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Ben Reilly Reading Order, The other Spider-Man… or is it? (Scarlet Spider)

Ben Reilly - Spider-Man FCBD 2021

Ben Reilly is back! He can die, go live in another city, disappear for years, but he always comes back. But who is Benjamin Reilly? His story can be a little convoluted because it’s about clones, fake deaths, mistaken identity, and more.

Created by Gerry Conway in 1975, he first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #149… and is immediately killed. But he came back years later during the (in)famous “Clone Saga” storyline (see reading order) as the “Scarlet Spider,” an ally of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Together, they fought against The Jackal and Kaine, the unsuccessful first clone of Spider-Man, but also another clone of Spider-Man who became the villain Spidercide, and more.

After some confusion about the identity of the real Peter Parker and other complicated twists and turns, Peter left his superhero life behind him and Ben Reilly became the official Spider-Man. Until his death. After that, he just appeared in the occasional flashbacks. Then he returned to life in 2010 during The Clone Conspiracy (see reading order). Once again, things got complicated for Ben, but he stayed alive this time and got his new ongoing series for a while, then he faded away.

With the new Spider-Man Beyond storyline (that began with The Amazing Spider-Man #75), Ben Reilly came back again as Spider-Man again, for a short time, then came the Dark Web. When will he be back again?

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Frank Miller’s Batman Series Reading Order (The Dark Knight Universe)

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In 1996, Frank Miller reinvent Batman as a more controversial and ruthless figure in The Dark Knight Returns. And he followed up with Batman: Year One, cementing his version of Batman which will influence many writers.

In the DC Universe pre-flashpoint, all these tales are part of the Earth-31, also known as The Dark Knight Universe or Millerverse. On this Earth takes place the best and the worst of Batman’s stories.

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The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Reading Order (Alan Moore & Kevin O’Neill)

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Written by Alan Moore (Watchmen) and illustrated by Kevin O’Neill, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen started getting published in 1999, but only concluded recently. It’s composed of four volumes, a spin-off series, and a bit more material.

The story takes us back to London, 1898. The Victorian Era draws to a close and the twentieth-century approaches. It is a time of great change and an age of stagnation, a period of chaste order and ignoble chaos.

It is an era in need of champions. Allan Quatermain, Mina Murray, Captain Nemo, Dr. Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde, and Hawley Griffin, the Invisible Man, form a remarkable legion of intellectual aptitude and physical prowess: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

The Series ended in 2019.

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Marvel Runaways Reading Order

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Marvel Runaways Reading Order

Created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, The Runaways debuted in July 2003 as part of Marvel Comics’“Tsunami” imprint (created to appeal to manga readers, it didn’t last long). It was saved from cancellation by high numbers of trade collection sales and came back in 2005. After 30 more issues, Vaughan and Alphona left the title and the Runaways keep fighting for a while before the band got disbanded.

They were six normal teenagers linked only by their wealthy parents’ annual business meeting … until a chance discovery revealed the shocking truth: their parents are the secret criminal society known as the Pride! For years, the Pride controlled all criminal activity in Los Angeles, ruling the city with an iron fist … and now, with their true natures exposed, the Pride will take any measures necessary to protect their organization—even if it means taking out their own children! Now on the run from their villainous parents, Nico, Chase, Karolina, Gertrude, Molly and Alex have only each other to rely on.

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DC Identity Crisis Reading Order

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DC Identity Crisis Reading Order

Created by writer Brad Meltzer and the artistic team of penciler Rags Morales and inker Michael Bair, Identity Crisis was the event that shook the DC Comics superhero community in 2004 (published from June to December 04). It revolves around a murder mystery that exposed the dirty deeds of the heroes.

Here is the story: After the spouse of a member of the Justice League of America is brutally murdered, the entire superhero community searches for the killer, fearing their own loved ones may be the next targets. But before the mystery is fully solved, long-buried secrets of the heroes rise to the surface, threatening to tear apart and divide the heroes before they can bring the mysterious killer to justice.

What to read before Identity Crisis?

Being the first “crisis” in the DC Universe continuity after the massive event Crisis on Infinite Earth (see reading order here), Identity Crisis is, of course, a notable event, even if its reputation is quite bad.

The fact is that this event is important for what followed, meaning Infinite Crisis (see reading order here). But it’s pretty much a standalone story in the sense that no prior readings are required—except if you are not familiar with the characters (do not start exploring DC Comics with this event!).

