Howard the Duck occupies a strange place in Marvel Comics history, simultaneously the most laughable creation and a reflection of the most biting 70’s satire and seachange for superhero comics.
It’s a well-known if still seemingly impossible accident of culture that Howard the Duck was one of the earliest comic book movie adaptations, and by George Lucas of all people! If you haven’t seen Howard the Duck, save yourself the trouble. It’s an absolute mess, despite a raucous final number.
And so it was, that for decades after Steve Gerber brought Howard to the broader Marvel Universe, Howard was pure laughingstock.
Recent years, and an out-of-left-field Guardians of the Galaxy end-credits cameo, have restored Howard to a substantially more respectable comedic role. The world-weary straight man in a world of hairless clowns.
Below, you’ll find a reading order for the Howard the Duck comics, so you can enjoy the once and future duck all for yourself.
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Howard the Duck Comic Book Reading Order
Howard the Duck: The Complete Collection Volume 1
Collects: Adventures into Fear #19, Man-Thing #1, Giant-Size Man-Thing #4 to #5, Howard The Duck (1976) #1 to #7, Marvel Treasury Edition #12, Howard the Duck #8 to #16, Howard The Duck Annual #1
Steve Gerber’s original launch of Howard the Duck out of the pages of Man-Thing. Art primarily by Val Mayerik and Frank Brunner.
Howard the Duck: The Complete Collection Vol. 2
Collects: Howard The Duck (1976) 17-31, Howard The Duck Magazine 1\
Collects: Adventure Into Fear #19, Man-Thing #1, Giant-Size Man-Thing #4-5, Howard The Duck #1-33, Marvel Treasury Edition #12 And Marvel Team-Up #96
The Howard omnibus edition essentially overlaps with the first two ‘Complete Collection’ volumes, and covers the full Steve Gerber run on the character.
Howard the Duck: The Complete Collection Vol. 3
Collects: Howard The Duck Magazine #2-7, And Material From Crazy Magazine #59, 63, And 65
Howard the Duck: The Complete Collection Vol. 4
Collects: Howard The Duck Magazine 8-9, Marvel Team-Up (1972) 96, Howard The Duck (1976) 32-33, Sensational She-Hulk 14-17; Material From Bizarre Adventures 34, Marvel Tales (1964) 237, Spider-Man Team-Up 5
Weird Undiscussed Howard of the 2000’s!
Collects: Howard the Duck #1 to #6
2002 Marvel Max return of Steve Gerber!
Howard the Duck: Media Duckling
Collects: Howard The Duck #1 to #4 (2007 to 2008 series)
Chip Zdarsky and Joe Quinones Revive Howard For 2015
Howard The Duck Vol. 0 : What The Duck
Collects: Howard The Duck (2015) #1-5
Secret Wars – Howard the Human
This one-shot from Skottie Young is one of my absolute favorite Secret Wars tie-ins.
Howard the Duck Vol. 1: Duck Hunt
Collects: Howard The Duck (2015 to present) #1 to #5, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #6, Howard the Duck #6
Collects: Gwenpool #0
Gwenpool’s origins ran as backups in three Howard the Duck issues and were subsequently collected in Gwenpool #0. Howard gets caught up in Gwenpool’s madcap scheme against the Black Cat.
Howard the Duck Vol. 2: Good Night, and Good Duck
Collects: Howard The Duck 7-11
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