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Superman Reading Order, The Modern Age (Post-Crisis)

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It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman! Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in Action Comics #1 (1938), Superman is an alien from the planet Krypton who fights crime in Metropolis and the rest of the world. Under the costume is Kal-El, who was sent to Earth when he was a baby, and adopted by farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent who named him Clark Kent and raised him in the little town of Smallville. As Clark developed superhuman abilities, his parents taught him to use his talents to help humanity.

Clark relocated to Metropolis to pursue a career in journalism. He landed a job at the Daily Planet, where he met the love of his life and journalist Lois Lane, photographer Jimmy Olsen, and editor-in-chief Perry White. In parallel, he put on a colorful costume and used the codename Superman to fight powerful enemies, including General Zod, Brainiac, and the most emblematic of them all, the narcissistic-genius Lex Luthor.

The superhero genre wouldn’t be the same without Superman. Though there was other before him that could be said to fit the bill, he established the conventions and popularized the whole genre, being the best-selling superhero in American comic books up until the 1980s.

As the DC Universe was becoming more complicated and sales were declining, a new page of history was written following a Crisis like no one else: Crisis on Infinite Earths (see reading order). This was the beginning of the Modern Age and the creation of new instant-classic stories. The event was used to retconned the histories of most of the characters. The idea was to clean up the timelines (something DC is still trying to do, in vain) and to update the superheroes in order to appeal to a contemporary audience. 

This is when this Superman reading order begins. This article doesn’t cover the previous decades (or the Pre-Crisis). Our Man of Steel got a new origin story with the help of John Byrne, and it would only be the first of several ones during this long period. Kal-El’s past was explored, revisited, and modified, as the character lived some bold adventures, even making headlines for dying (something so ordinary today… to die in the comics, not the mainstream media coverage).

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Guardians of the Galaxy Reading Order

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First appearing in Marvel Super-Heroes #18 (Jan. 1969), the Guardians of the Galaxy is a superhero team that originated from an idea Roy Thomas had about “super-guerrillas fighting against Russians and Red Chinese who had taken over and divided the USA.” Thomas didn’t have the time to research it so Stan Lee gave it to Arnold Drake. He took it and placed it in space.

Penciled by Gene Colan, the first story introduced us to an alternative timeline of the Marvel Universe known as Earth-691, in the 31st century. The members of the Guardians of the Galaxy were Major Vance Astro, an astronaut from 20th century Earth who spends a thousand years traveling to Alpha Centauri in suspended animation; Martinex T’Naga, a crystalline being from Pluto; Captain Charlie-27, a soldier from Jupiter; and Yondu Udonta, a blue-skinned “noble savage” from Centauri-IV.

Together, they fight against the Badoon, a reptilian alien species, determined to conquer Earth’s Solar System. The team grew as the fight went on. And when the Guardians defeated the Badoon, the evil Korvac became their main foe. They traveled in time, developed into a multiple-team organization, and simply continued to fight… up until Guardians of the Galaxy #62 (July 1995).

In May 2008, Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning introduced a new version of the Guardians of the Galaxy following the Annihilation: Conquest event–the old team appeared as guest stars during the series and got a new title, Guardians 3000.

The new roster united Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Phyla-Vell, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, and Adam Warlock. Together, they play an important part in the Annihilation storylines that relaunched the Cosmic Universe of Marvel.

With the movie coming out, the team was pushed to the front, and, in 2012 with the launch of the Marvel NOW! initiative, Brian Michael Bendis became the main writer of the series (drawn by Steve McNiven). New members joined, spin-offs were developed, and guest appearances in other titles multiplied. The Guardians of the Galaxy became big players in the Marvel Universe.

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Hawkman Reading Order

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There is more than one DC Comics superhero named Hawkman. Created by writer Gardner Fox–who was apparently inspired by the sight of a bird while trying to come up with new superheroes–and Dennis Neville in Flash Comics #1 (January 1940) during the Golden Age of comic books, the first of the several incarnations of Hawkman was Carter Hall, a reincarnation of the ancient Egyptian prince Khufu.

Hall had discovered the “ninth metal” (aka “Nth metal”) that allow him to fly by negating the effects of gravity. He put on a costume and started to fight crime. He soon became a founding member of the Justice Society of America–and even became the chairman of the team. Also at that time, he started romancing Shiera Saunders, the reincarnated bride of Khufu, who became known as Hawkgirl.

