Reading Order

Wonder Man Reading Order

by Fabien
January 9, 2025

Created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Don Heck for Marvel Comics in The Avengers #9 (1964), the character of Wonder Man, aka Simon Williams, is one of those who started as a villain before becoming a hero and a member of the Avengers–like Hawkeye for example. But the most surprising part is that he apparently died in that first issue and didn’t reappear for four years and, then again, it was not for long. It was not before the mid-1970s that he would start to play a bigger part.

All of this is because DC Comics sued Marvel Comics for the right to use the name. DC had Wonder Woman and didn’t like the idea that Marvel would use Wonder Man. Stan Lee didn’t want to fight it (he created She-Hulk to avoid someone else doing it, it was the game at the time), but when DC introduced Power Girl (Marvel already had Power Man), it seemed fair to bring back Wonder Man.

Simon Williams was an industrialist who gained superpowers after being imbued with “ionic” energy by Baron Zemo. As Wonder Man, he infiltrated the Avengers but ultimately betrayed Zemo and seemingly sacrificed himself to save the team. Resurrected later, Wonder Man became a loyal member of the Avengers and grew into a prominent hero. He also developed a career in Hollywood as an actor and stuntman.

Wonder Man helped form the West Coast Avengers, and later joined Force Works, but most of all he has been an Avengers!

Star Wars Legends Comics Reading Order (The Star Wars Expanded Universe)

by Carole
Updated on January 2, 2025
2 Comments

Since the release of the first Star Wars movie, the universe created by George Lucas has never stopped expanding. Beyond the movies, TV shows, games, novels, comics, and more have been created to cover many stories in the Star Wars galaxy, spanning more than 25, 000 years of history.

It was called the Star Wars Expanded Universe. But when Disney bought the Star Wars franchise, the company simply blew up this Expanded Universe in order to create a new official canon. So everything that have been published before April 25, 2014, was now part of the Star Wars Legends, the new name given to the Star Wars Expanded Universe.

A lot of comic books have been published during the past 35 years, before April 2014. Star Wars Comic books were first published by Marvel Comics from 1977 to 1986. After, Dark Horse Comics owned the license exclusively from 1991 to 2014. Pendulum Press (1978) and Blackthorne (1987–1988) also published some Star Wars Comics, and Star Wars comic strips have been distributed in the newspapers the Los Angeles Times Syndicate and Watertown Daily Times between 1979 and 1984.

This article is devoted to the Star Wars Legends or Expanded Universe, to the Star Wars comic books published before April 25, 2014. For the ongoing Star Wars Canon, you can find the reading order over here.

Captain Atom Reading Order (Nathaniel Adam)

by Fabien
December 14, 2024
1 Comment

Created by Joe Gill and Steve Ditko in 1960, Captain Atom first appeared in Space Adventures #33 published by Charlton Comics, a publishing company later acquired by DC Comics. Back then, the character was named Allen Adam, a technician who was trapped in a rocket that exploded. He should have died but instead became a superpowered atomic hero. His series continued for a few years (until December 1967). Back then, he had a red and yellow outfit and pretty generic powers.

In 1983, DC Comics acquired Charlton Comics’ action heroes and asked Alan Moore to do something with them. That’s how Captain Atom became Doctor Manhattan in Watchmen. Moore’s take on the characters was not what DC’s editors had in mind for them and the British writer had to rewrite some of them to create his own version while the publisher introduced Charlton’s super-heroes (like Blue Beetle) in its Post-Crisis universe. During the Crisis on Infinite Earths, it was established that they were on Earth-4. After that, they found their way into the main continuity.

Captain Atom was then reinvented as Nathaniel Christopher Adam, a United States Air Force officer and Vietnam War veteran. Framed and condemned for a crime he didn’t commit, his only option to survive was to join the military experiment called ‘Project: Captain Atom‘ during which he was placed in an alien craft positioned next to an atomic bomb. The goal was to test the resistance of the ship, but the result was ultimately the creation of a superhero. During the explosion, Nathaniel was disintegrated, but he mysteriously reappeared 18 years later, now bonded with the alien metal that has the ability to tap into the “Quantum Field”. Captain Atom can absorb energy to a certain point (beyond that, he jumps in time).

