Carole

Star Trek Comics Reading Order, the 2022 IDW shared Universe

by Carole
January 18, 2025

Since the premiere of Star Trek: The Original Series in 1966, the universe created by Gene Roddenberry has never stopped expanding. The exploration of strange new worlds and other civilizations has unfolded across movies, television series, video games, novels, and comic books, making Star Trek one of the biggest media franchises of all time.

Since the first Star Trek comic was published in 1967 by Gold Key Comics, the franchise’s comics have been almost continuously in publication. Over the years, they have been produced by various publishers, including Marvel, DC Comics, and, of course, IDW Publishing, which secured the rights in 2006 and has been producing new comics ever since.

Recently, IDW has decided to go where no one has gone before by launching an epic new adventure: a Star Trek Multiverse of sorts. Described by co-writer Jackson Lanzing as “an Avengers-style ongoing crossover that treats Gene Roddenberry’s creation as a living universe,” this new Star Trek series brings together characters from across the galaxy—and all eras and variations of the beloved franchise.

The stardate is 2378, marking the return of an omnipotent Benjamin Sisko from the Bajoran Wormhole. He is sent by the Prophets on a mission that only he and a crew of Starfleet members from every era of Star Trek can accomplish. These new stories take place a few years after the end of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, after the USS Voyager returned home but before the events of Nemesis, the final Star Trek: The Next Generation movie.

While IDW has published many Star Trek comics in the past, this article focuses on the interconnected timeline of IDW Star Trek comics launched in 2022.

How to Start Reading Marvel Comics in 2025?

by Carole
January 13, 2025

With the New Year comes new resolutions and goals—like reading more comic books! If you’ve already explored how to start reading DC Comics, you might now find yourself curious about the Marvel Universe. Or perhaps Marvel’s heroes and stories are the ones you’ve always been drawn to, thanks to blockbuster movies, TV shows, or video games.

From the debut of the Fantastic Four in 1961 to epic events like Secret Wars and Civil War, the Marvel Universe offers decades of interconnected stories and alternate realities. Whether you want to explore the Spider-Verse, get to know the X-Men, or assemble with the Avengers, the sheer number of series, relaunches, and crossovers can feel overwhelming. You’re bound to face the classic question: where do I even start?

We’re here today to ensure your start reading Marvel Comics is as exciting and enjoyable as it should be, filled with great stories, and the start of what we hope will be a lifelong love for comics!

How to Start Reading DC Comics in 2025?

by Carole
January 6, 2025

With a new year often comes resolutions to improve our lives—whether it’s eating healthier, exercising more, or reading more books. If reading more is on your list, you might have considered exploring or rediscovering the DC Comics Universe.

Chances are, you’re already a bit familiar with the DC Universe—whether it’s from animated shows, movie adaptations, or even video games. Maybe the start of James Gunn’s new DC Universe has caught your attention, and now you’re curious to learn more about the characters and their comic book stories.

However, with several decades of stories, you’re bound to face the classic question: where do I even start? The sheer volume of comics can make it feel like an overwhelming task.

We’re here today to make sure your start reading DC Comics is as fun and enjoyable as it should be, full of great stories, and the beginning of many years of reading comics!

Star Wars Legends Comics Reading Order (The Star Wars Expanded Universe)

by Carole
Updated on January 2, 2025
2 Comments

Since the release of the first Star Wars movie, the universe created by George Lucas has never stopped expanding. Beyond the movies, TV shows, games, novels, comics, and more have been created to cover many stories in the Star Wars galaxy, spanning more than 25, 000 years of history.

It was called the Star Wars Expanded Universe. But when Disney bought the Star Wars franchise, the company simply blew up this Expanded Universe in order to create a new official canon. So everything that have been published before April 25, 2014, was now part of the Star Wars Legends, the new name given to the Star Wars Expanded Universe.

A lot of comic books have been published during the past 35 years, before April 2014. Star Wars Comic books were first published by Marvel Comics from 1977 to 1986. After, Dark Horse Comics owned the license exclusively from 1991 to 2014. Pendulum Press (1978) and Blackthorne (1987–1988) also published some Star Wars Comics, and Star Wars comic strips have been distributed in the newspapers the Los Angeles Times Syndicate and Watertown Daily Times between 1979 and 1984.

This article is devoted to the Star Wars Legends or Expanded Universe, to the Star Wars comic books published before April 25, 2014. For the ongoing Star Wars Canon, you can find the reading order over here.

Goodbye 2024. What’s Next for Comic Book Treasury in 2025?

by Carole
December 20, 2024

Like our favorite Marvel and DC superheroes, life often feels like an endless chain of events—and sometimes, we wish we could skip a few of them!

2024 was a challenging year for many, and Comic Book Treasury was no exception. As we shared a few months ago, the changes to Google’s search algorithm had a massive impact on the site, and not in a good way, cutting our traffic in more than half. For a small website like ours, that’s a big hurdle.

While I know some creators have shifted towards video, Comic Book Treasury is—at its heart—dedicated to written guides and articles that you can bookmark and revisit to explore and follow the stories of your favorite characters or the latest events.

Naoki Urasawa Manga List: Exploring the Work of Japan’s Master of Suspense

by Carole
December 17, 2024

Naoki Urasawa is one of the most renowned Japanese manga artists, often regarded as a successor to the legendary Osamu Tezuka. While Tezuka’s work has without a doubt influenced Urasawa, he quickly established his own style, securing his place as one of the most celebrated names in manga today.