Like most of the superheroes of the Golden Age, Hawkman disappeared for a while during the 1950s and was reinvented for the Silver Age under the guidance of famed DC editor Julius Schwartz. Revived in The Brave and the Bold # 34 (Feb–Mar 1961), his powers were quite similar but Hawkman was this time a police officer from the planet Thanagar–not a human anymore! Named Katar Hol he came to Earth with his wife Shayera in search of a criminal and stayed–the couple adopted secret identities, becoming Carter and Shiera Hall who worked at a museum in Midway City.

This time again, he joined the main DC Team, the Justice League of America, and met the original Hawkman during crossovers with the JSA from Earth-Two.

Like the rest of the DC Universe, the 1985 Crisis on Infinite Earths changed a lot for Hawkman and Hawkwoman. Everything became quite confusing until the 1989 Hawkworld series rebooted the Hawkman story. This time, Katar Hol and his partner Shayera were sent to Earth after rebelling against the Thanagarian government whose policy was predatory against other worlds.

Their arrival on Earth forced a retcon of the Golden Age Hawkman and Hawkgirl, as they were still alive and well. It was then revealed that the Nth metal was in reality from Thanagar. Also, we learned that it was really Fel Andar, a Thanagarian agent, who was the 1980s Hawkman who previously joined the JLA in order to spy on the heroes. All these corrections didn’t simplify the Hawk mythology as new events added complications to the point that DC decided to put the Hawks aside for a while.

It was in the 1990s, in the JSA series, that the continuity was revised. We then learned that Carter Hall and Shiera who got their powers from Thanagarian Nth metal had been reincarnated multiple times since ancient Egypt. Katar Hol come to Earth during the 1990s and Fel Andar returned to Thanagar. The reincarnation angle was used to launch a new Hawkman series in 2002.

All of this is the simple version, things were even more complicated in the books…

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Black Panther Reading Order, The King of Wakanda

Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Black Panther made his first appearance in Fantastic Four #52 (July 1966). The famous family has received an invitation to visit the mysterious country named Wakanda. This small nation is the most technologically advanced on the planet. It is also where we can find the rare metal known as Vibranium A.

T’Challa, also known as Black Panther, is the King and protector of Wakanda, and one of the most accomplished characters in the Marvel Universe. He is one of the ten smartest people on earth–a list that includes Reed Richards, Tony Stark, and the young Amadeus Cho. He has also the power to draw upon the knowledge, strength, and every experience of every previous Black Panther. The King is a genius and a martial artist, an expert hand-to-hand combatant with superhuman strength, endurance, speed, agility, reflexes, stamina, and senses.

Black Panther is, without a doubt, one of the most powerful Marvel characters, who was first a recurring character before joining The Avengers and starring in Jungle Action. Though it took time for Black Panther to become a constant presence, he carved himself a place in those comics, working with the Fantastic Four and The Avengers, but also becoming an Illuminati and a member of the Ultimates. He was played in the MCU by Chadwick Boseman.

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Irredeemable/Incorruptible Reading Order

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What If Superman Was Evil? is a question that has inspired writers for a very long time. One of the most famous examples out there right now is certainly Homelander from The Boys, designed as an evil version of Captain America and Superman. This is also the subject at the center of the alternate universe of Injustice, a trope explored by Mark Millar in his now-classic story Superman: Red Son, and many many more stories.

This is also the question asked in a way by Irredeemable. To be more specific, the comic asks: what if the world’s greatest hero decided to become the world’s greatest villain? Writer Mark Waid and artist Peter Krause answers this question with Plutonian, the world’s most powerful hero, who snaps and turns into the world’s greatest villain, with only his former teammates having a chance at stopping his rampage. But while on the run from the world’s most powerful and angry being, will these former teammates discover his secrets in time? How did he come to this? What became of the hope and promise once inside him? What happens to the world when its savior betrays it? What makes a hero irredeemable?

And when the more powerful hero goes bad, what happens to the super villain? Mark Waid partnered with Jean Diaz for the companion piece Incorruptible, about a super villain trying to become a superhero.

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Legion of Super-Heroes Reading Order, the team from the future

When Superboy met three teenagers and members of the Legion of Super-Heroes for the first time in the comic book Adventure Comics #247 (April 1958), he couldn’t predict how popular this young team would become. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino for a one-off story, the Legion is a team of young superheroes from the 30th and 31st centuries.

