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Hack/Slash Reading Order, a comic book series by Tim Seeley

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First things first, an introduction. Hack/Slash is a horror/action comic book created by writer and sometimes penciler Tim Seeley (Nightwing, Revival) and published by Image Comics.

At the end of every horror movie, one girl always survives… in Hack/Slash, Cassie Hack not only survives, but she also turns the tables by hunting and destroying the horrible slashers that would do harm to the innocent! Alongside the gentle giant known as Vlad, the two cut a bloody path through those who deserve to be put down… hard!

There are multiple volumes of Hack/Slash, crossovers, and editions. Everything began in 2004 with one-shots and the first ongoing series started in 2007 at Devil’s Due Publishing before going to Image Comics.

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Zatanna Reading Order, the magician of the DC Universe

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There are a lot of characters in the DC Universe (in the Marvel one too) and it’s not always easy to track them down when they are not the star of their own ongoing series. Characters like Zatanna Zatara appeared in a lot of stories over the years, but rarely as the star of the show.

Created by Julius Schwartz, Gardner Fox, and artist Murphy Anderson, Zatanna made her first appearance in Hawkman #4 (published in November 1964). She is known to be a stage illusionist as well as an actual magician, like her father Giovanni Zatara.

Zatanna is controlling her powers by speaking the words of her incantations spelled backward. She is known for her involvement with the Justice League (Dark), John Constantine, and the rest of the magic side of the DC Universe.

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Batman Rebirth Reading Order (From the Monster Men to Batman’s Wedding, City of Bane, The Joker War and more)

With the end of the New52/DC You era, the DC Universe entered the Rebirth era. A new beginning of sorts, with a new creative team taking charge of the Dark Knight.

Batman was rebooted and began shipping twice monthly. In August 2016, the third volume of Batman written by Tom King, with artwork by David Finch and Mikel Janín, began from #1, but Detective Comics (from Writer James Tynion IV and artists Eddy Barrows and Alvaro Martinez) resumed its original numbering system starting with June 2016’s #934.

If Batman famously centered on Batman, his relationship with Catwoman, and his fight to save Gotham, Detective Comics became for a time a team book with Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain, and Clayface, led by Batman and Batwoman.

As always, there were more Batman series. In fact, Scott Snyder came back for more with All-Star Batman. There also were Batman and the Outsiders and some major events like Dark Nights: Metal (and Death Metal), The Joker War, and some less important ones.

What to read before Batman Rebirth?

First, you can explore the Batman New 52 era or even follow The Batman Modern Age Reading Guide. However, as it is a new beginning, you’ll need an introduction to the famous DC Universe: Rebirth #1 that explains why it’s a reboot. It’s about how the world of the Watchmen collided with the DC Universe and the return of Wally West.

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Inhumans Vs X-Men Reading Order (IvX)

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Inhumans Vs X-Men Reading Order (IvX)

Written by Charles Soule and Jeff Lemire with art from Leinil Francis Yu, Kenneth Rocafort, and Javi Garron, Inhumans Vs X-Men (IvX) is a 2016 Marvel crossover event about the fight for survival opposing the Inhumans against the X-Men.

The X-Men and Inhumans have been on a collision course ever since the link was proven between the Inhumans’ precious Terrigen Mist and the sickness and death of many mutants. And when the Beast discovers that mutantkind has only two weeks left before planet Earth becomes completely uninhabitable for them, an Inhuman/mutant war is unavoidable!

It all begins with one choice, and the world will never be the same! New Attilan comes under attack, and the Inhumans won’t surrender without a fight – but when the X-Men target the Terrigen cloud, will that mean the end of the line for the entire Inhuman legacy? Karnak vs. Fantomex! Emma Frost vs. Medusa! The Nuhumans vs. Magneto! IVX delivers sensational set pieces and gargantuan grudge matches that promise to shatter the Marvel Universe as you know it!

What to read before Inhumans Vs X-Men?

Death Of X is a 4-part miniseries set a few months before the events. It’s roughly an introduction. It’s optional, but it’s a way to start if you are not familiar with this universe.

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Thor by Jason Aaron Reading Order

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Thor By Jason Aaron Reading Order

In 2012, after Kieron Gillen and Matt Fraction wrote Thor stories for a few years, Jason Aaron picked up where they left off and started to build an epic that lead us to The War of Realms (full reading order here).

Not as big as Dan slott’s run on Spider-Man, Jason Aaron’s one on Thor is still big and full of now historic events. With the Original Sin event, the God Butcher, the now-famous female Thor, and the War of Realms, Jason Aaron saw big and wrote some surprising and huge stories.

Here is the official synopsis: Across the ages, gods are vanishing — and the God of Thunder must unite with his past and future selves to stand against Gorr the God Butcher! Meanwhile, Malekith the Accursed begins a bloody rampage that will spread war throughout the realms. Which makes it a terrible time for the Odinson to be rendered unworthy of lifting Mjolnir! Another hero will hold the hammer high, fighting for Asgard and Midgard as Thor — the Goddess of Thunder! She’ll battle Malekith, Loki, Roxxon…and even Odin! But who is she under the mask? And what is this new Thor’s terrible secret?

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The DC Comics Events and Crossovers List

 

DC Comics Universe Events Crossovers

Like Marvel Comics did (see the full events & crossovers list here), DC Comics started to organize big events and crossovers during the ’1980s. The first one was Crisis on Infinite Earths, an event that changed DC Comics continuity forever, a huge creative accomplishment from Marv Wolfman and George Perez. After that, more crossovers followed, some big and ambitious, others more modest in scope, connecting heroes and series.

