Skip to content

The Two Arno Starks: from Iron Man 2020 to Earth-616

  • by

Once upon a time, 2020 was to be an apocalyptic future. To be more precise, creators Tom DeFalco and Herb Trimpe created Earth-8410 in 1984, an alternate reality set in the then-future of 2020.

It wasn’t a glorious future, but one of those realities taken over by megacorporations. Many heroes disappeared in the 1980s, virtual realities became the main form of entertainment, the working class was replaced by robots, and humans were reduced to being slaves, except for the small upper class.

This earth was the homeworld of Iron Man 2020, a certain Arno Stark…

Read More »The Two Arno Starks: from Iron Man 2020 to Earth-616

Captain America Cold War Reading Order, Captain Vs Captain

  • by

Captain America Cold War Reading Order

It’s been a while since Marvel gave us a Captain America crossover event. This one is a small one though, and it’s between the two Captain Americas! And more, of course, as it is presented as a battle between brothers.

Here is the official synopsis: Bucky Barnes, the newest player in a nefarious game that spans all of civilization, makes his most deadly move yet — teaming up with Sam Wilson’s nemesis, Hunter, the White Wolf! When Steve Rogers’ adoptive son Ian, A.K.A. Nomad, is abducted by someone Steve thought a friend, he suspects Bucky’s hand at work, and calls upon the people who know Ian best — Sam, Sharon Carter, and Misty Knight — to help him get to the bottom of the attack.

Why has Nomad been taken, and what does it have to do with a portal to Dimension Z opening over a secret battleground in Alaska? Has Bucky finally gone too far? And when Black Widow joins the fray, whose side is she on?

Read More »Captain America Cold War Reading Order, Captain Vs Captain

DC Day of Judgement Reading Order, a DC Comics event by Geoff Johns

  • by

DC Day of Judgement Reading Order

In 1999, Geoff Johns was not the DC superstar writer we know now, yet. Day of Judgement was the first event he had the chance to write, one that was going to open the way for his famous Green Lantern run a few years later.

This event is centered around The Spectre and involved the heroes and a few magical anti-heroes of the DC Universe. Here is the official presentation of Day of Judgment:

The story begins when Etrigan the Demon offers the fallen angel Azmodel freedom from captivity in Hell. If the fallen angel agrees to let the Demon rule Hell, Etrigan will give Azmodel access to the power to claim the ultimate prize: the destruction of Heaven itself! And the power in question? That of the Spectre who, without a human host, is ripe for Azmodel’s picking.

Read More »DC Day of Judgement Reading Order, a DC Comics event by Geoff Johns

Giant Days Comic, A Reading Guide

  • by

Giant Days Comic Reading Order

Giant Days is a comedic comic book written by John Allison that was launched in 2015 by Boom! Studio (Lumberjanes, Buffy) with Lissa Treiman as the main artist for the first six issues, then Max Sarin for most of the next 48 issues—it won the Eisner Award for “Best Continuing Series” in 2019.

The story follows the lives of Susan Ptolemy, Daisy Wooton, and Esther de Groot, three students, and roommates at the University of Sheffield, England, from their first to last days, and a bit beyond. Susan is a grounded medical student who smokes a lot and often hides behind a tough attitude; Daisy is an optimistic archaeology student who’s a bit too sweet for this world; and Esther is a goth—and a bit of a drama queen—who’s into black metal and study English Literature.

There’s also Graham McGraw, a childhood friend and love interest of Susan who’s a bit too much into being handy; and Ed Gemmell, a friend and roommate of McGraw’s who’s in love with Esther, tragically for him.

For years, Giant Days offered fun, breezy slice-of-life stories with a lot of humor, romantic entanglements, British idiosyncrasies, and a lot of personality. And overall, it’s a great friendship story about becoming an adult.

Read More »Giant Days Comic, A Reading Guide

Wasp Reading Order (Janet van Dyne)

  • by

Created by Stan Lee, Ernie Hart, and Jack Kirby, Janet van Dyne aka The Wasp made her debut in Tales to Astonish #44. She’s one of Marvel’s first female superheroes and a founding member of the Avengers. She’s even the one who gave the team its name!

Coming from a rich family, Janet van Dyne became the Wasp in order to avenge the death of her father, scientist Vernon van Dyne, killed by an alien entity unleashed during one of his experiments. With the help of Dr. Hank Pym (alias Ant-Man), she was exposed to the Pym Particles and biologically altered, giving her the ability to grow wings and shrink under four feet tall. She partnered with Pym, professionally and personally, and would eventually marry him. Their relationship was dysfunctional and Janet will eventually divorce him following an act of physical violence.

From this tragedy will emerge a more empathetic and efficient Avenger, a great leader with an amazing sense of fashion (Janet is also a fashion designer). Though Janet had some occasions to shine as Chairman of the Avengers, she was often sidelined in favor of other characters until she simply disappeared completely following the events of Secret Invasion. She made her return several years later and joined the ranks of the Unity Division, then became an Agent of Wakanda.

Though for too many years defined by her relationship with Hank Pym, Janet also had a tragic story with Havok and became entangled with Tony Stark in recent years. 

Her most important recent relationship is, without a doubt, with Nadia, the daughter of Hank Pym and his first wife, who also chose the alias the Wasp. Together, they are Unstoppable! And finally, after sixty years, Janet finally got her own solo series!

It’s time to buzz around and explore Janet’s publication history with this reading order!

Read More »Wasp Reading Order (Janet van Dyne)

Batwing Reading Order (David Zavimbe, Luke Fox)

  • by

When you hear the name Batwing, you could be thinking about Batman’s airplane which was introduced in Detective Comics #31 in 1939 — also known as the Batplane. Since 2011, Batwing is also the name of a member of the Bat-family. Despite having less than fifteen years of existence, there are already two people who had taken the alias of Batwing.

