#comixology guide

[comixology]

Episode IV: A New comiXology Guide

Not so long ago, in a galaxy that just so happens to be the one you're in right now, we released a bunch of Star Wars collections into the comiXology store. 

But if you're just a padawan, when it comes to Star Wars Comics, don't worry... I've got you covered with a couple picks to get you started.

Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago... Vol. 1 This collects the first 27 issues of the original Star Wars comics that launched the same year the first movie came out. The first six issues are adapted straight from Episode IV. From there it launches into some more original stories that introduce a bunch of new characters. Stick with the omnibuses long enough and they do eventually cover the plot of The Empire Strikes back as well (Vol. 2 - Issues 39-44). Features early work by Howard Chaykin!

Star Wars Omnibus: Knights of the Old Republic Vol. 1 Taking place almost 4,000 years before Luke Skywalker blew up the Death Star, this series, which runs for a total of 50 issues, follows the store of Zayne Carrick, a young Padawan training at the Jedi Academy who gets framed for the murder of his fellow Jedi-in-training. In the chronological timeline of the Star Wars comics we currently have, this is the earliest story. 

Star Wars (2013-2014) Vol. 1: In The Shadow Of Yavin Set directly after the events of Episode IV, these comics have been heralded as a return to form for the Star Wars comics franchise. Written by Brian Wood and with art by Carlos D'Anda, these are a perfect jumping on point for those not familiar with the Star Wars Expanded Universe. 

Star Wars: Legacy Vol. 1 On the opposite side of the spectrum from Knights of the Old Republic, the events in Star Wars: Legacy take place 130 years after the destruction of the first Death Star. A legion of Sith have conquered what was left of the Empire, the Jedi have been purged—or fled into hiding—and the galaxy is divided. Cade Skywalker, descendant of Luke, who had abandoned the Jedi order is forced to come to terms with his ancestors legacy and become the savior he was destined to be.  

There are four picks to get you started! May The Force be with you!

[comixology]

Ask and you shall receive!

A comiXology Guide to Zatanna!

I will admit, at the moment, we have some gaps in our Zatanna collection here at comiXology (I’ll be sure to let DC know WE WANT MORE!), including not only the first appearance of Zatanna in 1964’s Hawkman #4 but also the introduction of Zatanna’s father Giovanni Zatara whose story appeared alongside the introduction of Superman in Action Comics #1!

That being said, I put together a little reading list that will still give you a nice introduction to one of the DC characters that deserves way more attention than she gets and not just because her bowtie game puts mine to shame.

In 2010, longtime fan of the Zatanna, Paul Dini put the young magi in the spotlight of her own solo series. It’s a great place to start with the character, and Dini (who you may have heard of as the writer of  Batman: The Animated Series) has become the quintessential voice behind character. The series follows Zatana’s adventures having recently left the JLA, and while short lived adds much to the Zatanna mythos, seeing her pitted against a sorcerer who controls the supernatural crime scene in San Francisco, a Faustian casino owner who trades the souls of his new brides for everlasting youth, and a new supervillan named Siphon who attempts to steal Zatanna’s powers.

Read Zatanna's Solo Series

In the mid 2000’s Grant Morrison wanted to take what he felt was a bunch of DC “C-List” characters and form them into his own Avengers analogue. Zatanna was sloted for his Scarlet Witch counterpart and so a 4-issue miniseries featuring her was woven into Morrison’s grand over-arching storyline that brought all of his characters together ending in a climactic final battle. Zatanna’s story can be read on its own if you’d like just a taste, but the whole story has been collected into a couple volumes. With JH Williams III on art, it’s definitely worth a look or two

Read Grant Morrison & JH Williams III's Seven Soldiers: Zatanna

Start the complete Seven Soldiers of Victory

Maybe this is the whole reason I wanted to write this list. Just recently Paul Dini got back in the driver seat of the good ship Zatanna, and this time brought along the incredible joequinones to write one of the best books to come out under the DC banner in recent memory. Bloodspell sees two superheroes brought together by their love for one another as well as their love for fishnet stockings. Witness a young Black Canary meet an even younger Zatanna Zatara, and get glimpses into how their friendship began while they take on a curse that is hunting down the former members of an all-female casino heist that Canary had once infiltrated.

