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Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters Reading Order, a Boba Fett story

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Star Wars War of the Bounty Hunters Reading Order

Every Marvel reader could tell you how much the publisher loves a crossover event, for better or worse. So, I’m pretty sure no one was surprised when they finally announced a big crossover event in the Star Wars Universe.

Coming from writer Charles Soule and artist Luke Cross, Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters takes place during the Age of the Rebellion, between the Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. As the official synopsis reveals, “the notorious bounty hunter Boba Fett has finally landed his greatest prize — Han Solo, frozen in carbonite for easy transport. Fett will bring the smuggler to Tatooine to collect the massive bounty placed on Solo’s head by the fearsome crime lord Jabba the Hutt. Sounds easy. What could go wrong? There’s just one problem standing between Fett and the payday…and it’s a big one. But Fett will stop at nothing to get the job done!”

What to read before Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters?

There is no background reading necessary to do before jumping into The Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters event. Still, if you want to know what’s happened in the comics before this crossover, check out our Star Wars Comics Canon Reading Order.

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Batgirl Reading Order: Your Guide to Batman’s ally (from Barbara Gordon to Cassandra Cain)

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Batgirls DC Reading Order

Batgirl. One of the most quintessential allies of Batman. Originally created by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff, the initial incarnation of the character first appeared in Batman #139 (April 1961), presented as a female counterpart to our famous superhero. Under the costume at the time was Betty Kane, the niece of Kathy Kane (aka Batwoman) but the character simply disappeared in 1964. Batgirl was reintroduced in 1967, with Barbara Gordon under the mask, destined to become the more iconic Batgirl.

Batgirl is a crime-fighter in Gotham City who regularly appeared in Detective Comics, Batman Family, and several other books produced by DC until 1988. Barbara Gordon decided to retire from crime-fighting, before seeing her whole life being transformed by the Joker. It changed Barbara Gordon’s trajectory and at the same time, Batgirl’s trajectory. In 1999, in the storyline “No Man’s Land“, Batgirl is back in action as the mantle is finally assumed by someone else. It’s not long after that that Batgirl headline, for the first time since her introduction, her own title.

Throughout the years, several characters have held the mantle of Batgirl, from the most famous Barbara Gordon to our favorite trained assassin Cassandra Cain. Discover all the Batgirls with the following guide.

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Carol Danvers Reading Order, From Mrs. to Captain Marvel

Created by Roy Thomas and Gene Colan in Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (March 1968), Carol Danvers was originally an officer in the United States Air Force and a colleague of the Kree superhero Mar-Vell, the original Captain Marvel—you can see our Captain Marvel Reading Order to know more about all the incarnations of the famous superhero.

It wasn’t until 1977 that Carol got her powers and became known as Ms. Marvel (created by writer Gerry Conway and artist John Buscema). At that time, she resurfaced as the editor of Women Magazine, a spin-off of the Daily Bugle. We then discovered that the energy exposure from the explosion of a “Psyche-Magnetron” was behind the melding of Carol’s genetic structure with Captain Marvel’s. She technically became a human-Kree hybrid.

At the beginning of the 1980s, Mrs. Marvel was the victim of bad writing before being mixed up with the X-Men—and especially with Rogue who absorbs her abilities and memories. This story led her to become known as Binary, the superhero capable of generating the power of a star. During the 1990s, after some cosmic adventures, she reverted to her original Ms. Marvel powers and later rejoined the Avengers as Warbird.

When Brian Michael Bendis took over the Avengers, he introduced the idea of Carol Danvers becoming Captain Marvel. This didn’t become a reality immediately as she reclaimed her place in the hero community as Ms. Marvel, playing significant roles in major events. In fact, it was in July 2012 that Carol Danvers finally assumed the mantle of Captain Marvel in an ongoing series written by Kelly Sue DeConnick with art by Dexter Soy. And now, she got her own movies!

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JSA Reading Order, The Justice Society of America!

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The Justice Society of America is the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Launched during the Golden Age of Comic Books, making its first appearance in All Star Comics #3 (Winter 1940-41), the JSA was conceived at DC Comics by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox–Everett E. Hibbard was the artist on the title.

The original members of the Justice Society of America were Doctor Fate, Hourman, The Spectre, Sandman, Atom, Flash, Green Lantern (Alan Scott), and Hawkman. For a good decade, they were quite popular, but the team didn’t survive the post-war disinterest in superheroes in comics. Their adventures ceased with All Star Comics issue #57 (March 1951), but it was not the end for the JSA.

During the Silver Age, multiple members of the Justice Society of America were revamped and the team became the Justice League (see our JL reading order for more about that). At one point, the original JSA resurfaced, but this was on what became known as Earth-Two (the JL being on Earth-One). With a multiverse annual team-up with the Justice League, the JSA stayed alive and well for two decades–and even got a spin-off. Then, there was the 1985 Crisis on Infinite Earths that put an end to the JSA (and Earth-Two) for a time.