Urasawa first found success with Yawara!, a sports manga, but it was with Monster that he developed his distinctive style and reached international acclaim. Far from the lighthearted tone of Yawara!, Monster is a psychological thriller that showcases Urasawa’s talent for suspense and his fascination with darker, more complex themes—particularly the moral ambiguity that often exists between good and evil.

Known for creating two series simultaneously for much of his career, Urasawa is one of Japan’s best-selling authors. His works are frequently listed among the most highly regarded manga of all time. He has received multiple honors, including three Shogakukan Manga Awards, two Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prizes, the Kodansha Manga Award, and two Eisner Awards.

Below is a guide to discovering the works of Naoki Urasawa, designed to help you explore his most essential series and to help you find the best place to start reading!

12 Scrooge McDuck Christmas Stories, Ranked!

by Carole
December 11, 2024

While not a Christmas movie, I watched DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp many times during the holiday season, associating the film with that time of year by extension.

No Disney character is more tied to Christmas than ‘Unca Scrooge.’ Created by Carl Barks in 1947, Scrooge made his first appearance in the Christmas story ‘Christmas on Bear Mountain’ and was named after the classic character Ebenezer Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

Since his debut, Scrooge has celebrated many Christmases with his nephew Donald Duck, his grandnephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie, and other family members. While Scrooge often plays the grumpy and stingy uncle, there’s no doubt he’s warmed up to his relatives and enjoys spending time with them (though he’s still reluctant to part with his money—that hasn’t changed!).

As we count down the days to Christmas, it’s the perfect time for a few trips to Duckburg and Bear Mountain to get into the holiday spirit with some classic Duck stories starring your favorite Uncle!

Jessica Cruz Reading Order, member of the Green Lantern Corps

by Carole
December 6, 2024

The Green Lantern Corps has at least 7,200 members! It would be easy to be just one among many, living in the shadows of brighter stars like Hal Jordan or Kyle Rayner. Despite initially being forced to accept the famous ring and join the Corps, Jessica Cruz quickly made a name for herself with DC Comics readers.

For her co-creator Geoff Johns, Jessica Cruz is all “about fear.” In a Comic Book Resources interview, he explained that her character was about “a lot of emotional fears and someone dealing with crippling anxiety, depression, and worry. That was a totally different type of fear to tackle.” Jessica Cruz embodied this, starting with the ring as a curse—from Earth-3’s Power Ring—and eventually overcoming her own fears and personal struggles to earn a Green Lantern ring. Johns felt it was “a compelling story and a very different one than the other Lanterns.”

Jessica Cruz wasn’t the most willing member of the Green Lantern Corps, but she has left her mark, becoming an inspiration to readers facing anxiety. Like many DC superheroes and fellow ring-bearers, her journey is full of challenges, obstacles, and the determination to face her fears.

Discover now our Jessica Cruz reading order, guiding you through the essential comics and story arcs featuring the first female human Green Lantern!

Ultimate Marvel After Secret Wars: A Comics Guide to the characters on Earth-616

by Carole
November 27, 2024

Previously on Ultimate Marvel... Imagine the Marvel heroes you know and love, but younger and more modern! Welcome to Earth-1610, an alternate reality where classic characters like Spider-Man, Captain America, and the Fantastic Four are reimagined with fresh, updated origins, free from decades of continuity baggage. The Ultimate Universe was a perfect playground for writers to create accessible stories for new readers while shaking up the status quo for long-time fans.

It all started with Ultimate Spider-Man, retelling Peter Parker’s origin for a new generation. Then came The Ultimates, a reimagining of the Avengers, where the team faced a massive alien invasion in The Ultimates 2. Major events like Ultimate War saw the X-Men clash with the Ultimates, creating tension between Earth’s mightiest heroes and mutantkind.

But the Ultimate Universe wasn’t about retelling classic stories—it also went in new directions. In Ultimatum, Magneto turned the world upside down, with a disaster that reshaped the universe. New faces took up old mantles, like Miles Morales becoming Spider-Man, while Reed Richards transformed into the villain known today as The Maker.

Eventually, Earth-1610 was destroyed and reshaped during the multiverse-shattering Secret Wars event. While the ultimate universe was no more, a few characters, like Miles Morales, found a new home in the main continuity…

Shaman King Manga Order

by Carole
Updated on December 3, 2024

It’s often said that there’s a manga series for every subject or hobby imaginable. For a creator, this can make it challenging to explore a new theme. Mangaka Hiroyuki Takei took on this challenge with Shaman King, introducing shamanism as a theme largely unexplored in manga at the time. Its unique blend of witchcraft and religious motifs from various cultures set it apart from other shōnen manga of its era, as did its unusually “laid-back” protagonist.

But what is Shaman King about? The story follows Yoh Asakura, a shaman in training—a medium between the worlds of the living and the dead. Yoh has a dream: he wants to become the Shaman King, the one shaman who can channel the power of the Great Spirit to reshape the world. To obtain this spiritual power, Yoh must win the Shaman Fight, a tournament of mediums that takes place every 500 years. He must train and grow up quickly if he wants a chance to achieve his goal!

Shaman King was originally published in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump between 1998 and 2004, ending abruptly with an improvised conclusion. In 2009, Takei returned to give the story the ending he had initially envisioned. Since then, the world of Shaman King has expanded with a prequel, several sequel series, and a few side stories. The manga was adapted into two anime series: the first in 2001, which deviated from the original storyline and had a completely different ending, and the second in 2021 (with a sequel now green-lit).

Here’s a reading guide to explore the spiritual world of Shaman King.