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Iron Fist Reading Order (Danny Rand and Lin Lie)

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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.

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Who Is Tom Strong? Exploring the World of Alan Moore’s Golden Age Superhero

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In 1999, Alan Moore launched America’s Best Comics, an imprint of WildStorm–still at Image Comics at that time. The idea was to develop a line of comics partly based on the 1940s Golden Age of comic books, partly motivated by Alan Moore’s passion for magic. Today, the most famous comics series from the imprint is The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen–Top Shelf and Knockabout Comics later published the series–, but Tom Strong became the more developed universe.

Created by Alan Moore and artist Chris Sprouse, Tom Strong is a “science hero” who, with his wife Dhalua, his daughter Tesla, the enhanced ape King Solomon, and his robotic valet, Pneuman, fought science criminals and other supernatural/paranormal dangers for decades, but also at different times, worlds, and realms.

Tom Strong was born on the fictional West Indian island of Attabar Teru. There, his scientist parents put him in a high-gravity chamber and gave him an intensive education. Plus, he grew up eating a root used by the natives of the island for health and long life. When he got out, he was stronger, faster, more intelligent, and healthy than the average human being. He became an adult and married Dhalua, the daughter of Attabar Teru’s Chief Omotu. Together they relocated to Millennium City and had a daughter named Tesla.

In the civilized world, Tom Strong became a science hero who fought masked “science villains” like Paul Saveen, the Nazi Ingrid Weiss, the mechanical-molecular megalomaniac Modular Man, Aztecs from an alternate Earth, and more.

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Animal Man Reading Order

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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.

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

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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. 

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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!

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Maximum Security Reading Order, a Marvel Crossover

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At the end of the year 2000, Marvel Comics launched a crossover event titled Maximum Security that was written by Kurt Busiek and drawn by Jerry Ordway–at least the three-issue self-titled limited series.

Here is how Marvel presents the main plot: “Welcome to Earth: penal colony for the universe’s deadliest villains! When the civilized alien races-influenced by the Supreme Intelligence and his newly-evolved Kree-tire of Earth’s involvement in their affairs, they decide to make it their new prison planet! Featuring all the world’s greatest heroes-including the Avengers, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four–against the most bizarre and deadly threats they can conceive of!”

Influenced by Australian history, and more precisely the way the British used Australia as a penitentiary–sending their convicts so far they would never come back to England!–, Busiek’s Maximum Security introduced the idea that Earth would become a prison for the scum of the galaxy. It was introduced as a way for the Intergalactic Council to deal with Earth–and its interfering heroes.

Maximum Security is composed of a three-issue limited series and almost 20 tie-in issues.

What to read before Maximum Security?

Thor, Tigra, Starfox, Moondragon, and Monica Rambeau are the Avengers in Space in the mini-series Avengers Infinity by Roger Stern and Sean Chen that set up the events of Maximum Security.

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Who is Poison Ivy? The origins of Dr. Pamela Isley

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Batman Rogues Galleries is, almost without a doubt, one of the most iconic, and Poison Ivy is no exception to the rule. She’s also one of the most visually striking characters, often barefoot with a green costume made of leaves and vines.

Poison Ivy was created by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino, at a time when Batman was massively popular thanks to the 1960s live-action television series. As a result of the show and Catwoman’s popularity in it, they wanted more female villains. To respond to this demand, Carmine Infantino and Robert Kanigher created Poison Ivy who made her debut in Batman #181 in June 1966 (where she was penciled by Sheldon Moldoff). The character never made it to the show.

The character was in part inspired by the short story “Rappaccini’s Daughter” written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is about a young woman who tends a garden of poisonous plants and becomes toxic herself. Her design was modeled on Bettie Page, with Ivy having the same haircut and figure.

Poison Ivy is a woman with a poisonous touch who can manipulate all plants. She also possesses a complex and rich history and became more and more powerful with time and several retcons…

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Fantastic Four Reading Order

On November 1961, a page of comic book history was written when the Fantastic Four comic debuted. The first issue was an unexpected success, and the public simply fell in love with the First Family. It played a massive role in making Marvel the company we know, launching and influencing the superhero comics in a new direction.

Traditionally, the Fantastic Four are Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic), scientific genius and leader; Susan “Sue” Storm (Invisible Woman), Reed’s partner and co-leader; Johnny Storm (The Human Torch), Sue’s little brother; and Ben Grimm (The Thing), pilot and best friend. They all gained superpowers following exposure to cosmic rays during a scientific mission to outer space.

The Fantastic Four are maybe the most famous superheroes in the Marvel Universe, as they chose to become celebrities instead of hiding their real identities from the public.

If the name of the team implies they are only four members, the roster of the famous ‘family’ has changed several times, and sometimes, other characters have been members. Crystal, Medusa (from the Inhumans), She-Hulk, Ant-Man (Scott Lang), Storm and Black Panther, and even Spider-Man have been at some point or other members of the team.

They fought and stop more than once the Supreme Leader Doctor Doom but also had several encounters with Galactus, Ronan the Accuser, Namor, Silver Surfer, the Mole Man, the Frightful Four, and more. They worked with the Avengers, the X-Men, and other Marvel superheroes to save the world.

This most emblematic team has lived a lot, and it’s time to explore those adventures with a Fantastic Four reading order!

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Luke Cage Reading Order, Marvel’s Power Man

At the beginning of the 1970s, Blaxploitation movies became quite popular and Marvel Comics wanted to cash in on the trend–as well as with other trends, see Ghost Rider or Werewolf by Night. Luke Cage was then introduced as an urban African-American hero like no other.

Described at the time as “a combination of Superman and Shaft,” Luke Cage was created by Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, Roy Thomas, and John Romita Sr. He made his first appearance in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 (June 1972). He was the first black American superhero to have his own comic book series at Marvel Comics (Black Panther is not an American!).

Introduced as a prisoner in “Little Alcatraz,” the Seagate Prison, Carl Lucas is recruited by research scientist Dr. Noah Burstein to be a test subject in a cellular regeneration experiment based on a variant of the Super-Soldier process. Lucas gains superstrength and escapes. He ends up in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood where he grew up and reinvents himself. Now call Luke Cage, the “Power Man,” he becomes a freelance “hero for hire.”

The Hero for Hire comics was not a hit, but Luke Cage rapidly found his place in the Marvel universe. He befriended the Fantastic Four, fought next to the super-team the Defenders, developed a relationship with Dr. Claire Temple, and teamed up with Iron Fist and Misty Knight…

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