SPOILERS INSIDE
SPOILERS INSIDE
SPOILERS INSIDE
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Friday, June 20, 2014
Psaras Comics Essentials: Jason Todd
As I've said, the whole Crisis after Crisis thing on DC comics makes it hard to make PCESS articles for the headline characters, but easier for the secondary ones up until the 2011 reboot. This is the essential collection of Jason Todd, the second Robin who went on to become the villain Red Hood and later took up several other mantles (including being the Batman).
Before you start, I suggest you read "The Man Behind The Red Hood", which was first printed in "Detective Comics Vol.1 #168" and reprinted in several issues and collection afterwards. You can see almost all of them here. I believe the easiest to find are "Batman Archives #8" and "The Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told" tradeback. There you can see why Jason opted for the Red Hood persona once he came back to business. I will also try to include issues that show us the relationship between Jason and Dick.
This time I didn't make a list of supplementary stories under the PCESS list, I just listed them in smaller, grey letters. I hope this is better.
*"Red Hood: The Lost Days" is a prequel to "Under the Hood" and "Hush", so it could be read before them. On the other hand, there are certain events in it that take you by surprise. If you are familiar with those three story arcs, read "The Lost Days" before "Hush" and "Under the Hood". If you want the right emotional response, leave "The Lost Days" for the last part.
"Under the Hood" is also adapted to an animated movie called "Batman: Under the Red Hood".
Before you start, I suggest you read "The Man Behind The Red Hood", which was first printed in "Detective Comics Vol.1 #168" and reprinted in several issues and collection afterwards. You can see almost all of them here. I believe the easiest to find are "Batman Archives #8" and "The Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told" tradeback. There you can see why Jason opted for the Red Hood persona once he came back to business. I will also try to include issues that show us the relationship between Jason and Dick.
This time I didn't make a list of supplementary stories under the PCESS list, I just listed them in smaller, grey letters. I hope this is better.
- Batman #408-#411
- Batman #412-#415
- Batman #416
- New Teen Titans Vol.2 #25-#26
- Batman: The Cult
- Batman #417-#423
- Batman #424 (how did this get the CCA seal by the way?)
- Batman #425
- Batman #426-#429 (A Death in the Family)
- Batman #400-#403
- Detective Comics #569
- Red Hood: The Lost Days*
- Batman #608-#619 (Hush)
- Batman #635-#650 and Batman Annual #25 (Under the Hood)
- Red Hood: The Lost Days*
- Teen Titans: Life and Death
- Nightwing Vol.2 #118-#124 (Brothers in Blood)
- Countdown to Final Crisis #16-#13 (beware that the Countdown numbers go backwards)
- Batman: Battle for the Cowl (or you can opt for the whole storyline from Batman RIP to Batman Reborn)
- Batman and Robin #4-#6 (Revenge of the Red Hood)
*"Red Hood: The Lost Days" is a prequel to "Under the Hood" and "Hush", so it could be read before them. On the other hand, there are certain events in it that take you by surprise. If you are familiar with those three story arcs, read "The Lost Days" before "Hush" and "Under the Hood". If you want the right emotional response, leave "The Lost Days" for the last part.
"Under the Hood" is also adapted to an animated movie called "Batman: Under the Red Hood".
Monday, June 16, 2014
Psaras Comics Essentials: Daredevil
Oh, hi. I figured out that if I want to do something serious, it better had a certain name. This means the "essential story arcs you need to read in order to study certain superheroes (not just to get familiar with them)" I talked about on my first post will be going under the tag-name "Psaras Comics Essentials" (I am so creative when it comes to name-giving). First dude to get a PCESS (pronunced pee-cee-essss with a Dr. Curt Connors hissing at the end) is the man without fear, Daredevil.
You can also add the following story arcs to the above list:
Last note: I will add Volume 3 story arcs as soon as I get a good grip of them. If you liked Daredevil, you can just read all 36 issues of Volume 3 and start enjoying Volume 4, which just came out, month after month. You can also start reading "Black Panther: The Man Without Fear" and subsequenty "Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive" right after Shadowland.
