Reading Order

When the Comics Code Authority went into action in the 1950s, the horror genre was the most affected by it. But in 1971, the code was finally revised and the creatures of the night finally got some leeway. A lot of restrictions were still in place, but the undead monsters starting to make a comeback. Before Werewolves and Vampires became prominent again, muck monsters got their chance to scare the readers.

Launched by DC Comics in House of Secrets #92, Swamp Thing created by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson was thought of as a one-off character. In another one-shot simply titled The Heap #1, Skywald Publishing revived The Heap, a swamp monster from the 1950s (another version of the character also appeared in Skywald’s magazine Psycho). And Marvel had of course the Man-Thing.

The timing was strange, but those characters were different enough from one another to avoid any conflict (even if Marvel thought about suing DC for a time). Also, muck monsters were not a new thing in the comics world.

Read More »Man-Thing Reading Order, Marvel’s Swamp Monster

Created by writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik in the pages of Adventure into Fear #19 (cover-dated Dec. 1973), Howard the Duck is now probably better known in the world of comics for the feud between Marvel Comics and Gerber who tried to claim the right of the character—and for the 1980s live-action movie. But the three-foot-tall anthropomorphic duck’s adventures went beyond the courtroom and continued long after his creator stopped writing him.

But let’s start at the beginning. Introduced as a secondary character in the adventures of Man-Thing, Howard the Duck went on to get his own title and to become a candidate during the U.S. Presidential campaign of 1976. He was not elected, as you may know. It’s not easy when you are a write-in candidate. Anyway, Howard is originally from an alternate Earth populated entirely by ducks instead of humans. After being transported to Earth against his will, Howard finds himself in the Florida Everglades where he meets Man-Thing.

When he got his ongoing series, Howard saved model Beverly Switzler who became his sidekick, the two went on crazy adventures as the sarcastic and wisecracking duck had to navigate through various adventures (Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Horror…) and often dealt with absurd and satirical situations—the character gained popularity for his unique and humorous take on the superhero genre.

Nowadays, Howard works as a private investigator, but that was not always the case. In fact, he was a cab driver for a time, a politician, and other jobs as his stories satirized various aspects of society and pop culture.

Read More »Howard the Duck Reading Order

Created by Bill Mantlo and Ed Hannigan, Cloak and Dagger made their debut over 40 years ago in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #64 (March 1982). These Marvel Comics superheroes are two runaway teenagers who, after being injected with a synthetic heroin, developed the ability to manipulate light and darkness.

Their powers and backgrounds represent two opposites. Tyrone “Ty” Johnson, a young man from Boston, struggled with a chronic stutter and carried the guilt of his best friend’s death—a tragedy that occurred when he was unable to speak up during a police encounter. Overcome with grief, he fled to New York, where he met Tandy Bowen.

Tandy came from a vastly different world. Raised in privilege, she ran away after feeling neglected by her wealthy mother, who prioritized her social life over her daughter. Naïve about the dangers of the streets, she accepted an offer of shelter, with Ty by her side for protection. However, they were instead delivered into the hands of Simon Marshall, a criminal chemist experimenting with a deadly synthetic drug.

Unlike previous victims, Tyrone and Tandy survived the injection—but they emerged transformed. Tyrone became a living conduit of darkness, able to teleport and turn intangible. Tandy gained the ability to generate daggers of light and heal others. Taking the names Cloak and Dagger, they dedicated themselves to protecting the vulnerable and fighting against injustice.

Since then, the duo has starred in their own comic book series, appeared as guest characters across the Marvel Universe, and joined various superhero teams. They also made the leap to live-action television, headlining a two-season show with Aubrey Joseph as Ty and Olivia Holt as Tandy.

Now, let’s explore their comic book history with this Cloak and Dagger reading order!

Read More »Cloak and Dagger Reading Order (Tyrone Johnson and Tandy Bowen)