If you walked into your local comic shop this week, you might feel like you’ve stepped straight into the eye of a superhero storm. DC’s Absolute line is roaring into the year’s finale, Marvel is sneaking in a cheeky Winter vacation, and indie universes are elbowing their way onto the shelves with monster battles, kaiju crossovers, and one very ominous title called The Will of Doom.

Let’s start where the chatter is loudest: DC’s Absolute universe. Absolute Superman 14 closes out its second big arc with a brutal showdown against Ra’s al Ghul and a pivot into a new phase of Superman’s “first year,” complete with a refreshed look and status quo. At the same time, Absolute Martian Manhunter 7 is quietly becoming the visual darling of the line, with readers and reviewers praising its strange, tactile art and the way it resets the tone after the first storyline’s fallout. Over in Absolute Wonder Woman 15, Hecate’s mark turns the issue into a tense, almost Batman-style detective duet, with strategy and long-term consequences that have commentators speculating about where the entire line is heading next.

But the big gossip isn’t just on the page; it’s around it. Absolute Batman 15, featuring the long-teased first crossover between Absolute Batman and Absolute Wonder Woman, exploded onto the “hottest comics” charts after an influencer leaked the entire issue online before release. Enough fans read the bootleg that early word of mouth about Batman and Diana’s chemistry sent collectors scrambling to grab early issues of all three heroes, convinced they’re witnessing the birth of an Absolute Trinity. The positive takeaway for fans: the relationship dynamics land, and the darker reinterpretation of villains like the demonic Absolute Joker keeps pushing the line’s grisly reputation.

While the Absolute titles dominate pull lists, the rest of DC isn’t exactly sitting on the sidelines. Harley and Ivy: Life and Crimes 2 digs into the moment Harley finally cuts ties with the Joker, framed as a flashback to the start of her relationship with Ivy. Harley Quinn 57 reaches legacy issue 200 and wraps a major storyline in a way that has readers split over its sharply contrasting art styles. Green Lantern 30 delivers a surprisingly heartfelt team-up as Hal Jordan and Batman trade dry humor and shared trauma, and Green Arrow 31 closes out its run with a moody, emotional coda rather than a bombastic finale. Meanwhile, Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong 2 somehow finds room to turn Martian Manhunter into a kaiju while shoving Wally West into the spotlight, just in case you thought things couldn’t get any bigger.

Marvel’s answer this week is less universe-shaking and more delightfully indulgent. Marvel Winter Break Special 1 arrives as a modern cousin to the old Marvel Swimsuit Specials, mashing together holiday vibes, vacation hijinks, and character-driven comedy. It is designed as a breezy one-shot where heroes can finally relax between cosmic crises, and early coverage leans into exactly that tone. Around it, regular-series stalwarts like Amazing Spider-Man 18 and the Age of Revelation minis, including Cloak and Dagger and Expatriate X-Men, keep Marvel’s side of the racks busy. Undeadpool adds some undead irreverence, while The Will of Doom 1 stakes out new territory as a fresh launch that reviewers are flagging as a must-sample curiosity just on its title and ambition alone.

Beyond the Big Two, the shelves are crammed with recognizable icons taking weird left turns. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Battle Nexus 1 pulls the Turtles into another dimension-hopping martial arts gauntlet. Godzilla: Escape the Dead Zone continues smashing cities and continuity alike, and Justice League Red, Justice League Unlimited, and a wave of DC KO tie-ins keep feeding a shared-event ecosystem where Red Hood can square off against the Joker under a prizefight-style banner and Mr. Terrific can literally lead a team...