Like I said about Marvel events, even after the near extinction of the industry following the speculative boom of the ’90s, big events and crossovers kept multiplying. Some are forgettable, others are unmissable parts of the overall mythology surrounding the superhero’s adventures, from Batman to the Green Lanterns, from Superman to Harley Quinn.

This article is a list of the crossover events, big and small, involving superheroes and characters from different DC Comics series. It will be updated with links to the dedicated reading orders, as they are published, and, of course, with new entries, as DC Comics continues to announce more and more of them.

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The Marvel Comics Events and Crossovers List, from the ’80s Secret Wars to today

Marvel Universe List Crossovers

Since the ’80s with the big success of ”Secret Wars,” Marvel Comics has produced many crossover stories combining characters from different series of comics. It became a big part of the business, but also of the way stories are built. Even after the near extinction of the industry following the speculator boom of the ’90s, big events and crossovers kept multiplying. Some are forgettable, others are unmissable parts of the overall mythology surrounding the superhero’s adventures, from Spider-Man to the Guardians of the Galaxy, from Captain America to the X-Men.

This article is a list of the crossover events, big and small, involving superheroes and characters from different Marvel series. It will be updated with links to the dedicated reading orders, as they are published, and, of course, with new entries as Marvel continues to announce more and more of them.

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The Lazarus Contract Reading Order, a Titans/Teen Titans/Deathstroke crossover

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The Lazarus Contract Reading Order

The Lazarus Contract is a DC Comics mini-crossover event published in 2017 between three series : Titans, Teen Titans and Deahtstroke. The crossover was written by Dan Abnett, Benjamin Percy and Christopher Priest, with interior art from Brett Booth, Khoi Pham, Carlo Pagulayan and Paul Pelletier.

The title, The Lazarus Contract, is a call back to the classic storyline New Teen Titans: The Judas Contract. The story picks up here with Slade Wilson’s discovery that the original Wally West has returned.

He sees that return as an opportunity to bring his son Grant back to life, and nothing will stop him from getting what he wants. Standing in his way? Both the Teen Titans and the Titans! But will the Titans and the Teen Titans be fast enough to stop him from changing the world as we know it?

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Secret Empire Reading Order, the Evil Captain America crossover event from Marvel

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Secret Empire Reading Order

Big Marvel crossover Written by Nick Spencer (with artists Rod Reis, Daniel Acuña, Steve McNiven, and Andrea Sorrentino) published between April and September 2017, Secret Empire is one of those Universe Redefining massive event. One that started with a huge twist, as it was revealed that Captain America is—pardon my French—a f***ing Hydra Agent!

Here is the official description of the event: Captain America, Sentinel of Liberty, is living a lie! The Cosmic Cube has remade the world’s greatest hero into a secret true believer in the cause of Hydra, wholly dedicated to its mission of progress through authority and unity through adversity! Now, using the trust and respect he’s been accorded by the great powers of the Marvel Universe, Steve Rogers makes Hydra’s ideals a reality—and changes the landscape of the world dramatically! How will he take some of his biggest threats off the board? Who will remain to stand against him? And which heroes will fi ght on his side? Find out as the impossible becomes real! Hail Hydra!

What to read before Secret Empire?

This limited series event addresses the aftermath of the crossover event Avengers: Standoff! and the ongoing series Captain America: Steve Rogers, in which Captain America has been acting as a sleeper agent and covertly setting the stage to establish Hydra as the main world power.

So, before reading Secret Empire, maybe take a look at the time when we discovered that Cap is a member of Hydra. To do that, you have to read Captain America: Steve Rogers Vol. 1: Hail Hydra, and you can go after that to Captain America: Steve Rogers Vol. 2: The Trial of Maria Hill, and then Captain America: Steve Rogers Vol. 3: Empire Building. If you want to read what’s essential, Marvel published a book collecting exactly that:

  • Secret Empire Prelude
    Collects Captain America (2012) 21, 25; Captain America: Sam Wilson 7 (A story), 8; Assault on Pleasant Hill Alpha, Omega; Captain America: Steve Rogers 1-2.

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Justice League Dark Reading Order

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Published by DC Comics and created by Peter Milligan with art by Mikel Janín, Justice League Dark is the Magic equivalent of the regular Justice League, a group of superheroes fighting together against powerful enemies to stop the unusual world-shattering events from happening.

The idea is quite simple, the team consists of the supernatural members of the DC Universe, handling situations deemed outside the scope of the traditional Justice League.

The Justice League Dark originally featured John Constantine, Madame Xanadu, Deadman, Shade: The Changing Man, and Zatanna. There will be changes. Some of the members will leave or die, some will join the team for a time or for a long time. You know the deal, it’s Justice League business. Except it’s about magic and occult dangers.

Here is the official synopsis: With the Justice League defeated at the hands of the mad sorceress Enchantress, the clairvoyant Madame Xanadu must assemble the world’s most powerful and strange magical heroes to prevent her premonitions of end times from coming to fruition! Bringing together the likes of London’s savviest street sorcerer, John Constantine; stage (and actual) magician Zatanna; the reality-altering alien Shade; and the ghost and body possessor Deadman, this unlikely team will be forced to put aside their differences to stop evil.

Never one to play nice, Constantine and the group will fall apart time and time again only to come together when the world needs them most. Joined by the likes of a centuries-old vampire, the shape-shifter Black Orchid, and Frankenstein among many more, some will live, and many will die, but together, maybe they can save this world!

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