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Lady Mechanika Reading Order, A Guide to Joe Benitez’s Steampunk Comics

Created by comic artist Joe Benitez, Lady Mechanika is a steampunk-inspired comic book series that debuted in 2010 with the one-shot Lady Mechanika #0 (later subtitled “The Demon of Satan’s Alley“). Originally published by Aspen Comics, then later under Benitez Productions, the series is composed of multiple miniseries.

Set in a steampunk world full of advanced Victorian-era technology, alchemy, and supernatural elements, the Lady Mechanika comic book series follows the adventures of a woman with mechanical limbs who has no memory of her past. Lady Mechanika is a detective and adventurer who is using her skills to uncover mysteries, battle villains, face off against shadowy organizations, and piece together the story of her origins.

Called by the tabloids “Lady Mechanika,” she’s the only survivor of a mad scientist’s cruel experiments that gave her mechanical limbs. With no memory of her past or captivity, she started a new life as an adventurer and private investigator, solving cases others couldn’t or wouldn’t. Still, she never gave up searching for the truth about her past.

With the help of Mr. Lewis, her loyal engineer who assists her with gadgets and technology, and later the young Winifred “Winnie” Huxley, Lady Mechanika navigates a world rich with clockwork automatons, airships, and a blend of science and magic. Read More »Lady Mechanika Reading Order, A Guide to Joe Benitez’s Steampunk Comics

Hawkgirl Kendra Saunders Reading Order

There were other Hawkgirls before Kendra Saunders made her first appearance in 1999 in JSA: Secret Files #1 (by James Robinson, David Goyer, and Scott Benefiel). It’s part of being Hawkgirl, an immortal warrior following a reincarnation cycle that reunites her with her lover Hawkman (Carter Hall).

But unlike past Hawkgirls who fully embrace their process, she actively resists it, trying to forge her own path rather than be bound by fate. A troubled young woman, Kendra Saunders died by suicide. When she was found by her grandfather, Speed Saunders, her body was miraculously revived—but her soul had been replaced by that of her ancestor, Shiera Hall, the original Hawkgirl.

While she doesn’t initially remember her past lives, she struggles with the memories of them and is pushed by unforeseen events to reunite with Carter and fight alongside the Justice Society of America to survive. Kendra retains her own personality and memories, and refuses to be defined by a past she doesn’t remember living.

However, she unconsciously acquires Shiera’s fighting skills and instincts. Like other Hawk avatars, she wields weaponry made from the mystical Nth Metal, which grants her flight, enhanced strength, and durability.

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Life is Strange Comics Reading Order

While the world of comic books has inspired many video games, such as Batman: Arkham, The Wolf Among Us, Midnight Suns, and more recently Marvel Rivals, many comics have also spun out of video games. Sonic the Hedgehog, Tomb Raider, Assassin’s Creed, and the subject of today’s article, Life is Strange, are among them.

Created by Dontnod Entertainment, Life is Strange is an episodic adventure game following Maxine ‘Max’ Caulfield, an 18-year-old photography senior who discovers she can rewind time and change the course of events. Back in her hometown of Arcadia Bay after a five-year absence, Max reconnects with her old friend Chloe Price, and the two women start to track down Rachel Amber, Chloe’s missing friend. Their investigation exposes them to the darker side of Arcadia Bay. Meanwhile, Chloe and Max attempt to understand the consequences of Max’s new power, driven by Max’s frequent visions of a tornado destroying the town in four days.

Released in 2015, the Life is Strange video game found critical and commercial success and marked the beginning of a franchise that includes multiple video games, a comic book series, and other books. Today, we are exploring this universe—a guide to the Life is Strange franchise, from the original video game to the comics and beyond.

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Squirrel Girl Reading Order, the Unbeatable Comic Book List!

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Many Marvel superheroes have been defined by tragedy, from the death of Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben to Matt Murdock being hit by a truck full of chemicals and losing his father. While tragedy and bizarre accidents have created many heroes, it’s nice to be reminded sometimes that you can be happy and superheroic—just like Squirrel Girl!

