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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!

The Best of Franklin Richards Comics, Your Essential Reading Order

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Mister, I'm the law 'round these parts, said Franklin Richards wearing a cowboy hat and pointing a smoking revolver forward, with his sister Valeria standing behind him.

With Reed and Susan Storm Richards as his parents, Franklin Benjamin Richards was destined to be anything but ordinary. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Franklin made his first appearance in Fantastic Four Annual #6 (1968), and readers have watched him grow up in the pages of Marvel Comics ever since.

Franklin Richards is a reality-warper and one of the most powerful beings in the universe. An Omega-level mutant, he manifested his powers at a very young age, far earlier than most mutants, at a time when he had little control over them. But his powers were only part of the challenge.

As the son of two founding members of the Fantastic Four, the nephew of Johnny Storm (the Human Torch), the godson of Ben Grimm (the Thing), and the older brother of Valeria Richards, Franklin has lived some extraordinary adventures and been part of some cosmic events. Over the years, Franklin has been kidnapped by Doctor Doom, traveled across space and alternate realities, put his life on the line, and even taken on the heroic mantle of Powerhouse.

Discover Franklin Richards’ most important stories with our Recommended Reading Order and explore his place in Marvel’s history.
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Tomb Raider Comics, Your Guide to the Top Cow Series Starring Lara Croft

Alongside Indiana Jones, Lara Croft is one of the most famous archaeologists in popular culture, and for good reason! The heroine of the video game franchise Tomb Raider, she is an intelligent and athletic British adventurer who travels the world in search of mysterious artifacts and other magical items. She solves complex puzzles, swims into seemingly impossible places, and shoots bad guys in dangerous locations such as ancient ruins. She does all this while wearing a tank top, shorts, socks, and combat boots, with her hair tied up in a French braid. Most importantly, she stays cool while doing it all!

The first video game was released in 1996. It was the start of a media franchise consisting of many action-adventure games, novels, comics, feature films and short films, animated television series, and even two theme park rides.

Tomb Raider’s first comic book wasn’t published by Top Cow but by the Mean Machines Sega gaming magazine in issues #47-50. Written by the game’s writer Vicky Arnold and penciled by artist Paul Peart-Smith, it was a comic book promotion for the first Tomb Raider game. Our British adventurer also featured, a few years later, in a comic book produced by French publisher Glenat, which was quickly taken off the market for licensing issues. At this stage, Top Cow has finally secured the Tomb Raider’s rights, and was starting to publish Tomb Raider comics.

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Hellboy Omnibus Reading Order!

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A large, red-skinned half-demon with a tail, horns, cloven hooves, and an oversized right hand made of stone, Hellboy does not go unnoticed. Mike Mignola’s creation made his first appearance in the San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 (August 1993), more than thirty years ago. Since then, a whole Universe surrounding him has taken shape, filled with governmental agents, folkloric creatures, and Lovecraftian horror.

Hellboy has worked for the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D.) and lived solo adventures set in many periods, but also spawned several spin-off series featuring other characters such as Abe Sapien or Lobster Johnson. Publisher Dark Horse Comics has collected many tales, story arcs, and spin-offs in several formats, such as trade paperbacks, Library Edition, and, of course, the famous Omnibus format.

The first Hellboy Omnibus (which was a reprint of B.P.R.D. Plague of Frogs) was released in 2011. It has been followed by many others, as there are more than 30 Omnibus sets in the Hellboy Universe at the time of writing. Initially only available in hardcover, paperback versions have been released since 2014. As the world of Hellboy continues to expand, we take a closer look at the Omnibus collection, which offers a great way for both new and seasoned readers to discover Big Red’s history.

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Ultimate Spider-Man Reading Order

Thanks to the Into the Spider-Verse animated movies, it is widely known that many versions of Spider-Man exist across the Marvel Universe. And they are not all called Peter Parker. Miles Morales was one of the breakout characters of the Ultimate Universe, set on Earth-1610. But he wasn’t the first one wearing the Spidey costume in this reality. The first Ultimate Spider-Man began to appear in 2000 in his own comic series, as part of the Ultimate Imprint. 

He became a commercial and critical success at the time, and his story would be mostly told in his own comic book series, Ultimate Spider-Man. Peter Parker’s life would shape differently from the classic Spidey, offering a new perspective, but still embodying the values that the character represents since the sixties. Following later in his footsteps is Miles Morales, who has grown up to become one of the most emblematic Spider-People in the Marvel Universe since then.

And since 2024, a new Ultimate Universe has been created, introducing a new Ultimate Spider-Man. 

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How to start reading DC Comics in 2026: Part 2, The Adventure Continues!

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You have taken your first steps into the DC Universe, met the Trinity, read a few origin stories, and had fun adventures across Gotham, Metropolis, the Seven Seas, and outer space. But that’s only the beginning. With nearly nine decades of comics behind it, the DC Universe is full of tales still waiting to be discovered, characters to meet, and major events to experience.

You’re now a bit more familiar with this rich world, and chances are, you already have a few favorite heroes or villains you want to know more about. We encourage you to check if we have a dedicated reading guide for them (and if we don’t, shoot us a word!) to read more of his or her adventures. You have, after all, now dipped your toes into this vast ocean of stories, and now it’s time to dive deeper.

This guide is here to help you expand your reading, with more classic stories and celebrated runs, encounter more DC characters, and even step outside of continuity for original and timeless tales on some of the more iconic members of the DC Universe. 

