#Brian Michael Bendis Story

[keycomicbooks]

Superman #14 (2019) Adam Hughes Recalled Krypto Variant, Ivan Reis & Joe Prado Pencils, Brian Michael Bendis Story, Key 1st Appearances

#Superman #14 (2019) #AdamHughes Recalled #Krypto Variant, #IvanReis & #JoePrado Pencils, #BrianMichaelBendis Story, Key 1st Appearances "THE UNITY SAGA: THE HOUSE OF EL: THE CONCLUSION, PART ONE" A final confrontation between Superman's family, the House of El, and the monster who destroyed Krypton, Rogol Zaar leads to unexpected revelations about the destruction of Krypton, while also becoming the foundation for alliances that'll stretch to the 31st Century. https://www.rarecomicbooks.fashionablewebs.com/Superman%202018.html#14 @rarecomicbooks Website Link In Bio Page If Applicable. SAVE ON SHIPPING COST - NOW AVAILABLE FOR LOCAL PICK UP IN DELTONA, FLORIDA #KeyComicBooks #DCComics #DCU #DCUniverse #KeyIssue

[aanews69]

Unleash the chaos and dive into the wild world of Hit Monkey's Revenge: From Japan to New York Chaos! 🌍🐒 In this thrilling adventure, meet Hit Monkey, the ...

[burningfudge]

Black Widow, Winter Soldier, and WinterWidow reading list

I made this list for another post, but I thought I'd put it here too.

Black Widow (1999) by Devin Grayson - Natasha's first solo. It's only three issues, and it's the start of modern Black Widow. It introduces important aspects of her character, like the Red Room. Yelena is introduced for the first time.

Black Widow (2001) by Devin Grayson - Another three-issue comic, which I thought was a fun read. It's a Natasha, Yelena, and Matt team-up comic. It's a part of Marvel Knights, which told more mature and darker stories so I have a soft spot for the 1999 and 2001 runs for this reason.

Black Widow: Pale Little Spider (2002) by Greg Rucka - Another three-issue comic. While not focused on Natasha, it's a Yelena solo. It's part of the Max comics line, which was an attempt to tell adult-only stories, and it definitely shows because Yelena visits a bondage sex club. A very important comic for Yelena.

Black Widow: Homecoming (2004) by Richard K. Morgan - I think this comic was extremely influential for modern Black Widow. A lot of her mythos originated from this comic. The movie took a lot of inspiration from this comic as well, like the pheremones thing.

Black Widow: The Things They Say About Her (2005) by Richard K. Morgan - This one is decent. It's not entirely important, but I think it's worth a read. A classic Black Widow story where Natasha is on the run and doesn't know who to trust. While it's overdone at this point, I think this was the first comic to portray it. Yelena and Matt show up in this one too.

Captain America (2005) by Ed Brubaker - VERY IMPORTANT. Bucky is reintroduced as the Winter Soldier and shows up in #1. While it's long, every issue is worth it. Natasha doesn't show up until #27, but #27-#50 is peak buckynat. This run is one of my fav comics of all time.

New Avengers #48-64, Annual #3, Finale (2005) by Brian Michael Bendis - Natasha isn't super important in this, and she barely shows up, but Bucky shows up frequently. I wouldn't say it's entirely important, but it's during Bucky's time as Captain America, and when he interacts with the Avengers, so I recommend it just for that. Also, I'm a little biased because New Avengers (2005) is probably my favorite comic ever.

Black Widow (2010) by Marjorie Liu - The best Black Widow story ever written. I don't think anyone has disliked it. 10/10, I always love to reread it.

Black Widow: Deadly Origin (2010) by Paul Cornell - A miniseries about Natasha's origin. Not entirely important, but it's a solid Black Widow story. Appearances from Bucky and Wolverine.

Captain America #600-619 by Ed Brubaker - Again, it's very important for both Bucky and Natasha. It's a continuation of Captain America (2005).

Captain America & Bucky #620-624 (2011) by Ed Brubaker - Pretty important. It's a retelling of Bucky's life. #624 is all about buckynat and how they met. A lot of iconic buckynat content that the fandom gushes over is in it.

Widowmaker (2011) - Not super important and Bucky isn't in it. A fun team-up story about Clint and Natasha with Bobbi. I enjoyed reading it.

Winter Soldier (2012) by Ed Brubaker - I cannot tell you how much I love this comic. It's the best Bucky's ever been written and I don't think anyone will disagree when I say that no one has ever understood Bucky like Ed Brubaker. Extremely important for buckynat.

Winter Soldier: The Bitter March (2014) by Rick Remender - I'm not going to lie; I don't really remember much from this comic, but I know people like it.

