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Kick-Ass Reading Order (including Hit-Girl!)

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During the early 2000s, Mark Millar became one of the biggest writers at Marvel Comics, working on books like The Ultimates, Civil War, and even Wolverine with popular artist John Romita Jr. This was not their last collaboration, as the two later worked together on a creator-owned series published by Marvel’s Icon Comics. The same imprint gave us Powers by Michael Avon Oeming and Brian Michael Bendis, Criminal by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, and many more.

Launched in 2008, Kick-Ass begins with Dave Lizewski, an ordinary New York teenager and lifelong comic book fan. Tired of wondering why no one has ever tried to become a real-life superhero, Dave dons a homemade wetsuit, adopts the identity of Kick-Ass, and sets out to fight crime. Reality, however, proves far harsher than fiction. He quickly discovers that costumes offer no protection against knives, bullets, or broken bones. Yet despite the pain, bloodshed, and frequent failures, Kick-Ass becomes an unexpected inspiration. His actions encourage others to put on masks of their own, drawing him into a violent conflict alongside the fearless and lethally trained Mindy McCready (better known as Hit-Girl) and her father, Big Daddy…

The series became a success thanks to its mix of brutal violence, dark comedy, and deconstruction of the superhero genre. It also inspired two film adaptations, in 2010 and 2013, directed and produced by Matthew Vaughn. More comics from the comic book franchise came out, expanding Dave Lizewski’s world beyond him as others used the Kick-Ass name through the years. The books also left Icon Comics to move to Image Comics and Millarworld. Let’s explore this bloody universe through our complete Kick-Ass Reading Order.

Complete Kick-Ass Comics Reading Order

We may have dedicated reading orders for those interested only in Kick-Ass or Jupiter’s Legacy, but you can also check out our complete Millarworld Reading Order. 

Kick-Ass Comics, The Dave Lizewski Years

The original Kick-Ass saga follows Dave Lizewski, the first self-proclaimed real-life superhero. What begins as a teenager’s misguided attempt to fight crime quickly escalates into a violent war involving organized crime, costumed vigilantes, and unlikely heroes. Along the way, Dave crosses paths with the deadly Mindy “Hit-Girl” McCready and her father, Big Daddy, while discovering that wearing a mask comes with consequences far greater than he ever imagined.

Published between 2008 and 2014, this era consists of the original Kick-Ass miniseries, the prelude Hit Girl miniseries (now known as Kick-Ass Book 2, but originally published after Kick-Ass 2), and two more Kick-Ass limited series telling a complete story, charting Dave’s evolution from an inexperienced comic book fan into an unlikely hero while establishing the brutal, grounded world that defines the Kick-Ass universe. Ultimately, when more series were published in 2018, those books were edited to remove scenes of violence and swearing, but also to change plot points that were later ignored. 

  • Kick-Ass Compendium [2026]
    Collects Kick-Ass (vol. 1) #1-8, Kick-Ass (vol. 2) #1-5, Kick-Ass (vol. 3) #1-6, and Kick-Ass (vol. 4) #1-8.

This new Kick-Ass Compendium is a big 720-page paperback volume that gives you all you need, but you still get the four books in separate volumes, each one collecting one miniseries under the banner “Kick-Ass: The Dave Lizewski Years.” Those are the Image Comics re-edited version, not the first Marvel Icon Comics ones.

Millarworld Annuals (optional)

Before launching the next major era of Kick-Ass, Mark Millar opened the doors of the Millarworld universe to new creators through the Millarworld Annual anthologies. These collections featured short stories set within the worlds of Millar’s various franchises, including three (pretty optional) stories connected to the Kick-Ass universe.

  • “Kick-Ass: Blindsided” – written by Ricardo Mo and illustrated by Ifesinachi Orkiekwe, collected in Millarworld Annual 2016
  • “Hit-Girl: Mindy’s ABCs” – written by Mark Abnett and illustrated by Ozgur Yildirim, collected in Millarworld Annual 2016
  • “Kick-Ass: Trick or Cheat” – written by Emma Sayle and illustrated by Edgy Ziane, collected in Millarworld Annual 2017.

Hit-Girl Worldwide

Following the events of Kick-Ass, the pint-sized Punisher-meets-Polly-Pocket Mindy McCready leaves the United States and embarks on a global crusade against crime. Under the Hit-Girl banner, the young vigilante travels from country to country, taking on local criminal organizations with her trademark blend of ruthless efficiency, dark humor, and over-the-top action.

Published between 2018 and 2019, and depicting events mentioned in the epilogue of Book Four of The Dave Lizewski Years, Hit-Girl was conceived as an anthology-style series. Each story arc takes place in a different city and is handled by a different creative team, allowing writers and artists to bring their own style while expanding the Kick-Ass universe beyond its New York roots.

Hit-Girl Season One

Hit-Girl Season Two

Kick-Ass: The New Girl

A decade after the debut of the original Kick-Ass, writer Mark Millar and artist John Romita Jr. relaunched the franchise with a brand-new protagonist under the mask. Instead of Dave Lizewski, the mantle of Kick-Ass is taken up by Patience Lee, a decorated military veteran and single mother who turns to vigilantism to protect her family and take down organized crime.

Launched in 2018, this new era serves as both a continuation and a new starting point for the Kick-Ass universe. While Millar and Romita Jr. introduced Patience Lee in the opening story arc, the series was subsequently written by Steve Niles and illustrated by Marcelo Frusin, further developing her journey into a very different kind of Kick-Ass.

“Book Four” is Kick-Ass vs. Hit-Girl, a series depicting the first confrontation between Hit-Girl and Patience Lee. It concludes the Kick-Ass: The New Girl series and the Hit-Girl series.

In 2021, in what is qualified as a cameo for hardcore fans, Hit-Girl appears in Crossover #6 by Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw. It’s not the young Mindy McCready from the original Kick-Ass story, though, but an adult version of Mindy, pulled from her own reality into the world of Crossover.

The Big Game Crossover

Released in 2023 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Millarworld, Big Game is a crossover event written by Mark Millar and illustrated by Pepe Larraz that brings together more than twenty of Millar’s creator-owned franchises. The series features characters from across the Millarworld universe, including Kingsman, Nemesis, The Magic Order, Superior, Huck, and many others, including Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl.

Set fifteen years after the events of The Dave Lizewski Years, Big Game reveals the next chapter in the lives of Dave Lizewski and Mindy McCready. Now 31 years old, Dave lives a boring and ordinary life, dreaming of putting the costume on once more. Meanwhile, a 27-year-old Mindy continues her mission as Hit-Girl, joining forces with Kingsman’s agent Gary “Eggsy” Unwin.

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