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.

Love the podcast and want to support it? Back it on Patreon at Patreon.com/OffPanel

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 #505: Finding a Balance with Tillie Walden [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:24
Cartoonist Tillie Walden the show to talk about the her past few years and her soon-to-complete Clementine trilogy over at Skybound Comet. Walden discusses the disparate audiences for the Clemetine series, atmosphere, go…
Off Panel #503: Fun and Fundamental with Eitan Manhoff [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:18
Retailer Eitan Manhoff joins the show to talk about the year in his shop Cape and Cowl Comics and the year in the direct market. Manhoff discusses how his role has changed, how the year has been in his shop, what's drivi…
Off Panel #502: Discovery with Gabriel Bá [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:15
Cartoonist Gabriel Bá joins the show to talk about his career and the upcoming The Umbrella Academy: Plan B. Bá discusses the build up to new releases, the past few years for him, whether that stretch has changed him as…
Off Panel #500: The Hologram Anniversary with Brandon Burpee [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:42:06
In the landmark, hologram-covered 500th episode of Off Panel, my pal Brandon Burpee returns to the show to hand out some awards and to answer questions from friends of the podcast. We discuss favorites and surprises from…
Off Panel #499: Giallo-wood with Alejandro Arbona [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:00
Writer/editor Alejandro Arbona joins the show to talk about his shift towards writing and his upcoming Kickstarter for his new graphic novel Lake Yellowwood Slaughter. Arbona discusses how he views himself these days, sh…
Off Panel #498: Committed to Beef with Jonathan Hickman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:44
Writer Jonathan Hickman joins the show to talk about this phase in his career and the varying projects he's working on. Hickman discusses his love of the World Cup, the phase he finds himself in, his current reality vers…
Off Panel #497: Chekhov's Tree Robot with Sophie Campbell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:57
Writer/artist Sophie Campbell joins the show to talk about her career in comics and her work on the upcoming Supergirl at DC Comics. Campbell discusses her comic origins, the SCAD experience, her evolving relationship wi…
Off Panel #496: Comic Roots with Craig Thompson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:56
Cartoonist Craig Thompson joins the show to chat about his comics career and life before diving into his upcoming graphic novel, Ginseng Roots. Thompson discusses his journeys as a creator, the people he meets, his comic…