Trading Pages: New Releases March 2025
A new batch of trade paperbacks and hardcover comic books dropped this month. Check out which titles are worth your time in the March 2025 edition of Trading Pages.
While numerical scores are not provided, these collected editions are graded on a scale of: Must Read, Consider It, or Maybe Pass.
Kylooe
Kylooe is best experienced intentionally and without haste. Created by Little Thunder, this comic is at times uneasy—even sad—right before it doses readers with a sharp dark joke.
Kylooe means dream, and this comic books contains three stories with this theme. “Downhearted Dragonfly” is about an outcast who becomes obsessed with a new band. “Green Tunnel” discusses the complexity of relationships: the guilt, the lingering memories, and the ‘what ifs.’ “Never Been Happy,” is the third story and in my opinion it is the strongest as it talks about emotional disruptions.
The theme of dreams is whimsically presented in the writing, but most notably by the visually stunning pages full of light colored panels against moments of chaotic colors and shapes. This results in scenes that are sometimes cute and sometimes nightmarish—especially when the mascot of “Kylooe” appears. This creature serves as a non-verbal connection of reality and the dreamworld and almost acts like a referee against the juxtaposition of visuals that taken place at any given time.
Little Thunder, who has decades of experience under their belt and has crafted a work of art that can only be produced under such skill as the written and visual storytelling present experiences and questions that linger with the reader after the last panel has been devoured.
Readers shouldn’t expect to love every story, and that is evidently intentional as each story gives different themes and even different aged characters. The final story is about a society where emotions are managed by cruel and oppressive regimes and it’s fitting in today’s world where authoritarianism is on the rise. Kylooe manages to offer reprieve in its charming and unsettling stories as inappropriately timed jokes exist everywhere and serve as a reminder of how humor can be a coping mechanism against the horrors of reality and wonders of a dream.
Kylooe is delightful, unexpected, and a beautiful piece of art and poetry. It embraces readers who dive into its visuals and complexities and rewards participants with thought-provoking considerations and inspirational design. It also serves as a romantic reminder of dreams, their power and influence, and the lingering experiences that exist between realities.
Verdict: Must Read
By Little Thunder
Published by Dark Horse Comics
Neptune
Dark and visceral in both its story and in its visuals, Neptune is a slow burn crime drama with a hint of supernatural that takes readers on a somber journey.
Decades after a botched robbery, Corey is out of prison and trying to make sense of his life—but he isn’t alone. After all of these years, the ghost of his friend Shaw, a friend who was killed in the robbery, has been attached to Corey acting as both a guide and source of regret.
I am not one to turn away from somber stories, but the way in which Corey’s journey remained sad made this an incredibly heavy read. Very much designed to be a slow burn, the art style of rough sketches and colors that feel like an acid dream work well for Corey’s story, but mileage may vary.
While the story and art functionally work, the consistent draining tones left me exhausted. Believers in better days be warned, Neptune is a hard story, but one that gives blunt lessons.
Verdict: Consider It
By Michael W. Conrad (Author), Nathan Ooten (Illustrator & Colorist), and Kyle Arends (Letterer)
Published by Dark Horse Comics
Minor Arcana Vol. 1
From beginning to end, Minor Arcana is one of my favorites so far of 2025.
This series follows Theresa St. Pierre, a daughter of a small town psychic who reluctantly returns to her hometown of Limberlost to help her sick mother. Part of Theresa’s grievances with the little town are lost loves and her mother’s shop with its infamous $10 psychic readings right on the front door. It would be easy to assume Theresa’s mom has been conning people for decades. However, Theresa’s interaction with Tarot Cards for a long-term customer unveil mystic skills that connect Theresa with the ensemble of townsfolk—making her once removed connection to a deeply personal one.
Beautifully written and illustrated by Jeff Lemire, this series balances its whimsically moody story and the pages gently pull in readers and hold their attention with the cozy and rough art style.
There are supernatural elements to Theresa’s tale, but the narrative never embellishes the newfound powers by Theresa and instead wraps the story in mysterious moments that feel grounded.
Readers would be remiss to skip out on this series. For starters, it’s stunning to flip through the pages and see the dark ink lines with semi-muted watercolor palettes. Add the engulfing story and what readers can expect is an experience full of magical realism.
Verdict: Must Read
By Jeff Lemire (Author, Illustrator & Colorist), and Steve Wand (Letterer)
Published by BOOM! Studios
The Last Wardens Vol. 1
The Last Wardens is chaotic, action-packed, and full of violent mayhem. It’s also incredibly entertaining from start to finish, and wastes no time as blood and horror fill the pages.
Set in 1970s Oregon, Danielle Pryer has had enough of her deadbeat dad, the small town she lives in, and is ready to make a change. Her plans get derailed when her brother, Bruce (thought to be MIA from the Vietnam War), returns home and morphs into a horrific blob-like creature that has engulfed their childhood home. Shortly, a ragtag group of paranormal warriors arrive, but their unorthodox ways create more problems as they try to stop the monster and (poorly) prevent casualties.
With its fun script from Amit Tishler & Eliot Sperl and high-octane panels from Rui Silveira that are rich with colors from Francesco Segala, readers are in for a wild experience in Volume 1. This first entry is full of violent surprises, talking chickens, and an exciting new cast of supernatural characters.
Beware, the story turns up the volume to 11 and never backs down leaving readers breathless by the last page as the world of Danny Pryer is sure to get bigger.
Verdict: Must Read
By Amit Tishler & Eliot Sperl & Eliot Sperl (authors), Rui Silveira (Illustrator), Francesco Segala (Colorist), and Frank Cvetkovic (Letterer)
Published by Mad Cave Studios