Carole

Nick Fury, the Origin Story of Marvel’s Legendary Spy

by Carole
Updated on April 15, 2024

If Samuel L. Jackson popularized and made recognizable the name Nick Fury outside comic book shops, the original character emerged sixty years ago as the leader of the elite unit Howling Commandos before becoming Marvel’s legendary spy master.

Now a key figure in the Marvel Universe, Nick Fury’s origin story has evolved and expanded over the years, from his years in the army as sergeant to the implacable Colonel and Director of the S.H.I.E.L.D.

Scooby-Doo Comics, Your DC Comics Reading List

by Carole
Updated on April 16, 2025

Scooby-Doo is one of the most famous fictional dogs, the star of his own popular franchise launched in 1969 and still ongoing.

This journey began with the original Hanna-Barbera Productions series Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears. The Saturday morning cartoon series focused on four teenagers named Fred, Daphne, Velma, and Shaggy, as well as their talking Great Dane, Scooby-Doo. They traveled in their Mystery Machine van to solve mysteries involving seemingly supernatural creatures, only to learn that the culprit was a disguised human looking to profit from a local tale or myth – or for personal gain.

Gold Key Comics released the first Scooby-Doo comic book only three months after the television premiered. The comics began with adaptations of episodes before transitioning to original storylines. It ran for 30 issues until being canceled in 1974.

This was merely the beginning of the Scooby Gang in comic book form, as additional titles would be released throughout the years. Charlton Comics took over in 1975, followed by Marvel Comics from 1977 to 1979.

In 1993-1994, Harvey Comics released various reprints and specials, while Archie Comics began publishing a monthly Scooby-Doo comic book in 1995. the series came to an end when Warner Bros.’ DC Comics acquired the rights to produce comics based on Hanna-Barbera characters in 1997. Since then, there has always been a Scooby-Doo comic book series in print.

This article is devoted to the Scooby-Doo comics published by DC Comics. Following is a reading list of what the publisher released since owning the rights.

Star Wars Dark Droids Reading Order, a Star Wars horror-fueled crossover event

by Carole
Updated on July 20, 2024
2 Comments

Less than six months after the conclusion of the Qi’ra trilogy with Hidden Empire, another crossover event is taking place in the Star Wars Canon Universe! Once again written by Charles Soule, with art from Luke Ross, Star Wars: Dark Droids plunged the Star Wars Universe into chaos by revisiting a classic subject of science fiction: the rogue A.I.!

From Terminator to Blade Runner, Westworld, Ex Machina, or 2001: Space Odyssey, you know that having your robot gain sentience can lead to some violence! It seems the Star Wars Universe is no exception! As the official synopsis said, “Who or what is the Scourge — and why is no droid safe? As corruption spreads from one droid to the next, the Rebel Alliance and the Empire both face chaos! What role does Ajax Sigma play in all of this? And whose side is he on? Find out when horror comes to a galaxy far, far away!”

War Machine (James Rhodes) Reading Order

by Carole
Updated on January 19, 2024

Meet James Rupert “Rhodey” Rhodes, a skilled military pilot and one of the few people that Tony Stark trusts to use the technology of the Iron Man Armor. Created by David Michelinie and John Byrne, he made his debut in Iron Man #118 (January 1979) as a supporting player.

Who is James Rhodes aka War Machine? Born in Philadelphia, he first encountered Tony Stark when he was flying combat missions in Vietnam. After being shot down by Viet Cong rocket fire, Rhodes was trying to get his chopper back in the air when he came upon Stark, who was wearing a large powered armor prototype. The Viet Cong struck at that same time, and Stark’s outfit helped to stave them off. Rhodes and Stark traveled together to a neighboring enemy base where they stole a second helicopter and used it to return to the American lines.

When Tony relapsed into his alcoholism, James Rhodes took up the mantle of Iron Man for some time. But Rhodey was destined to be more than a replacement for another hero, he was destined to have his own alias: War Machine, and even later Iron Patriot.

