Skip to content

Carole

Young Justice Reading Order

  • by

They are the next generation of superheroes and want to have their own adventures, far away from their mentor. They are the Young Justice! The team was founded by Robin (Tim Drake), Superboy (Kon-El), and Impulse (Bart Allen) but will soon become a beacon for the young superheroes in the DC Universe.

Created by Todd Dezago and artist Todd Nauck, the Young Justice made its first appearance in 1998, in Young Justice: Secret #1 at a time when the Teen Titans had become the Titans and they were no current superheroes’ teen team.

The team’s base was established in the empty JLA headquarters in Happy Harbor, Rhode Island, where they met Red Tornado. The sentient android stayed with the team as an adult supervisor and adviser. Soon enough, some new members were added to the team: Wonder Girl (Cassandra “Cassie” Sandsmark), Arrowette (Cissie King-Jones), and Secret (Greta Hayes). Other heroes would come and go from the team: Empress, Li’l Lobo/Slobo, The Ray, but also Teen Lantern, Jinny Hex, and Amethyst. Red Tornado was also eventually replaced with civilian Snapper Carr.

If Young Justice was created on paper, the team made also a name for itself on television, thanks to the Young Justice animated television series, launched in 2010 on Cartoon Network. It is not an adaptation of the comic book series (and not in continuity), but the adventures of another version of the team from another Earth. And there are tie-ins to the television adventures!

To know more about the Young Justice, let’s dive into this reading order!

Read More »Young Justice Reading Order

Green Lantern Rebirth Reading Order

  • by

After almost five years, the New 52 era came to an end to make way for a new era, a new beginning: Rebirth! It had, from a continuity point of view, minimal impact on the Green Lanterns, as their story simply continues from the previous era.

From a more behind-the-scene angle, new creative teams worked on the title. Or titles should I write, as the main Green Lantern series was replaced by two books. Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz headlined Green Lanterns, written by Sam Humphries for its first 32 issues and for the most part penciled by Robson Rocha. Humphries was followed by Tim Seeley (#33-47), Aaron Gillespie (#48-49), and Dan Jurgens (#50-57) with art from Ronan Cliquet, Carlo Barberi, V. Ken Marion, Mike Perkins and Marco Santucci. Our two Green Lanterns were also members of the Justice League during this period. At the same time, Hal Jordan was still flying with writer Robert Venditti and artist Rafa Sandoval in Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps. 

Things changed not long after Dark Nights: Metal. Grant Morrison took over and teamed up with British comic book artist Liam Sharp for a run on Green Lantern. There was also some shake-up in the Justice League, following the No Justice arc, with the creation of different teams. Simon Baz stayed with the classic Justice League, but Jessica Crews joined the Justice League Odyssey, a team formed to bring order to the newly created space sector known as the Ghost Sector. And a little bit later, a new Green Lantern was introduced…

Read More »Green Lantern Rebirth Reading Order

Cable Reading Order

  • by

Cable looks straight at you with his signature intensity

Meet Nathan Summers, time-traveling soldier, powerful mutant, and original X-Force leader, with this Cable comics reading list, covering everything from his first appearance to his team-ups with Deadpool, his X-Men days, the Messiah Trilogy, and more.

X-Men Reading Order - X-Logo

Few characters at Marvel have a backstory as complicated as Cable (with the possible exception of Psylocke). Born Nathan Christopher Charles Summers, Cable is the time-traveling son of Scott Summers (Cyclops) and Madelyne Pryor (a clone of Jean Grey). Behind his conception lurks the mad geneticist Mr. Sinister, who planned to use the child as a weapon to destroy his archenemy, Apocalypse.

As an infant, Nathan was infected by a deadly techno-organic virus incurable in the present. To save him, Cyclops gave Nathan up, sending him 2,000 years into the future (Earth-493) where he could be treated and raised. There was no hope for Scott to ever see his son again… or so he thought.

In this future world, Nathan was raised by the Askani Clan to become the warrior known as Cable, a sworn enemy of Apocalypse. The religious order was led by Mother Askani, a time-displaced version of Rachel Summers, Cable’s half-sister.

Read More »Cable Reading Order

Big Trouble in Little China Comics, a Reading Guide

  • by

Jack Burton is not your ordinary hero… because he’s not a hero at all! He is the iconic sidekick who thinks he is the leading man. This gave us the 1986’s cult classic Big Trouble in Little China, directed by John Carpenter and starring Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun and James Hong.

Although Jack Burton was born ready, the amazing and hilarious adventure he had was almost impossible to predict. The wisecracking truck driver found himself embroiled in an ancient battle between good and evil when his friend Wang Chi’s fiancée was kidnapped by bandits in San Francisco’s Chinatown and had to be rescued.

