Welcome back to another edition of Fantastic Five, our Friday celebration of the best comics of the week! This week saw a historic relaunch, an excellent one-shot, and more. Let’s get to the books!
Best comics of the week: September 3, 2025
#5: Blood Honey #1
Blood Honey is a fantastic one-and-done tale that leaves you wanting more, especially if you’re a fan of Heathers, Wednesday, or YA stories with a particularly mean edge.
Read Nathan Simmons’ full review!
#4: JSA #11
‘JSA’ #11 reunites its heroes, but delivers something better
Though not really climactic for a penultimate issue, Lemire and Olortegui still compensate for the lack of a major shakeup by continuing to focus on the characters who are the driving force of the JSA. Lemire and Olortegui don’t just limit this to the heroes themselves, but also their villains. Both creators do an exceptional job at showing how the villains’ actions inform their own growth, and those of the heroes they fight. While the storyline is not likely to end with an epic battle, this ultimately won’t matter because the strength of “Ragnarök” is not the destination itself, but the actual journey.
Read Diane Darcy’s full review!
#3: Resurrection Man: Quantum Karma #6
‘Resurrection Man: Quantum Karma’ #6 is both an ending and a beginning
Resurrection Man: Quantum Karma #6 ends with a stirring tribute to Jackson “Butch” Guice, the late co-creator of Resurrection Man. They have a clear, genuine love for Guice’s work, and the fact that they could work with him on his creation, and in a way it underlines what makes this story special. Resurrection Man: Quantum Karma #6 is a celebration of life above all, and a phenomenal character study. Comics fans of all stripes should add it to their reading lists, and other creators should definitely be taking notes.
Read Collier Jennings’ full review!
#2: Ultimate X-Men #19
With all said and done, Ultimate X-Men #19 is a phenomenal story about the power to finally accept yourself. I really do think there is something special about this series and you can tell that it all comes from the personal connection Momoko has with these characters and I can’t wait for more.
Read Piper Whitaker’s full review!
#1: Batman #1
After years of convoluted stories trying to prove Batman’s relevance in a modern era, Batman #1 (2025) is a comforting reset for the character that attempts to prove Batman’s relevance will always simply be: he’s Batman. It doesn’t need to be overcomplicated or extravagant, it just needs to be interesting, and the rest will follow. But there’s much more to capture one’s attention in this issue because Gotham finally feels alive again. While it’s often considered its own character, I think this issue is a prime example of what this means by introducing several new characters who are sure to be pivotal players in this arc. Thanks to the emphasis on characters outside of Batman, things feel livelier. This story succeeds and will likely stand the test of time because it’s a reminder that Batman’s importance stems from his humanity and hope for a better tomorrow.