Read Black Canary & Zatanna: Bloodspell

[comixology]

X-Men or Avenger? Pietro or Peter? Hero or Villain? Evan Peters or Aaron Taylor-Johnson? The story surrounding Quicksilver has quickly become a confusing place. We're here to help make things a little clearer with a quick intro in...

A comiXology Guide to Quicksilver

Quicksilver made an appearance in the very earliest days of X-Men history alongside his twin sister Wanda Maximoff (aka Scarlet Witch) as members of Magneto's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants in Lee & Kirby's The X-Men #4. Their membership in the brotherhood is tenuous at best, as it's not a sense of evil but debt that keeps them under the command of the man that they will one day find out is their father.  

See Quicksilver's debut in (Uncanny) X-Men #4

Following the events of House of M, in which Quicksilver played a large role and we learn more of the relationship between Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, and their father Magneto we see a world where Quicksilver is now powerless in the mini-event Son of M. Crushed and defeated, his only hope and refuge lies with the Inhumans. 

See what happens when Quicksilver loses his powers in Son of M

And if you're one of those people who doesn't care about the past, you only want the new and fresh and here and now, then you need to check out All-New X-Factor. Peter David, who penned some great Quicksilver in the 90s is back at the helm and he is known for writing the best version of the speedster. 

Catch up with the latest Quicksilver in All-New X-Factor

[comixology]

The Joker: One of the most well known, reviled, beloved, and feared miscreants of all time. The host to a seemingly endless number of beloved comics, it may seem an overwhelming task to get started reading comics featuring the Clown Prince of Crime. Well, we're here to get you started with...

A comiXology Guide to The Joker

The first appearance of the Joker written and drawn by the legendary Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and Jerry Robinson. The Joker was originally meant to be a one-time-use character, but was brought back later by popular demand. This is not the maniacal, theatrical Joker that exists today but grim, noir-ish, figure with a dark sense of humor. 

Read Batman (1940-2011) #1

Creators Denny O’Neil and Neil Adams officially crowned The Joker the “Clown Prince of Crime” in his first modern day appearance right here. The perfect antithesis of The Batman – a pale yet colorful madman out to be the last one laughing as the world burns to ash around him – here we meet The Joker the world would come to know and ultimately fear for generations to come. That signature playing card still sends a shiver down the spine. 

Read Batman (1940-2011) #251

Arguably the most famous (and controversial) Joker comic ever, the Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland explores the origins of the Joker and unravels a dark and disturbing tale that adds a whole new layer of depth to the relationship between Batman and his greatest foe. While the ending of the comic continues to be a point of contention amongst comic fans, Grant Morrison added some insight into the debate.

Read The Killing Joke

The Joker’s twisted campaign of gruesome horror shook the house of Wayne to it’s very foundations in Death of the Family. A literally faceless enemy obsessed with tormenting Batman and those around him no matter the cost. Whose reign of terror was left unfinished rather than played out. As if simply waiting in the shadows to strike at the heart of gotham once more. Here fans got a Joker re-invented for the New 52. Gone is the cheap purple suit and simple sight gags. Replaced with a menacing agent of chaos out for one final face off (see what we did there?) with Batman, where the stakes have never been higher.

Read Batman: Death of the Family

[comixology]

If you’ve spent even a modicum of time on the #comics tag in Tumblr, it’s likely that you have seen brianmichaelbendis show up on your dash once or twice, posting some of the best pages in all of comicdom and laying down some serious knowledge. 