Despite its lack of success at the box office upon release, the film has become a cult favourite. In fact, almost 30 years later, Boom! Studios continued Jack’s journey through multiple ongoing stories. Today, we are taking a closer look at the adventures of Jack Burton in comics for some serious trouble and serious fun. 

Read More »Big Trouble in Little China Comics, a Reading Guide

Superman Reading Order, The Modern Age (Post-Crisis)

  • by

It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman! Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in Action Comics #1 (1938), Superman is an alien from the planet Krypton who fights crime in Metropolis and the rest of the world. Under the costume is Kal-El, who was sent to Earth as a baby and adopted by farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent, who named him Clark Kent and raised him in the small town of Smallville. As Clark developed superhuman abilities, his parents taught him to use his talents to help humanity.

Clark relocated to Metropolis to pursue a career in journalism. He landed a job at the Daily Planet, where he met the love of his life and journalist Lois Lane, photographer Jimmy Olsen, and editor-in-chief Perry White. In parallel, he put on a colorful costume and used the codename Superman to fight powerful enemies, including General Zod, Brainiac, and the most emblematic of them all, the narcissistic-genius Lex Luthor.

The superhero genre wouldn’t be the same without Superman. Although there were others before him who could be said to fit the bill, he established the conventions and popularized the entire genre, being the best-selling superhero in American comic books until the 1980s.

As the DC Universe was becoming more complicated and sales were declining, a new page of history was written following a Crisis like no one else: Crisis on Infinite Earths. This was the beginning of the Modern Age and the creation of new instant-classic stories. The event was used to retcon the history of most characters. The idea was to clean up the timeline (something DC is still trying to do, in vain) and to update the superheroes to appeal to a contemporary audience. 

This is when this Superman reading order begins. From his new origin story by John Byrne to his iconic death, The Triangle Era, and much more, this guide covers the Superman comics released over 25 years, before DC Comics relaunched their universe with New 52.

Read More »Superman Reading Order, The Modern Age (Post-Crisis)

Black Panther Reading Order, The King of Wakanda

Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, Black Panther made his first comic book appearance in Fantastic Four #52 (July 1966). He was introduced as T’Challa, the ruler and protector of Wakanda, a fictional African nation that is the most technologically advanced country in the Marvel Comics Universe. This hidden nation owes much of its advancements to Vibranium, a nearly indestructible metal that crash-landed in Wakanda centuries ago, shaping its scientific and cultural evolution.

T’Challa is not only a formidable warrior but also one of the most intelligent minds in the Marvel Universe. He ranks among the top ten smartest characters, alongside Reed Richards, Tony Stark, and Amadeus Cho. His genius extends to physics, engineering, and political strategy, making him an exceptional leader. Beyond his intelligence, T’Challa possesses enhanced physical abilities granted by the Heart-Shaped Herb, which links him to the Panther God, Bast. This connection allows him to access the knowledge and experiences of every Black Panther who came before him. His combat skills, agility, superhuman strength, endurance, and heightened senses make him one of the most formidable heroes in Marvel Comics.

Initially introduced as a guest character in Fantastic Four, Black Panther soon became a recurring hero, later joining The Avengers. He starred in Jungle Action during the 1970s, a critically acclaimed series that explored themes of colonialism and racial identity. Over the years, he has played major roles in Marvel storylines, serving as a member of the Illuminati, The Ultimates, and various Avengers teams.

Black Panther made his live-action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), portrayed by Chadwick Boseman. His first appearance in Captain America: Civil War (2016) was quickly followed by the solo film Black Panther (2018), which became a cultural and box office phenomenon. The film’s success cemented Black Panther as one of Marvel’s most iconic and influential characters.

Read More »Black Panther Reading Order, The King of Wakanda

Irredeemable/Incorruptible Reading Order

  • by

What If Superman Was Evil? is a question that has inspired writers for a very long time. One of the most famous examples out there right now is certainly Homelander from The Boys, designed as an evil version of Captain America and Superman. This is also the subject at the center of the alternate universe of Injustice, a trope explored by Mark Millar in his now-classic story Superman: Red Son, and many many more stories.

This is also the question asked in a way by Irredeemable. To be more specific, the comic asks: what if the world’s greatest hero decided to become the world’s greatest villain? Writer Mark Waid and artist Peter Krause answers this question with Plutonian, the world’s most powerful hero, who snaps and turns into the world’s greatest villain, with only his former teammates having a chance at stopping his rampage. But while on the run from the world’s most powerful and angry being, will these former teammates discover his secrets in time? How did he come to this? What became of the hope and promise once inside him? What happens to the world when its savior betrays it? What makes a hero irredeemable?

