Skip to content

Reading Order

Superman Infinite Frontier/Dawn of DC Reading Order (with Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Tom Taylor & Joshua Williamson)

Following recent events (with Dark Nights: Death Metal, Generations, and Future State), the DC Multiverse has expanded into a larger Omniverse, where everything was now canon. It was a way for DC to continue what was launched with Rebirth, meaning re-establishing popular past stories and relationships while retaining the new characters and simple backstories from the modern era. DC simply wants the best of both worlds!

This situation leads us to the Infinite Frontier era, where Clark Kent and his son Jonathan Kent are both Superman. Each one of them is the star of his own title, with Clark starring in Action Comics by writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson and artist Phil Hester, and Jon Kent starring in Superman: Son of Kal-El by Tom Taylor and John Timms.

During this period was also published the ongoing series Batman/Superman (vol. 2), Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, and the limited series Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Superman ’78, Superman and the Authority, and Superman: Red & Blue.

Read More »Superman Infinite Frontier/Dawn of DC Reading Order (with Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Tom Taylor & Joshua Williamson)

Nova Reading Order (Richard Rider & Sam Alexander)

  • by

If Nova made his first appearance in The Man Called Nova #1 (September 1976), the character originated ten years earlier by Marv Wolfman in issue #3 of his fanzine, Super Adventures.

At first, he was known as The Star, real name Denteen. He was a doctor who found a spaceship containing alien pills giving him a different superpower every five minutes. Three issues later, Wolfman and Len Wein reinvented the Star into a new hero, now a prisoner named Kraken Roo who becomes the superhero Black Nova. Black Nova’s life was short as he died in Super Adventures #9.

Black Nova was an adult wearing a black and yellow costume with 5 chest stars and a helmet antenna. There were differences alright, but no doubt that, years later, Marv Wolfman and John Romita Jr. revamped the character, with some changes to the costume and a new origin story to create Nova.

It also has to be said that Richard ‘Rich’ Rider was intended as an homage to Spider-Man (with some elements of Green Lantern). They clearly wanted to create a new character with the same essence, with his working-class origins, his tendency to banter in battle, and his inferiority complex. Though, Richard Rider was not as smart as Peter Parker, far from it, and was more of an average student

Rich was first an insecure teenager who inherited the mantle of an intergalactic Nova Centurion, became part of the Nova Corps (an intergalactic police force) and later of the New Warriors. He had to fight in a space war, experienced tragedies, loss of power, and much more.

But Richard Rider is not the only character called Nova at Marvel. There is also Samuel ‘Sam’ Alexander, who made his debut in Marvel Point One #1 (November 2011) at a point where Richard Rider was out of the picture (if we can say that). He starred in his own series beginning in 2013.

Created by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness, Sam was named after Loeb’s dead son. He was a teenager living in Arizona with his family. His father was an alcoholic who talked about being a member of the Nova Corps, though Sam didn’t really believe him. It all changed when his father disappeared, discovered he was telling the truth, and put on his father’s helmet to become, in turn, a member of Nova Corps. Sam also became part of the New Warriors, the Avengers and Champions.

Let’s dive into some comics with this Nova Reading Order!

Read More »Nova Reading Order (Richard Rider & Sam Alexander)

Reckoning War reading order, a Fantastic Four event

  • by

After concluding his Iron Man run with the Iron Man 2020 event, Dan Slott also choose to wrap up his four-year run on the Fantastic Four with an event! But not any event as The Reckoning War (penciled by Marco Checchetto) was, as Marvel said it, fifteen years in the making! 

Here is the official synopsis: FIFTEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING – AND IT ALL KICKS OFF HERE! In a time before the Kree, Skrull or Shi’ar Empires. Before the emergence of Galactus. Before the birth of Asgard. There was the First War. The greatest war to ever rage across the Multiverse. Today, it is reignited. This is the Day of Reckoning. And all that stands between all of reality and revenge from the dawn of time are the heroes of Earth, the Fantastic Four and the mind of Mister Fantastic. Starring the FF, She-Hulk, Jack of Hearts, the Unseen, the Silver Surfer and everyone in the whole damn Marvel Universe.

Read More »Reckoning War reading order, a Fantastic Four event

DC Vs. Vampires Reading Order, a DC Vampire Apocalypse by James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg

  • by

After depicting a Zombie Apocalypse in DCeased, another reality in DC Comics was confronted with undead creatures. This time around, the creatures of the night known as vampires were responsible for the Apocalypse set in Earth 63, the Earth of DC Vs. Vampires! 

Coming from James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg, with artwork by Otto Schmidt, Simone Di Meo, Daniele Di Nicuolo and Francesco Mortarino, this superhero horror comic book is set on a alternate universe where the Justice League has protected the planet from many alien invaders but failed to realised a new threat were emerging among them, with vampires infiltrating their ranks and making our heroes unsure on who they could trust… until it was too late! 