Right now a playable character in Marvel Rivals (voiced by Milana Vayntrub), Squirrel Girl was created by Will Murray and Steve Dikto.  Also known as Doreen Allene Green, she made her first appearance in Marvel Super-Heroes vol. 2 #8, published in 1991. In this issue, she teamed up with Iron Man and defeated the villainous Doctor Doom with the help of her squirrel sidekick, Monkey Joe. After this one-off partnership with Iron Man, Squirrel Girl didn’t become an instant hit and largely disappeared from comics for years.

She made her return to the Marvel Universe thanks to Dan Slott, in GLA: Misassembled, a miniseries about the Great Lakes Avengers—a team of superheroes with seemingly “useless” or odd powers. This comic book series also introduced her new squirrel sidekick, Tippy-Toe. After that, she popped up occasionally, crossing paths with characters like Deadpool before taking on a job as a nanny for Jessica Jones and Luke Cage’s daughter in New Avengers (in 2010).

Read More »Squirrel Girl Reading Order, the Unbeatable Comic Book List!

Static Shock Reading Order

Helped by a popular 4-season animated show titled “Static Shock” broadcasted between 2004 and 2004 on the WB Television Network’s Kids’ WB programming block, Static became the most popular superhero from the Milestone Comics imprint (distributed by DC Comics). Even before the show started, he was already one of the highlights of the line.

Created by Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis, Derek T. Dingle, and Christopher Priest, Static made his first appearance in a 3-page preview in Icon #1 before the launch of the ongoing Static comics series written by McDuffie and Robert L. Washington III and illustrated by John Paul Leon. The comic book would last 45 issues but the characters appeared in more comics from the Milestone line as it was part of the shared universe called the Dakotaverse.

Static is really Virgil Hawkins, an African-American teenager living in Dakota City who gains his superpowers during the “Big Bang.” The Big Bang happened when the police disrupted a gang conflict by using an experimental gas with catastrophic consequences. This gas gave many people in the area superhuman abilities.
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Milestone Comics Reading Order (Hardware, Icon, Blood Syndicate, and Static)

In 1993, DC Comics launched two major lines: Vertigo and Milestone. The first was developed to cater to an older, more mature audience, than the regular DC Comics line. The second was historically more significant as Milestone Comics was the first minority-owned comic book company, cofounded by four African-Americans who wanted to introduce a more realistic cultural diversity in American Superhero comics.

Dwayne McDuffie, Derek T. Dingle, Denys Cowan, and Michael Davis made a deal with DC Comics. Milestone would control the copyrights, the characters, the merchandising, and the creative direction, while DC Comics would print, license, and distribute the comics for a share of the profits. And so, Milestone Comics was launched in February 1993 with the publication of Hardware #1 by Dwayne McDuffie and Jimmy Palmiotti. Then came Blood Syndicate by Ivan Velez Jr. and Chris Cross, Icon by McDuffie and M.D. Bright, and Static by McDuffie, Robert Washington III, John Paul Leon, and Steve Mitchell.

The launch was a total success, but it didn’t last long. Milestone Comics ceased regular publication in 1997 due to financial difficulties. Its cultural impact was nevertheless important (and still is) and its return was discussed for a long time. It finally happened in 2021 and came with a modernized take on the now-classic comics.

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Batman By Grant Morrison Reading Order

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Grant Morrison’s 7-year long run on Batman remains one of the most celebrated, influential, and divisive takes on the Caped Crusader. It all started in 2005 when editor Peter Tomasi approached  Morrison about writing the monthly Batman comic. As Morrison later explained, he thought at the time he had “said most of what had to say about the character with Arkham Asylum, Gothic, and Batman’s appearances in JLA. Clearly, I was wrong.” (Batman Incorporated Special #1, October 2013).