Let’s simply say that Rhodey has lived many adventures with Tony Stark on the comic book pages, and even on the screen where he has been played at first by Terrence Howard, and by Don Cheadle since Iron Man 2 (2010). He should even soon headline his own film, Armor Wars (TBA).

Archer & Armstrong Reading Order (2012 Valiant Reboot)

by Carole
Updated on October 9, 2024

The world of superhero comics is dominated by Marvel and DC Comics, but other publishers also have their own superhero worlds. This is the case with the Millarworld (including Kick-Ass and Jupiter’s Legacy), the Wildstorm Universe (now owned by DC Comics), the Spawn’s Universe or the Invincible Universe (also considered part of the bigger Image Universe).

Today, we turn our attention toward another superhero comic book publisher, and more specifically toward a unique superhero duo: Archer and Armstrong from the Valiant Comics Universe. Created by Jim Shooter, Bob Layton, and Barry Windsor-Smith, our two adventurers made their first appearances in Archer & Armstrong Vol. 1 #0, an issue explaining Archer’s background and how the two men meet.

Armstrong, also known as Aram Anni-Padda, is a hedonist noted for his drinking and sexual adventures. He is one of three immortal brothers (along with Gilad and Ivar the Timewalker). Obadiah Archer is the polar opposite of Armstrong, a martial genius raised by Evangelical Christians who ran away from home after learning his parents were serial killers. They are both targets of an old religious order called “The Sect.”

The original Archer & Armstrong ran for two years, concluding with issue #26 in 1994. Following Valiant’s takeover by Acclaim Entertainment in 1997, the Valiant characters were relaunched for the first time. It spawned the short series Eternal Warriors (as well as additional one-shots) in which the three eternal brothers banded together to combat threats. Archer is no longer a character in this story because he died and was replaced with a new character named LeMont Quirrel.

When Acclaim Entertainment declared bankruptcy in 2007, the newly formed Valiant Entertainment, Inc. purchased many characters’ rights and relaunched Valiant Comics. Fred Van Lente and Clayton Henry revived Archer and Armstrong with more success. They are the versions at the center of this reading order, spanning their escapades from 2012 to 2022, the publication date of their most recent series (to this day)!

Who is The Penguin? The Origin Story of Oswald Cobblepot

by Carole
Updated on September 20, 2024

The Penguin has long been a fixture in Batman’s rogues gallery. With villains like The Joker, he is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable among the public, thanks to some iconic appearances on television and in movies.

The Penguin thrived as a more traditional villain during the Golden Age and Silver Age of comics. His criminal exploits often revolved around stealing precious items, frequently with bird-related themes. Unlike many of Gotham’s criminals, The Penguin is depicted as sane, relying on his intellect and persona to set himself apart and achieve his ambitions.

The Penguin’s popularity soared to new heights with the 1960s Batman television series, where Burgess Meredith memorably portrayed him. This iconic depiction influenced future iterations of the character, infusing the Penguin with more explicit bird-like features and distinctive personality quirks. Behind the appearance and the campiness hides a criminal mastermind and one of the more obscure villains in the Batman comics.

The Best of Cyclops Comics, Your Essential Scott Summers Reading Order

by Carole
Updated on April 22, 2024

He is an X-Men founding member. He stands out among many mutants due to his unique eyewear and deadly optic rays. Yes, we’re talking about Scott Summers, a.k.a. Cyclops.

Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1963, Cyclops is a polarising X-Man who is as much loved as he is hated, and who is frequently misunderstood. Scott Summers, who was first regarded as the archetypical hero, has never been without flaws or weaknesses. This resilient but very effective leader suffered from poor self-esteem and a tendency to dwell on his mistakes. He was also not the type of man to express his feelings and had difficulties verbalizing his problems. You guessed it, Cyclops has had to make some difficult decisions, make sacrifices, put his life in peril several times, and live in some crazy situations in the sixty years since his initial appearance!

His love life is also complicated, as he has been married to Jean Grey and her clone Madelyne Pryor, as well as being in a long-term committed relationship with our favorite White Queen, Emma Frost.