A mysterious new vampire lord has already put a plan in motion to conquer the Earth, and his horde is hunting on the streets of Gotham. Can Batman save his city—or will he succumb to the undead plague? The answer and more in the DC Vs. Vampires comics! 

Read More »DC Vs. Vampires Reading Order, a DC Vampire Apocalypse by James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg

Lazarus Planet Reading Order, a DC Magical Crisis

Barely one month after the conclusion of Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, the DC Universe is affected by another crisis. Writer Mark Waid teams up with Riccardo Federici, Gene Luen Yang, Billy Tan, Nicole Maines, Skylar Patridge, Francis Manapul, Dan Watters, Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Josie Campbell, and more, for the Lazarus Planet, a Magical Crisis where heroes are transformed, secrets are revealed and powers are unleashed. Here is the official synopsis:

Following the events of Mark Waid and Mahmud Asrar’s Batman vs. Robin #4 this December, the Lazarus Volcano has erupted—spewing dangerous and transformative chemicals into Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in chaos across the DC universe! As these Lazarus clouds rain down upon the planet, people across the globe begin to develop strange new abilities, watch their already-extraordinary abilities change, and witness a whole host of chaos, unlike anything the DCU has experienced before!

A lot of DC characters are involved in this event, from the obvious Batman and Robin (Damian Wayne), but also Martian Manhunter, Red Canary, Jon Kent, Poison Ivy, Power Girl, but also Monkey Prince, Shazam/Billy Batson, Mary Marvel, and Yara Flor.

Read More »Lazarus Planet Reading Order, a DC Magical Crisis

Batman White Knight Reading Order, exploring the Murphyverse

  • by

Launched in 2017 with the book Batman: White Knight, The Murphyverse is a universe created by Sean Gordon Murphy (Punk Rock Jesus, The Wake) and published under the DC Black Label imprint.

As the imprint suggests, this is not a series set within the DC continuity—it could be considered an Elseworlds series. The first book introduced us to a world where the Joker is cured of his insanity and homicidal tendencies. Now a politician under his real name of Jack Napier, The Joker sets about trying to right his wrongs. First, he plans to reconcile with Harley Quinn, and then he’ll try to save the city from the one person he thinks is truly Gotham City’s greatest villain: Batman!

The success of Batman: White Knight was massive, and the trade paperback quickly became a best-seller (it has since been republished in multiple formats). A sequel was commissioned, Batman: Curse of the White Knight.

This second limited series confirmed the popularity of this alternate version of Batman. This prompted DC Comics to give Sean Murphy his own line of books to be published under its Black Label imprint. The Murphyverse was born.

Read More »Batman White Knight Reading Order, exploring the Murphyverse

Iron Fist Reading Order (Danny Rand and Lin Lie)

  • by

In the early 1970s, Marvel Comics was quick to respond to cultural trends sweeping across America. With Blaxploitation cinema captivating audiences, Marvel introduced Luke Cage, Hero for Hire in 1972—the first African-American superhero to headline his own comic. Simultaneously, martial arts were booming in popularity, thanks in part to Bruce Lee’s rise and the influx of kung fu films from Hong Kong. Marvel’s answer to this new craze was the creation of Iron Fist.

Debuting in Marvel Premiere #15 in May 1974, Iron Fist was the creation of writer Roy Thomas and artist Gil Kane. Thomas, inspired by the martial arts films he and others at Marvel were watching at the time, crafted a character who blended the mysticism of Eastern legends with the action-packed energy of superhero comics. It’s worth noting that Shang-Chi, another Marvel martial artist influenced directly by Bruce Lee, had already launched in Special Marvel Edition #15 in 1973.

Iron Fist’s origin begins with young Daniel Rand, who, after witnessing his parents’ deaths during an expedition in the Himalayas, is taken in by the mystical city of K’un-Lun. There, he trains for a decade in martial arts and gains the power of the Iron Fist by defeating the dragon Shou-Lao the Undying.

Armed with superhuman chi and unmatched fighting skills, Rand returns to the Western world to avenge his parents. Though his solo series was short-lived, he gained new life when he teamed up with Luke Cage in the popular Power Man and Iron Fist series, turning them into Marvel’s go-to street-level duo.

After a brief “death” and resurrection in the ’90s, Iron Fist starred in acclaimed runs like The Immortal Iron Fist, which expanded his mythology and introduced a long line of past Iron Fists. Most recently, in 2022, the Iron Fist mantle was passed to Lin Lie, formerly known as Sword Master. With Danny Rand having lost the power of the Iron Fist, he now serves as a mentor to Lin, showing that while the torch has been passed, Rand’s journey is far from over.