Created by Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham, the first Batwing was David Zavimbe, a Congolese police officer who made his debut in the pages of Batman Incorporated #5 before headlining his own series. He was presented as the “Batman of Africa” and served as a representative of Batman Incorporated in the city of Tinasha, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The character appears to be inspired by a minor character, a young African-American boy from Batman #250.

David Zavimbe’s time as Batwing was, in the end, quite short, as he decided to resign as Batwing, leaving the mantle free to be taken by someone else in 2013.

Created by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray, and Eduardo Pansica, Luke Fox took over the mantle and was established as the second Batwing in Batwing #19. As you could have guessed, Luke is the son of Lucius Fox, born into a rich family who, like his father, is intellectually gifted. A world-class boxer before joining Batman in his fight, the Dark Knight trained him in martial arts.

Luke Fox already appeared in a few other media, including in the Arrowverse where he was portrayed by Camrus Johnson, and part of the distribution of the TV Series Batwoman. He was also voiced by Gaius Charles in the animated film Batman: Bad Blood.

Read More »Batwing Reading Order (David Zavimbe, Luke Fox)

The Story of The Hulk: From Gamma Radiation to World-Breaking Power

  • by

The Story of The Hulk

The year was 1962. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were changing the face of the comics industry with the Fantastic Four—even if they probably didn’t suspect up to what point at the time. Of course, when it was time to find a replacement for the recently canceled Teen-Age Romance, the team came up with something that didn’t really have anything romantic in it: The Hulk.

Who is the Hulk? The story goes like this: Bruce Banner is a brilliant scientist who was exposed to gamma radiation during an experimental “accident.” As a result, he can transform into a massive, green-skinned (or gray!), superhuman creature with incredible strength and durability known as The Hulk.

The problem is that Banner struggles to control the transformation and as the unpredictable Hulk, he often causes widespread destruction in his wake. But not always. In fact, through the years, the Hulk has not always been a destructive rageful monster, his nature evolved as well as his relationship with the puny Banner.

Read More »The Story of The Hulk: From Gamma Radiation to World-Breaking Power

DC Millennium Reading Order, a DC Comics Event

  • by

DC Comics Millennium Reading Order

Published through January and February 1988, Millennium was the first event of the year, and certainly the most ambitious for the production department with one new issue every week, plus tie-ins—something that was simply not done at that time.

Written by Steve Englehart, with art by Joe Staton and Ian Gibson, Millennium was a story about choosing the New Guardians of the Universe. Everything starts with the Guardian named Herupa Hando Hu, and his Zamaron mate, Nadia Safir, as they arrived on Earth to announce to the world that they were here to select 10 persons who would become the new Guardians of the Universe, and give birth to a new race of immortals.

Read More »DC Millennium Reading Order, a DC Comics Event

Judge Dredd Reading Order

  • by

Cover art Judge Dredd Megazine 423

In Mega City-One, one man is the law: Judge Dredd! Created by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra in the second issue of the British weekly anthology 2000 AD (1977), Judge Joseph Dredd is a lawman in a massive dystopian city where crime is rampant. In this world, Dredd is a judge, jury, and police officer – he can arrest, convict, and execute criminals. And he is the toughest of them all! As we already said: he is the law!

Judge Dredd exists to bring justice and is constantly working. He’s never without his signature helmet, though he has no secret identity and no life outside of work. He’s here to deliver instant justice in a city on the verge of chaos. And he has done it since 1977, getting older as the years pass. It’s been 66 years of active service for Dredd, and 46 years worth of stories!

Through decades of comics, Judge Dredd became one of the most popular comic book characters of all time, and one the most famous satire of American and British culture, exploring authoritarianism, policing, mass surveillance, and every other aspect of society.

Read More »Judge Dredd Reading Order

Sam Wilson Reading Order, The Falcon and Captain America

  • by

Sam Wilson is The Falcon

When Rick Jones stepped down as Captain America’s sidekick, a new partner was on the horizon. In Captain America #117, released in September 1969, writer Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan introduced Sam Wilson as he worked to rally people against the Red Skull’s forces. Wilson’s meeting with Steve Rogers inspired him to adopt the mantle of the Falcon and create a distinctive green costume. Together, they won their fight against their common enemy, and Sam quickly became Captain America’s trusted partner.

Sam Wilson became Marvel’s first African American superhero. His origins were retconned over the years—from a Harlem social worker to a thug whose life was transformed by the Cosmic Cube. He was also briefly portrayed as a mutant, though this was later revised. Sam’s most significant evolution over the decades was headlining his own title, not as Falcon but as Captain America.

Sam Wilson has fought alongside Captain America, the Avengers, the Defenders, S.H.I.E.L.D., the Winter Soldier, and more. He shares a telepathic bond with his bird, Redwing, and later discovered he can also control other birds and see through their eyes. With his mechanical wings granting him the ability to fly, Sam was also trained in hand-to-hand combat by Steve Rogers himself—and he’s well-versed in using Captain America’s shield.

Samuel Thomas Wilson also became a major figure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the past decades, making his first appearance in Captain America: The Winter Soldier as a skilled combatant and tactician who became a close friend of Stever Rogers and even being recruited by him to join the Avengers. Played by Anthony Mackie, the character is making his comeback on the big screen wielding the shield in Captain America: Brave New World (2025)!

In the meantine, it’s the perfect occasion to explore his comic book history, from his first appearance as the Falcon to his debut as Captain America and beyond! Check out our Sam Wilson Comics reading order for a comprehensive guide to the many stories featuring Marvel’s winged warrior!

Read More »Sam Wilson Reading Order, The Falcon and Captain America