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From Russia, With Love: A Brief History of Black Widow and Winter Soldier’s relationship

 

During February, love is in the air because of Valentine’s Day. In the Comic Book World, you’ll find many classic and great tales of love stories, from the iconic couple of Clark Kent and Lois Lane and the more complicated relationship of Batman and Catwoman at DC Comics, to the long history between Sue Storm and Reed Richards or Mary Jane Watson and Peter Parker at Marvel Comics. And many many more!

Today, we turn the spotlight on a ‘more’ recent romantic relationship in the pages of Marvel with the tragic history of Black Widow and Winter Soldier — Natasha Romanova and James ‘Bucky’ Barnes. This spy couple was created during the classic modern run of Ed Brubaker on Captain America. As the writer said himself “One of the reasons I thought she and Bucky made sense together was that they both have that brainwashed aspect, and I also thought it was a clever way to integrate her preexisting continuity as the femme fatale/fake ballerina.”

The perfect mix of espionage, thriller, and romance, Black Widow and the Winter Soldier’s romantic history is as complicated as it is tragic. Today, we revisit their history in comics!

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Metal Men, DC’s robotic superhero team

In 1962, a year before the more famous Doom Patrol team made its debut, a unique group of superheroes made their first appearance in the pages of Showcase #37. Created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru, the Metal Men is a team of robots created by brilliant scientist Dr. William “Will” Magnus. Each Metal Man was named after a different metal and possessed abilities that mirrored the unique properties of their namesake.

Despite their somewhat obscure status among today’s DC Comics characters, they were, once upon a time, quite popular among readers. Their run during the Silver Age is still considered one of the best DC has produced during this era.

So, let’s turn the spotlight on the Metal Men, the coolest team of neurotics robot superheroes out there!

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The Dresden Files Graphic Novels in Order

Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files Graphic Novels in Order

Popular urban fantasy book series written by Jim Butcher, The Dresden Files grew beyond its initial prose to embrace other types of storytelling. The story expanded to the Graphic Novel format with adaptations of some of the books, but most notably new stories that are really part of the canon.

Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is a professional wizard living in modern-day Chicago. He operates as a private investigator and magical consultant, offering his services to both the magical and mundane communities. In this universe, magic is real and exists alongside the ordinary world, hidden from the majority of humanity—and vampires, demons, spirits, faeries, werewolves, outsiders, and other monsters are also present.

In 2008, Jim Butcher worked with Dabel Brothers Productions to create a Dresden Files graphic novel series. Everything started with a prequel story before the first novel was adapted. Published by Dynamite Entertainment, the series continued with new stories taking place between novels. They have been illustrated by Ardian Syaf, Chase Conley, Joseph Cooper, Carlos Gomez, and Diego Galindo, but all were written by Jim Butcher and Mark Powers.

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Who Is Spider-Ham? The Origin Story of the coolest anthropomorphic pig from Marvel Comics

Now a well-established character in the Spider-Family, Spider-Ham started his life more than 40 years ago as a character for a one-off Marvel comic, without any real future. But who could resist this funny animal version of Spider-Man? Not long after his introduction, Spider-Ham headlined his own series for a short while before slowly fading into relative obscurity.

This situation changed in the 2010s when Spider-Ham came back slowly but surely into the spotlight. First, with his cameo in the video game Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. Then, making his real comeback into the comic book world in the big Spider-Verse event, followed by a stint as a main member of the Web Warriors team. And finally, making a splashing entrance in the mainstream area with the release of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in 2018. 

Today, let’s explore Spider-Ham’s creation and origin story, from his improbable invention to his also improbable transformation into a superhero pig!

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Demon Slayer Manga Order

The manga series Demon Slayer only started in 2016, but is already one of the best-selling manga series and has spun one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.

Written and illustrated by Koyoharu Gotouge, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is a Shōnen manga that follows Tanjiro Kamado, a young man on a quest to restore his young sister’s humanity after she was transformed into a demon and the rest of his family was slaughtered. For this purpose, he goes on rigorous training to become a Demon Slayer and join the Demon Slayer Corps.

Tanjiro’s story is now complete as the shōnen consists of 23 volumes, all released between 2016 and 2020. The Demon Slayer Universe has naturally expanded beyond the main manga, with light novels, spin-offs, and of course, an anime television series which is a smashing hit and still ongoing! There are also anime films and video games, per usual.

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Doctor Occult, DC’s legendary Ghost Detective

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John Constantine wasn’t the first occult detective in a trenchcoat at DC Comics. Long before him, there was Doctor Occult, also known as The Ghost Detective—one of the oldest characters in the DC universe. Making his debut during the Golden Age, Doctor Occult paved the way for one of the most iconic superheroes of our time.

Doctor Occult, a prototype for Superman?

Doctor Occult made his first appearance in New Fun Comics #6 in October 1935—the last issue before the title was renamed More Fun Comics. Billed as a Mystic Detective but more often referred to as The Ghost Detective, he was introduced as a trenchcoat-wearing private eye the style of Sam Spade, specializing in cases involving the supernatural.

