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Fabien

Co-founder of Comic Book Treasury, your Hellboy Specialist and the man behind the Batman Modern Age and the Amazing Spider-Man Guides.

Stargirl Reading Order (Courtney Whitmore)

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Created by Geoff Johns and Lee Moder, Courtney Whitmore made her first appearance in Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #0 (July 1999)–she was in part based on Johns’ sister Courtney, who died in the explosion of TWA Flight 800 in 1996.

Courtney is the stepdaughter of Pat Dugan, the inventor of the powered armor suit S.T.R.I.P.E. and former sidekick of the original Star-Spangled Kid. Before becoming Stargirl, she was in fact the new Star-Spangled Kid. She joined the Justice Society of America (JSA) and, after being given Starman Jack Knight’s cosmic staff, she officially became known as Stargirl.

She stayed with the JSA for a long time, until the moment when DC rebooted its universe and launched the New 52 era. Then, Stargirl became a member of the new Justice League of America title. Her origin story was also rewritten. In this version, she found the staff and the rest of the uniform in Pat Dugan’s office who was then Barbara Whitmore’s boyfriend. Pat agreed to train her, and she became a full-time superhero.

Of course, there’s now a Stargirl TV Show. You may have seen it. Brec Bassinger is playing the young Courtney/Stargirl. The character also appeared in other TV shows, live or animated, through the years (and also in Video Games).

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Scarlet Witch Reading Order, The Wanda Maximoff Story

Also known as Wanda Maximoff, Scarlet Witch first appeared in the comic book The X-Men #4 (March 1964) by legendary Marvel writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Initially, her powers were limited to probability manipulation, but over time, she evolved into one of the most powerful sorceresses in the Marvel Universe—capable of reshaping reality itself. For decades, she was considered a mutant, but her origins were retconned in recent years.

Wanda’s journey has been full of important transformations. She debuted as a reluctant supervillain alongside her twin brother, Pietro Maximoff (Quicksilver), as members of Magneto’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. However, disillusioned by Magneto’s ruthlessness, the twins soon abandoned the Brotherhood and switched sides, joining the Avengers and becoming true heroes.

Her personal life has been just as tumultuous. She married her fellow Avenger, the android Vision, in 1975 and later found a way to have children—only for it all to end in tragedy (they would later reappear and are now the heroes called Wiccan and Speed). Over time, Wanda’s story took darker turns, involving brainwashing, newfound abilities, struggles with mental instability, and a reality-altering catastrophe that changed everything.

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Big Nate Comics in Order

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Coming from writer and illustrator Lincoln Peirce, Big Nate is an ongoing American comic strip syndicated since January 7, 1991. It emerged from a comic strip by Peirce that was based on the little neighborhood in New Hampshire where he grew up. Instead of focusing on one character, it had a large cast of characters, including two brothers. After some feedbacks from comics editor Sarah Gillepsie, Peirce made some modifications, creating Nate and renaming his comic strip “Big Nate.”

Big Nate tells us about the colorful life of Nate Wright. This spunky eleven-year-old holds the school record for detentions and is in little chance of losing that distinction, but that doesn’t stop him from dreaming big! He’s a self-described genius, a sixth-grade renaissance man, and a full-fledged believer in his future as a cartoonist. Equipped with a No. 2 pencil and the unshakable belief that he is No. 1, Nate fights a daily battle against overzealous teachers, undercooked cafeteria food, and all-around conventionality.

For many years, Big Nate wasn’t the huge success it is today, although it was selling reasonably well. Its popularity exploded when Big Nate joined Potropica, a website created by Jeff Kinney, the author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and when the first Big Nate book was released.

Since then, Big Nate has become a franchise, with more children’s books, activity books, an animated television series (launched on the Paramount+ streaming service in 2022) and a stage musical adaptation (in 2013).

Today, we are taking a closer look at the Big Nate comic collection, which spans strips from 1991 to the present. 

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Justice League Reading Order, DC Comics’ Greatest Team of Superheroes

Almost nine years after the end of the original JSA comic book run, DC Comics introduced another team of Super Heroes in The Brave and the Bold #28 (dated March 1960) by writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky. It was viewed as a modernization of the Justice Society but with a new name chosen by editor Julius Schwartz who thought that a “‘Society’ meant something you found on Park Avenue”. He went with “League” instead–because of the popularity of the baseball leagues.

The first Justice League team was composed of Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Wonder Woman, but also of Superman and Batman, even if they were mostly absent from the League’s early adventures (it was thought that they would quickly become overused if they appeared in too many titles). Soon, the team would welcome Green Arrow, the Atom, and Hawkman.

