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Captain Marvel Reading Order: From Mar-Vell to Carol Danvers

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There are several characters known as Captain Marvel. We are not here to talk about Shazam, but we have to start the story with him. As you may know, Fawcett’s Captain Marvel was enormously popular in the 1940s, outselling even Superman, becoming one of the most successful superheroes of the Golden Age of Comics. His popularity, however, brought legal trouble. In 1941, DC Comics filed a lawsuit against Fawcett Publications, claiming that Captain Marvel was an infringement on Superman. The case dragged on for over a decade, with multiple appeals and shifting rulings.

Ultimately, in 1953, Fawcett agreed to cease publication of its superhero comics, citing declining sales and the high cost of litigation. Captain Marvel disappeared from newsstands for nearly twenty years. DC Comics would later license and eventually purchase the character from Fawcett, reintroducing him in the early 1970s under the title “Shazam!” since by that time, Marvel Comics had legally claimed the trademark “Captain Marvel.”

Marvel’s claim to the name began in 1967, when writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan introduced their own Captain Marvel in Marvel Super-Heroes #12. This version, a Kree military officer named Mar-Vell, was created largely to secure the trademark and prevent others from using it. To maintain ownership, Marvel was required to publish a comic featuring the name “Captain Marvel” periodically. As a result, readers have seen a long succession of characters (Mar-Vell, Monica Rambeau, Genis-Vell, Phyla-Vell, Noh-Varr, and Carol Danvers) take up the mantle in various ongoing series, limited runs, team books, and one-shots from the late 1960s to the present day.

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35 Books To Read About Comic Books

Every comic book reader has met someone who told them that it would be better if they read “real” books. Sadly, sequential art is often not considered to be as worthy an art form as literature. Nevertheless, if there are books that comic book readers like to read, it’s books about comic books! 

Some of those books are straightforward history books, while others are biographical in nature, but all explore, in one way or another, some aspect of the multifaceted development of the industry that has become such a pillar of American culture. From the creation of icons to the exploitative nature of the publishing world, the emergence of artistic movements, and the economic evolution of the industry, there are a lot of subjects to cover. 

Today, we are aiming to compile a selective list of books that you might be interested in reading about comic books. There are fewer than one might expect after so many decades. Nevertheless, more and more insiders and fans are trying to chronicle the history of comics before too many of those who lived it leave us. In the following selection, you’ll find biographies, history books, art books, essays, interviews, and memoirs, going into different genres, authors, and topics. 

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Lumberjanes Reading Order (Boom! comics)

Friendship to the Max! Published by Boom! Studios under its Boom! Box imprint, Lumberjanes is a comic book series created by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, ND Stevenson, and Brooklyn A. Allen. Launched in April 2014, it was initially conceived as an eight-issue limited run, but its popularity led to an extended publication, ultimately concluding with issue #75 in 2020.

Set at Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types, the series follows five friends (Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley) who attend a summer camp where the ordinary rules of nature and reality rarely apply. Strange phenomena abound: three-eyed foxes roam the forest, mysterious caves hide ancient secrets, and cryptic messages appear in the form of anagrams. Despite the chaos, the campers face every challenge with courage, wit, and unwavering friendship, embodying the series’ recurring motto: “Friendship to the max!”

Paying homage to classic “Girl Scout” and camp adventure tropes, Lumberjanes blends adventure, fantasy, and humor with strong themes of teamwork, empowerment, and inclusivity through its mix of magical realism and heartfelt friendship. Critically acclaimed, the series has been the recipient of multiple awards, including two Eisner Awards (Best New Series and Best Publication for Teens in 2015) and a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book in 2016.

The success of the Lumberjanes comics led to various spin-offs and adaptations, including Lumberjanes: Gotham Academy (a crossover with DC Comics), a series of middle-grade novels co-written by Mariko Tamaki, and an animated television adaptation in development at HBO Max (later canceled during restructuring).

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Knull Reading Order, The King in Black

In recent years, the most significant new villain to emerge in the Marvel Comics Universe is Knull, the King in Black. Created by writer Donny Cates and artist Ryan Stegman, he first appeared in Venom #3 (2018) and slowly grew to become one of the biggest cosmic menaces the superheroes had to face.

