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Jessica Cruz Reading Order, member of the Green Lantern Corps

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!

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Patsy Walker Hellcat Reading Order, From the Teen Comics to Marvel Superhero

Patsy Walker is an old character. She came from the Golden Age of Comics, at a time when Marvel Comics wasn’t called Marvel Comics yet–but it turns out that Patsy Walker #95 was the first (with Journey into Mystery #69) to be labeled a “Marvel Comics” on its cover. Created in 1944 by Stuart Little and Ruth Atkinson in Miss America Magazine #2, Patsy Walker was not a superhero. She was the star of a teen romantic-comedy series–up until 1967.

This version of Patsy entered briefly the world of Superheroes with a cameo in Fantastic Four Annual #3 in 1965, but this had no consequences on who she became. It turns out that–with the help of a retcon–those Patsy Walker comics were the work of Dorothy Walker who used her daughters and her friends (notably Hedy) as an inspiration for this fictional series that exists in the Marvel Universe.

In 1972, Steve Engleheart who remembered that FF cameo and was familiar with the Patsy comics thought it would be a fun idea to make her a real character in the Marvel Universe. With artist George Pérez, he did just that in the feature he was doing in the anthology book Amazing Adventures #13. She only appeared in three issues (and was not “Hellcat” yet), but came back two years later for a few issues of The Avengers, and officially took the name of “Hellcat” and the costume of another hero, Greer Grant Nelson’s The Cat. In 1977, she joined The Defenders and met (in issue #92) Daimon Hellstrom, the Son of Satan. They got married and went on to do some supernatural investigations. Eventually, like all of Marvel’s heroes at some point, she died (in the mid-1990s).

Hellcat was resurrected in 2000 and got her first miniseries. More would come as she’s still active today, mostly working alongside her friend She-Hulk.

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Batman: The Intercompany Crossovers, From Alien to Spider-Man, Hellboy, TMNT, Spawn, Dredd, and more

With the DC Versus Marvel Omnibus coming out, we are reminded that comic intercompany crossovers, when heroes from different publishing houses meet, are a popular yet rare occurrence. Maybe not that rare as it is a profitable endeavor after all. In fact, DC’s own Batman has met a lot of heroes from other comic book universes, he even catches criminals on a monthly basis with Scooby-Doo‘s Mystery Team nowadays!

Some of the Dark Knight’s adventures side by side or even against other non-regular DC Comics characters have become the stuff of legend when others have been forgotten. One thing most of them (not all) have in common though, is that they are totally out-of-continuity stories. But some are quite interesting to discover for curious fans who want to know how Batman would fare against Aliens and/or a Predator, or what would look like a team-up with Tarzan, Spider-Man, Danger Girl, or Spawn.

Yes, some of those intercompany crossovers seem to be (and are) oddities. Here is our guide to those crazy and unpredictable comic book meetings.

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

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…

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Shaman King Manga Order

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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.

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Green Lantern: The Emotional Spectrum Explained

When Alan Scott, the first Green Lantern, made his debut in All-American Comics #16 (1940), created by Bill Finger and Martin Nodell, his powers came from a mystical green flame contained within a lantern, which he used to craft a ring. This power ring was magical. Those who followed were not.

With the Silver Age came test pilot Hal Jordan who became the official new Green Lantern in John Broome and Gil Kane’s comics Showcase #22 (1959). Like Alan, Hal got a ring, but this one was given to him by Abin Sur, a Green Lantern who crash-landed on Earth. This alien was a member of the Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic police force created by the Guardians of the Universe, immortal beings who watched over the cosmos from the planet Oa.

This new Power Ring was powered by the Central Power Battery that was installed on Oa by the Guardians of the Universe, immortal beings who watched over the cosmos. Each ring is charged by a personal lantern-shaped Power Battery–which is connected to the Central Power Battery—and allows those who, like Hal Jordan, were chosen to were one, to tap into the emotional spectrum, specifically the green light of willpower.

