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Marvel’s Eternals Reading Order

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Making their first appearance in The Eternals #1 (July 1976), The Eternals were created by Jack Kirby. The series was thematically similar to DC’s New Gods that Kirby didn’t finish … like his Eternals’ saga. Other artists used the characters after that, but they never became really that big. Maybe the movie will help change that.

Who are the Eternals? They formed a race of immortal beings possessed with seemingly limitless superhuman abilities. Once worshipped as gods, this fantastic group left Earth to explore the stars after warring with the Greek, Roman and Norse pantheons for supremacy over humankind. One million years ago, the Celestials visited Earth and performed genetic experiments on early proto-humanity.

As a result, they created two divergent races: the Eternals and their enemies, the Deviants. The Eternals have mostly protected the human race, especially during their fights against the Deviants. But some of the Eternals want to conquer the other races… Their history is full of conflicts and power struggles.

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Jason Todd Reading Order (Second Robin, Red Hood, Wingman and Arkham Knight)

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Jason Todd / Red Hood Reading Order

When Dick Grayson became Nightwing, Batman find himself without a Robin, until he met Jason Peter Todd, in Batman #357 (1983). Jason became the second Robin, the new sidekick to the Dark Knight, introduced initialy as a substitute to Dick, having a similar story (son of circus acrobats, killed by a criminal). The major difference then was his red hair (that he doesn’t have anymore).

Following Crisis on Infinite Earths, Jason is rebooted by Max Allan Collins, giving him his own backstory and making him an enthusiastic student, but also the most troubled kid, because of his former life on the streets. It will lead us to a tragedy in one of the most famous Batman story now.

It will take more than 15 years (in our timeline) for Jason to come back, now known as the anti-hero Red Hood. Once again, Jason Todd doesn’t have it easy with some reboot changing again his history, personality and relationships.

Let’s just say it’s not easy being Jason Todd, a character deserving, if you want my opinion on that subject, of more love and better storylines.

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The Green Lantern by Grant Morrison Reading Order

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Grant Morrison is back on a regular DC Comics series, but not on Batman. As part of the DC Rebirth relaunch in 2016, the regular Green Lantern series was canceled and replaced with “Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps” and “Green Lanterns.” After that, the Scottish writer teamed up with British comic book artist Liam Sharp to give us a new kind of Green Lantern series with a very European style.

This new series began when one of the famous Green Lanterns from Earth, the intrepid Hal Jordan, encountered an Alien hiding in plain sight. This set off a chain of events that rocks the Green Lantern Corps to its foundations.

The Green Lantern is divided into two “seasons” with a miniseries between them, for a total of 27 issues + 1 annual

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Onslaught Reading Order, a X-Men Crossover

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Onslaught Reading Order Marvel

After the massive Age Apocalypse (reading order here), another huge X-Men event followed. At its center, there was Onslaught, a sentient psionic entity created from the consciousness of Professor Charles Xavier and Magneto. The character co-created by writers Scott Lobdell, Mark Waid, and artist Andy Kubert became one of the biggest villains in the X-Men Mythology. The event spread among multiple X-Men related or not like Uncanny X-Men, Wolverine, Cable, X-Force, X-Man, X-Men (vol. 2), X-Men Unlimited, Avengers, Fantastic Four, Incredible Hulk, X-Factor, Amazing Spider-Man, Iron Man, Punisher, Thor, Excalibur and more.

Here is the official synopsis: The psionic force of nature known only as Onslaught sprang forth from the fractured psyche of mutant mentor Charles Xavier and the genetic terrorist called Magneto. Powered by his progenitors’ rage, Onslaught laid siege to humanity — touching off a cataclysmic conflict destined to deprive a world of its most revered icons!

What to read before Onslaught?

For more information on the ’90s X-Men era, check out our ’90s X-Men Reading Order. That said, the essential stories have been collected by Marvel in three books:

  • X-Men: Road to Onslaught vol. 1
    Collects X-Men (vol. 2) #42–45; X-Men Annual ’95;plus Uncanny X-Men #322–326; X-Men: Prime; X-Men Unlimited #8.
  • X-Men: Road to Onslaught vol. 2
    Collects X-Men/Clandestine #1-2; Uncanny X-Men #327-328, Annual ’95; X-Men (vol. 2) #46-49; X-Men Unlimited (1993) #9; Sabretooth (1995) #1
  • X-Men: Road to Onslaught vol. 3
    Collects Uncanny X-Men #329-332, Archangel #1, X-Men/Brood #1-2, X-Men Unlimited #10, X-Men (vol. 2) #50-52, Wolverine #101, Xavier Institute Alumni Yearbook.

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Doom Patrol Reading Order (The Silver Age, The Bronze Age, Grant Morrison, Gerard Way…)

Doom Patrol Reading Order

Created by writers Arnold Drake and Bob Haney, and artist Bruno Premiani, the Doom Patrol is a superhero team from DC Comics. The first iteration of the team appeared for the first time in My Greatest Adventure #80 (June 1963). At the time, the book was not selling well and something was needed to revive it. Arnold had the idea about “freaks who banded together and the man in the wheelchair guiding them.” (see American Comic Books Chronicles: The 1960s).

