Comic Book Herald

A Comic Book Reading Order Guide For Beginners & Fans

Gabriel Rodrigues

Tatsuki Fujimoto Manga Reading Guide!

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If you know at least a little bit about anime, you probably know Chainsaw Man and his creator Tatsuki Fujimoto; after all, everyone is talking about it right now. He has many other works of note, mainly his newest one-shots. If you haven’t read anything by him, I really recommend you start with Goodbye, Eri, or Look Back. You will easily understand his style of art, storytelling, and character creation (not to mention I actually think Look Back is better than Chainsaw Man, sorry).

Fujimoto loves films with all his heart, to the point that he feels more inspired by movies than manga and anime. That makes his stories have a different feeling than many others out there, not to mention that a lot of them revolve around themes related to cinema and the making of films, mainly in Fire Punch and Goodbye, Eri.

Besides his love of films, I’ll constantly talk about his comedy and characters. He can make you cry on one page and then burst out laughing right next through smart paneling and dialogue. It’s incredible. And most of it is thanks to his characters. It’s a weird compliment, but they are all so human; Fujimoto says he tries to think of people he already met or feels like he knows, and it definitely shows. More than the story or the messages, his characters keep drawing my attention to his works.

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Static Shock Reading Order!

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Everyone knows Virgil Hawkins, or Static, from the Static Shock TV Show, but some (like me before writing this guide) might not know his history with Milestone Media. It was made by black creators who wanted a universe with black and more diverse heroes, and they nailed it. The comics discussed problems of the time – many that we still have today to some degree – and had characters of different ethnicities, nationalities, and sexualities, but that weren’t only defined by them. They were so much more. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to guarantee great sales.

Most of these stories were set in Dakota, making the universe also called the Dakotaverse. Virgil lives in Dakota and gained his powers during a gang fight there; making him a “Gang Baby,” what the people who obtained powers because of the fight are called. His best run by far is the original Static by Milestone, but he also has stories in the main DC Universe and the new initiative, Milestone Returns.

Since I was younger, I’ve loved Static; Virgil has all the great traces of the greatest teen heroes: he’s powerful, your age, and funnier than you. But what the comic does best is making him heroic and human. The chapters try to bring discussions, but it’s not a message you have to understand at the end, the characters are literally talking about it. Virgil, and many of the characters featured, seem like real people, with complex opinions and personalities. That’s something I really hope the newer comics manage to do too; it’ll definitely be great.

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Rogue Sun Review!

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Earlier this year, we met the hero Rogue Sun during Supermassive, but we also learned he would die. So this is the set-up for the Rogue Sun comic. Dylan, the newest person to assume the mantle, has to find out who killed his dad and how to defeat a threat capable of that without knowing anything about being a hero. Writer Ryan Parrott and artist Abel craft a whodunnit mixed with a great superhero story.

In the first pages, we see Marcus Bell fighting a mysterious hooded being that knows who he is and how to mess up with the source of his powers, the sun stone. He is easily defeated. Then it cuts to Dylan, the son which Marcus abandoned. And Dylan, not surprisingly, hates his dad with all his might because the man didn’t even try to get to know him. He only seemed good at one thing: making Gwen, Dylan’s mom, sad. [Read more…] about Rogue Sun Review!

James Tynion IV Creator-Owned (Indie) Comics Guide!

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James Tynion IV is a GLAAD and Eisner award-winning comic writer known for works like The Nice House on the Lake, Batman, and Detective Comics. His books in DC are impressive, but they only scratch the surface. If you want to know more about Tynion and his best works, checking out his indie comics is a must.

I’ve always read comics, but my obsession with them only started around last year. I was reading more and more each time, but I couldn’t stop seeing one name repeatedly, “James Tynion IV” – who the heck is this guy, I would think. Well, apart from me, he’s one of your favorite writers.

If you like horror, Tynion seems like an inevitable path. Although he has many comics more focused on fantasy and other aspects, you will still see glimpses of his knack for the grotesque, like the use of body horror. His library is made of successes like Boom Studios’ Something Is Killing The Children, Image’s Department of Truth, and now his many Substack creations and his own magazine, Razorblades.

Tynion is not only a great writer but also a very knowledgeable person in the game of comics. He knows a lot about how the industry works and tries to pitch many new ideas and forms of storytelling in it. Honestly, not checking out his indie works is simply a waste, so I’m here to help you out. [Read more…] about James Tynion IV Creator-Owned (Indie) Comics Guide!

Orphan and the Five Beasts Review!

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Chaos and camp. Those are the words for this comic, and I’m all for it. James Stokoe (Aliens: Dead Orbit) creates a crazy kung-fu-inspired world designed to impress and impact us in every way possible, from the writing to the coloring and the characters. He uses all elements at his disposal to make the reader exclaim how cool Orphan and the Five Beasts is. Well, it sure is cool as heck! [Read more…] about Orphan and the Five Beasts Review!