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Domino Reading Order (X-Men)

Black Cat is not the only Marvel character with lucky-based powers. While Felicia Hardy brings bad luck to those around her, the woman known as Domino shifts the odds in her favor. A member of the X-Men family, Domino often worked as a mercenary, taking on questionable jobs but still guided by a moral compass that pushes her to do the right thing when necessary.

Created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, Domino first “appeared” in New Mutants #98. However, it was later revealed that this was an imposter, with her real first appearance taking place in X-Force #8. You know the World of Comics, it’s complicated!

While she was often called “Beatrice” (a name meaning lucky) at first, Domino’s real name was revealed to be Neena Thurman. She became one of the most emblematic members of the X-Force team, a long-time ally to the time-traveling mutant Cable and one of Deadpool’s closest friends. Domino is also visually striking, with her pure-white skin and distinctive black eye patch. As Rob Liefield explained in a Comics Beat interview: “I was obsessed with the game dominoes. And I always thought that a character who was 100% black and white would be a tremendous visual.” He also gave her luck powers, because “when you play dominoes, it’s a game of chance.”

Check out our Domino reading order, guiding you through the essential comics and story arcs featuring Marvel’s luckiest mutant!

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Ghost Machine: Your Gateway to the new Creator-Owned Comics Universes (by Geoff Johns & Al.)

Many new universes have recently emerged in the comic book world! After the Massive-Verse and the Energon Universe, we’re now taking a look at the shared universes of the recently formed creator-owned company, Ghost Machine!

What is Ghost Machine?

Let’s talk business for a moment! In the early ’90s, seven of Marvel Comics’ most recognized illustrators left the company to found Image Comics, seeking ownership of their creations, better pay, and fairer treatment. As it is said, it changed the industry forever. Since then, Image Comics has published popular titles like The Walking Dead, Witchblade, Savage Dragon, Saga, Criminal, The Wicked + The Divine, Stray Bullets, Chew, Revival, and many more!

So, what does all of this have to do with Ghost Machine? Founded in October 2023, Ghost Machine is an independent studio, or if we want to be more specific, a creator-owned comic book creative studio. The creators own the company, the characters, and the universes together (as well as everything coming from it in other forms of media and merchandising). Image Comics is simply in charge of the promotion and distribution.

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The Shadow Comics: The Comic Book History of a Pulp Hero

Created for the magazine publishers Street & Smith, the character of The Shadow started in 1930 on the Detective Story Hour radio show as a mysterious host before moving to print the following year. He would stay on the air for a few years, but this original incarnation would be forgotten and replaced by the one created by writer Walter B. Gibson (under the pen name of Maxwell Grant).

Gibson was tasked to write stories about “The Shadow” and, inspired by classic literary works and the French character Judex, he composed a character that would eventually become the prototype of the American Superhero. Through the years, The Shadow prospered in the pulps, on the radio, and even got a comic strip in the early 1940s.

The Shadow was a former World War I aviator named Kent Allard who faked his death and became a crime-fighter. Upon returning to the United States, he adopted several different identities to aid him in his war on crime. The most famous one is Lamont Cranston, a wealthy socialite who went abroad and Allard stole his identity, impersonating him to gain access to the rich and powerful of the world.

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Jonah Hex Reading Order, DC Comics’ Western Hero

Introduced for the first time in 1972 in the comics All-Star Western #10, Jonah Hex is a creation by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga. A bad-tempered brutal bounty hunter, Hex emerged at a time when the Western genre was deconstructed and the character contributed to that with his two-face. Looking at him from one side, he looked like the handsome cowboy, but from the other side, with half of his face disfigured, he was a terrifying killer.

The comics introduced him like this: “He was a hero for some, a villain to others… and wherever he rode people spoke his name in whispers. He had no friends, this Jonah Hex, but he did have two companions: one was death itself… the other, the acrid smell of gunsmoke…” Enough said!

At a time when the Comic Code regulations started to loosen up, the violent Jonah Hex became popular in the pages of the Weird Western Tales comics (DeZuniga drew the character for years, but Albano only wrote the first ten adventures of Hex), and after a few years, he finally got his own book. The Crisis on Infinite Earths event put an end to his regular adventures and, since then, he has made multiple comebacks.

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