Skip to content

The Phantom Stranger: What are the origins and powers of the mysterious guardian of the DC Universe?

  • by

In 1952, there was a boom in the horror comic genre and National Comics Publications (the previous name of DC Comics) wanted its slice of the cake. Created by writer John Broome and artist Carmine Infantino in the comics’ Phantom Stranger #1 was part of the strategy to capitalize on the craze—the series was canceled after six issues though.

Nevertheless, this was the introduction of the Phantom Stranger, a mysterious figure—wearing a blue fedora and overcoat—who, at first, used to prove that supernatural events were hoaxes perpetrated by criminals. His most evident talent was his capacity for appearing where and when he was needed before simply disappearing.

Read More »The Phantom Stranger: What are the origins and powers of the mysterious guardian of the DC Universe?

DC Comics Timeline, Your Guide to each era from the Golden Age to Dawn of DC

  • by

DC Comics, one of the biggest American comic book companies today, began under a different name in 1934. Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson established National Allied Publications in order to produce New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine #1 (February 1935), subsequently renamed More Fun, the first comic book to feature original tales in several genres rather than comic strip reprints.

Soon after, Wheeler-Nicholson launched a second magazine, New Comics, which later became Adventure Comics. His third and last title was Detective Comics, which debuted in March 1937 and is credited with introducing Batman to the world. Wheeler-Nicholson had to collaborate with magazine distributor Harry Donenfeld to produce this third title since he was in debt. Detective Comics, Inc. was founded at the time, but Wheeler-Nicholson’s financial difficulties persisted, and he was forced out a year later. After National Allied declared bankruptcy, Detective Comics, Inc. purchased it.

Not long later, Action Comics #1 was published, creating the Superman universe. As the character gained popularity, the Golden Age of Comic Books began, and the publisher launched an array of new superheroes. Throughout the history of comic books, DC Comics has been forced to reestablish its universe and main continuity several times, with various events bringing in a new era each time.

The following is a presentation of each era, consisting of amazing comics, dreadful comics, bizarre, humorous, and much more.

Read More »DC Comics Timeline, Your Guide to each era from the Golden Age to Dawn of DC

Hellboy: The Creation and Origin Story of Mike Mignola’s Red Monster

  • by

Mike Mignola was getting known for his work for Marvel and DC, but it was not what he especially desired to draw. What he wanted to do was stories about an occult detective and did it with Hellboy.

This was in 1993. Mignola had finished his now-celebrated comic adaptation of the Bram Stoker’s Dracula movie that helped him continue to explore themes and historical elements he was really into—like did his (DC Elseworlds) Gotham by Gaslight story just before. For his next work, he wanted to do a created-owned book and, at first, he intended to keep going in that same direction, inspired by stories written by William Hope Hodgson (Carnacki), Alice & Claude Askew (Aylmer Vance), H. Heron (Flaxman Low), A.M. Burrage (Francis Chard), and more. But after being confronted with the challenges of drawing Victorian-era stories, he kept his occult detective concept and chose another time period.

The idea of the big red monster was inspired by a drawing he made a couple of years earlier for a pamphlet to help promote the Great Salt Lake Comic-Con. It was not the Hellboy we know now, but a demonic monster with the word “Hell Boy” on his belt. That name was what the artist kept in mind as the design of the character evolved seriously and transformed into a more human creature—still, he was a red-skinned, cloven-hooved demon with a big gun.

Read More »Hellboy: The Creation and Origin Story of Mike Mignola’s Red Monster

DC Graphic Novels for Young Adults, The Complete Reading List

  • by

In 2017, DC Comics announced a new imprint to publish original one-shots, graphic novels, and a few reprints targeting young readers in the hope to attract an audience that wasn’t familiar with DC in the first place. The imprint was first named DC Ink, with Mera: Tidebreaker as the first title published.