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Cyberpunk 2077 Comics – A Guide to the Stories Beyond the Game

The future in comics is not always post-apocalyptic; it can also be cyberpunk! A dystopian future is the setting of the famous Cyberpunk 2077 franchise. Based on a tabletop RPG, the Cyberpunk 2077 video game was launched in 2020. While not making a splash at the time (it was massively hyped and led to disappointment at the release), it has since become one of the best-selling games of all time.

You guessed it, the year is 2077. The action is mostly set in Night City, a place that’s known as the worst to live in America. Violence is at an all-time high and more people are living below the poverty line here than in any other location. MecaCorps control every aspect of life, while the streets are run by gangsters, tech hustlers, and illegal braindance dealers. And yet, nothing can stop humans from dreaming. Dreaming about the unattainable American Dream!

In recent years, the world of Cyberpunk 2077 has expanded in various directions, including a spin-off anime and several comic books. And today, we are taking a closer look at the Dark Horse comics set in the world of Cyberpunk 2077, telling new stories of people trying to survive and make a profit in this cutthroat world. 

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Batman and Superman: A Reading Guide to DC’s Finest Team-Ups

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Batman is one of the smartest superheroes in the DC Universe, while Superman is one of the most powerful. Together, they make up the World’s Finest team! 

Their friendship is one of the most enduring and iconic in comic books. These are two men with very different approaches to crime-fighting who have learned to respect and admire each other. They’ve faced many hardships, challenges, and conflicts together. While they don’t always agree and have had their share of fights, their partnership has stood the test of time and their victories and team-ups are legendary.

Batman and Superman’s relationship dates back to the Golden Age, where their Earth-Two counterparts were honorary members of the JSA, though they weren’t present in the title, too busy living many adventures in the pages of their solo titles at the time. It wasn’t until the Silver Age that their partnership truly took off, beginning with World’s Finest Comics #71 and continuing nearly uninterrupted until the series ended with issue #323.

More than 70 years later, the two heroes still work regularly together—whether it’s for a single issue, a complete storyline, a major comic book event, or as co-leads in an ongoing comic series.

If you’re curious about Superman and Batman’s friendship but don’t know where to start and what to read, this reading guide is here to help you read about one of the best team-ups in the comic book universe!

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The Best of Juggernaut Comics, A Recommended Reading Order

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There may be no other family tree as complex as the Grey-Summers one in the X-Men Universe, but it doesn’t mean that other characters haven’t had their share of pain and problems with their relatives. Case in point with Marko Cain, better known as Juggernaut, who is also the stepbrother of Professor X!

Unlike Charles Xavier, Juggernaut is not a mutant, but a human empowered by an ancient jewel powered by the deity Cyttorak, which transformed him into the unstoppable Juggernaut. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, he made his first appearance in X-Men #12 (1965) as an enemy of the X-Men. For a long time after his introduction, Juggy was a one-note villain, popping up in one or two issues to rampage and disappear (or get thrown into prison for a while). Still, that didn’t stop him from making a name for himself as a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants and as the criminal partner and BFF of Black Tom Cassidy. For many decades, he fought against the X-Men, as well as Spider-Man and the Hulk.

Things changed for Juggernaut in the early 2000s during Chuck Austen’s infamous run on Uncanny X-Men. While that era is often panned, it is also when Ol’ Jughead got some noticeable character development as he joined the X-Men and officially crossed the line between villain and hero, becoming more of an anti-hero (or anti-villain).

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Re:ZERO Manga Order (Starting Life in Another World)

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Let’s start life in another world! That’s exactly what happens in Re:Zero — also known as Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World — one of the most popular stories in the isekai genre today, a subgenre of fiction where someone is transported to another world and must learn how to survive in this new world.

In Re:Zero, Subaru Natsuki is a young man who suddenly finds himself in a medieval fantasy-like world. He quickly discovers how dangerous this new place can be when he dies… only to revive a few hours in the past! He learns that he has the power to return to a specific point in time after each death (much like a checkpoint in a video game). These deaths are not without pain, and Subaru also has to deal with memories of what happened before his death, while everybody else has forgotten.

Created by Tappei Nagatsuki, Re:Zero began in 2012 as a web novel on the user-generated content site Shōsetsuka ni Narō (and is still ongoing). Media Factory later acquired the series for print publication, starting the light novels in 2014 with illustrations by Shin’ichirō Ōtsuka. As of now, forty volumes have been released, along with six side story novels and eleven short story collections.

Subaru Natsuki’s adventures don’t stop there. Re:Zero has naturally been adapted into an anime, as well as several manga series and spin-offs — the subject of our article today!

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Best Joker Comics: Your Essential Reading Order for the Clown Prince of Crime

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Everyone knows the Joker. He’s Batman’s archenemy and one of the most dangerous and unpredictable villains in Gotham City (and across DC Comics).

The origins of the Joker are as mysterious as the character himself. Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson—credited for the character’s conception—each offer their own version of the story. What can’t be denied was the influence of actor Conrad Veidt’s grinning visage from the movie The Man Who Laughs (1928) as inspiration for the Joker design.

Regardless of the story behind the Joker’s creation, Batman’s villain has become over time a larger-than-life character, an unstoppable force of nature representing everything Batman stands against. He is often used to represent unresolved societal issues and has been, throughout the years, a criminal mastermind, a comical prankster, an anarchist, and a classic trickster who shifts between violence and dark humor.

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