This didn’t last as a revival of the JSA happened in 1991. The old characters returned, but not in the past. But that didn’t last, a tragedy (an editorial one) occurred, the JSA disappeared, but was not forgotten.

In fact, the team was constantly present in the new Starman series by James Robinson (following his JSA: The Golden Age Elsewhere miniseries). This title led to another, a new JSA series. The team stayed active until the New 52 era, then disappeared again. The Rebirth era reestablished its place in the continuity though, but it was not until Geoff Johns came back to relaunch the title during the Infinite Frontier/Dawn of DC era that the Justice Society regained a bit of staying powers.

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Iron Man (Tony Stark) Reading Order

Since the 1960s, Iron Man has been a major superhero at Marvel, but his popularity drastically increased from 2008 onwards, thanks to Robert Downey Jr. playing the character on the big screen.

Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck, and Jack Kirby, Anthony Edward ‘Tony’ Stark made his first appearance in Tales of Suspense #39 before founding the Avengers alongside Thor, Ant-Man, Wasp, and the Hulk not long after.

As you well know, thanks to the movies, Tony Stark is a businessman superhero, a rich industrialist, and a genius inventor who was a weapons manufacturer and provided weapons for the Army before being captured by local terrorists. They wanted him to build weapons for them, but Tony chose to build a suit of armor for himself to escape his kidnappers instead. After that, Tony decided to upgrade his creation and put his resources to better the world as the superhero named Iron Man.

For Stan Lee, Tony Stark was a way to go against the tide, creating a character that represented everything that Marvel’s readers hated at the time: “the quintessential capitalist”. Born rich as the son of Howard Stark, also a genius inventor and the founder of Stark Industries, Tony was a ladies’ man with an invulnerable armor but with a (literally) broken heart. And before taking the looks of Robert Downey Jr., Lee based the physical and personality traits of the character on another rich (real) figure, Howard Hughes.

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Batman: Endgame Reading Order (New 52)

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Batman: Endgame Reading Order

Written by Scott Snyder with art by Greg Capullo, Batman: Endgame is a crossover storyline from 2014 – part of the New 52 era. It’s about the return of The Joker after his disappearance at the end of the “Death of the Family” story arc. It’s an exploration of the violent dynamic between Batman and the Joker.

Here is the official synopsis: He is Batman’s greatest enemy, his deadliest threat, his opposite number. His bloody-minded madness is exceeded only by his twisted genius. He is the Clown Prince, the Pale Man, and his crimes turn the world into one big, sick joke. But today, the joke is over.

As The Joker plays his endgame with the Batman, citizens, villains, and heroes alike must survive his deadly antics and come to terms with who The Joker is and what he means to them.

What to read before Batman: Endgame?

Scott Snyder presented Batman: Endgame as a conclusion of the Joker story developed previously in the Zero Year and Death of the Family storylines. To know more about this era and the Batman stories leading up to Endgame, take a look at our Batman by Snyder and Capullo Reading Order.

  • Batman: Zero Year
    Collects Batman #21-27 and Batman #29-33.
  • The Joker: Death of the Family
    Collects the tie-in Catwoman 13-14, Batgirl 13-16, Suicide Squad 14-15, Batman and Robin 15-16, Nightwing 15-16, Detective Comics 15-16, Red Hood and The Outlaws 15-16, and Teen Titans 15-16.

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Captain Marvel Reading Order, From Mar-Vell to Carol Danvers

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There are several characters known as Captain Marvel, and we are not here to talk about Shazam. As you may know, Fawcett’s Captain Marvel was enormously popular. Too popular for DC Comics who sued Fawcett Comics for breach of copyright. It was then claimed that Captain Marvel was too similar to Superman. This led Fawcett to stop the publication of Captain Marvel (He later came back to DC under the name Shazam). In the late 1960s, Marvel Comics gained the trademark “Captain Marvel” and, to keep it, needed to publish a Captain Marvel title. So, every few years, we’ve got ongoing series, limited series, and one-shots with “Captain Marvel” on the cover.

Created by Roy Thomas and Gene Colan in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 (December 1967), the first Captain Marvel from Marvel Comics was Mar-Vell, Captain of the Kree Imperial Militia. He was sent to observe the planet Earth and became a traitor when he decided to ally himself with the humans. At one point, he even ended up in the Negative Zone, after having been exiled by the Supreme Intelligence. There, his only way of (temporarily) escape is to exchange atoms with Rick Jones through special wristbands called Nega-Bands. He was finally freed from that prison when Jim Starlin took over the title and revamped the character, making him the “Protector of the Universe.” Of course, today his death is more famous than the rest of his career because of the success of Marvel’s first large-format graphic novel, “The Death of Captain Marvel,” published in 1982.