In 1986, as Captain Atom just reappeared, the military forced him to work for them. He eventually joined the Justice League and later became the leader of Justice League Europe. Through the years, he joined other teams, fought his enemy through times, and became a villain before returning to normal.

Madman Reading Order, Explore Mike Allred’s Comics Universe

by Fabien
Updated on December 9, 2024

In 1992, Tundra Publishing had a large lineup of comic book series by independent creators. One of them was Madman by Mike Allred who quickly gathered a few nominations for prestigious awards (it won the Harvey for Best New Series). It was a superhero comic with a unique vision and an atypic aesthetic for the time, as Allred’s Pop Art style certainly made the book immediately distinguish itself from the rest.

From its initial success, Madman Adventures moved to Dark Horse Comics–when Denis Kitchen bought Tundra–where it gained even more popularity and colors (by Laura Allred). As the Madmanverse developed new characters were introduced and spin-off series were created. Madman himself made some appearances in other books, even from other publishers.

The story follows the adventures of Frank Einstein, a man who was revived by two scientists, Dr. Egon Boiffard and Dr. Gillespie Flem. With no memory of his past, he took the name “Frank Einstein” after his creators’ heroes, Frank Sinatra and Albert Einstein. Now reborn with enhanced abilities—superhuman agility, reflexes, and a touch of precognition—Frank remembers little of his past life. His identity as “Madman” is inspired by his childhood comic hero, Mr. Excitement. Despite his Frankenstein-like appearance, including blue skin and scars, he has a girlfriend, Joe Lombard, and is joined by allies like the alien Mott, invisible scientist Gale, and robotic companions Astroman and Machina.

The publication history of Madman is not the simplest as the book changed publishers multiple times. It started at Tundra in the Grafik Muzik anthology before getting a solo book titled Madman Adventures, went to Dark Horses where it evolved to become Madman Comics for a few years, then Allred established his own publishing company, AAA Pop Comics, where he continued Madman’s story with The Atomics–a new comic book series focused on Frank’s superhero team, the Atomics. It stopped in 2001, but Frank Einstein returned in Madman Atomic Comics launched at Image Comics in 2007.

The Madmaniverse is a superhero universe like no other, the colorful vision of one independent cartoonist who developed a cult favorite. Below, you’ll find a guide to reading everything.

Patsy Walker Hellcat Reading Order, From the Teen Comics to Marvel Superhero

by Fabien
December 4, 2024

Patsy Walker is an old character. She came from the Golden Age of Comics, at a time when Marvel Comics wasn’t called Marvel Comics yet–but it turns out that Patsy Walker #95 was the first (with Journey into Mystery #69) to be labeled a “Marvel Comics” on its cover. Created in 1944 by Stuart Little and Ruth Atkinson in Miss America Magazine #2, Patsy Walker was not a superhero. She was the star of a teen romantic-comedy series–up until 1967.

This version of Patsy entered briefly the world of Superheroes with a cameo in Fantastic Four Annual #3 in 1965, but this had no consequences on who she became. It turns out that–with the help of a retcon–those Patsy Walker comics were the work of Dorothy Walker who used her daughters and her friends (notably Hedy) as an inspiration for this fictional series that exists in the Marvel Universe.

In 1972, Steve Engleheart who remembered that FF cameo and was familiar with the Patsy comics thought it would be a fun idea to make her a real character in the Marvel Universe. With artist George Pérez, he did just that in the feature he was doing in the anthology book Amazing Adventures #13. She only appeared in three issues (and was not “Hellcat” yet), but came back two years later for a few issues of The Avengers, and officially took the name of “Hellcat” and the costume of another hero, Greer Grant Nelson’s The Cat. In 1977, she joined The Defenders and met (in issue #92) Daimon Hellstrom, the Son of Satan. They got married and went on to do some supernatural investigations. Eventually, like all of Marvel’s heroes at some point, she died (in the mid-1990s).