But in a classic DC move, it didn’t take long for the company to relaunch. One year after the official launch of DC Ink, DC Comics made a few changes. It was mostly tied to a simple internal reorganization, shuttering previous imprint lines in favor of new imprint lines defined by age. DC Zoom was renamed DC Kids (ages 8-12) and Vertigo became DC Black Label (17+).

DC Ink was replaced by DC Graphic Novels for Young Adults with the goal to present DC characters with stories outside of the main continuity, directed at readers aged 13 and older. They explore a large array of characters, heroes, anti-heroes, and villains.

Below you’ll find a list of the stories published in the DC Comics Young Adult Graphic Novels line, with the Teen Titans, Batgirl, Poison Ivy, Wonder Woman, Swamp Thing and more…

Read More »DC Graphic Novels for Young Adults, The Complete Reading List

Conner Kent Reading Order (Superboy, Kon-El)

For a long time, Superboy designated simply the adventures of Kal-El primarily set in Smallville when he was a boy, teenager or young adult. This changed in 1993 when a second Superboy was introduced.

Created by writer Karl Kesel and artist Tom Grummett, our new Superboy was introduced in The Adventures of Superman #500 (June 1993). For the first ten years, he was portrayed as a genetically-engineered metahuman clone created by Project Cadmus as a copy and closest genetic counterpart to Superman. His origins were retconned in 2003 in Teen Titans (vol. 3) #1 (September 2003) where he was established as a human/Kryptonian binary clone derived from Superman and Lex Luthor’s DNA.

Also, Superboy didn’t have a real name for more than five years (in real-time). He had to wait until Superboy (vol. 4) #59 (February 1999) where Superman invited him to the Fortress of Solitude and offered him the Kryptonian name of Kon-El. He will later take the civilian identity of Conner Kent (see Teen Titans Vol.3).

Blending Superman’s moral attributes with a young and rebellious personality, Kon-El is known for having to grapple with conflicting influences of his genetic heritage. He had to face many challenges, by himself or with his best friends, Tim Drake and Bart Allen, and the rest of the Young Justice/Teen Titans team.

To know more about Kon-El, let’s read some comics with this Superboy/Kon-El reading order!

Read More »Conner Kent Reading Order (Superboy, Kon-El)

The Galactus Origin Story, The Creation of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s Devourer of Worlds

Appearing for the first time in 1966 in Fantastic Four #48, written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Jack Kirby (see our guide to the Fantastic Four series), Galactus was at first just another super-villain that was imagined to be bigger than the previous antagonists. In order to differentiate him from the others and avoid delivering a stereotypical bad guy, Lee and Kirby decided to go all in. The writer wanted him to be really evil, the artist went biblical. They wanted something new and created it.

Also known as the Devourer of Worlds, Galactus was at the heart of what is now called the Galactus Trilogy, Fantastic Four #48 to #50 (part of our best Marvel comic to read selection), and that was supposed to be the end of his story, but he became extremely popular and this prompt Lee and Kirby to bring him back (see Fantastic Four #120–123, #172–175, #208–213, or Thor #225–228). He became a mainstay in the Marvel Universe.

And in 1978, in the one-shot graphic novel The Silver Surfer: The Ultimate Cosmic Experience!, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby reunited to tell an out-of-continuity origin story of Galactus and the Silver Surfer without the Fantastic Four! It would not be the last time the origins and motivations of the characters would be explored though.

Read More »The Galactus Origin Story, The Creation of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s Devourer of Worlds

Sin City Reading Order, Frank Miller’s crime noir classic

Frank Miller's Sin City Reading Order

After deciding to stop working for DC Comics, Frank Miller went to Dark Horse Comics with two projects, the miniseries Give Me Liberty (a Martha Washington story drawn by Dave Gibbons) and Hard Boiled (drawn by Geof Darrow). In 1991, he was then already established at Dark Horse and was naturally part of the line-up of artists who contributed to the one-shot Dark Horse Presents 5th Anniversary Special. In this book, Miller wrote and drew what would become one of his most iconic comics, Sin City.