- Daredevil: The Man Without Fear
- Daredevil Vol.1 #163-#191 (also collected in Daredevil: Visionaries #2 and #3)
- Daredevil Vol.1 #227-#233 (Born Again and follow-up)
- Daredevil Vol.1 #319-#325 (Fall from Grace)
- Daredevil Vol.1 #344-#350 (Matt Murdock has a mental breakdown)
- Daredevil Vol.2 #1-#8 (Guardian Devil)
- Daredevil Vol.2 #41-#50 (Lowlife, Hardcore)
- Daredevil Vol.2 #66-#87 (Golden Age, Decalogue, The Murdock Papers, The Devil Inside and Out)
- Daredevil Vol.2 #111-#119 and Daredevil #500 (Lady Bullseye, Return of the King)
- Shadowland*
You can also add the following story arcs to the above list:
- Daredevil Visionaries #1 - Right before Daredevil #163 (obviously)
- The "What if" stories of Visionaries #3 - Right after .2 / Right before .5 / At the end
- Daredevil Vol.1 #298-#300 (Last Rites) - Between .3 and .4
- Daredevil Vol.1 #343 - Right before .5 (it is not part of Murdock's metan breakdown story, but it is a pretty good issue leading to it)
- Marvel Color Series: Daredevil: Yellow
- Marvel Noir: Daredevil
Last note: I will add Volume 3 story arcs as soon as I get a good grip of them. If you liked Daredevil, you can just read all 36 issues of Volume 3 and start enjoying Volume 4, which just came out, month after month. You can also start reading "Black Panther: The Man Without Fear" and subsequenty "Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive" right after Shadowland.
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Daredevil: Shadowland
Although I have read the controversial arc of Daredevil called Shadowland three times and I now can just know which issue is next, I've not seen many reading order lists on the internet. The few I've seen are either the publication date order (which is not the chronological order of the events) and some that didn't make much sense to me. So, here's my reading order list for "DAREDEVIL: SHADOWLAND"
Shadowland #1
Shadowland: Bullseye
Okay, "Shadowland: Bullseye" can go almost anywhere on this list, but I like to read it right after the end of "Shadowland #1". Actually, the best place to put it is right after page 5 of "Daredevil #508".
Daredevil #508
Shadowland: Elektra
Daredevil #509
Again, you could read "Shadowland: Elektra" before #508 and #509, because that's the chronological order of the events. But I like to use "Shadowland: Elektra" as a flashback going only a few hours back after the surprise at the last page of #508. So, just read the three of them at once and if you want to take a break, do it right here after #509.
You'll notice that on the end of #509, it says "To be continued on Shadowland #3. Well, Shadowland #3 picks up right were #2 ended, and you can't understand half of Shadowland #2 without reading "Shadowland: Moon Knight #1". Just like 508-Elektra-509, you should read the three next all at once.
Shadowland: Moon Knight #1
Shadowland #2
Shadowland #3
Here's another opportunity to take a break from reading if you want to. There are a lot of super hero tie-ins before "Blood on the Streets".
Also, all those tie-ins are not as much about Daredevil and The Hand as about the impact of Shadowland on the superheroes they follow, so you can skip them if you're going only for the essentials.
I can't see why everybody is listing "Power Man" after Spider-Man and Ghost Rider. "Shadowland: Power Man" is taking place before "Shadowland #3" and only the last pages of "Shadowland: Power Man #2" are taking place the morning after. I only put it here because it's not as important as the "Shadowland" issues. In conclusion, after "Shadowland #3" you have to finish the "Moon Knight" story and then read the rest of the tie-ins in their relative chronological order*, which is this.
