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Jack O’Lantern: Your Comic Guide to the many Marvel’s Pumpkin Heads

The Green Goblin. Doctor Octopus. Mysterio. Vulture. Electro. Scorpio. Rhino. Kraven the Hunter. Spider-Man has one of the most emblematic rogues galleries at Marvel Comics, and every one of them would not look out of place at a Halloween Party. But no one would fit more than Jack O’Lantern with his Pumpkin head, Pumpkin Bombs, explosive candy, and rocket-powered broomstick. 

Despite his cool design, Jack O’Lantern is still a C-list among Spider-Man villains, and a confusing one on top of that, as many different people have held the name Jack O’Lantern over the years.

To make things a little bit more complicated, there are two different types of Jack O’Lantern. While most of them use costumes, illusions, and conventional weaponry, two of them have sold their soul to Satan and were granted supernatural powers and the ability to turn into Jack at will.

From the first appearance of Jack O’Lantern in 1980 in Machine Man to the reinvention of the character as an archenemy of Venom, celebrate Halloween by discovering more about the many Jack O’Lanterns of Marvel Comics! 

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Marvel 2099 Reading Order, the dystopian future of Marvel Comics

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Welcome to the future! Or, more specifically, welcome to 2099, a cyberpunk dystopia without superheroes. Marvelophiles discovered this world in 1992 with the official launch of the Marvel 2099 imprint.

Long after the original Age of Heroes had ended, society is dominated by corporate entities in this dystopian future, the most famous of which is Alchemax. The superheroes of the past have become the stuff of religion, as seen with the Church of Thor. It is harder than ever to rise above the status quo. But things are about to change, as a new Age of Heroes is about to begin…

Marvel 2099 found success with readers and expanded until the end of the ’90s. Marvel’s top talent left for Image Comics, and the entire comic book industry struggled after Marvel challenged Diamond over distribution. These turbulent times had a financial impact that affected the 2099 line and, unfortunately, led to the firing of editor Joey Cavalieri. Many of the 2099 creators quit in protest, and the line simply didn’t survive long after that.

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Hawkeye Reading Order (Clint Barton)

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Today, Clint Barton is known for being a major player in the Avengers as Hawkeye. But before joining the superhero team, he was introduced as a supervillain in Tales of Suspense #57 in September 1964. His career on the wrong side of the law was short as he joined the Avengers less than a year later, in The Avengers #16 in May 1965.

Created by Stan Lee and Don Heck, Clint Barton is one of the most famous Marvel heroes and a regular member of the Avengers, who has come and gone from the team several times. He has founded the West Coast Avengers, been the leader of the Thunderbolts, worked with the S.H.I.E.L.D, and served as a mentor to Kate Bishop, the Superior Hawkeye. He also sometimes changed codenames and has been Goliath, the Golden Archer, and Ronin.

Clint has no superpowers, but he is a skilled archer and a very dangerous martial artist and swordsman. In a way, Hawkeye/Clint Barton is a mix between Green Arrow and Nightwing from DC Comics. His private life is also complicated, as he was first in love with Black Widow, married and divorced Bobbi Morse/Mockingbird, and also had a relationship with Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman, Maya Lopez/Echo, and Moonstone.

On the big (and little) screen, Clint Barton/Hawkeye is played by Jeremy Renner in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he has also appeared in numerous animated series and video games.

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Buffyverse Comic Book Reboot Reading Order by Boom Studios (2019-2023)

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After publishing stories in the ‘Buffy Universe’ for two decades, Dark Horse lost the licensing rights in 2018, which were transferred to Boom Studios. The publisher chose not to continue where the story was left off, instead choosing to start the series over from the beginning.

The Buffy comics released by Boom Studios are set in an alternate continuity and reimagine the series for modern readers. While the Slayer still looks like Sarah Michelle Gellar, she is back in high school, with Joss Whedon credited as story consultant.

Boom Studios quickly expanded the Buffyverse with an Angel spin-off, a crossover event, and a Willow miniseries. The publisher also released several stories set in alternate futures or realities.

However, the main Boom Studios continuity didn’t last long, as the publisher chose not to renew the license when the time came, thus bringing it to an official end in 2024.

This article is devoted to the Buffy Comics from Boom Studios, published between 2018 and 2023. For the Dark Horse Comics, you can find the reading order over here.

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Where to Start Reading Wonder Woman Comics? A Beginner’s Guide for the Amazing Amazon

So, you want to read some Wonder Woman comics? Whether you’re completely new to comic books, a Marvel fan, or just haven’t given the Princess of Themyscira a chance yet, there’s a Wonder Woman comic out there for you. In fact, there’s a Wonder Woman comic for everyone! Still, with over 80 years of stories, reboots, and alternate timelines, getting started can feel overwhelming.

So, where should you start? There’s no single right or wrong answer. The old, good, and proven method used by long-time fans was to simply pick a comic, just like that! But we’re here to offer a little bit more, as there are several ways to discover the world of Diana and the Amazons, depending on your tastes. Whether you’re a fan of comic book history, prefer modern stories, or want to discover her modern adventures, there’s a perfect first story for you.

To celebrate Wonder Woman Day, here’s a curated beginner’s guide with several routes to help find the perfect place to start reading about the Amazing Amazon. 

