Off Panel #531: One World Under Beetle with Brandon Burpee

Off Panel #531: One World Under Beetle with Brandon Burpee

Author: SKTCHD December 22, 2025 Duration: 1:54:11

My pal Brandon Burpee returns to the podcast for our annual look at the year in comics before we count down our 20 favorite comics of the year. Burpee discusses the year in comics, the state of the Big Two, where the X-Men are, older comics that might have previous lists, anticipated comics from 2026, ancient Star Wars takes, and more, before we share our honorable mentions from the year in comics and then count down our 20 favorites comics and graphic novels from 2025.

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For those that are looking for a list of our 20 favorite comics, here they are.

David Harper's 20 Favorite Comics of 2025
1. Beetle Moses
2. Hirayasumi
3. Sleep
4. Land Vol. 1
5. Do Admit! The Mitford Sisters and Me
6. Cannon
7. The Fables of Erlking Wood
8. Good Devils: Don't Play Fair with Evil
9. Ionheart
10. Lucas Wars
11. Out of Alcatraz
12. A Garden of Spheres
13. Tongues Vol. 1
14. Assorted Crisis Events
15. Flip
16. The Knives
17. Raised by Ghosts
18. Tokyo Alien Bros.
19. Absolute Wonder Woman
20. Absolute Batman

Brandon Burpee's 20 Favorite Comics of 2025
1. One World Under Doom
2. Green Lantern
3. Batman and Robin: Year One
4. Deadpool/Wolverine
5. Superman
6. X-Men
7. JSA
8. Absolute Superman
9. Justice League Unlimited
10. Exquisite Corpses
11. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 12. Geiger
13. Storm
14. Absolute Wonder Woman
15. Redcoat
16. Captain America
17. Invincible Universe: Battle Beast
18. Green Lantern Corps
19. Escape
20. History of the DC Universe


Each week on Off Panel: A Comics Interview Podcast, host David Harper of SKTCHD sits down for a conversation that goes deeper than the usual press cycle. This isn't just about promoting the latest project; it's about understanding the people and the processes that shape the comic book industry. You'll hear from writers, artists, editors, and other key figures in a way that reveals the personal journeys, creative struggles, and collaborative triumphs behind the pages we love. The discussions are thoughtful and meandering, often touching on craft, industry shifts, and the simple love of the medium itself. By focusing on the human stories, this podcast builds a more complete picture of comics culture, from the indie scene to the major publishers. It's for anyone who has ever finished a great comic and immediately wondered about the minds that built it. New episodes arrive weekly, offering a consistent and engaging look into this vibrant world. For more, you can find David Harper and SKTCHD across various social platforms.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 560

Off Panel: A Comics Interview Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Off Panel #363: Into the Maggottverse with Brandon Burpee [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:08
Friend of the show Brandon Burpee returns Off Panel for a rare discussion oriented on...comic book adaptations? Burpee discusses the greatness of the new Marvel Legends Maggott toy, his affinity for the character, our cu…
Off Panel #362: Beyond the Galaxy with Faith Erin Hicks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:00
Cartoonist Faith Erin Hicks joins Off Panel to chat about her past few years and her upcoming graphic novel, Ride On. Hicks discusses revisiting works, the origins of Ride On, her desire to slow down, the power of no, ho…
Off Panel #361: Secret City with Tyler Crook [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:14
Cartoonist Tyler Crook joins Off Panel to chat about his career and current Dark Horse series, The Lonesome Hunters. Crook discusses his comic and art origins, influences, his time in video games, tackling Petrograd, fol…
Off Panel #360: New Tricks with Declan Shalvey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:38
Cartoonist Declan Shalvey joins Off Panel to talk about what he's been up to and his upcoming Image series, Old Dog. Shalvey discusses embracing different models, the nature of the market, the origins of Old Dog, product…
Off Panel #359: The No-Prize with Sarah Brunstad [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:47
Marvel Editor Sarah Brunstad joins Off Panel for a discussion about the wider world of editing comics. Brunstad discusses her path to comics, continuity's impact on editing, editorial divisions, relationship building, th…
Off Panel #358: Twilight City with Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:28
Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt join the show to talk about C-list villains and their upcoming Dark Horse mini-series, Minor Threats. Blum and Oswalt discuss their love of the lovable losers of comics, the origins of Minor…
Off Panel #357: Product vs. Process with Brian Hibbs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:24:15
Retailer Brian Hibbs joins the show to talk about the world of comic shops. Hibbs discusses the year at his shop, Comix Experience, online stores, different paths to success, the speculator market, what's working at his…
Off Panel #356: The Comeback with Graeme McMillan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:30:43
Comics journalist Graeme McMillan joins the show to talk about the world of writing about comics and five topics or trends of note in the comics space. McMillan discusses the evolution of writing about nerd culture, how…
Off Panel #355: The Destination with Brian K. Vaughan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:31:41
Writer Brian K. Vaughan joins the show to chat about his career, collaborators, Saga, and Spectators over on Substack. Vaughan discusses the return of Saga, his breaking in story, how Y the Last Man changed things, his a…