Comic Book Herald

A Comic Book Reading Order Guide For Beginners & Fans

Comic Book Herald Reading Orders

Click the following link if you're looking for the CBH Marvel Reading Order. Otherwise, enjoy a smattering of comic book reading orders below!

Screaming at No One (Lois Lane: Enemy of the State Review!)

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When reading Lois Lane, the question arises time and time again: Why is Greg Rucka writing a Lois Lane Maxi-Series in 2019? The meaning of that question changes as the series goes on. The first time the question is asked is before you begin reading it and you wonder why Greg Rucka is writing it. It’s not that Rucka is a bad author; He’s a bit too fond of the US Military for my tastes, I got tired of Lazurus after a couple of volumes, and “Candor” is quite bluntly the worst thing everyone involved ever wrote. But he’s written some stuff I’ve quite liked: Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia, “Severance Package,” and the Question/Montoya bits of 52 to name a few.

This is the first major series for the character of Lois Lane since 1974. Why is Greg Rucka and not, say, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Marguerite Bennett, or Magdalene Visaggio working on this title? It’s quite possible that Rucka really wanted to write a Lois Lane book and, after the kerfuffle surrounding his Wonder Woman: Earth One book, maybe this was a means of making it up to him. Yet, Lois Lane isn’t one of his traditional spy/criminal/soldier/cop protagonists. She’s a reporter who is often at odds with her militaristic family. Why would Rucka gravitate to such a character? [Read more…] about Screaming at No One (Lois Lane: Enemy of the State Review!)

The Essential Marvel’s S.W.O.R.D. Comics Reading Order!

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Marvel’s SWORD, the Sentient World Observation and Response Department, is the intelligence equivalent of SHIELD, dealing with the extraterrestrial threats of the Marvel Cosmic scene. Whereas SHIELD has been with the Marvel Universe since the Jack and Stan Silver Age, SWORD debuted in 2004’s Astonishing X-Men by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday. Since that time, SWORD, and most specifically the unit’s delightfully no-nonsense commander, Abigail Brand, have been an integrated, yet sporadic part of the Marvel Universe fabric, although most commonly tied to the pages of X-Men.

Despite the memorable debut, clear purpose, and compelling role in Marvel Cosmic, SWORD only has one solo five issue miniseries prior to the launch of Al Ewing and Valerio Schiti’s hotly anticipated entrance into the X-Men’s Dawn of X. There are good stories involving SWORD and Agent Brand – as a matter of fact I have a list of 10 essentials – but I’d also argue there’s a definite sense of untapped potential. 

[Read more…] about The Essential Marvel’s S.W.O.R.D. Comics Reading Order!

Doctor Who Reading Order (Titan Comics)!

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Doctor Who is a globally renowned sci-fi TV series which started back in 1963. There have been many other multi-media platforms that have emerged from the TV show, especially since its 2005 reboot, but Titans Comics’ Doctor Who comics have been one of the most successful of these ‘spin-offs.’ While there have been many different publishers to take on the task of producing Doctor Who comics, none have been as successful as Titan.

Since debuting in 2015, the Titan Doctor Who universe has combined continuity and ease of entry for new readers. The comics emphasize modern incarnations of the Doctor, but there have still been stories and appearances from classic incarnations to please classic fans as well. While the TV show has disappointed of late, the comics label is still riding high. This page describes the details of how best to read and enjoy this excellent new series. [Read more…] about Doctor Who Reading Order (Titan Comics)!

Injustice Reading Order (DC Comics Universe)!

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Conceptually, I don’t actually *like* Injustice. The premise for this entire comics universe stems first from the 1 on 1 fighting video game, and the brief story of that video game is far from extraordinary.

The story of Injustice begins when Joker and Harley Quinn steal a nuke, launch it at Metropolis, and trick Superman from preventing the tragedy by tricking him into fighting an illusion of Doomsday that turns out to be his wife, Lois Lane. Enraged, Superman finally crosses the “no kill” line, murders Joker, and creeps deeper and deeper into an ironfisted tyrant of the world. As the face of DC’s “Kill No Man” campaign, Batman leads a rebellion against Superman. [Read more…] about Injustice Reading Order (DC Comics Universe)!

The Essential Galactus Reading Order!

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I’ve been thinking about it for a hot ten minutes now, and you’d be hardpressed to find a more famous hungry character than Galactus. The cosmic planet eater created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee is right up there with Scooby and Shaggy, Kobayashi, and Garfield for famous personas revolving around eating.

Of course, Galactus has plenty more going for him, starring in arguably the first Marvel Comics event, and functioning as the center of the entire Marvel Cosmic universe for decades since the Silver Age. Galactus inevitably brings a presence – and yes, a hunger – to any story, enhancing the stakes and consistently taking traditional “beat ’em up!” solutions off the table. [Read more…] about The Essential Galactus Reading Order!