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Loki Reading Order (with Kid Loki, Journey into Mystery, Agent of Asgard)

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Loki Reading Order

Based on the Norse deity of the same name, Loki is now part of the most famous Marvel characters, thanks to his presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe where Tom Hiddleston played him. And he is now the star of his own television series.

Since his first appearance in 1949, Loki has been portrayed as both a supervillain and antihero. Half-brother of the superhero Thor, the God of Mischief is a master of manipulation and deceit with superhuman strength, speed, and longevity.

First stereotypically evil (but not really threatening), years and years of stories shaped him as one of the greatest villains of Marvel, and one of the most multi-faceted characters. There is, after all, more than one incarnation of Loki. Like most Marvel figures, he died multiple times and writers used those opportunities to have him come back changed — as a woman, as a kid, as a person searching for redemption and much more…

Where to start with Loki? The Recommended Reading Order List

  • Loki Omnibus Vol. 1 – Wants to discover Loki in the Silver Age era? Marvel released an omnibus collecting the major appearance of the character during this era, including his first appearance as modern-day Loki in Journey into Mystery #85.
  • Thor: Trials of Loki – A recent Loki’s origin story by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and illustrated by Sebastian Fiumara.
  • Loki: Journey Into Mystery by Kieron Gillen – With artist Doug Braithwaite. The god of lies has been reborn as Kid Loki but can he be Asgard’s savior? A run that helped redefined the character and can be an entry point for new readers.
  • Young Avengers by Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie – Gillen continues to explore the character, but this time as a member of the Young Avengers.
  • Loki: God of Stories Omnibus – Want all the Loki series? This is the perfect omnibus for you as this collects all the stories starring the 21st-century trickster in all his glorious forms! From the first Loki series in 2004 to Agents of Asgards, Original Sin, Vote Loki and more!

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The Goon Reading Order

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The Goon Reading Order

Published since 1998, The Goon is a famous horror comedy indie comics series written and illustrated by Eric Powell, first published by Avatar Press, then by Powell’s own Albatross Funnybooks, then by Dark Horse Comics, and now again by Albatross Funnybooks. It was a journey! But a great, funny, dark, and violent one. Goon is not a nice guy, but he is not a bad one either.

When we met The Goon, he is the enforcer for the gangster known as Labrazio. He runs his operation, collecting money and offing deadbeats, and basically being just violent with the help of his best friend/wise-cracking sidekick, Franky. In Lonely Street, The Goon and Franky must now deal with zombies raised from the dead by a Zombie Priest and more craziness.

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Marvel Zombies Comics, a Reading Order to the most famous Infected Zombie World of Marvel

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Marvel Zombies Reading Order

The Marvel Universe is full of thousands of separate universes. We read a lot of stories happening in the mainstream Marvel continuity, or Earth 616 aka Prime Earth. But sometimes, we discover other versions of our heroes, like in Ultimate Marvel. It’s also with the Fantastic Four of this particular earth that we have been introduced to Marvel Zombies.

Created by Mark Millar, Greg Land and Robert Kirkman (of the Walking Dead fame), Marvel Zombies, sometimes called the Zombieverse, features zombie versions of Marvel Universe superheroes and supervillains. It’s actually not the only Marvel world with zombies, but it’s the most important one.

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The Batman Who Laughs Reading Order (the breakout character of DC Comics’ Dark Nights Metal)

Batman Who Laughs Reading Order

Created by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo in 2017, Batman Who Laughs was the breakout star of Dark Nights: Metal. This evil version of Bruce Wayne comes from Earth-22 of the Dark Multiverse.

Presented as Batman’s worst nightmare, he is a sort of hybrid of Batman and Joker. He is stripped of all sense of ethics, with Bruce Wayne’s intelligence and physical strength and the Joker’s psychopathy and warped, sadistic sense of humor. Without surprise, he has no problem killing people.

When Batman Who Laughs is introduced, he is a member of The Dark Knights, a team he assembled for Barbatos who wants to destroy the regular Multiverse.

This reading order gives you a listing to discover his story.

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Peanuts Comic Reading Order: (Re)Discover Charles M. Schulz influencial Comic Strips

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Peanuts Comic Strips Reading Order

Before Calvin and Hobbes, there was Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts which is actually one of the influences of Bill Watterson’s creation.

One of the most popular and influential comic strips, Peanuts was a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz between 1950 and 2000. It has also been described as “the longest story ever told by one human being”.

Peanuts tells the story of a young boy named Charlie Brown, his dog Snoopy and his friends. Philosophical, psychological, and sociological overtones with complex humor made Peanuts one of the most celebrated comic strips.

You can now have the complete collection thanks to publisher Fantagraphics!

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