This is certainly one of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to comic readers, there’s always someone who wants to know: Where to start with reading comics? What do you recommend a comics beginner to read? And other variants.
The answer for a long time was simple. You just buy one. They were just there and most of the stories were standalone. It was a no-brainer. But as the culture around comics evolved, it feels like non-comics readers think that to start reading this type of book is like starting to climb a mountain. It feels insurmountable, you need training, guidance, and you know it will be hard and somewhat dangerous. That is not the case.
If Samuel L. Jackson popularized and made recognizable the name Nick Fury outside comic book shops, the original character emerged sixty years ago as the leader of the elite unit Howling Commandos before becoming Marvel’s legendary spy master.
Now a key figure in the Marvel Universe, Nick Fury’s origin story has evolved and expanded over the years, from his years in the army as sergeant to the implacable Colonel and Director of the S.H.I.E.L.D.
The Dawn of DC line is full of events to the point that one is spinning off the other. Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War is indeed taking place right after the Nightmares of Knight Terrors: Batman.
In Gotham City, a concerted effort has reduced violent crime, but at what cost? Villains disperse as their lives under the new rule start to fall apart. One name comes to Batman’s mind as he recovers from his epic struggle through the Multiverse and the horrors of Knight Terrors. Catwoman is the driving force behind this new, safer Gotham.
The Bat-Family will be torn apart when a feud that has been festering for well over a year finally breaks out on the streets!
Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War is a crossover event that takes place in Batman and Catwoman, as well as in special one-shots and a miniseries. Mostly written by Chip Zdarsky and Tini Howard, with art by Jorge Jimenez, Mike Hawthorne, Nico Leon, and Adriano Di Benedetto, the story is sold as an all-out war between the Bat and the Cat.
Scooby-Doo is one of the most famous fictional dogs, the star of his own popular franchise launched in 1969 and still ongoing.
This journey began with the original Hanna-Barbera Productions series Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears. The Saturday morning cartoon series focused on four teenagers named Fred, Daphne, Velma, and Shaggy, as well as their talking Great Dane, Scooby-Doo. They traveled in their Mystery Machine van to solve mysteries involving seemingly supernatural creatures, only to learn that the culprit was a disguised human looking to profit from a local tale or myth – or for personal gain.
Gold Key Comics released the first Scooby-Doo comic book only three months after the television premiered. The comics began with adaptations of episodes before transitioning to original storylines. It ran for 30 issues until being canceled in 1974.
This was merely the beginning of the Scooby Gang in comic book form, as additional titles would be released throughout the years. Charlton Comics took over in 1975, followed by Marvel Comics from 1977 to 1979.
In 1993-1994, Harvey Comics released various reprints and specials, while Archie Comics began publishing a monthly Scooby-Doo comic book in 1995. the series came to an end when Warner Bros.’ DC Comics acquired the rights to produce comics based on Hanna-Barbera characters in 1997. Since then, there has always been a Scooby-Doo comic book series in print.
This article is devoted to the Scooby-Doo comics published by DC Comics. Following is a reading list of what the publisher released since owning the rights.
Less than six months after the conclusion of the Qi’ra trilogy with Hidden Empire, another crossover event is taking place in the Star Wars Canon Universe! Once again written by Charles Soule, with art from Luke Ross, Star Wars: Dark Droids plunged the Star Wars Universe into chaos by revisiting a classic subject of science-fiction: the rogue A.I.!
From Terminator to Blade Runner, Westworld, Ex Machina, or 2001: Space Odyssey, you know that having your robot gaining sentience can lead to some violence! It seems the Star Wars Universe is no exception! As the official synopsis said, “Who or what is the Scourge — and why is no droid safe? As corruption spreads from one droid to the next, the Rebel Alliance and the Empire both face chaos! What role does Ajax Sigma play in all of this? And whose side is he on? Find out when horror comes to a galaxy far, far away!”
Meet James Rupert “Rhodey” Rhodes, a skilled military pilot and one of the few people that Tony Stark trusts to use the technology of the Iron Man Armor. Created by David Michelinie and John Byrne, he made his debut in Iron Man #118 (January 1979) as a supporting player.
Who is James Rhodes aka War Machine? Born in Philadelphia, he first encountered Tony Stark when he was flying combat missions in Vietnam. After being shot down by Viet Cong rocket fire, Rhodes was trying to get his chopper back in the air when he came upon Stark, who was wearing a large powered armor prototype. The Viet Cong struck at that same time, and Stark’s outfit helped to stave them off. Rhodes and Stark traveled together to a neighboring enemy base where they stole a second helicopter and used it to return to the American lines.
When Tony relapsed into his alcoholism, James Rhodes took up the mantle of Iron Man for some time. But Rhodey was destined to be more than a replacement for another hero, he was destined to have his own alias: War Machine, and even later Iron Patriot.
Let’s simply say that Rhodey has lived many adventures with Tony Stark on the comic book pages, and even on the screen where he has been played at first by Terrence Howard, and by Don Cheadle since Iron Man 2 (2010). He should even soon headline his own film, Armor Wars (TBA).