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Galactus Reading Order, Your Essential Comics Guide

One of the most emblematic characters in the Marvel Universe, Galactus was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby to break out from the archetype of the standard villain. The god-like character was also not supposed to reappear after his now classic introduction in Fantastic Four. His popularity among fans led Lee to ask Kirby for more Galactus appearances.

Known as the Devourer of Worlds, Galactus fed himself by draining living planets of their energy, without regard for the moral dilemma that consume human beings and the superhero community. Galactus doesn’t act for power, love of money, and has no ill-feeling towards the living he kills in the process. No good or evil, he simply acts to survive.

And, almost 60 years after his debut, the Devourer of Worlds is still hungry for more. From his first confrontation with the Fantastic Four to his role in the Marvel Cosmic Saga, his connection with Silver Surfer, his confrontations with Thor, and more, you can now discover the most important stories featuring Galactus with our Essential Reading Order.

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The Death of Captain Marvel, A Tragic And Impactful Event in the Marvel Universe

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In the world of comic books, death and resurrection have become commonplace. For a long time, there was a common saying amongst readers that was “everyone comes back except for Bucky Barnes, Jason Todd, and Uncle Ben.” Or a variation of it. However, this saying had to change after 2005, when both Jason Todd and Bucky Barnes came back.

Although the deaths of some superheroes have had a significant impact on the industry, few have had the emotional impact of The Death of Captain Marvel, which was written and drawn by Jim Starlin.

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DC Finest Comics, Your Complete Reading Order

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Can you read all of DC Comics? It looks like an impossible task! Should you try to read all of DC Comics? Yes, why not?! If you want to try to explore, read, and collect the DC Universe, the publisher has started to make this mission more attainable with their DC Finest line! 

Launched in 2024, The DC Finest Collection is a line of comic books that comprehensively collects material relating to both characters and genres in chronological order, taking place before the Flashpoint event in 2011. It is, in a way, the DC equivalent of Marvel’s Epic Collection, which has been ongoing since 2013.

Now is the perfect time to go deeper into the DC Universe, explore your favorite character’s history, or discover new corners of the DC Universe thanks to the DC Finest line! 

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Happy Birthday, Comic Book Treasury: 5 Years of Comic Book Reading Orders

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Comic Book Treasury was launched five years ago today. On the web, where some institutions and cultural websites have existed for decades, it can seem like a short period of time. At the same time, the web has undergone significant transformations, driven by legislation, numerous Google updates, and the economic crisis of the past five years. So much that surviving it can feel like a lifetime! 

Many events have taken place in the Comic Book World, and I’m not talking about the usual character deaths and quick resurrections. Over the past five years, Marvel Comics has released many new Omnibus and Epic Collections, recently announced putting on hold the long-running Masterworks line, unleashed Knull’s invasion of Earth, brought the Krakoa Era to an end, and introduced a new Marvel Ultimate Universe. DC Comics has relaunched three times, launched the Absolute Universe imprint, found success with its Compact Comics line and DC Finest line, and rolled out a soft reboot on the big screen. Meanwhile, Geoff Johns and others launched Ghost Machine; Robert Kirkman acquired the Hasbro licenses and built the Energon Universe; Kyle Higgins created the Massive-Verse; and the Valiant Universe was rebooted once again. Manga and webtoons have grown in popularity, while digital comics have expanded, with Marvel Unlimited surpassing 3 million subscribers in December 2024. And then came the AI boom with the release of ChatGPT, and debates over copyright protections and the role of generative AI in creative industries started a battle that is ongoing.

I’m sure there is more that I forget. During these five years, Comic Book Treasury has published almost 700 articles, most being reading orders to help you read and collect your favorite characters, explore major (and small) events, and famous runs. We have explored many parts of the DC Universe, the Marvel Universe, and beyond during those years, navigated between series with the same titles, and discovered many comic book series! Some guides are simple, others are like a jigsaw puzzle. More and more, as those worlds continue to expand, we are refreshing and updating those guides to stay up to date, including the new releases and/or new collections. Doing all that while still waiting for The Unwritten: Compendium Two, DC Comics, if you read me!

We are thankful for you readers, your words of encouragement, and your help to improve our guides! We have forgotten titles and made mistakes, and as we strive to deliver the best we can do, we are glad for the comments that help us improve our guides and make this website a fun place to be! 

And to properly mark the occasion, here is a selection of 10 articles we published during that time, a little sample of our work, articles, and guides that we enjoyed creating, make us proud, and also really help us (and that we still consult) in our reading journey.

Thank you for reading us! 

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Conan the Barbarian from Titan Comics, a Simple Reading Guide

There is no more iconic pulp hero than Conan the Barbarian. Born from the imaginary mind of writer Robert E. Howard, Conan made his debut in 1932 in the pages of the Weird Tales magazine.

His creator wrote 21 stories featuring Conan before his passing in 1936. However, Conan’s adventures didn’t stop there: fantasy writer Lyon Sprague de Camp obtained the rights, rewrote and expanded the tales, and the character went on to solidify his place in pop culture through comic book adventures.

Capitalizing on the sword-and-sorcery vogue of the 70s, Conan became a commercial success for Marvel in this decade, and the publisher released stories with the Barbarian until 1993 where he was often partnered with Red Sonja. Dark Comics acquired the rights for a time (2003-2018), before Conan returned to Marvel Comics in 2018. This run only lasted 25 issues, and stopped when Titan Comics acquired the license in 2022, in collaboration with Heroic Signatures.

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