*I'm saying relative, because "Shadownland: Power Man #1" doesn't pick up right where "Shadowland: Moon Knight #3" ends, neither "Shadowland: Spider-Man" does for "Shadowland: Power Man #2". But if a story starts on 1 and ends on 5, it is safe to say that it is before some story that started on 2 and ended on 6, and before a story that started on 2 and also ended on 5. Actually, all of the following tie-ins end up almost at the same point in time (exept Power Man which ends after Shadowland #5), so I list them by their starting points.
Shadowland: Moon Knight #2
Shadowland: Moon Knight #3
Thunderbolts #148
Thunderbolts #149
Shadowland: Power Man #1
Shadowland: Power Man #2
Shadowland: Power Man #3
Shadowland: Power Man #4
Shadowland: Ghost Rider
Shadowland: Spider-Man
Remember what I told you about "relative chronological order"? "Blood on the Streets" starts at the same time as "Shadowland #2", but lasts way more than all of the previous tie-ins.
Shadowland: Blood On The Streets #1
Shadowland: Blood On The Streets #2
Shadowland: Blood On The Streets #3
Shadowland: Blood On The Streets #4
Shadowland: Daughters Of The Shadow #1
Shadowland: Daughters Of The Shadow #2
Shadowland: Daughters Of The Shadow #3
Many order lists I've seen on the internet have Thunderbolts #148 and #149 right here, but it's just doesn't seem right to intervene with the "Power Man" issues. This is why I suggest you read those two right before "Shadowland: Power Man #1".
So, we're ready to go into the main storyline again. Everyone who says the weren't getting bored and skipped or skimmed a few issues, is a liar.
Daredevil #510
Shadowland #4
Daredevil #511
Shadowland #5
Some last note on "Shadowland: Power Man". You could read parts #3 and #4 anywhere between "Daredevil #510 and "Shadowland: After the Fall", but what's the point in interrupting the main story for a tie-in that leads up to a new comic series? The whole Shadowland tie-in subject is all messed up, so you'de better just split Shadowland in two parts and read all the unimportant tie-ins in between.
Daredevil #512
Shadowland: After the Fall
And that's all folks. Below is the list without the comments and the "Essential Shadowland" list, without all the unimportant tie-ins.
SHADOWLAND READING ORDER
ESSENTIAL SHADOWLAND
And a last tip: If you went for the Essential Shadowland but liked the story and would like to go a bit deeper, after you've finished it, pick up the three issues of "Shadowland: Daughters of the Shadow".
Shadowland #1
Shadowland: Bullseye
Okay, "Shadowland: Bullseye" can go almost anywhere on this list, but I like to read it right after the end of "Shadowland #1". Actually, the best place to put it is right after page 5 of "Daredevil #508".
Daredevil #508
Shadowland: Elektra
Daredevil #509
Again, you could read "Shadowland: Elektra" before #508 and #509, because that's the chronological order of the events. But I like to use "Shadowland: Elektra" as a flashback going only a few hours back after the surprise at the last page of #508. So, just read the three of them at once and if you want to take a break, do it right here after #509.
You'll notice that on the end of #509, it says "To be continued on Shadowland #3. Well, Shadowland #3 picks up right were #2 ended, and you can't understand half of Shadowland #2 without reading "Shadowland: Moon Knight #1". Just like 508-Elektra-509, you should read the three next all at once.
Shadowland: Moon Knight #1
Shadowland #2
Shadowland #3
Here's another opportunity to take a break from reading if you want to. There are a lot of super hero tie-ins before "Blood on the Streets".
Also, all those tie-ins are not as much about Daredevil and The Hand as about the impact of Shadowland on the superheroes they follow, so you can skip them if you're going only for the essentials.
I can't see why everybody is listing "Power Man" after Spider-Man and Ghost Rider. "Shadowland: Power Man" is taking place before "Shadowland #3" and only the last pages of "Shadowland: Power Man #2" are taking place the morning after. I only put it here because it's not as important as the "Shadowland" issues. In conclusion, after "Shadowland #3" you have to finish the "Moon Knight" story and then read the rest of the tie-ins in their relative chronological order*, which is this.
