Ever since I picked up the Black-and-White Vertigo Comics series Punk Rock Jesus on a comic shop impulse whim, I’ve been hooked on the art and storytelling of Sean Gordon Murphy. That trend continued through his incredible art on books like The Wake and Tokyo Ghost, ultimately building to his star turn with DC’s Batman: White Knight universe. [Read more…] about Batman White Knight Reading Order & Comics List!
DC Comics
Hill House (DC) Comics Reading List!
Hill House debuted in 2019 as a DC Comics pop-up imprint (it technically falls under the broader DC “Black Label” book categorization) with a focus on horror comics curated by writer Joe Hill. The son of Stephen King, Joe Hill is best known in the comics world for his long-running and celebrated series with artist Gabriel Rodriguez, Locke & Key. [Read more…] about Hill House (DC) Comics Reading List!
DC Black Label Reading List
At least once per year, my local comic shop runs a “newer comics” sale, where books that are still on their shelves that came out at least a month ago are all $1.50. It’s a great sale, and I typically use it to obsessively collect runs I wasn’t pulling in real time, or in some cases to spot up for atypically expensive oversized specials purely based on the savings.
In 2020, I was most excited for the sale as an opportunity to catch up on DC’s Black Label books. For the unfamiliar, “Black Label” is an imprint within DC Comics that launched in 2018 with Batman Hung Damned, and offers standalone, (generally) out of continuity stories from A-list creative talent. While the exact marketing can get muddled, I think of it as something like Vertigo for just DC superheroes and villains, with stories that are targeted for more mature audiences and gunning hard for “must read” long-term status. [Read more…] about DC Black Label Reading List
Birds of Prey Reading Order
DC Comics’ Birds of Prey are a (typically) all women team of heroes, with an initial core of Barbara Gordon (Batgirl, Oracle) and Dinah Lance (Black Canary). The team lineup is most traditionally connected to the Batman/Gotham comics universe, although membership has extended to non-Gotham regulars like Big Barda and Hawk and Dove. [Read more…] about Birds of Prey Reading Order
Metal Men Reading Order!
The Silver Age was a very strange time. A time of rampant science fiction, where anything was possible and nothing was adequately explained. Where Superman could turn into a tree in Lois’ yard one day, then trying to kill her in space the next. The silver age was a time completely free of consequence. And the Metal Men were perfect for that age, right down to their creation. [Read more…] about Metal Men Reading Order!