Iron Fist has also entered the mainstream thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Portrayed by Finn Jones, Danny Rand appeared in the Netflix series Iron Fist, The Defenders, and the second season of Luke Cage. Though the show received mixed reviews, it brought renewed attention to the character and introduced Iron Fist to a new generation of fans.

Read More »Iron Fist Reading Order (Danny Rand and Lin Lie)

Animal Man Reading Order

  • by

Buddy Baker aka Animal Man is a DC Comics superhero created by writer Dave Wood and artist Carmine Infantino in the pages of Strange Adventures #180 (September 1965) who has the ability to temporarily borrow the abilities of animals—he gained them after encountering a spaceship that blew up, infusing him with radiation.

For a long time, he was considered a second-rate superhero and didn’t really appear in a lot of books between the 1960s and the 1980s. Everything changed after the Crisis on Infinite Earths event when DC started to use British writers to revive old almost forgotten properties. That’s when Scottish writer Grant Morrison came on board. He reintroduced Buddy Baker in what was thought as a four-issue limited series, but its success led to a change and it became an ongoing series.

At that point, we met Buddy who is married to his high school sweetheart, Ellen, a storyboard artist. They have two children, Cliff and Maxine, and live in a suburban area outside of San Diego. As Animal Man, Buddy found his way by progressively becoming an animal rights activist, an environmentalist, and a vegetarian.

Animal Man profile was boosted by the success of the series and the character even briefly became a member of Justice League Europe. Once Morrison concluded his run, Peter Milligan took over, then Tom Veitch and Steve Dillon, and Jamie Delano and Steve Pugh, all exploring different aspects of the hero, from his stuntman past to the origin of his powers.

The story of Buddy changed when he was killed to be resurrected as the “Red” (like the “Green” of Swamp Thing, but for animals!) in the Vertigo Line for mature readers. After that, he occasionally made cameos in the regular DC Universe, including during the Infinite Crisis and 52.

After the New 52 relaunch, he made a comeback and later joined again with the JLA. During the Rebirth era, he also worked with the Justice League, but he never went on to become a major superhero.

Read More »Animal Man Reading Order

The Outerverse Reading Order, The Horror Universe by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden

  • by

Mostly known today for creating Hellboy and its expanded universe, Mike Mignola has also written (and sometimes drawn) a variety of other stories exploring similar themes full of supernatural, folklore, horror, and other paranormal elements.

With Christopher Golden, he co-created Baltimore in 2007, an illustrated novel that led to a comic-book series published by Dark Horse Comics, then to an expanded universe called “The Outerverse.”

Baltimore, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire introduced us to Lord Henry Baltimore. The story begins in November 1914. A British officer during World War I, Lord Baltimore is left for dead on a battlefield in the Ardennes Forest. When he awakes, he sees the most unexpected scene: giant bat-like creatures are feeding on his dead men.

When he is attacked, he fights back and wound the vampire who tried to feed on him. This action inadvertently changes Baltimore himself, but also in the course of the war, and of human history. 

Read More »The Outerverse Reading Order, The Horror Universe by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden

Titans/Teen Titans Reading Order

Not long after the Justice League made its debut in 1960, the sidekicks came together to form their own team: The Teen Titans.

The first partnership between Robin (Batman’s sidekick), Aqualad (Aquaman’s sidekick), and Kid Flash (Flash’s sidekick) happened in the pages of The Brave and the Bold #54 (1964), written by Bob Haney and penciled by Bruno Premiani.

This team-up must have been a success as they came together again five issues later — this time with Wonder Girl and a name for the group: The Teen Titans. After another adventure in Showcase #59, the Teen Titans finally had their own title.

Soon enough, the team was expanded ranks with characters like Speedy (Roy Harper), Aquagirl (Tula), Bumblebee (Karen Beecher), Hawk (Hank Hall), Dove (Don Hall), Harlequin (Duela Dent), and three non-costumed heroes: boxer Mal Duncan, psychic Lilith, and caveman Gnarrk.

But success will really knock at their door in the 1980s with the revival titled the New Teen Titans and today’s classic Marv Wolfman and George Pérez’s run. The group was more adult and independent, while still maintaining their status as teenagers.

New characters were introduced: Cyborg (Victor Stone), Starfire (Koriand’r), and Raven (Rachel Roth), as well as the former Doom Patrol member Beast Boy (Garfield Logan). The team also created one of the most iconic critical and commercial storylines with The Judas Contract.

In short, the New Teen Titans established the standard for all the Teen Titans/Titans that were to come. Throughout the decades, Teen Titans were canceled and relaunched many times, had seen its roster change with new and old members coming and going, and fought many enemies.

There have been many versions of the Teen Titans, and you can explore all of them with our reading order!

Read More »Titans/Teen Titans Reading Order