They proved so popular that they returned again and again, eventually becoming a regular feature in Adventure Comics #300. Sharing the spotlight with Superboy for years, the Legion finally earned its own comic title in the 1970s.

By the 1980s, the Legion of Super-Heroes was among DC’s best-selling series, alongside Uncanny X-Men and New Teen Titans. During this time, Paul Levitz wrote some of the most iconic stories in Legion history, including The Great Darkness Saga. Later, Keith Giffen took the series in a darker, more experimental direction, but not without its share of continuity challenges.

To reconnect with a lighter and simpler Legion, the Legion of Super-Heroes title was rebooted by Mark Waid, Tom McCraw, and Stuart Immonen In 1994. Ten years later, sales were failing, and despite good reviews, Waid and Barry Kitson rebooted the series again, creating a third incarnation of the Legion.

Generally, when a new version of the Legion was introduced, the previous team was usually erased from continuity, as they all occupied the same place in history. Each team was meant to represent a different possible future for DC. In 2008, writer Geoff Johns changed this concept with Final Crisis, revealing that the different versions of the Legion come from separate worlds but still interact with the main Earth’s history. This allowed all the Legion teams to coexist, and the pre-Crisis team was restored to continuity for the occasion. In 2019, a new version of the team was introduced by Brian Michael Bendis.
 
The Legion became a beloved team, with a history that’s anything but simple. Full of stories ranging from lighthearted to dark and serious, from soap opera to high sci-fi, and everything in between, you can now explore their rich past with our Legion of Super-Heroes Comics reading order!

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Thor Reading Order

 

Based on the Norse mythological god of the same name, Thor Odinson–or simply Thor–is a Marvel Superhero created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby that was introduced in Journey into Mystery #83 (August 1962)–possibly as an unofficial equivalent to DC’s Superman.

In order to make the Asgardian god of thunder (whose enchanted hammer Mjolnir–called the ‘Uru Hammer’ at first–enables him to fly and manipulate weather) relatable for the average American reader, Stan Lee imagined a secret identity (à la Clark Kent). Partially disabled human medical student Donald Blake only had to strike his walking stick to transform into the thunder god.

As Donald Blake, the hero took care of his patient in his private practice, working with nurse Jane Foster. As Thor, he defended humanity from his numerous Evil enemies, and notably his adoptive brother Loki, but also the Absorbing Man, the Destroyer, the Wrecker, Zarrko, the Radioactive Man, the Lava Man, the Cobra, Mister Hyde, the Enchantress, the Executioner, and more.

Thor joined the Avengers, fall in love with Jane Foster, opposed his father’s will, and went on epic adventures, alone or with allies from Earth and Asgard. As the years went by, we learned more about Thor and Asgard’s real origins, the Gods, and their enemies. Also, Thor was freed from Donald Blake. Like a lot of Marvel heroes, Thor died (Loki and Odin too), but came back to life. Asgard was destroyed and rebuilt. Even Mjolnir disappeared at one point.

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Who is Black Adam? The origin story of Shazam’s villain

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Like several DC characters created in the 1940s, the history of Black Adam is a complicated one. His origin story has been told multiple times and changes have been made throughout the years.

Soon played by Dwayne Johnson on the big screen, Black Adam was created by Otto Binder, Bill Parker, and C.C. Beck. He made his first appearance in The Marvel Family #1 (1945) published by Fawcett Comics where he served as a powerful one-time enemy of the superhero Shazam (see reading order) and the Shazam Family. 

However, Black Adam was resurrected nearly 30 years later as a recurring character following DC’s acquisition of the Fawcett characters. The character was redefined with time by writers Jerry Ordway, Geoff Johns, and David S. Goyer and the character has evolved from outright villain to sometimes anti-hero.

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Blue Beetle Reading Order (Ted Kord and Jaime Reyes)

Officially created by Charles Nicholas Wojtkoski in 1939 (working for the Eisner and Iger shop), Blue Beetle is a superhero that started his career at Fox Comics. Charlton Comics acquired FOX Comics and, ultimately, was itself bought by DC Comics. That’s how Blue Beetle joined the Justice League. In truth, the original Blue Beetle was not the same as the one that became friends with Booster Gold.