*I'm saying relative, because "Shadownland: Power Man #1" doesn't pick up right where "Shadowland: Moon Knight #3" ends, neither "Shadowland: Spider-Man" does for "Shadowland: Power Man #2". But if a story starts on 1 and ends on 5, it is safe to say that it is before some story that started on 2 and ended on 6, and before a story that started on 2 and also ended on 5. Actually, all of the following tie-ins end up almost at the same point in time (exept Power Man which ends after Shadowland #5), so I list them by their starting points.
Shadowland: Moon Knight #2
Shadowland: Moon Knight #3
Thunderbolts #148
Thunderbolts #149
Shadowland: Power Man #1
Shadowland: Power Man #2
Shadowland: Power Man #3
Shadowland: Power Man #4
Shadowland: Ghost Rider
Shadowland: Spider-Man
Remember what I told you about "relative chronological order"? "Blood on the Streets" starts at the same time as "Shadowland #2", but lasts way more than all of the previous tie-ins.
Shadowland: Blood On The Streets #1
Shadowland: Blood On The Streets #2
Shadowland: Blood On The Streets #3
Shadowland: Blood On The Streets #4
Shadowland: Daughters Of The Shadow #1
Shadowland: Daughters Of The Shadow #2
Shadowland: Daughters Of The Shadow #3
Many order lists I've seen on the internet have Thunderbolts #148 and #149 right here, but it's just doesn't seem right to intervene with the "Power Man" issues. This is why I suggest you read those two right before "Shadowland: Power Man #1".
So, we're ready to go into the main storyline again. Everyone who says the weren't getting bored and skipped or skimmed a few issues, is a liar.
Daredevil #510
Shadowland #4
Daredevil #511
Shadowland #5
Some last note on "Shadowland: Power Man". You could read parts #3 and #4 anywhere between "Daredevil #510 and "Shadowland: After the Fall", but what's the point in interrupting the main story for a tie-in that leads up to a new comic series? The whole Shadowland tie-in subject is all messed up, so you'de better just split Shadowland in two parts and read all the unimportant tie-ins in between.
Daredevil #512
Shadowland: After the Fall
And that's all folks. Below is the list without the comments and the "Essential Shadowland" list, without all the unimportant tie-ins.
SHADOWLAND READING ORDER
- Shadowland #1
- Shadowland: Bullseye
- Daredevil #508
- Shadowland: Elektra
- Daredevil #509
- Shadowland: Moon Knight #1
- Shadowland #2
- Shadowland #3
- Shadowland: Moon Knight #2
- Shadowland: Moon Knight #3
- Thunderbolts #148
- Thunderbolts #149
- Shadowland: Power Man #1
- Shadowland: Power Man #2
- Shadowland: Power Man #3
- Shadowland: Power Man #4
- Shadowland: Ghost Rider
- Shadowland: Spider-Man
- Shadowland: Blood On The Streets #1
- Shadowland: Blood On The Streets #2
- Shadowland: Blood On The Streets #3
- Shadowland: Blood On The Streets #4
- Shadowland: Daughters Of The Shadow #1
- Shadowland: Daughters Of The Shadow #2
- Shadowland: Daughters Of The Shadow #3
- Daredevil #510
- Shadowland #4
- Daredevil #511
- Shadowland #5
- Daredevil #512
- Shadowland: After the Fall
ESSENTIAL SHADOWLAND
- Shadowland #1
- Shadowland: Bullseye
- Daredevil #508
- Shadowland: Elektra
- Daredevil #509
- Shadowland: Moon Knight #1
- Shadowland #2
- Shadowland #3
- Daredevil #510
- Shadowland #4
- Daredevil #511
- Shadowland #5
- Daredevil #512
- Shadowland: After the Fall
And a last tip: If you went for the Essential Shadowland but liked the story and would like to go a bit deeper, after you've finished it, pick up the three issues of "Shadowland: Daughters of the Shadow".