From the start, The Doom Patrol was not an ordinary superhero team. Also dubbed at first the Legion of the Strange, these were victims of catastrophic accidents who became freaks–the actress Rita “Elasti-Woman” Farr, the race car driver Cliff “Robotman” Steele, the pilot Larry “Negative Man” Trainor, and there was their leader, Niles “Chief” Caulder. Garfield “Beast Boy” Logan and Steve “Mento” Dayton joined soon after.

The Doom Patrol has known multiple iterations of the team, but this was always a group of super-powered misfits whose “gifts” caused them alienation and trauma. And this is why they have sometimes been dubbed the “World’s Strangest Heroes.”

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Sweet Tooth Comics, a Reading Guide for the Jeff Lemire series

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Originally presented as a limited series (and now a Netflix Show!), Sweet Tooth was written and drawn by Jeff Lemire — and published by Vertigo (DC Comics) between 2009 and 2013. Now the series came back, and there are multiple editions. Here is a guide to help you navigate all this.

But first, what’s the story? Here is the official Sweet Tooth Synopsis: Seven years ago, the Affliction raged like a forest fire, killing billions. The only children born since are part of a new breed of human-animal hybrids. Gus is one of these children: a boy with a sweet soul, a sweeter tooth—and the features of a deer. But kids like Gus have a price on their heads.

When vicious hunters descend on his isolated forest home, a mysterious and violent man called Jepperd rescues Gus. The hulking drifter promises to lead Gus to the Preserve, a fabled safe haven for hybrid children. As the two cross this dangerous new American frontier, will Jepperd corrupt the boy he’s nicknamed “Sweet Tooth,” or will Gus’ heart change Jepperd?

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Batman by Scott Snyder Reading Order, Dark Knight’s stories from the New 52 to Rebirth, Metal and beyond

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Batman by Scott Snyder Reading Order,

The end of Grant Morrison famous run on Batman in 2011 was also the end of the long post-Crisis era. After that came the New 52 and Scott Snyder. With stories about The Court of Howls, Batman Eternal, the Dark Nights: Metal & Death Metal events, and more, Snyder became one of the major authors of the decade.

Mostly working with artist Greg Capullo and writer James Tynion IV, Scott Snyder gave us one of the best Batman and a lot of great adventures. The impact of his work on the character is important and there are a lot of great stories to read, so here is the guide.

Also, even if this reading guide covers a lot of New 52 Batman, it’s not a full reading order for this era. For Snyder and everyone else’s Bat-titles reading order, follow that guide.

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Avengers Vs. X-Men Reading Order

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Avengers Vs. X-Men Reading Order

The Avengers and the X-Men, or the two most popular superhero teams in Marvel, go to war! Avengers vs. X-Men (also known as AvX or AvsX) is a 2012 crossover event involving the return of the Phoenix Force and the subsequent war between the Avengers and the X-Men. The 12-issue twice-monthly series features a storyline by Jason Aaron, Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Jonathan Hickman, and Matt Fraction, with a rotating team of artists including John Romita Jr., Olivier Coipel, and Adam Kubert.

One of the biggest Marvel events, Avengers vs. X-Men was a commercial success at the time and the repercussions resulted in the new status quo of the Marvel Universe presented in the company’s Marvel NOW! relaunch initiative.

What to read before Avengers Vs. X-Men?

As Avengers Vs. X-Men is the culmination of a decade of stories featuring the company’s two largest franchises, it is best to have read at least a number of stories before to know what the Scarlet Witch did and who Hope Summers is:

  • Avengers Disassembled
    Collects Avengers #500-503; Avengers Finale.
  • House of M
    Collects House of M #1-8
  • X-Men: Messiah Complex
    Collects X-Men: Messiah Complex One-Shot, Uncanny X-Men (1963) #492-494, New X-Men (2004) #44-46, X-Men (2004) #205-207, X-Factor (2005) #25-27
  • X-Men: Second Coming
    Collects X-Men: Second Coming (2010) #1-2, Uncanny X-Men (1963) #523-525, New Mutants (2009) #12-14, X-Men: Legacy (2008) #235-237, X-Force (2008) #26-28.
  • X-Men: Schism
    Collects X-Men: Second Coming (2010) #1-2, Uncanny X-Men (1963) #523-525, New Mutants (2009) #12-14, X-Men: Legacy (2008) #235-237, X-Force (2008) #26-28.

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Grandville Reading Order (Bryan Talbot’s comics)

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Grandville Reading Order Bryan Talbot

Written and drawn by Bryan Talbot, Grandville is not a conventional series. Mixing steampunk elements in an alternative history, the story is set in a world in which France won the Napoleonic Wars and invaded Britain. Also, the world is populated mostly by anthropomorphic animals.

The story follows Detective Inspector Archibald “Archie” LeBrock of Scotland Yard (who is assisted by Detective Roderick Ratzi, a dapper, monocle-wearing rat) as he investigates a murder which leads him to visit “Grandville” (also known as Paris). Grandville is exploring modern themes and science-fiction concepts, with terrorist plots, murder mysteries, gangster drama and more. It’s also full of cultural references, from Tintin to famous paintings, and historical elements.

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