Morrison’s work on Batman started at the end of the Modern Age and concluded at the start of New 52. His approach—treating the entire publishing history as Batman’s life story—created one of the most iconic sagas featuring the Dark Knight. It’s an epic, metaphysical tale filled with weird sci-fi elements, colorful and dangerous villains, unexpected plot twists, and, at its core, the tragic effects of trauma and broken families. As often, Bruce Wayne’s loss of his parents is still at the heart of the story, the same way that Damian Wayne, Son of Batman, is.

Structured in three parts, Morrison’s epic tale takes the reader on a wild ride, from the deconstruction of Batman’s history in the first part, to the playful spirit of adventure in the second, and finally, to the ambitious, James Bond-style story of the third. Not everything works, but there is no doubt that when it is, it is sort of magical.

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White Tiger Reading Order (Hector Ayala, Angela del Toro, and Ava Ayala)

In 1974, Marvel Comics was in the business of publishing magazines. One of them was The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, a black-and-white martial arts comics magazine that introduced in its first issue The Sons of the Tiger, a trio of crime fighters. Created by Gerry Conway and Dick Giordano, these characters each possessed an amulet (a tiger’s head and two tiger claws) that increased their fighting skills.

But this didn’t last and after many adventures, the three sons call it quits and throw away their amulets. However, in The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19, an issue from writer Bill Mantlo and artist George Pérez, they are found by a young Puerto Rican named Hector Ayala who combined them and gained the power that transformed him into the hero called White Tiger!

Like the three sons, Hector Ayala used martial arts but acted like a more traditional superhero with a costume and a secret identity. With The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #33, the comics magazine ended, and the black-and-white adventures of White Tiger with it (his ended in #32 though). A few months later, he made his comeback, in color this time, in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #9 written by Bill Mantlo who kept using the character that way.

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The Rocketeer Reading Order, A guide to Dave Stevens’ cult comics and the IDW miniseries

First appearing as a backup feature in Starslayer #2, published by Pacific Comics in 1982, The Rocketeer is a now-cult comic book created by Dave Stevens (1955-2008) who was heavily inspired by the aesthetic of pulp magazines, early Hollywood serials, and vintage aviation.

Set in 1930s Los Angeles, the story of The Rocketeer follows Cliff Secord, a young and cocky stunt pilot trying to make a name for himself. Cliff’s life takes an unexpected turn when he discovers a mysterious rocket pack hidden in his hangar. This experimental device allows him to fly, making him a target at the same time as it was originally stolen by gangsters during a botched robbery and ends up in Cliff’s possession. They want it back, as does its creator, Howard Hughes. Soon, Cliff’s girlfriend, an aspiring actress and model named Betty, becomes entangled in Cliff’s adventures when villains attempt to use her to get to him. To make matters worse, the Nazis view the rocket pack as a potential weapon that could give them a significant advantage in their plans for world domination and want to get it for themselves.

A skilled storyteller and an exceptionally gifted artist, Stevens injected everything he liked in the comics. From his love of the iconic pin-up model Bettie Page to retro-futurism and aviation culture, the aesthetic of pulp magazines and early serials, and the glamour of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

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One World Under Doom Reading Order, a new Dark era in the Marvel Comics Universe

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It’s a new day and a new world in the Marvel Comics Universe. It’s One World Under Doom!!! The Sorcerer Supreme is launching his Dark Reign era in 2025.

To Save the world from the Vampire invasion, Doctor Strange had to give Doctor Victor Von Doom his title as Sorcerer Supreme. After that, Latveria’s leader retreated to his country. Months passed without any news but the wait just ended: Doctor Doom, Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme, has magically taken over every broadcast medium on the planet and declared himself Emperor of the World — the ruler of a new United Latveria!

Leaders of the World complied but Earth’s heroes are not so easily manipulated. The resistance is forming, but will they succeed in stopping Doom’s machinations? The answers will come, written by Fantastic Four author Ryan North and artist R. B. Silva in their “One World Under Doom” limited series. Of course, it would not be a Marvel event if the story was confined to one book. Everybody is affected by this power shift.

Read More »One World Under Doom Reading Order, a new Dark era in the Marvel Comics Universe