IDW

When I wrote this article, it was announced that IDW would stop publishing GI Joe Comics. It’s now a done deal and the Joe-verse has been relaunched by Skybound as part of their Energon Universe. This is a new entry point, but if you are interested in getting back to the beginning with what was originally done at Marvel Comics and later at IDW, this is your guide.

As a licensed property by Hasbro, G.I. Joe comics have been released from 1967 to today (except between 1977 and 1981, and between 1997 and 2000), but it was not anything of note before the launch of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero in 1982.

“’G.I. Joe’ is the code name for America’s daring, highly trained special mission force. Its purpose: to defend human freedom against Cobra, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world.”

Hasbro relaunched the toy line and needed some promotion to go with it (there’s an episode of The Toys That Made Us on Netflix about that). At that time, the move to go with a comic book tie-in G.I. Joe series was not a sure thing, but Larry Hama who wrote most of the comics made it a success (with art by Herb Trimpe at first). He created a solid and realistic military universe with great mythology to go with it and interesting characters.

With 155 issues and several spin-offs, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero was a hit for a long time at Marvel Comics. It ended in 1994. A second and a third G.I. Joe comic book series were published by Devil’s Due Productions from 2001 to 2008 (80 issues and some spin-offs), then it was revived by IDW Publishing (like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Transformers) with issue 155 ½ written by Larry Hama who picked up the story where he had left it at Marvel Comics. From there, a lot of GI Joe Comics was published. A Lot.

Read More »GI Joe Comics Reading Order, A Real American Hero!

Welcome to Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them… and home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all…

This is the premise of Locke and Key, the comic book series written by Joe Hill and illustrated by Gabriel Rodríguez published by IDW, which is also now a Netflix series. The original run of the series has been published as a set of limited series, followed since then by a series of short stories set in the past. The Locke and Key universe continue to expand, slowly, but still…

And, as a very popular comic book, there are multiple editions. Here is a guide to help you navigate all this.

Read More »Locke and Key, a Reading Order Guide for Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez’s series

Published by IDW, The October Faction is a horror series written by Steve Niles (Kick-Ass, 30 Days of Night) with art by Damien Worm (Dark Souls) that was adapted for television by Netflix (but canceled after only one season).

The October Faction tells the adventures of retired monster-hunter Frederick Allan and his family, his wife Deloris, and their two children Geoff and Vivian… which include a thrill-killer, a witch, and a warlock.

Read More »The October Faction Reading Order: How to read the IDW horror comics by Steve Niles?

Originally published by Mirage Studios in 1984, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a black-and-white, self-published comic created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird that quickly gained traction, helping to ignite the independent comics boom of the 1980s.

Unlike many of its contemporaries, which faded into obscurity, TMNT evolved into a long-lasting franchise. The original comics follow four mutated turtles—Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo—who are trained in ninjutsu by their rat sensei, Splinter. Living in the sewers of New York City, they battle crime, alien threats, and supernatural forces, expanding their adventures across multiple dimensions in comics, television, and film.

While the original Mirage series ended in 1995, TMNT publications continued in various forms. The property moved to Image Comics in 1996, returned to Mirage in the early 2000s, and was later acquired by Nickelodeon in 2009. Since 2011, IDW Publishing (Transformers, G.I. Joe) has produced an ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic series, spearheaded by TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman, writer Tom Waltz, and artist Dan Duncan. This iteration introduced a revised origin story and an expanded mythology, ensuring that the heroes in a half shell continue their legacy in fresh and ambitious ways.

After 150 issues, IDW decided to relaunch the main Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic series and announced Volume 2 now written by Jason Aaron. A new era of the Turtles began.

Read More »Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IDW Reading Order