Knull is introduced as the god of the symbiotes and one of the primordial beings of the Marvel Universe. As his story unfolds, we learn that he existed before the current Marvel Universe, in the endless void that preceded creation. When the Celestials began shaping the universe, their light angered him, leading him to forge the first symbiote (the All-Black Necrosword) and wage war against them. After decapitating a Celestial, Knull used its head to forge more weapons and eventually created the symbiote species, which he bound into a hive mind under his control.

An embodiment of darkness and nihilism, Knull has powers that make him able to manipulate darkness and, obviously, maintain control over the symbiote, but he is also “immortal” and possesses godlike strength.

While Knull was at the center of the King in Black crossover event, he appeared before that, becoming a real menace to Eddie Brock and the rest of the Marvel Universe. He and his All-Black Necrosword.

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Teen Titans Go! Comics Reading Order

The first time Teen Titans Go! was used as a title on a DC Comics property was with the comic book spin-off of the 2003 Cartoon Network Teen Titans animated series created by Glen Murakami. The show went on for 5 seasons, officially ending in 2006 with a movie. 

A very popular show in its time, Teen Titans eventually spun off another animated TV show on Cartoon Network, this one titled Teen Titans Go!, and was developed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic. Still ongoing, it was launched in 2013 following the popularity of DC Nation’s New Teen Titans shorts. The series is only loosely connected to the original show, featuring occasional references and cameos but adopting a far more comedic and parodic tone.

Primarily aimed at a younger audience, Teen Titans Go! quickly became a cultural phenomenon, noted for its self-aware humour, fast-paced gags, and frequent pop culture references. Like its predecessor, this new series has also received its own comic book spin-off, expanding the franchise into print while maintaining the humour-driven style and broad appeal of the show.

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Black Hammer Reading Order by Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston

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Black Hammer is an American comic book series created by writer Jeff Lemire and artist Dean Ormston, published by Dark Horse Comics. It tells a different kind of superhero story, mixing mythology with elements of mystery and rural drama in a way that explores the psychological and emotional consequences of heroism. A very Twilight Zone take on the genre.

The story begins a decade after an epic battle in which the legendary hero Black Hammer and the other costumed champions of Spiral City, known as the Parazone Defenders, defeated the cosmic entity Anti-God. Despite their victory, the heroes vanished in the aftermath of the fight. To the outside world, they were presumed dead.

In reality, the group became inexplicably trapped in the small, timeless town of Rockwood, a rural community isolated from the rest of existence. Any attempt to leave is met with failure. As a matter of fact, Black Hammer himself died trying. Without a way to escape their confinement, Abraham Slam, Golden Gail, Colonel Weird, Madame Dragonfly, and Barbalien adopt new identities and attempt to lead ordinary lives, struggling with their fading memories, growing despair, and uncertainty about the nature of their imprisonment.

Launched in 2016, the original critically acclaimed Black Hammer comic book series has since expanded into a shared universe through numerous spin-offs and companion series, collectively known as The Hammerverse.

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A Guide to Grant Morrison comics at DC Comics

If you have read American superhero comics or searched for unconventional indie titles over the past three decades, you will certainly have come across Grant Morrison’s work.

Born in 1960 in Glasgow, Scotland, Morrison emerged in the British comics scene during the late 1970s and early 1980s, gaining recognition with comics such as Zenith (1987-1992) for 2000 AD before following Alan Moore‘s steps and joining the “British Invasion” of writers recruited by DC Comics who reshaped American superhero comics during the 1980s and 1990s.

Morrison began in 1988 with Animal Man, which quickly earned acclaim for its postmodern take on the superhero genre, combining environmental themes with metafictional commentary. This was followed by Doom Patrol, where Morrison’s surreal and avant-garde storytelling redefined the series and solidified their reputation for revitalizing obscure characters. By the early 1990s, Morrison had become central to DC’s publishing strategy, contributing both to mainstream superhero titles and the emerging Vertigo imprint.

After a period at Marvel in the early 2000s, Morrison returned to DC to lead a new era of high-profile projects, ambitious narratives, and large-scale crossover events, consolidating their reputation as one of the publisher’s most innovative and influential writers. Today, Morrison’s work is regarded as essential to the modern DC canon, with their influence visible across the company’s most notable publications.

