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The Best of Franklin Richards Comics, Your Essential Reading Order

Mister, I'm the law 'round these parts, said Franklin Richards wearing a cowboy hat and pointing a smoking revolver forward, with his sister Valeria standing behind him.

With Reed and Susan Storm Richards as his parents, Franklin Benjamin Richards was destined to be anything but ordinary. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Franklin made his first appearance in Fantastic Four Annual #6 (1968), and readers have watched him grow up in the pages of Marvel Comics ever since.

Franklin Richards is a reality-warper and one of the most powerful beings in the universe. An Omega-level mutant, he manifested his powers at a very young age, far earlier than most mutants, at a time when he had little control over them. But his powers were only part of the challenge.

As the son of two founding members of the Fantastic Four, the nephew of Johnny Storm (the Human Torch), the godson of Ben Grimm (the Thing), and the older brother of Valeria Richards, Franklin has lived some extraordinary adventures and been part of some cosmic events. Over the years, Franklin has been kidnapped by Doctor Doom, traveled across space and alternate realities, put his life on the line, and even taken on the heroic mantle of Powerhouse.

Discover Franklin Richards’ most important stories with our Recommended Reading Order and explore his place in Marvel’s history.
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Marvel’s Secret Wars Explained: The Events That Changed Comics

Fans had been dreaming about it for years, but it was ultimately the call for a toy line that would finally give life to the biggest team-up Marvel Comics could put together in 1984. Secret Wars was a commercial opportunity and became an industry-altering event that forever changed comics. No matter what people think about Jim Shooter’s tenure as Marvel editor-in-chief, this is his legacy.

Secret Wars (1984): The Original Battleworld

It was 1984, and toy manufacturer Kenner was about to launch its DC Comics-inspired line of action figures, Super Powers. At Mattel Toys, it was necessary not to let the comic book market go to the competition. That’s what led to a collaboration with Marvel Comics. Jim Shooter was all in and proposed to produce a story to promote the new line of Marvel action figures, “Cosmic Champions.” The title would eventually change, but the idea would stay the same: to provide a showcase of marketable superheroes and supervillains.

Following focus group tests, the twelve-issue limited series became “Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars.” The story starts with an omnipotent being called the Beyonder abducting dozens of characters to a patchwork planet named Battleworld. There, he announced, “I am from beyond! Slay your enemies and all that you desire shall be yours! Nothing you dream of is impossible for me to accomplish!” What follows is constant action, alliances, twists, and lasting developments that impacted the Marvel Universe.

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Ultimate Spider-Man Reading Order

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Thanks to the Into the Spider-Verse animated movies, it is widely known that many versions of Spider-Man exist across the Marvel Universe. And they are not all called Peter Parker. Miles Morales was one of the breakout characters of the Ultimate Universe, set on Earth-1610. But he wasn’t the first one wearing the Spidey costume in this reality. The first Ultimate Spider-Man began to appear in 2000 in his own comic series, as part of the Ultimate Imprint. 

He became a commercial and critical success at the time, and his story would be mostly told in his own comic book series, Ultimate Spider-Man. Peter Parker’s life would shape differently from the classic Spidey, offering a new perspective, but still embodying the values that the character represents since the sixties. Following later in his footsteps is Miles Morales, who has grown up to become one of the most emblematic Spider-People in the Marvel Universe since then.

And since 2024, a new Ultimate Universe has been created, introducing a new Ultimate Spider-Man. 

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Comic Book News of The Week: Deadpool/Batman team-up and More!

What’s going on in the Comic Book World? Life can be pretty busy, so we highlight recent news and articles that may catch your interest in our eighth edition of Comic Book News.

More than twenty years after their last collaboration, Marvel and DC Comics are teaming up again for a major crossover event, bringing together Deadpool and Batman in a one-shot launching this September. Deadpool/Batman #1 will be written by prolific Spider-Man comics writer Zeb Wells and drawn by Greg Capullo. On the DC side, Grant Morrison and artist Dan Mora are creating the companion Batman/Deadpool one-shot set for November.

“I don’t do many comics these days, but there was no way I could turn down the chance to work with Dan Mora again, one of my all-time favorite artistic collaborators — and definitely no way I could turn down Batman and Deadpool!” Morrison says in a statement. “Expect 4th wall-busting mayhem, owls, blood, blades, and at least one giant typewriter!”

