IDW

If there’s something strange in your comics, who you gon’ call? Ghostbusters! And to do that, you’ll have to check out IDW Publishing’s catalogue, as it has been the house of the Ghostbusters comics since 2008.

The Ghostbusters franchise started with the 1984 movie, directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. It introduced us to this team of ghost hunters, professors Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler, and Winston Zeddemore. They had to face the evil Zuul to save New York City. It was only the beginning of their adventures.

The property subsequently expanded into animated television series, most notably The Real Ghostbusters (1986–1991) and Extreme Ghostbusters (1997), as well as video games, novels, and comic books. In comics, The Real Ghostbusters was adapted in the late 1980s by NOW Comics in the United States and by Marvel UK in the United Kingdom, both drawing directly from the animated series. In the 2000s, the Quebec-based publisher 88MPH Studios also produced The Real Ghostbusters comics. There was even a one-shot Manga in 2008.

In 2008, IDW Publishing acquired the license to produce Ghostbusters comics. Unlike previous publishers, IDW shifted away from the animated continuity and instead focused on the primary film continuity established by Ghostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters II (1989), later incorporating elements from Ghostbusters: The Video Game (2009), which was co-written by Aykroyd and Ramis and is often treated as a canonical sequel. IDW lost the license in 2020 to Dark Horse Comics, putting an end to this continuity.

To navigate through all those comics, no need to call anybody, just follow our reading order!

Read More »Ghostbusters Comics Reading Order (IDW and Dark Horse)

Like with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Buffyverse, or the G.I. Joe comic book franchise, IDW took over the Transformers comics and launched its own continuity–and there are some discussions about the more legitimate continuity, but it’s not the subject of this article. We are here to talk about the third Transformers comics series.

The first was published by Marvel (from 1984 to 1991), and the second by Dreamwave Productions (from 2002 to 2004). After that, IDW Publishing took over with the third series (the Generation 1 continuity) written by Simon Furman starting with issue #0 in October 2005 and a regular series starting in January 2006 (and ending in November 2018). The fourth series is a relaunch at IDW that started in 2019.

And so, as the official synopsis tells it, it began on Earth, in 2006. The fate of the planet is already sealed, its destiny decided… by the marauding mechanical beings known as Decepticons. In their way stand an embattled crew of seven hardy Autobot warriors, sworn to prevent the impending Armageddon at any cost, and an unlikely trio of human misfits, pulled kicking and screaming into a hitherto hidden world of pain and hurt. The can of worms is open, the genie is out of the bottle… and nothing will ever be the same again! It begins again — here, now — the saga of the war-torn robots in disguise, the Transformers!

In 2022, IDW Publishing lost the license to publish Transformers comics. Skybound Entertainment (an imprint of Image Comics) took it over and created the Energon Universe.

Read More »Transformers IDW Reading Order

Originally published by Mirage Studios in 1984, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a black-and-white, self-published comic created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird that quickly gained traction, helping to ignite the independent comics boom of the 1980s.

Unlike many of its contemporaries, which faded into obscurity, TMNT evolved into a long-lasting franchise. The original comics follow four mutated turtles—Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo—who are trained in ninjutsu by their rat sensei, Splinter. Living in the sewers of New York City, they battle crime, alien threats, and supernatural forces, expanding their adventures across multiple dimensions in comics, television, and film.

While the original Mirage series ended in 1995, TMNT publications continued in various forms. The property moved to Image Comics in 1996, returned to Mirage in the early 2000s, and was later acquired by Nickelodeon in 2009. Since 2011, IDW Publishing (Transformers, G.I. Joe) has produced an ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic series, spearheaded by TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman, writer Tom Waltz, and artist Dan Duncan. This iteration introduced a revised origin story and an expanded mythology, ensuring that the heroes in a half shell continue their legacy in fresh and ambitious ways.

After 150 issues, IDW decided to relaunch the main Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic series and announced Volume 2 now written by Jason Aaron. A new era of the Turtles began.

Read More »Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IDW Reading Order

First appearing as a backup feature in Starslayer #2, published by Pacific Comics in 1982, The Rocketeer is a now-cult comic book created by Dave Stevens (1955-2008) who was heavily inspired by the aesthetic of pulp magazines, early Hollywood serials, and vintage aviation.

Set in 1930s Los Angeles, the story of The Rocketeer follows Cliff Secord, a young and cocky stunt pilot trying to make a name for himself. Cliff’s life takes an unexpected turn when he discovers a mysterious rocket pack hidden in his hangar. This experimental device allows him to fly, making him a target at the same time as it was originally stolen by gangsters during a botched robbery and ends up in Cliff’s possession. They want it back, as does its creator, Howard Hughes. Soon, Cliff’s girlfriend, an aspiring actress and model named Betty, becomes entangled in Cliff’s adventures when villains attempt to use her to get to him. To make matters worse, the Nazis view the rocket pack as a potential weapon that could give them a significant advantage in their plans for world domination and want to get it for themselves.

A skilled storyteller and an exceptionally gifted artist, Stevens injected everything he liked in the comics. From his love of the iconic pin-up model Bettie Page to retro-futurism and aviation culture, the aesthetic of pulp magazines and early serials, and the glamour of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Read More »The Rocketeer Reading Order, A guide to Dave Stevens’ cult comics and the IDW miniseries