Black Widow (2014) by Phil Noto & Nathan Edmondson - Another popular comic for Natasha. It's probably my second favorite Black Widow comic after Liu's. Another Black Widow is on the run story, but Liho is introduced in this! Bucky is in #8, 15, 17-18. A must read.

Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier (2014) by Ales Kot - This isn't my favorite, but the art is absolutely beautiful. I don't think it's essential. Natasha is not in this.

Black Widow (2016) by Mark Waid - I enjoyed reading this comic. I'd rank it third after Liu and Noto. Bucky is in #9-10. Essential Black Widow comic.

Tales of Suspense #100-104 by Matthew Rosenberg - A Winter Soldier and Hawkeye team-up where they look for Natasha after she was killed by Hydra Cap in Secret Empire (no need to read it; SE is trash). A fandom favorite, and I absolutely love it. Winterhawk exploded in popularity after this run.

Winter Soldier (2018) by Kyle Higgins - Natasha does not show up in this, but it's very important for Bucky. It's a short five-issue miniseries, and it's probably the best Bucky has been written since Brubaker.

Black Widow (2019) by Jen and Sylvia Soska - It's a miniseries, and it's a fairly dark one. Natasha is back from the dead, and she's PISSED. Bucky doesn't show up in this one, but Steve does, and it's after her murder at Hydra Cap's hands.

Web of Black Widow (2019) by Jody Houser - Another Natasha miniseries where she's on the run and her friends are worried about her. Bucky shows up in #2 and #5.

Falcon and Winter Soldier (2020) by Derek Landy - A fun team-up comic with Sam and Bucky. Natasha doesn't show up. Not essential.

Black Widow (2020) by Kelly Thompson - It's...not great. Many people have already talked about what they didn't like, so I won't go over it, but it has some fantastic buckynat moments. However, I will say that I really love Natasha, Yelena, Clint, and Bucky teaming up in this comic. That group together is highly entertaining. It doesn't seem like anything from this comic will be paid attention to in the future, but I would still read it.

Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty (2022) by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly - Really trash. I didn’t like this at all. Bucky isn't written well, and I think Natasha shows up like twice. Skip.

Captain America: Cold War (2023) by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly - Another trash event. Skip.

Thunderbolts (2023) by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly - Buckynat FINALLY get back together after they broke up in Winter Soldier (2012). A boring comic otherwise.

[daresplaining]

Matt: "No, no." Milla: "I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable. But I-- I just couldn't think of any way to approach you other than this." Matt: "It's just that you are mistaken about my being Daredevil. That story just isn't--" Milla: "I can't stop thinking about what happened the other day. When you saved me from that truck-- it really... I mean, I know you are in situations like that...every day...but I am not. Nothing like that has ever--" Daredevil vol. 2 #43 by Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev, Matt Hollingsworth, and Cory Petit

Matt: "Ironically, I'm not Daredevil." Kirsten: "Remarkably, you have a very slippery grasp of the truth for a l-a-w-y-e-r." Matt: "You really think I'm Daredevil." Kirsten: "I really know you're Daredevil. My nephew knows it, and he still believes in Santa. Let's get to why I'm here." Daredevil vol. 3 #1 by Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera, Javier Rodriguez, Joe Rivera, and Joe Caramagna

In any given superhero story where secret identities are a thing, it is always going to be a key factor in the relationship dynamic that the hero has with the other people in their life. For Matt Murdock, who experiences secret identity drama on scales previously unmeasured by science, that secret, and who knows it and who doesn't, quite often has the power to change everything. Whenever someone new enters his life, the arc of their relationship is frequently shaped by when, and how, they find out. Usually, it doesn't go well. In most cases, the big reveal is a shock to the status quo, a hurdle to overcome. Look at what happened when Maya first found out. Or Foggy. Or jeez, Heather.

But Milla and Kirsten exist in a special category all their own: they come into Matt's world already knowing--and not only that, but knowing with such conviction, and with so little interest in having the conversation at all, that even when Matt tries to uphold the lie, they just...ignore him. For Milla, Matt being Daredevil (and not only that, but being Daredevil and blind) is the key reason for her interest. She is thrilled by him. She thinks he's great, he saved her life, and she wants to ask him (him, Daredevil) out on a date. And Matt's first encounter with Kirsten, in the scene above, is due to his Daredevil identity leaking into his professional life: she comes from the D.A.'s office to advise him (him, Daredevil) that he might want to dial back his court appearances, because the fact that he's a suspected superhero is creating disruptions. Later, as their relationship turns romantic, Matt's increasingly halfhearted attempts to convince Kirsten that he's not Daredevil even get integrated into their flirtation.