The Justice League comics became a hit. As the years passed, the roaster of superheroes changed a little, the DC Universe became more connected and events were organized like the famous annual crossovers with the Justice Society.

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Wolverine Reading Order: The Solo Adventures of the Most Popular X-Man

Created by Roy Thomas, Len Wein, and John Romita Sr. in 1974 (in The Incredible Hulk #180-181) but first drawn for publication by Herb Trimpe, Wolverine quickly became the most popular X-Man.

Described as a small-statured Canadian with a fierce temper like a wolverine, Wolverine has a complicated past, multiple origin stories, and many deaths and resurrections. In fact, he had already lived a long life before joining the X-Men, as we have discovered over the years. Born during the late 19th century, his youth was marked by family secrets and tragedies. He already had claws, but they were not made of adamantium. He also had his animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, and powerful healing factor from an early age. This made him the perfect candidate for the mysterious Weapon X programme, which kidnapped him and forcibly fused adamantium to his bones.

He obviously escaped and found his way to Professor Charles Xavier, who recruited him into the new X-Men alongside Jean Grey and Cyclops (see our X-Men reading order). As a member of the team, he fought against many foes. He lost his claws, his adamantium, his memories, his loved ones, his family, and his friends. Nevertheless, he got most of them back, joined other teams, and discovered more about himself, his friends, his place in the world, and his powers.

Marvel Comics has featured Wolverine in many series over the years due to his popularity. In fact, there have been so many that it is difficult to maintain a coherent continuity. This Wolverine reading order focuses on Wolverine’s solo career rather than covering everything. 

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Carol Danvers Reading Order, From Mrs. to Captain Marvel

Created by Roy Thomas and Gene Colan in Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (March 1968), Carol Danvers was originally an officer in the United States Air Force and a colleague of the Kree superhero Mar-Vell, the original Captain Marvel—you can see our Captain Marvel Reading Order to know more about all the incarnations of the famous superhero.

It wasn’t until 1977 that Carol got her powers and became known as Ms. Marvel (created by writer Gerry Conway and artist John Buscema). At that time, she resurfaced as the editor of Women Magazine, a spin-off of the Daily Bugle. We then discovered that the energy exposure from the explosion of a “Psyche-Magnetron” was behind the melding of Carol’s genetic structure with Captain Marvel’s. She technically became a human-Kree hybrid.

At the beginning of the 1980s, Mrs. Marvel was the victim of bad writing before being mixed up with the X-Men—and especially with Rogue who absorbs her abilities and memories. This story led her to become known as Binary, the superhero capable of generating the power of a star. During the 1990s, after some cosmic adventures, she reverted to her original Ms. Marvel powers and later rejoined the Avengers as Warbird.

When Brian Michael Bendis took over the Avengers, he introduced the idea of Carol Danvers becoming Captain Marvel. This didn’t become a reality immediately as she reclaimed her place in the hero community as Ms. Marvel, playing significant roles in major events. In fact, it was in July 2012 that Carol Danvers finally assumed the mantle of Captain Marvel in an ongoing series written by Kelly Sue DeConnick with art by Dexter Soy. And now, she got her own movies!

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JSA Reading Order, The Justice Society of America!

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The Justice Society of America is the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Launched during the Golden Age of Comic Books, making its first appearance in All Star Comics #3 (Winter 1940-41), the JSA was conceived at DC Comics by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox–Everett E. Hibbard was the artist on the title.

The original members of the Justice Society of America were Doctor Fate, Hourman, The Spectre, Sandman, Atom, Flash, Green Lantern (Alan Scott), and Hawkman. For a good decade, they were quite popular, but the team didn’t survive the post-war disinterest in superheroes in comics. Their adventures ceased with All Star Comics issue #57 (March 1951), but it was not the end for the JSA.

During the Silver Age, multiple members of the Justice Society of America were revamped and the team became the Justice League (see our JL reading order for more about that). At one point, the original JSA resurfaced, but this was on what became known as Earth-Two (the JL being on Earth-One). With a multiverse annual team-up with the Justice League, the JSA stayed alive and well for two decades–and even got a spin-off. Then, there was the 1985 Crisis on Infinite Earths that put an end to the JSA (and Earth-Two) for a time.

This didn’t last as a revival of the JSA happened in 1991. The old characters returned, but not in the past. But that didn’t last, a tragedy (an editorial one) occurred, the JSA disappeared, but was not forgotten.

In fact, the team was constantly present in the new Starman series by James Robinson (following his JSA: The Golden Age Elsewhere miniseries). This title led to another, a new JSA series. The team stayed active until the New 52 era, then disappeared again. The Rebirth era reestablished its place in the continuity though, but it was not until Geoff Johns came back to relaunch the title during the Infinite Frontier/Dawn of DC era that the Justice Society regained a bit of staying powers.