And when the more powerful hero goes bad, what happens to the super villain? Mark Waid partnered with Jean Diaz for the companion piece Incorruptible, about a super villain trying to become a superhero.

Read More »Irredeemable/Incorruptible Reading Order

Legion of Super-Heroes Reading Order, the team from the future

When Superboy met three teenagers and members of the Legion of Super-Heroes for the first time in the comic book Adventure Comics #247 (April 1958), he couldn’t predict how popular this young team would become. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino for a one-off story, the Legion is a team of young superheroes from the 30th and 31st centuries.

They proved so popular that they returned again and again, eventually becoming a regular feature in Adventure Comics #300. Sharing the spotlight with Superboy for years, the Legion finally earned its own comic title in the 1970s.

By the 1980s, the Legion of Super-Heroes was among DC’s best-selling series, alongside Uncanny X-Men and New Teen Titans. During this time, Paul Levitz wrote some of the most iconic stories in Legion history, including The Great Darkness Saga. Later, Keith Giffen took the series in a darker, more experimental direction, but not without its share of continuity challenges.

To reconnect with a lighter and simpler Legion, the Legion of Super-Heroes title was rebooted by Mark Waid, Tom McCraw, and Stuart Immonen In 1994. Ten years later, sales were failing, and despite good reviews, Waid and Barry Kitson rebooted the series again, creating a third incarnation of the Legion.

Generally, when a new version of the Legion was introduced, the previous team was usually erased from continuity, as they all occupied the same place in history. Each team was meant to represent a different possible future for DC. In 2008, writer Geoff Johns changed this concept with Final Crisis, revealing that the different versions of the Legion come from separate worlds but still interact with the main Earth’s history. This allowed all the Legion teams to coexist, and the pre-Crisis team was restored to continuity for the occasion. In 2019, a new version of the team was introduced by Brian Michael Bendis.
 
The Legion became a beloved team, with a history that’s anything but simple. Full of stories ranging from lighthearted to dark and serious, from soap opera to high sci-fi, and everything in between, you can now explore their rich past with our Legion of Super-Heroes Comics reading order!

Read More »Legion of Super-Heroes Reading Order, the team from the future

Who is Black Adam? The origin story of Shazam’s villain

  • by

Like several DC characters created in the 1940s, the history of Black Adam is a complicated one. His origin story has been told multiple times and changes have been made throughout the years.

Soon played by Dwayne Johnson on the big screen, Black Adam was created by Otto Binder, Bill Parker, and C.C. Beck. He made his first appearance in The Marvel Family #1 (1945) published by Fawcett Comics where he served as a powerful one-time enemy of the superhero Shazam (see reading order) and the Shazam Family. 

However, Black Adam was resurrected nearly 30 years later as a recurring character following DC’s acquisition of the Fawcett characters. The character was redefined with time by writers Jerry Ordway, Geoff Johns, and David S. Goyer and the character has evolved from outright villain to sometimes anti-hero.

Read More »Who is Black Adam? The origin story of Shazam’s villain

Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu Reading Order

  • by

Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu Reading Order

In the early 70s in the United States, the United States was bitten by a craze for all things kung fu. It was during that particular cultural time that Shang-Chi was created. At first, writer Steve Englehart and artist Jim Starlin wanted to adapt the television series Kung Fu into a comic book. They approached DC Comics with their proposition, as the parent company, Warner Communications, owned the rights to the series. DC passed as they thought that this interest in Asian martial arts will soon pass.

The duo went to see Marvel, still determined to do a comic book focused on kung fu. Contrary to DC, Marvel Comics was more into kung fu and even acquired the rights to Sax Rohmer’s Fu Manchu stories. So they were interested in Englehart and Starlin’s proposition, with the demand they include Fu Manchu in their stories. They agreed and created Zheng Shang-Chi as the unknown son of Fu Manchu, who would rebel against his father and become a hero in his own right. Marvel would later lose the comic book rights to Fu Manchu and had to downplay the connection between the two characters until they just renamed Shang-Chi’s father Zheng Zu. Unfortunately for Shang-Chi, these copyright issues will result in fewer appearances on his part during a time.

Shang-Chi was introduced in Special Marvel Edition #15 (Dec. 1973) before the title was renamed The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. Thanks to all the martial arts popularity, the title became quite popular and survived the 70s, going into the early 80s, until issue #125 (June 1983). During that time, Shang-Chi is more of an independent hero, as he doesn’t interact a lot with other Marvel characters.

This changed with time, as Shang-Chi became more immersed in the world of superheroes, appeared in several events, joined Heroes for Hire, The Avengers, The New Agents of Atlas, and mentored and trained heroes like Spider-Man. And now, Shang-Chi is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where he is played by Simu Liu. 

Discover more about Shang-Chi in our reading order!

Read More »Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu Reading Order