The best-selling graphic novels for May, 2025 have been revealed. Image Comics to publish facsimile editions, including Warren Ellis book Fell. Marvel announces new Stormbreakers.
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Episode Transcript:
May’s best-selling graphic novels revealed.
Image to publish facsimile of Warren Ellis’ Fell.
Marvel announces new Stormbreakers.
This is Comic Book Club News for June 9, 2025.
Best-Selling Graphic Novels For May 2025 Revealed:
Last week, we brought you the best-selling single issues of May 2025, and now it’s time to talk graphic novels. At the top of the charts? Transformers Volume 3.
Per ICv2, Image Comics took a hefty 50% of the Top 20 list, led by four different Transformers collections and compendiums, with Invincible taking another four slots. Saga, Volume 12 hit the number three slot, and Void Rivals Volume 3 came in at number 17.
DC Comics had five Compact Comics editions hit the charts, with the new Kingdom Come collection in at number two. Marvel only managed four graphic novels, with It’s Jeff: Jeff-Verse at number six, Ultimate Spider-Man snagging two slots, and Ultimate X-Men coming in at number 12.
Noticeably absent from the list of units sold for the first time in years is IDW’s TMNT: The Last Ronin — though it did hit number 16 on the list of dollars earned, so no need to panic.
Image Comics To Publish Facsimile Of Warren Ellis Book Fell:
Just in case you’ve spent the past thirty years lamenting that you never got your hands on Astro City #1, Image Comics has you covered. The classic is getting a facsimile edition on July 2… It’s only one of 12 first issue comics the publisher is releasing, all on the same day. And one of those books is Fell, written by Warren Ellis, with art by Ben Templesmith.
The titles include: Revival, Astro City, Descender, Godland, Hunter Killer, I Hate Fairyland, Monstress, Paper Girls, and Fell. Each will come printed in its original format, as well as a foil variant and a blank sketch variant.
It’s unfortunate to see Warren Ellis’s book in there, as the writer was accused of sexual misconduct in 2020 by over 60 women. In 2021, Image Comics backed off publishing additional issues of Fell due to the allegations and explained, “Image Comics will not be working with Warren on anything further until he has made amends to the satisfaction of all involved.”
Despite what seemed like some promising steps forward thanks to an organization called SoManyOfUs that initially opened a dialogue with Ellis, in 2023, they announced that he “took none of the steps we hoped he would.” There have been no updates since then, and Image Comics offered no comment when asked whether Ellis will see any financial compensation from its publishing, as well as what changed from their previous statement in 2021.
All Image Comics facsimile editions hit stores on July 2.
Marvel Announces New Stormbreakers:
Back in the day, Marvel had their Young Guns, which highlighted up-and-coming artists in the industry. Rather than going to the natural next step — that would be Young Guns II — the publisher established Stormbreakers, which, instead of highlighting up-and-comers, seems to just be whoever the House of Ideas wants to give more work (no shade, please give people more work). And this year’s class is a collection of artists, once again! Can you believe it?
Those artists include Alessandro Cappuccio, Netho Diaz, Simone Di Meo, Juan Frigeri, Gurihiru, Jonas Scharf, Geoff Shaw, and Luciano Vecchio.
The new Stormbreakers are chosen every two years, and that means saying goodbye to 2023’s Stormbreakers: Elena Casagrande, Nic Klein, Jan Bazaldua, Chris Allen, Martín Cóccolo, Lucas Werneck, C.F. Villa, and Federico Vincentini. All eight of these artists will be taken to a farm in Connecticut to live out the rest of their days, where they can run and play to their heart’s content.
For Comic Book Club News, I’m Alex Zalben. Just to check, you’re still not panicking about TMNT: The Last Ronin, right? Okay, good.
Got tips or stories you’d like us to cover? Email us at comicbookclublive@gmail.com.
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