The world of comics can be a confusing place, and just like the man himself, we are here to help make it a little clearer for all of you. So if you’ve been looking for some suggestions on what Bendis books to read but have been too afraid to ask, take a look at our

comiXology Guide to Brian Michael Bendis

Arguably, the comic that Bendis is best known for is the reboot of Spider-Man’s universe with 2000’s Ultimate Spider-Man, which not only brought Peter Parker’s origins into the modern age, but also kicked off the now-beloved Ultimate Universe. Bendis, along with veteran artist Mark Bagely, took Spidey’s original 11-page origin story and turned it into a seven issue story arc, and continued on for over 100 more issues to become Marvel’s longest running consistent creative duo on a single title. 

Bendis continues to helm the Ultimate Spider-Man series with sarapichelli on art and starring fan-favorite Miles Morales.

Read Ultimate Spider-Man

Bendis and Michael Avon oeming's long running creator-owned series Powers combines the superhero and police procedural genres, and is now in production at FX to get it's own TV series. Powers pits the wiles of two detectives against a world filled with superhumans. The series went on to become an Eisner award winner and still continues to come out in the ongoing Powers: Bureau. 

Read Powers

In 2001, Bendis took up the task of writing Daredevil with Alex Maleev on art. The series would go on to become one of the most lauded and character defining runs in the characters storied history. The Bendis run introduced a new love interest into Matt Murdock’s life and saw the reemergence of Kingpin. 

Read Daredevil

Following up Kurt Busiek’s run, Bendis rebooted the Avenger’s series with Avengers Disassembled, which heavily featured the Scarlet Witch and lead directly into the events of the now-beloved House of M event. 

Read Avengers vol. 4

An instant classic! Beast travels through time to bring the original X-Men into the present, imploring past-Cyclops to stop his future self from committing genocide on the mutants. Currently at 27 issues, this series is a regular best-seller and is sure to go down as one of the all-time greatest X-Men series. 

Read All New X-Men

As if all that wasn’t enough, this weekend (5/10-5/12), we have a sale on a bunch of great creator-owned comics by Bendis including Brilliant, Scarlet, and Jinx. Make sure not to miss out on the limited-time Bendis Bundle to get 5 Bendis collections for 59% off!

Check out our Brian Michael Bendis Sale

[comixology]

A comiXology Guide to The Sinister Six

With Amazing Spider-Man 2 now officially in theaters, we're already anticipating the chatter to pick up around the next Spidey flick and the Sinister Six! 

We know the comic world can be a confusing place, so we're here once again to set you off on the right path! If you want to get to know the greatest collection of rogues the Marvel Universe has ever seen, these are the stories that will bring you up to speed!

The Sinister Six have quite the strange history as their lineup has changed so many times over the course of history. But all great evil teams need to start somewhere, and when Electro, Sandman, Vulture, Kraven, Mysterio, and Doctor Octopus finally got sick of getting whooped by the web slinger on their own, they teamed up under the guidance of Octavius and formed the first iteration of the Sinister Six in the pages of Amazing Spider Man Annual #1.

See the first appearance of The Sinister Six

Since the Sinister Six are so famous, you may be surprised to know that they essentially disappeared from comics after their first defeat in 1963. They didn't reemerge until 1990, when Kraven was replaced by Hobgoblin after meeting a ghastly fate in Kraven's Last Hunt. 

Read the rebirth of the Sinister Six in Amazing Spider-Man #334-339

After being defeated once again, Electro, Vulture, Mysterio, and Hobgoblin get the band back together, and after tricking a reformed Sandman to rejoin their ranks, go out to seek their revenge on their former leader Doctor Octopus in The Revenge of the Sinister Six!

Read The Revenge of the Sinister Six

Jump forward in time to a Marvel Universe where Doc Ock has defeated Peter Parker by switching their bodies thus becoming the Superior Spider-Man, willing to do things your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man would never have dreamed of! Using his unmatched skills of bio-engineering, Octavius takes control of his old Sinister Six teammates and has them do his bidding as The Superior Six.

Read Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #6-8

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention my new favorite iteration of the Sinister Six, found within the pages of the Superior Foes of Spider-Man. This series is the sleeper-hit of the current Marvel catalogue, featuring a Sinister Six that sometimes only includes as few as Four members but is always hilarious and surprising. 