Hellcat was resurrected in 2000 and got her first miniseries. More would come as she’s still active today, mostly working alongside her friend She-Hulk.

Hellblazer John Constantine Reading Order, from the Swamp Thing to the Justice League Dark

by Fabien
Updated on November 4, 2024

Created by Alan Moore, Steve Bissette, and John Totleben in 1984 in The Saga of Swamp Thing series, John Constantine is an arrogant foul-mouthed working-class occult detective and con man from London. Originally a supporting character, he continued to appear in the series before getting his own ongoing in 1988, Hellblazer.

As Alan Moore was too busy (or didn’t want to) do it, DC Comics recruited another British writer, Jamie Delano, to develop the Hellblazer comics in which John Constantine was faced with much horror, demons, and others in Great Britain. This quickly cemented him as the antihero of the DC universe. Not loved by many, he still found people to join him during his fight against vile creatures, and they are often the ones who have to pay the harsher price.

Known for his cynicism, his deadpan snarking, his ruthless cunning, and his constant chain-smoking, John Constantine wants to help save lives, but his technique can be deadly if it’s for the greater good. Being his friend can be as dangerous as being his enemy.

The long-running Hellblazer comic book series was part of the Vertigo line and lasted 300 issues. After that, John Constantine was made a little more respectable as he joined the other magic heroes of the DC main universe. He joined teams and helped save the world, the universe, and reality.

Energon Universe Reading Order (Skybound’s Transformers, GI Joe, Voir Rivals…)

by Fabien
October 25, 2024

At the end of 2020, IDW lost the license to publish comic books from the Hasbro Universe. Therefore, series like Transformers and G.I. Joe went elsewhere. More precisely, they went to Image Comics via Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Entertainment imprint.

Naturally, the new creative teams didn’t continue with what was done at IDW. Instead, a new comic book universe was launched: The Energon Universe. It uses creative elements from Transformers and G.I. Joe, such as familiar concepts and characters, but also introduces original materials, notably with the all-new Void Rivals.

“I’ve loved these characters for most of my life and to have the opportunity to add to the already rich tapestry Hasbro has built with the all-new Void Rivals is an unbelievable opportunity. If you look at everything done with Transformers and G.I. Joe, you can see the inkling of a vast universe with tremendous potential for crossovers and interaction that will enhance the fan experience while staying true to the individual identities of both concepts. I look forward to exploring that potential for years to come.” – Robert Kirkman.

Juggling between ongoing and limited series, with some one-shots added to the mix, the Energon Universe was officially launched in June 2023. The creative teams are made of top talents with writers like Robert Kirkman, Daniel Warren Johnson, Joshua Williamson, Kelly Thompson, and Dan Watters (and more to come), and artists like DW Johnson, Lorenzo De Felici, Jorge Corona, Tom Reilly, Andrea Milana, Marco Ferrari, and more.

Doomsday Reading Order

by Carole
October 4, 2024

Like Cyborg Superman, the supervillain Doomsday made his debut during the “Death of Superman” story arc. If everyone knows his name, it’s because he is the character who killed Superman! That’s certainly one way to make an impression.

Created by Dan Jurgens, the first appearance of Doomsday is a cameo in Superman: The Man of Steel #17, before making his full appearance in the following issue, Superman: The Man of Steel #18 (December 1992). As Jurgens wrote on his website, “When we first started talking about Doomsday, he didn’t even have a name. We talked about him in terms of “living rage” or “force of nature”. ”

There is no better way to define Doomsday, an unstoppable force of destruction engineered long ago by Kryptonian scientists to be the ultimate weapon. Devoid of emotion and shaped by an unforgiving environment, Doomsday was forged through a brutal cycle of deaths and forced evolution. In the end, he became an unkillable machine filled with primal rage.