Both companies plan to continue their crossover efforts, with more one-shots scheduled for 2026, promising fans more exciting team-ups ahead.

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What to Read This Month: The Best Comics of June 2025

Between Marvel Omnibus, DC Omnibus, the Epic Collection, DC Finest, Compact editions, and everything else publishers put out, there’s always way there’s always more to discover! Launched this past March, What to Read This Month highlights each month’s notable releases. Here’s our selection for May, featuring some great stories from… And if you missed last month’s picks, you can find them here.

June’s Comic Picks

All title summaries are taken and/or summarized from the copy provided by the publisher.

Superman Adventures Compendium One
By Scott McCloud, Mark Millar, Terry Austin, Marie Severin, Rick Burchett, Mark Evanier, Paul Dini

With the release of the new Superman movie approaching, it’s a good time to be a Superman fan! DC Comics is putting out many classic and new stories in various formats, including the first Compendium volume of Superman Adventures, the beloved comic inspired by Superman: The Animated Series. My biggest wish is that DC wouldn’t take so long to release the next volume (as it usually does for Compendium).

Superman: The Animated Series defined the Man of Steel for a whole new generation of young viewers. Now go beyond the adventures from the screen in the acclaimed comic book series set in the continuity of the show with stories written by the original series writers and in the style of the animated series, witness Superman battle Doctor Fate and Lobo wreak havoc upon Metropolis. Relive the show that brought the Man of Steel to life.

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The Best of Juggernaut Comics, A Recommended Reading Order

There may be no other family tree as complex as the Grey-Summers one in the X-Men Universe, but it doesn’t mean that other characters haven’t had their share of pain and problems with their relatives. Case in point with Marko Cain, better known as Juggernaut, who is also the stepbrother of Professor X!

Unlike Charles Xavier, Juggernaut is not a mutant, but a human empowered by an ancient jewel powered by the deity Cyttorak, which transformed him into the unstoppable Juggernaut. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, he made his first appearance in X-Men #12 (1965) as an enemy of the X-Men. For a long time after his introduction, Juggy was a one-note villain, popping up in one or two issues to rampage and disappear (or get thrown into prison for a while). Still, that didn’t stop him from making a name for himself as a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants and as the criminal partner and BFF of Black Tom Cassidy. For many decades, he fought against the X-Men, as well as Spider-Man and the Hulk.

Things changed for Juggernaut in the early 2000s during Chuck Austen’s infamous run on Uncanny X-Men. While that era is often panned, it is also when Ol’ Jughead got some noticeable character development as he joined the X-Men and officially crossed the line between villain and hero, becoming more of an anti-hero (or anti-villain).

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Comic Book News of The Week: Powers celebrates 25 Years and More

What’s going on in the Comic Book World? Life can be pretty busy, so we highlight recent news and articles that may catch your interest in our seventh edition of Comic Book News.

While there is no bigger anniversary this year than Peanuts’ 75th Diamond Anniversary, it’s not the only one. Creators Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Oeming are celebrating the 25th anniversary of Powers with a new project titled Powers 25. Here’s Dark Horse’s description, now the official publisher after several reprints across different publishers:

This new tale is a fun, dangerous, adult look at a world of heroes through the eyes of special homicide officer Detective Kutter and her brand-new partner, and the first power to ever make the powers division, Moebius Moon. Under the watchful eyes of legendary Captains Deena Pilgrim and Enki Sunrise, the new detectives run through a minefield of all-new dangers. A new unsolvable powers murder has Kutter and Moon questioning EVERYTHING about the world and their place in it.

Powers 25 will take the form of a 12-issue ongoing series, with each issue featuring art from Dark Horse creators including Mike Mignola, Stan Sakai, David Mack, Scott Hepburn, Eric Powell , Jill Thompson. The first issue will be released on September 10.

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Marvel Runaways Reading Order

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First published by Marvel Comics in July 2003, The Runaways is a comic book series created by writer Brian K. Vaughan (Saga) and artist Adrian Alphona. It launched as part of Marvel’s “Tsunami” imprint, an initiative designed to attract readers who were fans of manga and other youth-oriented genres. Although the Tsunami line was discontinued after a brief period and despite modest initial single-issue sales, The Runaways found new readers with the help of the trade paperback collections, which led Marvel to revive the title in 2005 after an initial cancellation.