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Batman: Endgame Reading Order (New 52)

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Batman: Endgame Reading Order

Written by Scott Snyder with art by Greg Capullo, Batman: Endgame is a crossover storyline from 2014 – part of the New 52 era. It’s about the return of The Joker after his disappearance at the end of the “Death of the Family” story arc. It’s an exploration of the violent dynamic between Batman and the Joker.

Here is the official synopsis: He is Batman’s greatest enemy, his deadliest threat, his opposite number. His bloody-minded madness is exceeded only by his twisted genius. He is the Clown Prince, the Pale Man, and his crimes turn the world into one big, sick joke. But today, the joke is over.

As The Joker plays his endgame with the Batman, citizens, villains, and heroes alike must survive his deadly antics and come to terms with who The Joker is and what he means to them.

What to read before Batman: Endgame?

Scott Snyder presented Batman: Endgame as a conclusion of the Joker story developed previously in the Zero Year and Death of the Family storylines. To know more about this era and the Batman stories leading up to Endgame, take a look at our Batman by Snyder and Capullo Reading Order.

  • Batman: Zero Year
    Collects Batman #21-27 and Batman #29-33.
  • The Joker: Death of the Family
    Collects the tie-in Catwoman 13-14, Batgirl 13-16, Suicide Squad 14-15, Batman and Robin 15-16, Nightwing 15-16, Detective Comics 15-16, Red Hood and The Outlaws 15-16, and Teen Titans 15-16.

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A.X.E: Judgment Day Reading Order (Avengers/X-Men/Eternals)

Starting this summer, Judgment Day is the latest Marvel Comics crossover event! Written by Kieron Gillen and with art by Valerio Schiti, A.X.E: Judgment Day will put the Avengers, X-Men, and Eternals in the heart of a deadly conflict.

Here is the official synopsis: The battle for the planet is here! The X-Men claim they’re Earth’s new gods. The Eternals know that position is already filled. And the Avengers are about to realize exactly how many secrets their so-called friends have been keeping from them!

Years of tension are about to lead to a volcanic eruption — and two worlds will burn! Who has leaked the X-Men’s secrets to their latest foes? Why is Tony Stark abducting an old friend? And who stands in judgment over the whole world?

What to read before A.X.E: Judgment Day?

Being an event coming from Kieron Gillen and Valerio Schiti, you certainly need to be up-to-date with their Eternals’ run:

But also with Kieron Gillen and Mark Brooks’ Immortal X-Men

  • Immortal X-Men
  • as well as other Destiny of X titles like X-Men (#11-12, X-Men – Hellfire Gala (2022) #1), X-Men Red. No Avengers reading really required.

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Green Arrow Reading Order, DC Comics’ Archer

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Green Arrow Reading Order

Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, Green Arrow made his first appearance in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His real name is Oliver Queen and, with his sidekick Speedy, he fights crime in his home city of Star City – or Seattle at some point. He doesn’t have superpowers. Like Marvel’s Hawkeye, he is an extremely skilled archer, but he’s more like Bruce Wayne than Clint Barton, because Oliver Queen is a wealthy businessman and owner of Queen Consolidated.

He is one of the rare Golden Age heroes who survived the 1940s and 1950s without a lot of alterations and entered the Silver Age without much trouble and he even joined the Justice League. That said, he was seriously retooled at the end of the 1960s by Neal Adams and Dennis O’Neil. He then lost his money and became an advocate for the underprivileged with a lot of left-wing views to express. At that time too, his teammate Black Canary became a love interest and his friendship with Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) became iconic – also, that’s when it was revealed that Speedy was addicted to heroin! Strangely enough, Green Arrow had to wait until the 1980s to be the star of his own series. And then came the Crisis on Infinite Earths that led to a retcon.

In 1987, Green Arrow came back with a series for a mature audience. No more gadgets and Star City. Oliver Queen moved to Seattle where he was faced with a lot of violence. Written and illustrated by Mike Grell, this series was not fully integrated into the DC Universe. That changed when Grell stopped writing. Green Arrow quickly found a place alongside the other heroes, and also discovered a son!

Dead for a few years, Green Arrow was revived in 2001. He then picked up his bow to again fight crime in Star City. He faced horrors, got married, and a lot more as each crisis (and relaunch of the DC Universe) changed the course of his life. Also, The CW TV Adaptation led DC Comics to introduce new elements to the story (mainly the character of John Diggle).

As his past was revisited and his relationships with his sidekicks and Black Canary were explored, Green Arrow evolved through the years (more than 80 now!).

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