During the Golden Age, Doctor Occult did not possess particular superpowers, but he was aided by his “mystic symbol”—a powerful magical weapon that allowed him to defend himself and launch attacks against supernatural enemies such as vampires and werewolves. Doctor Occult wasn’t battling alone; he had the help of Rose Psychic.

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Who is Clea? Marvel’s Sorceress Supreme and Daughter of the Dark Dimension

Wanda Maximoff can be considered Marvel Comics’ most famous sorceress, but she isn’t the sole possessor of mystical powers. Clea, introduced the same year, stands out as a superhuman spellcaster and illusionist, deserving readers’ attention.

She was first introduced as a damsel in distress to be saved by Doctor Strange in the Dark Dimension before she became her disciple and lover. Endowed with vast magical powers and knowledge, Clea dedicates much of her life to fighting oppression, on Earth or in her dimension, with Strange and as part of the Defenders. She fought many menaces (including her own family), led the rebellion in her dimension, took over as the new ruler, and became the Sorceress Supreme of The Dark Dimension.

Despite those prowesses, Clea appeared sporadically in Marvel Comics for a long time and was mostly used in service of other characters, mainly Stephen Strange. Her origins started to be explored only ten years after her debut, and it took many more decades before the character was offered a real chance to shine away from Strange. She had to undergo numerous tribulations, but her fate started to change in the noughties. She finally became a main character in her ongoing series in 2022, completing her transformation from the “mysterious silver-haired girl” into the Sorceress Supreme we know today.

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Bat Family Comics, A Beginner’s Reading Order Guide to the crimefighters of Gotham City

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So, you want to read about the Bat Family? Maybe you are a new reader and want to know more about Batman and his many allies. Or you have seen an animated movie and would like to explore further the unique dynamics of the Batman Family. Or, yet, you already know quite a bit but would like to revisit the history of the Batfamily. Whatever your position, there are several ways to approach the Bat Family:

  1. Focusing your reading on one member of the Batfamily! This is maybe the best and simplest approach. You like a character and go on reading many adventures featuring him/her. Along the way, you discover you have quite an interest in another member and do the same. All the main characters from the Batfamily (except Alfred, sorry Alfred!) have their own reading order on the website. Go check out our Batfamily Introduction Guide for this part.
  2. Reading some Comic Books with the Whole Family! Thanks to many Batfamily events and many catastrophes affecting Gotham, the members of the Batfamily have to work together regularly, and you will find in those stories some great interactions between the characters, helping you have a better understanding of the family dynamics. For this part, we made a selection of comics to read.
  3. A Batfamily Reading Order! For the most ambitious reader out there, Comic Book Treasury has just compiled a reading list of many comic books featuring the members of the Batfamily, from the beginning of Batman to the actual era. This is not a complete reading order, but a sort of essential/very long starter pack to know the most important facts there is to know and live some fun adventures with your favorite characters.

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Howard the Duck Reading Order

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Howard the Duck Reading Order

Created by writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik in the pages of Adventure into Fear #19 (cover-dated Dec. 1973), Howard the Duck is now probably better known in the world of comics for the feud between Marvel Comics and Gerber who tried to claim the right of the character—and for the 1980s live-action movie. But the three-foot-tall anthropomorphic duck’s adventures went beyond the courtroom and continued long after his creator stopped writing him.

But let’s start at the beginning. Introduced as a secondary character in the adventures of Man-Thing, Howard the Duck went on to get his own title and to become a candidate during the U.S. Presidential campaign of 1976. He was not elected, as you may know. It’s not easy when you are a write-in candidate. Anyway, Howard is originally from an alternate Earth populated entirely by ducks instead of humans. After being transported to Earth against his will, Howard finds himself in the Florida Everglades where he meets Man-Thing.

When he got his ongoing series, Howard saved model Beverly Switzler who became his sidekick, the two went on crazy adventures as the sarcastic and wisecracking duck had to navigate through various adventures (Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Horror…) and often dealt with absurd and satirical situations—the character gained popularity for his unique and humorous take on the superhero genre.

Nowadays, Howard works as a private investigator, but that was not always the case. In fact, he was a cab driver for a time, a politician, and other jobs as his stories satirized various aspects of society and pop culture.

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DC Comics Omnibus: The 2025 Release Schedule

Omnibuses are a favorite among collectors. They are large-format graphic novel editions, beautiful hardcover editions collecting reprints of complete series, runs, or events. They are heavy, but it’s often the best way to collect some hard-to-find comics. If the editing is good, it’s also the best way to read in order.

Sadly, these books are not cheap or printed in large quantities. It’s too easy to miss out on a new one. We will try to list here what’s coming, what’s already published, and if there are reprints.

You can also take a look at the release schedule for Marvel’s Omnibuses.

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