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Carole

Co-founder and owner of Comic Book Treasury. The woman behind the Batfamily Guide (and the many Robins Guides), the Fables Universe and some of your favorite Spider-People among others!

Best Riddler Comics, Your Essential Reading Order for Edward Nygma

Question: Who turns crime into a puzzle for the Bat to solve? Answer: The Riddler! Fascinated by puzzles from a young age, Edward Nygma joined Batman’s rogue gallery in 1948. He believed the Caped Crusader to be a worthy adversary for his challenges and mind games. Suffice to say, he was right!

Created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, the Riddler started his criminal career wearing a green, skin-tight jumpsuit with purple trim and question mark motifs. Just as Burgess Meredith’s portrayal of the Penguin influenced the character’s depiction in print, Frank Gorshin’s demand for a new costume on the TV show also had an impact. At the time, he was given a green business suit with a bowler hat. Although initially ignored in the comics, the costume appeared in Secret Origins Special #1 (1989), illustrated by Bernie Mireault. Once he had worn it, it became his official costume.

The Riddler loves a good mise en scène. His crimes undoubtedly have a theatrical flair that is perfect for the screen and other media. Thanks to his portrayal in television, movies, animation and video games, our criminal mastermind has earned his place in pop culture. Notable actors to have played the Riddler include Frank Gorshin and John Astin in the 1960s TV series Batman, Jim Carrey in the 1995 film Batman Forever, Cory Michael Smith in the 2014 Fox series Gotham, and Paul Dano in the 2022 film The Batman. John Glover, Robert Englund, Wally Wingert and others have voiced the character in animation and video games.

Now is the perfect time to solve some riddles alongside Batman and Robin with this selection of essential comics featuring The Riddler!

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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

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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

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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DC K.O. Reading Order for DC Comics Fighting Event

For his fall crossover event, DC Comics is going all in with the action, thanks to DC K.O., a deadly tournament. Coming from writers Joshua Williamson and Scott Snyder, the architects of the DC All-In/Absolute universes, this crossover is presented as a cosmic, bracket-style tournament where 32 of the DC Universe’s greatest heroes and villains are forced to fight for the fate of existence.

The story follows the emergence of a massive, five-tier gladiatorial arena that rises from the Earth, drawing the DC Universe’s most powerful champions into a series of escalating battles. Each level of the arena tests its combatants through increasingly brutal and symbolically resonant trials, with the ultimate goal of generating enough Omega Energy to rival Darkseid’s power. Darkseid, having ascended to a new and more dangerous form, has erased the DC Universe’s future, leaving the present as the heroes’ only chance to stop him. The tournament’s victor is destined to be crowned the new “King Omega,” a cosmic being capable of realigning the universe’s fate.

While the event features iconic heroes and villains from all over the DC Universe, it is described as a Superman story, exploring themes of morality, inner darkness, and the weight of leadership under extreme circumstances.

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