As the character celebrates the sixty anniversary of his first appearance, Scott Summers/Cyclops finds himself right now in the spotlight with this essential reading order, listing the best Cyclops comics to read to understand his character, motivations, and transformations. Beware! A Best/Essential Comic for a character can be a mediocre or okay story with great characterization or important for the character’s evolution.

DC Comics Timeline, Your Guide to each era from the Golden Age to DC All In

by Carole
Updated on September 5, 2025
2 Comments

DC Comics, one of the biggest American comic book companies today, began under a different name in 1934. Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson established National Allied Publications in order to produce New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine #1 (February 1935), subsequently renamed More Fun, the first comic book to feature original tales in several genres rather than comic strip reprints.

Soon after, Wheeler-Nicholson launched a second magazine, New Comics, which later became Adventure Comics. His third and last title was Detective Comics, which debuted in March 1937 and is credited with introducing Batman to the world. Wheeler-Nicholson had to collaborate with magazine distributor Harry Donenfeld to produce this third title since he was in debt. Detective Comics, Inc. was founded at the time, but Wheeler-Nicholson’s financial difficulties persisted, and he was forced out a year later. After National Allied declared bankruptcy, Detective Comics, Inc. purchased it.

Not long later, Action Comics #1 was published, creating the Superman universe. As the character gained popularity, the Golden Age of Comic Books began, and the publisher launched an array of new superheroes. Throughout the history of comic books, DC Comics has been forced to reestablish its universe and main continuity several times, with various events bringing in a new era each time.

The following is a presentation of each era, consisting of amazing comics, dreadful comics, bizarre, humorous, and much more.

DC Graphic Novels for Young Adults, The Complete Reading List

by Carole
Updated on July 17, 2023

In 2017, DC Comics announced a new imprint to publish original one-shots, graphic novels, and a few reprints targeting young readers in the hope to attract an audience that wasn’t familiar with DC in the first place. The imprint was first named DC Ink, with Mera: Tidebreaker as the first title published.

But in a classic DC move, it didn’t take long for the company to relaunch. One year after the official launch of DC Ink, DC Comics made a few changes. It was mostly tied to a simple internal reorganization, shuttering previous imprint lines in favor of new imprint lines defined by age. DC Zoom was renamed DC Kids (ages 8-12) and Vertigo became DC Black Label (17+).

DC Ink was replaced by DC Graphic Novels for Young Adults with the goal to present DC characters with stories outside of the main continuity, directed at readers aged 13 and older. They explore a large array of characters, heroes, anti-heroes, and villains.

Below you’ll find a list of the stories published in the DC Comics Young Adult Graphic Novels line, with the Teen Titans, Batgirl, Poison Ivy, Wonder Woman, Swamp Thing and more…

Conner Kent Reading Order (Superboy, Kon-El)

by Carole
Updated on February 18, 2024
2 Comments

For a long time, Superboy designated simply the adventures of Kal-El primarily set in Smallville when he was a boy, teenager or young adult. This changed in 1993 when a second Superboy was introduced.

Created by writer Karl Kesel and artist Tom Grummett, our new Superboy was introduced in The Adventures of Superman #500 (June 1993). For the first ten years, he was portrayed as a genetically-engineered metahuman clone created by Project Cadmus as a copy and closest genetic counterpart to Superman. His origins were retconned in 2003 in Teen Titans (vol. 3) #1 (September 2003) where he was established as a human/Kryptonian binary clone derived from Superman and Lex Luthor’s DNA.

Also, Superboy didn’t have a real name for more than five years (in real-time). He had to wait until Superboy (vol. 4) #59 (February 1999) where Superman invited him to the Fortress of Solitude and offered him the Kryptonian name of Kon-El. He will later take the civilian identity of Conner Kent (see Teen Titans Vol.3).

Blending Superman’s moral attributes with a young and rebellious personality, Kon-El is known for having to grapple with conflicting influences of his genetic heritage. He had to face many challenges, by himself or with his best friends, Tim Drake and Bart Allen, and the rest of the Young Justice/Teen Titans team.

To know more about Kon-El, let’s read some comics with this Superboy/Kon-El reading order!