Tops and Bottoms – 24th December 2025.

“Christmas always rustled.” – Tove Janssen.

It’s only bloody Christmas Eve!

Probably my favourite day of the year. Maybe that explains why I can’t sleep at 3am and have instead chosen to write this. 

We end years with a warm but bitter melancholy. A sense that things may get better in the brightness of 2026 but with a heavy heart over what has passed. 2025 has been a disaster. Wars continue, financials dive-bomb and hearts can be heard breaking over politicians and our now crushed hopeful dreams of what could have been. But, surprisingly, I’m still a fan of Christmas. Not so much the day itself but more the expectations of the lead-in. I love the lights in the high street, the carols floating in through the window from the local church and the buying of presents for those I love.

Comics were once a place to hide and become cheerful. Next week I’ll be posting my Top 11. For now I’ll just be enjoying Christmas and it’s cosy quietness. I have a little cache of things to read. Thanks to buddies I have something involving that mulletted Roy (thanks Tom), something Japanese (thanks Johnny) and some that are springing out in a massive hard(back) from Dan. They’re sitting under the tree to participate in my four day hibernation. Broken only by a little work and a couple of very long dog walks.

Then I’ll take a deep breath and begin the whole process of another year. Things to do, things to do. Alarm clocks, commutes, comics and coffee and then blessed sleep. In that order. One day that racket will end. But the end isn’t yet in sight yet.

Meanwhile…

Over at the ACP this week we celebrated the season with a read through of Amazing Spider-Man issue 166. The Lizard and Vincent Stegron (along with some easily despatched dinosaurs) try to ruin a snowy Christmas in the Big Apple. I LOVED this one. Probably my favourite once a year seasonal episode so far. Give it a go.

A shorter one this week as we move sideways at the crossing into the regular feature I have hilariously called ‘Tops’ and ‘Bottoms’. 

First up.

Small Press Comic of the Week.

Now in a glorious UK-comic size it’s the return of Chance Tempest. This time he’s joined by an ape. The funniest action-comedy you’ll find. Outrageously gorey and with dialogue of brilliant hilarity. Zack Cahill continues his unbroken run of fun. Long may he ride!

Tops.

A couple were in the running but this side story in the Geiger universe of revenge and rescue best invigorated my aforementioned early morning read. Ghost Machine has rudely been ignored in a lot of awards and Best Of lists this year so badly that I suspect a conspiracy of jealousness. In this issue we see child rapists burnt atomically to death. What could be more Christmassy!?

Bottoms.

Moving on to this pile of cack I found on Global Comix. You can even see the tear on the bottom left!

What mushrooms was this dude on what he pressed publish? And what is that writing even trying to say!?

Merry Christmas. See you in a week.