Matt's Daredevil identity is all tied up in power and agency. It is a form of empowerment that he chose for himself following his father's murder, and one way he exerts and maintains control in his chaotic life is through having a say in who does or does not know his secrets. As Matt says in his perpetually-quotable conversation with Foggy at the end of Daredevil volume 3 #22: "I enjoyed having a big secret. When people make you feel like you're weak and helpless, it's empowering know something they don't", and the times when Matt has lost control of that secret have been nightmare ordeals for him. At the same time, history has shown how dangerous that secret can be to the people around him, especially those who haven't been given the full story about someone they are allowing into their orbit. And that's not to mention the toll on Matt; while secrets are empowering, they are also constraining, and since all the way back in the sixties he has resented his deep-seated need to split his identity into neatly-delineated boxes. Daredevil volume 4 allowed Matt a chance to experience true identity freedom, and he enthusiastically embraced it. In an ideal world, in a world where he didn't feel that need to control and safeguard the closest parts of himself, would he tell all of his friends, all of his prospective partners, anyone he wanted, that he was Daredevil right off the bat? Would it be a relief to avoid that moment of later shock and conflict he invites by keeping such a huge secret ticking like a time bomb? Maybe. (I might point toward his first interactions with Elektra as some evidence for the answer being "yes", at least in certain contexts).

Either way, it's compelling to have Milla and Kirsten as two examples of relationships in which the specter of secret identity angst does not even begin to exist; where the big secret is out on the table right from the start, whether Matt wants it to be or not. When he meets Milla, the circumstances are dire; his secret identity is in a huge amount of danger and he is extra paranoid about it. When Kirsten shows up, the situation is far more relaxed. But in both cases, it is a shift in the typical superhero/civilian power dynamic: Matt holds none of the cards and has to cope with losing that sense of control that's so important to him. At the same time, the guy is a daredevil. He likes being a little bit out-of-control. And it's neat to see him in this kind of a situation, where both sides know the score right from the beginning, and they are able to move forward without the burden of secret identity drama looming somewhere on the horizon.

[fae-morrigan]

Okay, guys, I have to be so honest, the cyborg Jon stuff is not actually out of nowhere if you've been paying attention to the themes and ideas present in Jon's story. Actually, something to this affect has been hinted and foreshadowed all the way back in Supersons.

Jon's story, fundamentally, has always been about agency, and how being the son of a public figure like Superman hinders his ability to self-determinate. It is an idea that is present in every story, yes, every single one, starting from his debut as a character.

The cyborg stuff isn't meant to be a replacement of past traumas- it is an evolution, the thesis of what all the things he's been through have been leading up to. It is the ultimate culmination of everything Jon has been struggling with his whole life- being seen as nothing more but a tool that can be exploited.

Clark and Lois robbed Jon of knowledge about who he was for a large portion of his childhood (1). Manchester Black tried to use Jon as a weapon against his father, actively possessing him in order to do it, explicitly against Jon's wishes and opinions (2). Kid Amazo wanted to use Jon as a flesh puppet, a new healthy body that he could take over (3). Ultraman robbed years of his life and literally confined him in a place where he, literally and metaphorically, had no power. Jor El and Jon had a whole conversation about fate vs. free will in the age up arc (4). The entire central conflict of Son of Kal El was Jon fighting against a capitalist dictator who was trafficking marginalized people, altering and taking over their bodies for profit (5). Adventures of Superman Jon Kent has Jon going up against a version of his father thats a dictator, a man who has (in the words of the text) made the whole world a prison (6). In all of these situations, Jon's put in these positions specifically because he is the son of Superman, and he will forever be defined by it against his will. It is commentary on what it means to be the child of a hero, and it is an exploration of legacy that I think is very very interesting.

We've BEEN headed here! It was always going to come to some plotline of this nature. Sure, we couldn't know it'd be specifically this, him getting borged was specifically a surprise, but Mark Waid is an incredibly intelligent writer who knows what he is doing and does not just present events in a story, but ideas. The Speed Force is a love story. Absolute Power is about, well, power. And Jon Kent is fundamentally, at his core, about agency. The robot stuff isn't meant to be strictly literal!

