A Comic Book Reading Order Guide For Beginners & Fans
When one thinks back on early aughts comic book curiosities, one prominent entry on the list might be Stan Lee’s Just Imagine…
This shaky groundwork did not make for an especially groundbreaking series, and the issues have seldom been referenced since, with a few exceptions (every wild idea at DC comes back in a Grant Morrison comic
The more things change, the more they stay the same. It’s been nearly 10 years since the New 52. DC’s messed around with their continuity some more, between Rebirth and Metal and Doomsday Clock, but everything’s even more convoluted now than it’s ever been before. And ultimately, that’s okay. In around a month, DC will be relaunching their line again with their new Infinite Frontier line, spinning out of a 2-month linewide initiative called Future State. But the real question we’re asking – okay, the real question I’m asking – is whether or not DC has actually learned from the lessons of the New 52. What makes this relaunch any more likely to succeed? [Read more…] about The Old 52: DC’s New 52 10 Years Later – The Launch & What We Can Learn
DC Comics has been publishing Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman comics starting all the way back in the late 1930s (Whereas Marvel Comics has a relevant continuity dating back to a paltry 1961). If you want some context around Superman and Batman’s longevity, their creation predates World War II, the Cleveland Indians’ World Series drought (Go Cubs!), and TELEVISION.
As a result, DC Comics has a heckuva long publication history that can be a challenge for new readers to navigate. [Read more…] about Where to Start With DC Comics In 2025
Ed. Note: Spoilers for Three Jokers (and more or less the oeuvre of Geoff Johns) follow!
0. Let’s just get this out of the way: The Killing Joke is not that good of a comic. Even by the standards of bad Alan Moore comics, this sticks out in terms of its quality. Where most other trademark bad Alan Moore comics are bad for more interesting reasons (Neonomicon and later volumes of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen are bad for interesting yet horrifying reasons), The Killing Joke
In short, it’s bad in the same way comics like the Vigilante arc “Father’s Day,” the Violator miniseries, and Three Jokers are bad. [Read more…] about Theses on Three Jokers by Geoff Johns & Jason Fabok
Editor’s Note: In Part 1 of this series, Ritesh explored Matt Fraction, Steve Lieber and team’s DC Comics series Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen, which led to an exploration of Fraction’s “American Fiction” trilogy released over the last few years. Today, the journey concludes with Adventureman, the Pulps, and circling back to the comedy of Jimmy Olsen!
[Read more…] about Matt Fraction, American Fiction, and Jimmy Olsen! (Pt. 2 of 2)