Get started with the Superior Foes of Spider-Man

(Above art by Andrew Robinson)

[comixology]

It’s finally Friday, and that means that its time for another comiXology guide to one of our favorite comic book characters. This week, we’re dedicated to bringing you the low-down on the man they call “The Merc With a Mouth” - the one and only Deadpool!

Thanks to his tendency to refuse to remain in one universe or timeline for any meaningful length of time, Wade Wilson is definitely one of the more confusing characters in the comic landscape. But this snarky parody of the comic book world is also one of the major reasons that he has become the beloved fan-favorite that he is today. If you feel like you need some help figuring this guy out (you aren’t alone), then read on and take a crash course into degeneracy with...

A comiXology Guide to Deadpool!

You probably already know about Deadpool’s well deserved reputation as a big ol’ jerk and generally insane individual, but where did all of this madness begin? The first appearance of the character was in New Mutants #98, as a character that seemed to have a very striking similarity to a certain DC character known as Deathstroke. Co-creator Fabian Nicieza even went so far as to provide Deadpool with the name “Wade Wilson”, after Deathstroke’s secret identity “Slade Wilson”. Although he changes drastically in the years to come, New Mutants #98 set the stage for the kick-ass character that is Deadpool.

Read New Mutants Vol. 1 #98

Arguably the best iteration of the modern Deadpool that we all know and love came from his involvement in Rick Remender's Uncanny X-Force. Although he dons a different costume, Deapool's antics and sardonic wit are in full force while the he and the rest of the X-Force (a group of mutants recruited to do the dirty work the X-Men wont do) team up to stop Apocalypse by any means necessary.

Read Uncanny X-Force Vol. 1 

Fabian Nicieza returned to the character he helped create in a major way with the funny, action-packed, and totally nuts Cable & Deadpool. A series that truly lives up to Deadpool’s reputation, this is a great place to become introduced to the hilarity and insanity that we have come to expect from Wade Wilson.

Read Cable & Deadpool Vol.1  

When Gerry Duggan (gerryduggan) teamed up with comedian Brian Posehn to bring us Deadpool’s current series, they obliterated the notion that Deadpool couldn't be a strong character without a team to balance him out. This run gives us a bit of a darker take on the character, but doesn’t skip out on the comedic elements that have become Wade Wilson’s trademark. If you want to get caught up with Wade Wilson’s modern life, then this is a great place to start!

Get started with the current Deadpool series

[comixology]

Every Friday, were going to try to bring you a brief guide on a different comic book character or story, because we all know the world of comics can be a confusing place, and we want to help.

There seems to be a lot of fans of Wonder Woman here on Tumblr, but if you've been wanting to find out more about Diana Prince, Themyscira, and The Amazons, we humbly present to you:

A comiXology Guide to Wonder Woman!

Fierce, bold, and confident, Diana, Amazon Warrior Princess of Themyscira, is both feared and respected by the denizens of the DC Universe. 

Wonder Woman's first appearance came in 1941 within the pages of All Star Comics #8 but her origins really were developed in the early issues of DC's Sensation Comics. In these classic comics, you see the introduction of some of WW's best known tools like the Invisible Jet and her Magic Lasso. In May 1942, only 5 months after her first appearance, Wonder Woman was the star of her own solo comic.

Read All Star Comics #8

Read Sensation Comics #1-9

Read Wonder Woman #1

If all you want is one must-read example of a great modern take on Wonder Woman, look no further than gailsimone's story, The Circle, which brings the heroine face-to-face with talking gorilla warriors, neo-nazis, and the vulnerability of being powerless.

Read Gail Simone's Wonder Woman 

Finally, the rebooting of the DCU with The New 52 saw the combining of comic legends Brian Azzarello and cliffchiang bringing their much acclaimed talents to the Wonder Woman comics. While the New 52 has seen its share of successes and failures, Wonder Woman has consistently been one of the brightest stars in the new universe.  

Read the current series of Wonder Woman