This starts as the story of six teenagers from Los Angeles: Nico Minoru, Chase Stein, Karolina Dean, Gertrude Yorkes, Molly Hayes, and Alex Wilder. They have little in common beyond the annual gatherings of their wealthy parents. When they accidentally discover that their parents are part of a secret criminal cabal known as the Pride, an organization that has covertly controlled much of the city’s underworld, their lives are upended. Shocked by the revelation, the teens band together and flee from their homes, determined to put an end to their parents’ criminal activities while struggling to survive on their own.

Over time, the group members each develop distinct roles and abilities that aid them in their fight against the Pride and other adversaries. Nico Minoru wields a powerful magical artifact called the Staff of One; Chase Stein utilizes advanced technology stolen from his parents; Karolina Dean learns she is an alien with the ability to manipulate solar energy; Gertrude Yorkes bonds telepathically with a genetically engineered dinosaur; Molly Hayes manifests superhuman strength and invulnerability; and Alex Wilder emerges as a strategic leader, though his loyalty becomes a pivotal point in the early narrative.

Following Vaughan and Alphona’s departure after 30 additional issues, The Runaways was continued by other creative teams, including notable writers such as Joss Whedon and Terry Moore. The Runaways inspired a 3-season (2017-19) live-action adaptation for the streaming service Hulu.

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X-Men: From The Ashes Reading Order (Part. 8)

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Welcome back to the world of the X-Men with part 8 of our ultimate reading guide. Once the “Krakoan Age” came to an end, Marvel Comics launched a new era called “From The Ashes.” A complete relaunch of the X-Line of comics starting summer 2024.

This was teased in X-Men (vol. 6) #35 (legacy Uncanny X-Men #700), announcing a return to something similar to the old status quo with mutants rejoining the rest of the world and facing hatred and fear. 

The new era of X-Men kicks off with three flagship titles. First, in X-Men (vol. 7) by Jed MacKay and Ryan Stegman, Cyclops, Beast, Magneto, Psylocke, Kid Omega, Temper (formerly Oya), Magik, and Juggernaut come together to face emerging threats, fighting not just for survival, but for the future and guiding philosophy of mutantkind. Then, in Uncanny X-Men (vol. 6) by Gail Simone and David Marquez, outlaws once more, Rogue, Gambit, Nightcrawler, Jubilee, and Wolverine are now based in the heart of the Big Easy, and they continue to defend a world that fears and hates them. Then, in Exceptional X-Men by Eve L. Ewing and Carmen Carnero, Kate Pryde returned to her hometown of Chicago in the aftermath of the war with Orchis, hoping to leave the world of mutant affairs behind. But when she encounters three young mutants—Bronze, Axo, and Melee—in desperate need of training and guidance, she finds herself reluctantly drawn back in. And to make matters more complicated, Emma Frost wholeheartedly agrees.

Those X-Men comic book series are soon joined by NYX (vol. 2), Phoenix, Storm (vol. 5), Wolverine (vol. 8), X-Factor (vol. 5), X-Force (vol. 7), and some limited series and, soon, the first crossovers. 

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Comic Book News of The Week: Revival Trailer and More

What’s going on in the Comic Book World? Life can be pretty busy, so we highlight recent news and articles that may catch your interest in our sixth edition of Comic Book News.

As The Eternaut premiered over a week ago on Netflix, with ComicBeat calling the adaptation a “highly bingeable show,” another comic book adaptation is headed to the small screen. Syfy Channel has released the trailer for Revival, based on the comic series by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton. Often described as a horror series, Revival is more of a crime series with a fantastic twist — and features on our list of the 15 Best Crime Comics to read.

If you haven’t yet read it, here’s the official synopsis for the TV Show starring Melanie Scrofano (Wynonna Earp herself!):

On one miraculous day in rural Wisconsin, the recently deceased suddenly rise from their graves. But this is no zombie story as the “revived” appear and act just like they once were. When local officer and single mother Dana Cypress is unexpectedly thrown into the center of a brutal murder mystery of her own, she’s left to make sense of the chaos amidst a town gripped by fear and confusion where everyone, alive or undead, is a suspect.

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