Everything began with Dan Garret, the original Golden Age Blue Beetle. Introduced in Mystery Men Comics #1 (August 1939), Dan was a Rookie patrolman and the son of a police officer killed by a criminal. He simply became a vigilante, without powers, who wore a bulletproof blue costume–looking a lot like the Phantom. At some point, he temporarily gained power with the help of a special vitamin. He even got a sidekick named Sparky. Also, during World War II, Garret became a government agent–a got his cop uniform back after the war ended. As time went by, he gained even more powers, but that didn’t save him from Fox Comics going out of business.

Charlton Comics reprinted some Blue Beetle stories for a time and, during the Silver Age of comics, launched a new series–in 1964, written by Joe Gill. This time, Dan Garrett (with two “t”) was an archaeologist who discovered a mystical scarab during a dig in Egypt. This artifact gave him superpowers. Like Shazam, he only needed to say the word (“Kaji Dha!” in his case) to transform into the Blue Beetle. This Dan Garrett only got two years on the newsstand before getting replaced.

Introduced by Gary Friedrich and Steve Ditko in a backup story in Captain Atom #83 (November 1966), Ted Kord was a genius-level inventor and a gifted athlete without superpowers who operated out of his airship, “the Bug”. When he died, Garrett passed the torch to Ted–years later, DC Comics retconned his origins by adding that Ted was a former student of Dan Garrett. The series was canceled shortly after its launch.

When Charlton Comics went out of business in the early ’80s, AC Comics bought the right to the character, among others, did some stories, then the rights reverted back to Charlton and DC Comics purchased them.

Using the Crisis on Infinite Earths event, DC introduced Charlton’s characters into its own universe. After the Crisis ended, Len Wein wrote a new Blue Beetle series after penning Secret Origins Vol. 2 #2 in which he rewrote Ted Knight’s origins. After 24 issues, the series was canceled, but Blue Beetle joined the Justice League not too long after and found a new life. Ted became Booster Gold’s best friend, a relationship that defined the hero as a proper character in the DC Universe.

In 2006, DC Comics decided to retcon and expand upon the Blue Beetle mythos with the help of Jaime Reyes. Introduced in Infinite Crisis #3 (February 2006), he really became the new Blue Beetle in Infinite Crisis #5. Created by Keith Giffen, John Rogers, and Cully Hamner, Jaime bonds with the scarab, and it is revealed that it is an artifact alien in origin. Soon, Jaime became friends with Booster, and joined the Teen Titans and even the Justice League.

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Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu Reading Order

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Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu Reading Order

In the early 70s in the United States, the United States was bitten by a craze for all things kung fu. It was during that particular cultural time that Shang-Chi was created. At first, writer Steve Englehart and artist Jim Starlin wanted to adapt the television series Kung Fu into a comic book. They approached DC Comics with their proposition, as the parent company, Warner Communications, owned the rights to the series. DC passed as they thought that this interest in Asian martial arts will soon pass.

The duo went to see Marvel, still determined to do a comic book focused on kung fu. Contrary to DC, Marvel Comics was more into kung fu and even acquired the rights to Sax Rohmer’s Fu Manchu stories. So they were interested in Englehart and Starlin’s proposition, with the demand they include Fu Manchu in their stories. They agreed and created Zheng Shang-Chi as the unknown son of Fu Manchu, who would rebel against his father and become a hero in his own right. Marvel would later lose the comic book rights to Fu Manchu and had to downplay the connection between the two characters until they just renamed Shang-Chi’s father Zheng Zu. Unfortunately for Shang-Chi, these copyright issues will result in fewer appearances on his part during a time.

Shang-Chi was introduced in Special Marvel Edition #15 (Dec. 1973) before the title was renamed The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. Thanks to all the martial arts popularity, the title became quite popular and survived the 70s, going into the early 80s, until issue #125 (June 1983). During that time, Shang-Chi is more of an independent hero, as he doesn’t interact a lot with other Marvel characters.

This changed with time, as Shang-Chi became more immersed in the world of superheroes, appeared in several events, joined Heroes for Hire, The Avengers, The New Agents of Atlas, and mentored and trained heroes like Spider-Man. And now, Shang-Chi is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where he is played by Simu Liu. 

Discover more about Shang-Chi in our reading order!

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