DC Comics dominated November graphic novel sales, almost completely locking out Marvel. Yet another new Criminal book is coming, but probably not digitally. Marvel launches Imperial Guardians.
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Episode Transcript:
DC dominates November graphic novel sales.
Another new Criminal book coming.
Marvel launches Imperial Guardians.
This is Comic Book Club News for December 8, 2025.
DC Dominates November 2025 Graphic Novel Sales:
Last week, we reported on how DC dominated the November 2025 sales chart for single issues. Turns out they ruled the graphic novel sales chart as well, almost completely locking out Marvel.
Per ICv2, DC Comics held 16 of the Top 20 slots on the month’s chart, with Marvel only grabbing one slot, for Ultimate X-Men Volume 3. That left three slots for Image, for Transformers Volume 4, which hit number three on the chart, as well as the first volume of Invincible Universe: Battle Beast, and the second volume of G.I. Joe.
As for DC, though, Absolute Batman Volume 1 continued to top the charts at number one, followed by Absolute Martian Manhunter at number two. Overall, six Absolute Universe collections hit the Top 20, and eight of the budget-friendly Compact Comics editions charted as well. Meanwhile, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and DC x Sonic the Hedgehog continued to hold strong for the second month in a row.
Another New Criminal Book Coming, Though Probably Not Digitally:
Yet another new Criminal book is coming from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.
Titled Five Gears in Reverse, SKTCHD reports the graphic novel will hit next year, hot on the heels of this year’s The Knives and the just-released Giant Size Criminal. The book will focus once again on the doomed Ricky Lawless, who “tries to pay off a deep debt to a mobster, while things just keep going from bad to worse.”
All this comes in advance of the still TBA premiere date of Prime Video’s live-action Criminal TV series. However, you may need to make plans to head to your bookstore to pick it up. Pre-Thanksgiving, fans of the series discovered The Knives had been pulled from digital outlets, leading to cries of foul play worthy of the series. However, as Comic Book Club reported on our website, Brubaker and Phillips actually chose to pull the book from digital three months after release, and will only release it digitally when the softcover version arrives. Additionally, it seems Giant Size Criminal hasn’t been released digitally at all.
So if you’re eager to pick up Five Gears In Reverse when it hits stores on June 23, 2026? Make some room on your shelf now.
Marvel Launches Imperial Guardians:
Not to be confused with Imperial Gardens, the pretty good Chinese restaurant down the block from me, Marvel has announced Imperial Guardians, a brand new ongoing series that returns writer Dan Abnett to cosmic Marvel.
Spinning out of the events of Imperial, the new title evolves the Guardians of the Galaxy into a new force for universal… Well, something. I’m being vague here because they’re working for Maximus, the insane Inhuman who was behind all the chaos in Imperial. Which means maybe Abnett and artist Marcelo Ferreira have them up to something bad, something good, maybe a little bit of both.
The new team includes Captain Marvel, Darkhawk, Amadeus Cho, Cosmic Ghost Rider, and Gamora, and promises a lot of twists, turns and behind-the-scenes shenanigans, what with a Kree Grand Admiral attacking Hala, Darkhawk having some weird mental issues, and of course, Maximus has another game of his own.
Imperial Guardians #1 hits stores on March 11, 2026.
For Comic Book Club News, I’m Alex Zalben. And just to be clear, Imperial Gardens is different than Empire Gardens, which has better wontons.
Got tips or stories you’d like us to cover? Email us at comicbookclublive@gmail.com.
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