Is there anything more fun than looking back at the wildest moments from DC Comics at the end of the year? 2025 is over, and as a huge DC stan, one of my favorite things is looking back at the moments that really had people going “What the f***?”. Because let’s be real, with comics, creative teams are always making twists and turns we never see coming, and these kinds of moments can make us laugh, elicit gasps, or even leave us completely puzzled. Truth be told, some of my favorite moments in comics are the ones that shocked me.
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Now I’m not saying these moments are bad. I mean, I’m sure that some of them displeased or even had fans recoiling, like Absolute Bane’s brutal attack on Batman’s friends. But some unexpected moments turned out to be some of the coolest parts of a story, like the use of Martian Vision in Absolute Martian Manhunter. Then again, we also had Batman being killed by the Joker in DC K.O., which angered fans considerably. But for better or worse, there were a lot of WTF-certified moments in 2025, and these 5 are the ones that definitely had fans talking.
5. DC Gives Readers Martian Vision
If you need a reason to support physical comic books, Absolute Martian Manhunter’s periodic use of ‘Martian Vision’ has one of the best. To tie in with the main character’s extra-sensory psychic powers, various issues of the miniseries this year included a page that required you to hold it up to the light, where both sides blend to reveal a secret aspect of the story. This page had everyone talking, and it really showed us the kinds of things that are possible with comics when creators truly push the medium’s capabilities.
4. The Batman/Deadpool Crossovers
When 2025 began, I didn’t think Marvel and DC Comics were any closer to a crossover than they’ve been in the last few decades. But that changed in September and November when we got two crossover specials featuring Batman and Deadpool. Not only that, but the crossover also included backup crossovers with characters like Hulk and Harley Quinn or Green Arrow and Daredevil. We even got a brief return of the Amalgam Universe with a new character Logo, a combo of Lobo and Wolverine. And yes, the Batman/Deadpool comics are just as fun and creative as you imagine them.
3. Bane Wrecks Absolute Batman’s Friends
It really is hard to pick just one moment out of the Absolute Universe that made fans’ jaws drop. But truth be told, I really didn’t expect Bane to go after or mutilate Batman’s friends. Crushing every bone in Oswald’s body, setting Harvey on fire, and destroying Eddie’s frontal lobe, tragically putting them all on the paths to become the villains they were meant to be. We all had a sinking feeling something was going to happen to Batman’s friends, but seeing their transformations play out so horribly was shocking to say the least.
2. Joker Kills Batman
This one really pissed people off, and honestly, I get it. For months, DC teased the bracket for its tournament in DC K.O., and fans made their guesses about who they were told was participating. But the first issue of the event saw Batman being killed by the Joker, who snagged the Dark Knight’s place in the competition. Killing Batman is one thing, but fans were more infuriated that they made their bracket picks based on the assumption that Bruce would at least make it into the first round. But hey, at least he got his own tie-in miniseries afterward.
1. The Harley Quinn Fartacular
I think we all can agree that DC seriously putting out a story dedicated to Harley Quinn and her love of farts to be the strangest thing we saw all year (if not the damn decade). Seriously, this comic is about a riff in Harley and Poison Ivy’s relationship that starts when the latter accidentally lets one rip. Oh, and the comic itself? It came with a scratch-n’-sniff cover that smelled exactly like…well, you can probably guess. I’ve seen some wild stuff in my days, but Harley wearing Plastic Man to contain her farts? That takes the cake.
What was DC Comics’ biggest WTF moment in your opinion? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
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