Oh, hi!
Hi there. Average comic fan and mediocre blogger over here. Let me tell you some boring stuff about me and what I will do in this blog.
As you can guess from the title, I will be doing comic-book related stuff. I will try to focus on essential story arcs you need to read in order to study certain superheroes (not just to get familiar with them) and post reading order lists. Mostly DC and Marvel stuff. There will be also some spoiler-free reviews of those arcs and some crossovers, miniseries, limited series and one shots (as much spoiler-free as they could be). Depending on the number of Greeks on my audience, I may do some angry podcast reviews in Greek (not spoiler-free), but I will always write in English.
As for me: I'm a DC fanboy, mostly because of Captain Marvel (now called Shazam), Batman, and Nightwing, and I hate Marvel poster-boy Wolverine and V from V for Vendetta. I got into comics because of Superman and Superman 2 with Christopher Reeves, some random Batman and Thor issues I picked up at a local store when I was a kid, Mickey Mouse Mystery Magazine, Phantom Duck (Paperinik/Duck Avenger), some mentions of Hulk in Tsopana Rave's songs, and... wait for it... DC VS MARVEL. Some of my favorite arcs and storylines are "The Trials Of Shazam!", Batman's "RIP" and "Battle for the Cowl" and all the way until "Batman: Reborn", "The Goddamn All Star Batman", Daredevil's "Hardcore" and "Decalogue", the whole Ben Reilly thing in Spider-Man and the Eddie Brock death stuff from "The Sensational Spider-Man Volume II". I believe that Ang Lee's Hulk was the best movie of this century featuring the Hulk, Heath Ledger was a mediocre Joker, I have faith in Ben Affleck as Batman and I respect the Daredevil movie because it is the closest to the comic books made so far. I also love the barfight scenes in '80s Daredevil publications.
I don't think my blog will mirror my love for Detective Comics because I will be writing mostly about Marvel comics. I've tried hard to make essential collections for Marvel superheroes and villains which I will present here, whereas in DC I just read everything there was. Especially on street-level NYC superheroes, there isn't a lot of information on the internet, so my first blog-posts (and many future ones) will be about them.
As for psaras: It means fisherman in Greek, and fishermen carry big packages. Unlike the Wolverine. Deal with it.
As you can guess from the title, I will be doing comic-book related stuff. I will try to focus on essential story arcs you need to read in order to study certain superheroes (not just to get familiar with them) and post reading order lists. Mostly DC and Marvel stuff. There will be also some spoiler-free reviews of those arcs and some crossovers, miniseries, limited series and one shots (as much spoiler-free as they could be). Depending on the number of Greeks on my audience, I may do some angry podcast reviews in Greek (not spoiler-free), but I will always write in English.
As for me: I'm a DC fanboy, mostly because of Captain Marvel (now called Shazam), Batman, and Nightwing, and I hate Marvel poster-boy Wolverine and V from V for Vendetta. I got into comics because of Superman and Superman 2 with Christopher Reeves, some random Batman and Thor issues I picked up at a local store when I was a kid, Mickey Mouse Mystery Magazine, Phantom Duck (Paperinik/Duck Avenger), some mentions of Hulk in Tsopana Rave's songs, and... wait for it... DC VS MARVEL. Some of my favorite arcs and storylines are "The Trials Of Shazam!", Batman's "RIP" and "Battle for the Cowl" and all the way until "Batman: Reborn", "
I don't think my blog will mirror my love for Detective Comics because I will be writing mostly about Marvel comics. I've tried hard to make essential collections for Marvel superheroes and villains which I will present here, whereas in DC I just read everything there was. Especially on street-level NYC superheroes, there isn't a lot of information on the internet, so my first blog-posts (and many future ones) will be about them.
As for psaras: It means fisherman in Greek, and fishermen carry big packages. Unlike the Wolverine. Deal with it.
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