And now, let’s take a closer look at Morrison’s works at DC Comics!

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Spider-Man Spider-Verse Reading Order (with all the sequels!)

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Now widely known thanks to the 2018 animated movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the “Spider-Verse” is not one of those concepts that Marvel introduced decades ago. In fact, it was conceived as a crossover event written by Dan Slott, with art by Olivier Coipel and Giuseppe Camuncoli, in 2014. An idea that was inspired by Slott’s work on the 2010 video game Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.

Since then, the Spider-Verse has become way bigger than a simple crossover. It can now almost be considered a line of comics inside the Spider-Man publishing world. There have been sequels to the original crossovers, spin-off series, and short story anthologies. The whole concept has been used in every other media featuring Spider-Man.

Everything started years ago, during J. Michael Straczynski’s Coming Home story, when Morlun was introduced. He is a powerful being who hunts and consumes “Spider-Totems” (the essence of spider-powered heroes). When the first Spider-Verse event starts, Morlun is back with his horrible family, the Inheritors, who begin exterminating spider-characters throughout the multiverse to feed on their force. Every single Spider-Man ever is needed to save the day!

The Spider-Verse treats every alternate take on Spider-Man as part of a connected multiverse: classic Peter Parker, Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen (Gwen Stacy), Spider-Man 2099, Spider-Ham, Japanese Spider-Man with his giant robot Leopardon, and countless others. Now, there are constantly new Spider-Heroes introduced, ready to fight to save all the spiders.

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55 Must Read Biographical Comics

There have been non-fiction comics for a long time. In fact, that’s what one of the appeals of True Comics (1941-1950) was, which provided educational material in a form that appealed to children while trying to help legitimize the medium maligned by criticism of superhero books. They were fairly simplified biographies of scientists, inventors, and other figures of history. It was also less impactful than Crime Does Not Pay (1942-1955), the first “true crime” comic book series, which propelled the crime comics to the top with its sensationalistic appeal.

We are not talking about “true crime” today (it will be the subject of another list), but biographical comics. Not just works of documentary value, but also autobiographies, personal memoirs, from the groundbreaking series American Splendor (1976–2008), that changed the idea of what stories comic books could tell, to the artists of the 2000s (James Kochalka, Kate Beaton, Julia Wertz, etc.) who developed their craft online by chronicling the story of their lives, and beyond.

Today, biographical comics are a widely respected genre. They range from meticulously researched historical biographies to intimate diaries and experimental visual essays. They are studied in classrooms, exhibited in museums, and celebrated with major literary awards. This once niche corner of comics has become one of its richest and most innovative traditions.

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DCAU Comics Reading Order: The Extended DC Animated Universe

With the launch of the Batman: The Animated Series, a new and popular version of the DC Comics universe found its way to a new generation of fans. While not connected to the main line of comics, it borrowed a lot, adapted many comics into episodes, and also created new stories and characters that would eventually be later introduced in the canonical timeline of the post-Crisis DC Comics Universe.

With its easily recognizable art style and its own developing universe, Batman: TAS opened the way for what we know call the DC Animated Universe. Guided by producers Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Alan Burnett, and others, it’s whole universe of animated shows that was created with Superman: The Animated Series (1996–2000), Batman Beyond (1999–2001), and Justice League (2001–2004) along with its follow-up Justice League Unlimited (2004–2006), but also a new line of comics was launched.

Although primarily aimed at younger readers, the comics were noted for their storytelling quality, which appealed to a broader audience. It often introduced original characters, bridged episode narratives, and explored side stories within the DCAU continuity. Serving both as accessible entry points for new readers and as canonical expansions of the animated franchise, the comics were typically written and illustrated by creators closely associated with the animated productions, including Kelley Puckett, Ty Templeton, and Rick Burchett, ensuring fidelity to the shows’ tone, characterizations, and art style.

Over time, the DCAU comics evolved into a cohesive publishing universe in their own right. The universe has been revisited through miniseries, specials, and digital-first projects well into the 2020s, establishing it as one of DC Comics’ most enduring multimedia spin-offs.

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