This crime noir saga would then continue in Dark Horse Presents issues #51 to 62. This would be later collected in paperbacks under the title “The Hard Goodbye.” With this, Miller won three Eisner Wards—Best Penciller/Inker, Black & White Publication, Best Writer/Artist, and Best Graphic Album: Reprint (Modern Material).

Sin City was not the first crime story Frank Miller had written, his work on Daredevil attests to that, but this series was written, drawn, and lettered by him.

Read More »Sin City Reading Order, Frank Miller’s crime noir classic

Sentry Reading Order, the Golden Guardian of Good

  • by

Who is Sentry? It’s a question that has been asked more than once since his first appearance in Marvel Comics—and one that has come up again with Lewis Pullman playing him in the upcoming Thunderbolts movie.

Created by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee, Sentry—also known as Robert Reynolds—made his debut in The Sentry #1, published in September 2000. Often presented as a psycho Superman, Robert Reynolds took a strengthened version of the Super Soldier Serum (from Captain America) and gained the power of a million exploding suns! He then became Sentry, one of the greatest superheroes who ever existed, with the Void as his archenemy…

Or maybe, all of this is false? The truth is far more convoluted since Robert Reynolds was actually a drug addict with mental health problems, including paranoid schizophrenia. Taking the serum transformed Robert into a reality warper. The man can subconsciously alter reality and give way to Sentry – the best Robert can be – and Void – the worst Robert can be.

Robert Reynolds/Sentry is undeniably one of the most complex and intriguing characters introduced in the past two decades. His complex persona and intriguing journey can clearly be the subject of a whole other article.

For the moment, you can simply discover Sentry’s history with this reading order!

Read More »Sentry Reading Order, the Golden Guardian of Good

Superman’s deaths : Exploring the Multiple Deaths of the Man of Steel in the comics

  • by

It’s no secret that Superman is nearly indestructible, except when he’s in the presence of Kryptonite. But, like all other comic book characters, he is not immune to death. On the contrary, killing off Superman is a popular notion that has been explored several times over the years.

Readers are naturally intrigued by the stories dealing with Superman’s death. Because he is one of the most popular and powerful superheroes, his death has a significant emotional impact as well as a mythical meaning. Those storylines may also have high stakes and epic conflicts in order to create a spectacle based on what Superman means to the readers, his allies, and his foes.

Whatever attracts the readers towards Superman’s death, it is a subject that has been explored throughout the years, from forgettable tales to iconic stories.

Warning! As this article discussed how Superman died in several stories, it is full of spoilers. Tread carefully.

Read More »Superman’s deaths : Exploring the Multiple Deaths of the Man of Steel in the comics

Captain Britain Reading Order, Marvel UK’s Superhero

Captain Britain Reading Order

At the beginning of the 1970s, Marvel Comics expanded its business by opening a new branch in Great Britain: Marvel UK. At first, and for a few years, it was just a way to reprint American comics in a magazine format in order to establish the brand. It didn’t really work. It was then decided that a real line of British comics was needed. This led to writer Chris Claremont being asked to come up with a British character. With artist Herb Trimpe, they created Captain Britain who made his debut in Captain Britain Weekly #1 in 1976.

Brian Braddock was chosen by the sorcerer Merlyn himself to become a hero. Between the sword of might and the amulet of right, Captain Britain emerged as the United Kingdom’s greatest champion from the streets of London to the mystic realm of Otherworld.

In the beginning, the Captain Britain series was written by tourists, Americans who only visited the UK. This didn’t help the book speak to British readers. The first issues are nevertheless important for the introduction of memorable characters like psychic Elizabeth “Betsy” Braddock, Brian’s twin sister, and their older brother Jamie Braddock—The Queen also appeared! The sales didn’t go up so Captain Britain was buried in a Spider-Man reprint title after 39 issues. The two heroes “really” met though, as Brian Braddock made his debut on the American market in a issue of Marvel Team Up.

Read More »Captain Britain Reading Order, Marvel UK’s Superhero