The second Captain Marvel was Monica Rambeau. She was created by Roger Stern and John Romita Jr in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16 (1982) and quickly became a member of the Avengers. She kept the name until the original Captain Marvel’s son entered the picture. That’s how Genis-Vell became the third Captain Marvel. His younger sister Phyla-Vell (created in Captain Marvel vol. 5 #16) became the fourth.

The fifth was Khn’nr, a Skrull sleeper agent who is bound with Mar-Vell’s DNA to lock itself into Mar-Vell’s form, who first appeared in Civil War: The Return (March 2007). And then, as part of the Dark Reign storyline, Noh-Varr – who first appeared in Marvel Boy #1 – was contacted by the Supreme Intelligence and received a copy of the original Captain Marvel’s Nega Bands. He became the sixth Captain Marvel.

Finally (for now), in July 2012, Carol Danvers graduated from Mrs. Marvel to Captain Marvel in the series written by Kelly Sue DeConnick with art by Dexter Soy. 

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Barbara Gordon Reading Order (Batgirl and Oracle)

Barbara Gordon Reading Order

Created by television producer William Dozier, editor Julius Schwartz, writer Gardner Fox, and artist Carmine Infantino, Barbara Gordon first appeared in the pages of Detective Comics #359 published in January 1967 as Batgirl. As she was the by-product of the Adam-West Television show, following a request by Schwartz who wanted a new female counterpart to Batman, she was introduced into the television series in September of that same year, in the season 3 premiere of Batman.

Barbara Joan Gordon is the daughter of Gotham City police commissioner James Gordon and one of the most female iconic vigilante super-hero in the DC Universe. She began her career as Batgirl, working close to Batman and the first Robin. Quite a popular character during the Silver era thanks to her presence in the media, Barbara has a tumultuous history, filled with violence and tragedy but also reinvention and successes and love.

Following the events of Alan Moore’s Killing Joke, where the Joker paralyzed her from the waist down with a gunshot, Barbara lost everything and was changed forever. After that, Barbara reinvented herself as Oracle (created by Kim Yale and John Ostrander in the pages of Suicide Squad). Behind a computer, Babs as Oracle became one of the most valuable assets to Batman and other DC superheroes, using her above than normal intellect, eidetic memory, and hacking talents to fight crimes. She became one of the most emblematic characters for disabled people, regarded as a symbol of empowerment.

So, it was controversial when DC decided, as part of The New 52 relaunch, that Barbara had finally recovered from her paralysis following a surgical procedure and returned as Batgirl. The character was still affected by posttraumatic stress disorder and had difficulty asking for help. Barbara Gordon is as much Batgirl as she is Oracle, and now, she embodies her two vigilante identities.

As both Batgirl and Oracle, Barbara Gordon has gone through a lot and has one of the richest histories in the Batfamily. And to know more about it, here is a Barbara Gordon reading order:

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Captain America’s First Appearance: The Origin Story of Steve Rogers

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Captain America is one of the most popular characters in the Marvel Universe. Since his beginnings as a superhero, Cap — as he is sometimes affectionately called — made a name for himself as a brave and righteous man. He is known as the champion of the ideals of truth, justice, and the American way, fighting for the protection of those who can’t fight for themselves.

Working with or without the Avengers, Captain America fought against many threats to those ideals. Throughout the years, he stopped enemies such as Red Skull and HYDRA, Baron Zemo, and Doctor Doom to achieve world domination, abuse power, and destroying innocent lives. For the man named Steve Rogers, everything began in 1940-41…

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A.X.E: Judgment Day Reading Order (Avengers/X-Men/Eternals)

Starting this summer, Judgment Day is the latest Marvel Comics crossover event! Written by Kieron Gillen and with art by Valerio Schiti, A.X.E: Judgment Day will put the Avengers, X-Men, and Eternals in the heart of a deadly conflict.

Here is the official synopsis: The battle for the planet is here! The X-Men claim they’re Earth’s new gods. The Eternals know that position is already filled. And the Avengers are about to realize exactly how many secrets their so-called friends have been keeping from them!

Years of tension are about to lead to a volcanic eruption — and two worlds will burn! Who has leaked the X-Men’s secrets to their latest foes? Why is Tony Stark abducting an old friend? And who stands in judgment over the whole world?

What to read before A.X.E: Judgment Day?

Being an event coming from Kieron Gillen and Valerio Schiti, you certainly need to be up-to-date with their Eternals’ run:

But also with Kieron Gillen and Mark Brooks’ Immortal X-Men

  • Immortal X-Men
  • as well as other Destiny of X titles like X-Men (#11-12, X-Men – Hellfire Gala (2022) #1), X-Men Red. No Avengers reading really required.

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