After escaping Krypton and embarking on a killing spree across many planets, Doomsday was finally defeated and buried on the primitive planet Earth. But Doomsday always comes back to life, and he returned, once again evolved, more unstoppable than ever, becoming one of Superman’s most iconic foes.

Since his creation, Doomsday has made several appearances on live-action television and in animated series, though his most mainstream incarnation is in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Discover the ultimate Doomsday reading order, guiding you through the essential comics and many epic battles involving The Destroyer!

The Walking Dead Comics Reading Order/Timeline, a Zombie post-apocalypse universe by Robert Kirkman

by Carole
Updated on October 5, 2024

There is no doubt that The Walking Dead is one of the most popular comic book series, gaining widespread recognition at the start of the 2010s with the television adaptation by AMC. Now a media franchise, it includes seven live-action television series, eight web series, several video games, novels, a role-playing game, and even an indoor roller coaster haunted attraction at Thorpe Park in England. The zombie apocalypse that captured the world’s attention began in 2003 with the original comic series.

Created by Robert Kirkman (Invincibles) and Tony Moore, The Walking Dead almost didn’t see the light of day as the two men struggled to sell their pitch. Their initial proposal, titled Dead Planet, was set in the 27th century, where a mysterious mineral on a newly discovered planet turned people into zombies, intended as a weapon. After Image Comics rejected the idea, Kirkman returned with a reworked concept, this time set on Earth and centered around the Grimes family during a zombie apocalypse in the 1960s. The comic series was initially called Night of the Living Dead, after the 1968 George Romero classic film. However, Image Comics co-founder Jim Valentino pushed for a more original concept, one with no ties to another classic zombie story.

Kirkman then proposed The Walking Dead with a more traditional approach, but the pitch was again rejected for being “too normal.” To secure the green light from Image Comics, Kirkman added a twist: the zombie plague was caused by aliens, turning the story into an alien invasion tale. Although this secured approval, Kirkman never actually intended to include aliens in the comic book.

Drawing inspiration from 28 Days Later (itself a nod to The Day of the Triffids), The Walking Dead begins with Rick Grimes, a Kentucky deputy who is shot in the line of duty and awakens from a coma to find that the world as he knew it is gone. In just a few months, society has crumbled: no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, and no cable TV. An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. With his family missing, Rick travels to a military evacuation zone in Atlanta to find them and joins a small group of survivors along the way, all while trying to adapt to life in this terrifying new world…

Grendel Reading Order, Matt Wagner’s Epic Comic Book Series

by Fabien
Updated on September 22, 2024

First published in 1982 by Comico, in Comico Primer #2, Grendel is a creation of Matt Wagner that started as something highly usual at the time. Inspired by Diabolik, Kriminal, Elric, the Beowulf myth, and more, this was the story of an anti-hero, Hunter Rose, an assassin turned mob boss whose Nemesis was Argent the wolf–a powerful and terrifying man-wolf.

The story of this master criminal would soon be retold in Devil by the Deed as a backup story in Wagner’s other series, Mage.

Grendel would eventually become an ongoing series at Comico, from 1986 to 1990. Instead of bringing back Hunter Rose, inspired by the generational aspects of The Phantom, Wagner decided to create a collection of stories exploring the influence of the Grendel identity. The first was Christine Spar, the daughter of Stacy Palumbo who played an integral part in Hunter Rose’s life, then Brian Li Sung who was for a time involved with Christine. After that, Wagner started to adopt a different angle, revisiting Hunter Rose’s career before going progressively into the future.

Continuously evolving, Grendel became a sci-fi story about a dystopic future where a corrupt religious society is disrupted by a powerful Vigilante dressed as Grendel. This led to a revolution and a new status quo as the power shifted and the spirit of Grendel pushed the whole imagery of the Grendel to evolve again. Then emerged the powerful and mysterious Grendel Prime.

As Comico went into bankruptcy in 1990, Grendel’s story was interrupted, but Matt Wagner moved it creation to Dark Horse Comics. Since then, he published new series and revisited old ones, coming back to it multiple times through the years.