She’s the most recognizable female superhero in the history of comic books, and even beyond that. Wonder Woman was not the first one, but she certainly is the first to find success. Her story began a long time ago…
At the end of the 1930s, the kids read comic books in masse, especially Superman and Batman! But as it is always the case, some people thought that these stories full of heroes fighting criminals would transform a generation of children into hardened criminals themself, probably resorting to violence before anything else. Not everybody feared the worst. In fact, psychologist William Moulton Marston thought that comics were wonderful and made it known. This led him to get recruited by Maxwell Charles Gaines–then publisher of All-American Publications, aka DC–into the Editorial Advisory Board of the company.
As a consulting psychologist, Marston was in a position of influence and convinced Gaines to try a female superhero to discredit a good part of the arguments used against the violent men of comics. It turns out that Marston was a hardened feminist with a particular lifestyle (living with 2 wives, and 4 comics-reading children) and was in search of a way to disseminate his views.
Using the pen name Charles Moulton, he started to develop the story of “Suprema, The Wonder Woman”–editor Sheldon Mayer quickly got rid of the Suprema name. Inspired by the way the women’s suffrage movement used the myth of the Amazons to develop the narrative behind the changes they wanted, his beliefs in the superiority of women, his work in lie detection and in the spectrum of emotions, his interest in bondage, and a lot of elements taken directly from his life (and the ones of the women in his life), William Moulton Marston was determined to build a feminist tale.
The world of superhero comics is dominated by Marvel and DC Comics, but other publishers also have their own superhero worlds. This is the case with the Millarworld (including Kick-Ass and Jupiter’s Legacy), the Wildstorm Universe (now owned by DC Comics), the Spawn’s Universe or the Invincible Universe (also considered part of the bigger Image Universe).
Today, we turn our attention toward another superhero comic book publisher, and more specifically toward a unique superhero duo: Archer and Armstrong from the Valiant Comics Universe. Created by Jim Shooter, Bob Layton, and Barry Windsor-Smith, our two adventurers made their first appearances in Archer & Armstrong Vol. 1 #0, an issue explaining Archer’s background and how the two men meet.
Armstrong, also known as Aram Anni-Padda, is a hedonist noted for his drinking and sexual adventures. He is one of three immortal brothers (along with Gilad and Ivar the Timewalker). Obadiah Archer is the polar opposite of Armstrong, a martial genius raised by Evangelical Christians who ran away from home after learning his parents were serial killers. They are both targets of an old religious order called “The Sect.”
The original Archer & Armstrong ran for two years, concluding with issue #26 in 1994. Following Valiant’s takeover by Acclaim Entertainment in 1997, the Valiant characters were relaunched for the first time. It spawned the short series Eternal Warriors (as well as additional one-shots) in which the three eternal brothers banded together to combat threats. Archer is no longer a character in this story because he died and was replaced with a new character named LeMont Quirrel.
When Acclaim Entertainment declared bankruptcy in 2007, the newly formed Valiant Entertainment, Inc. purchased many characters’ rights and relaunched Valiant Comics. Fred Van Lente and Clayton Henry revived Archer and Armstrong with more success. They are the versions at the center of this reading order, spanning their escapades from 2012 to 2022, the publication date of their most recent series (to this day)!
The Penguin has long been a fixture in Batman’s rogues gallery. With villains like The Joker, he is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable among the public, thanks to some iconic appearances on television and in movies.
The Penguin thrived as a more traditional villain during the Golden Age and Silver Age of comics. His criminal exploits often revolved around stealing precious items, frequently with bird-related themes. Unlike many of Gotham’s criminals, The Penguin is depicted as sane, relying on his intellect and persona to set himself apart and achieve his ambitions.
The Penguin’s popularity soared to new heights with the 1960s Batman television series, where Burgess Meredith memorably portrayed him. This iconic depiction influenced future iterations of the character, infusing the Penguin with more explicit bird-like features and distinctive personality quirks. Behind the appearance and the campiness hides a criminal mastermind and one of the more obscure villains in the Batman comics.
He is an X-Men founding member. He stands out among many mutants due to his unique eyewear and deadly optic rays. Yes, we’re talking about Scott Summers, a.k.a. Cyclops.
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1963, Cyclops is a polarising X-Man who is as much loved as he is hated, and who is frequently misunderstood. Scott Summers, who was first regarded as the archetypical hero, has never been without flaws or weaknesses. This resilient but very effective leader suffered from poor self-esteem and a tendency to dwell on his mistakes. He was also not the type of man to express his feelings and had difficulties verbalizing his problems. You guessed it, Cyclops has had to make some difficult decisions, make sacrifices, put his life in peril several times, and live in some crazy situations in the sixty years since his initial appearance!
His love life is also complicated, as he has been married to Jean Grey and her clone Madelyne Pryor, as well as being in a long-term committed relationship with our favorite White Queen, Emma Frost.
As the character celebrates the sixty anniversary of his first appearance, Scott Summers/Cyclops finds himself right now in the spotlight with this essential reading order, listing the best Cyclops comics to read to understand his character, motivations, and transformations. Beware! A Best/Essential Comic for a character can be a mediocre or okay story with great characterization or important for the character’s evolution.
