Skip to content

Reading Order

Batman White Knight Reading Order, exploring the Murphyverse

  • by

Launched in 2017 with the book Batman: White Knight, The Murphyverse is a universe created by Sean Gordon Murphy (Punk Rock Jesus, The Wake) and published under the DC Black Label imprint.

As the imprint suggests, this is not a series set in the DC continuity—it could qualify as an Elseworlds series. The first book introduced us to a world where the Joker is cured of his insanity and homicidal tendencies. Now a politician under his real name of Jack Napier, The Joker sets about trying to right his wrongs. First, he plans to reconcile with Harley Quinn, and then he’ll try to save the city from the one person who he thinks is truly Gotham City’s greatest villain: Batman!

The success of Batman: White Knight was massive, and the trade paperback quickly became a best-seller (it since has been republished in multiple formats). A sequel was commissioned, Batman: Curse of the White Knight.

This time, the Joker recruits Azrael, a knight of the Order of St. Dumas, to help him expose a shocking secret from the Wayne family’s legacy. As Batman rushes to protect the city and his loved ones from danger, the mystery of his ancestry unravels, dealing a devastating blow to the Dark Knight.

This second limited series confirmed the popularity of this alternate version of Batman. This prompted DC Comics to give Sean Murphy his own line of books to be published under its Black Label imprint. The Murphyverse was born.

Read More »Batman White Knight Reading Order, exploring the Murphyverse

Iron Fist Reading Order (Danny Rand and Lin Lie)

  • by

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.

Read More »Iron Fist Reading Order (Danny Rand and Lin Lie)

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

  • by

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.

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

Animal Man Reading Order

  • by

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.

Read More »Animal Man Reading Order

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

  • by

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. 

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

Maximum Security Reading Order, a Marvel Crossover

  • by

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.

Read More »Maximum Security Reading Order, a Marvel Crossover

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…

Read More »Luke Cage Reading Order, Marvel’s Power Man

Darth Vader Reading Order (Star Wars)

  • by

Does Darth Vader really need an introduction? Darth Vader is one of the most iconic villains of all time. Created by George Lucas, he is the central antagonist of the original Star Wars trilogy.

But Darth Vader was not always Darth Vader. Before, he was Anakin Skywalker, The Chosen One. He was destined to bring balance to the Force and was trained by Obi-Wan Kenobi to become a Jedi. He was one of the main protagonists of the prequel trilogy.

When Skywalker chose to turn to the dark side of the Force, and pledged his allegiance to the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, his alter ego, Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith, was created.

This is the story of a tragic hero who turned villain and became one of the most famous fictional characters ever. It’s no surprise that several stories have been featuring him in the Star Wars Universe, Legends or Canon timeline.

For this reason, Darth Vader deserves, without a doubt, his own comic reading order (with a few books). For an expanded experience, check out our Star Wars Canon Comics Reading order or our Star Wars Legends Comics Reading Order.

Read More »Darth Vader Reading Order (Star Wars)

Winter Soldier (Bucky Barnes) Reading Order

From the beginning, Captain America wasn’t fighting AXIS alone. He had a sidekick: Bucky. Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, Bucky made his first comic appearance in Captain America #1 (March 1941) and didn’t leave Cap’s side during the war.

James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes Jr. lost both of his parents when he was quite young. Soon, he was separated from his sister Rebecca and grew up at Camp Lehigh as a ward of the state. There, he became a camp mascot before receiving special training in England.

His life took a turn when he met Steve Rogers and discovered he was Captain America. He joined him in his first mission against Red Skull, then underwent another intensive training program to become the sidekick known as Bucky. With Cap, he fought Nazi operations, joined the Invaders, formed the Young Allies, and more.

Toward the end of the war, Captain America and Bucky Barnes vanished and were declared dead during a classified mission. And it stuck for a very long time. Bucky was part of a very small circle of comic book characters (with Jason Todd and Uncle Ben) known to stay dead.

Like Jason Todd, Bucky was brought back to life. Or more precisely, after a long period of time, it was revealed that he hadn’t died at all. After being retrieved by a Russian submarine, he was brainwashed to become the deadly assassin called the Winter Soldier.

Back among the living, a whole new chapter was being written for Bucky, from the brainwashed killing machine to Captain America and a quest for redemption, and back to the Winter Soldier.

A popular hero in the MCU where he is played by Sebastian Stan, Bucky Barnes is a Golden Age character that has been smartly reinvented in the Modern Age. Below, you’ll find a reading guide exploring Bucky’s history in the Marvel Universe.

Read More »Winter Soldier (Bucky Barnes) Reading Order