righteous Thirst For Vengeance Deluxe Edition HC
I'm convinced that Rick Remender has never disappointed anyone in his life, and this book's success affirms that yet again. Combined with gorgeous art by André Lima Araújo, he tells a story that's violent and brutal and unsettling in all the right ways.

6.  Lazarus HC Vol 04
When a volume 4 ends up being one of the year's top-selling books, you know you should probably be reading this kick-ass sci-fi series by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark, too. Alright then, adding to cart...
 
5. X-Men: Blue & Gold - Mutant Genesis Omnibus HC 
Chris Claremont's X-Men swan song gave Jim Lee his rise to fame, and their combined efforts resulted in the blockbuster, 8+ million selling X-Men #1, a feat unrivaled to this day. You won't find a better mapped book of this era, presenting both the blue and gold teams' adventures in a hassle-free, pitch-perfect reading order. And you see, it sells gangbusters still!

4. Batman By Tom King Omnibus Vol 1 HC
Tom King felt Batman didn't yet have enough trauma in his life, and that turned out to be exactly what we all liked to read. Ha, Sadman! All jokers aside, this is a run that takes its time and dives deep, so it reads particularly well in collected format. Plus, it's Batman, and Batman always sells.

Just not as much as the top 3! Start that dramatic drum roll... because the result may shock you.

INVINCIBLE claims Gold, Silver AND Bronze

3. Invincible Compendium HC Vol 03
2. Invincible Compendium HC Vol 01
1. Invincible Compendium HC Vol 02

Sorry, other comic books, Earth wasn’t yours to conquer, as nothing comes close to Robert Kirkman's smash hit series Invincible. In the words of my colleague Gloriana, it sells "always and everywhere." And wistfully, she added: "if there was an Invincible manga, I bet it would take the lead too."

Now, how embarrassing would it be if I admitted I'm one of the last few comic book readers out there who haven't read Invincible yet? Hypothetically, of course. I bet that would be pretty embarrassing for a big book newsletter writer to admit, so let's not go so far as to confirm... that. Not publicly, not just yet. Instead, I'll let my good friend (and, actually, colleague at my real job!) Dario tell you, as he told me, what made the series stand out to him: 

"The art is very nice and very consistent, and the stories have the feeling of a modern-day silver age Marvel, when you had characters that would be allowed to grow, evolve and change... before they became too big and needed to be frozen in place as "brands".

So there you have it! The secret to defeating the Big Two is to do what they once did, but apparently can't figure out anymore. Until they figure that out...

INVINCIBLE & OMNIS... ARE FOREVER! 
See you next year! 🫡