Post Bibliography so you can check that I'm not bullshitting you. I didn't want to go look up panels because I'm laaazy, you can go see for yourself:

Superman: Lois & Clark by Dan Jurgens

Super-sons by Peter J Tomasi

Superman Rebirth by Peter J Tomasi

Superman 2018 by Brian Michael Bendis

Superman: Son of Kal El by Tom Taylor

Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent by Tom Taylor

[dorothylarouge]

Dorothy's Big List of Comic Book Recs - Marvel Comics Edition

I often get asks about getting into comic books, and how daunting it seems, given the huge back catalog of titles and issues available. I'm here to tell you it doesn't have to be scary! From miniseries that act as good introductions to characters to runs on ongoing titles by individual creators that serve on jumping-on points, there's lots of ways to get into comics without having to have a lot of background knowledge, and I'm going to give you a lot of potential places to start. Please note that this post only covers Marvel Comics; this is a companion to my DC list and I will also have a list for indie comics and smaller companies at some point. Also note that I haven't read everything, and I won't recommend something I haven't read, so a few runs or books some consider must-reads may not be on here. This is based purely on books I have read and enjoy, and that I think are suitable for new readers.

SPIDER-MAN

The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) by Stan Lee, with artists Steve Ditko and John Romita, Sr.: The classic Spider-Man stories which laid the foundation for the character. These stories are filled with the melodrama and pathos that really makes Spider-Man shine, and with two of the greatest artists of the Silver Age on deck, you really can't go wrong. Ditko stays on the book until issue 38, and Lee's run ends at issue 110.

The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) by Gerry Conway, with artists John Romita, Sr., Gil Kane, and Ross Andru: Picking up immediately after the end of Stan Lee's run, Gerry Conway wrote issues 111 to 149. This run includes a number of vital Spider-Man stories, including Spidey's climactic tussle with the Green Goblin and his first brush with the nightmares of cloning.

The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) by Roger Stern: Spanning issues 229 to 252, this brief but memorable run includes several iconic Spider-Man stories and the debut of the Hobgoblin.

The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz: DeFalco wrote the book from 253 to 285, and this run included the debut of Silver Sable as well as Spider-Man's black suit.

The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) by J. Michael Straczynski: This should be read in omnibus format as the numbering is a little weird; the run starts during volume 2 of Amazing but the book switched back to volume 1 and original numbering partway through. One of my favorite runs on the book! The creator of Babylon 5 brings Peter Parker into the 21st century, giving him a job as a science teacher and first hinting there might be some destiny at play in how he got his powers. There are a few warts on this run, however, mainly due to editorial mandates: it contains the dreadful "Sins Past" storyline and it ends on the wet fart that is "One More Day."

Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) by Bill Mantlo and Al Milgrom: The sister book to Amazing often goes a little overlooked, but this is a great run on it, including one of the best Doctor Octopus stories in Spider-Man history.

Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man (2017) by Chip Zdarsky: Spectacular was brought back in 2017 with writer Chip Zdarsky at the helm, and it's great. The standout story is probably issue 6, "My Dinner with Jonah," which is one of my favorite Spider-Man issues ever.

Spectacular Spider-Man (1988) by J.M. DeMatteis and Sal Buscema: This run spans issues 178 to 203, and includes Spider-Man's final battle with the second Green Goblin, the standout storyline of the run. DeMatteis also had a turn writing Amazing, but I wouldn't wish the Clone Saga on any new reader.

Spider-Girl (1998) by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz: An alternate universe title set in the future and starring the daughter of Peter Parker and Mary Jane, it's great superhero fun featuring everything that made classic Spider-Man great.

Ultimate Spider-Man (2000) by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley: Another alternate universe book which sought to reintroduce Spider-Man to a new generation. It's a solid book and a good read, but it is very dated to the 2000s for good and for ill.

Ultimate Spider-Man (2023) by Jonathan Hickman: Another alternate-universe take on Spider-Man, this time reimagining him as a family man who gets his powers in his 30s. Whereas most Spider-Man takes start Peter off as a kid with power but no responsibility, this flips the script by having him as an adult with responsibility but no power, as he finds himself drafted into a war against the forces that have taken control of the world.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2019) by Saladin Ahmed: Hot off the heels of Into the Spider-Verse, Ahmed's run on Miles' title pushes him forward and secures his place as a leading light of the Marvel Universe, and even gives him his own Clone Saga.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2022) by Cody Ziglar: This title is ongoing, but it's a great read that continues the work of carving out Miles' niche in the Marvel Universe and taking him in new directions.

Spider-Man: Life Story (2019) by Chip Zdarsky and Mark Bagley: A thoughtful and heartfelt story that takes Peter Parker on a real-time adventure through the decades, beginning in the 1960s.

Spider-Man 2099 (1992) by Peter David: A cyberpunk romp through a futuristic New York, featuring corporate oppression and intrigue. Miguel O'Hara's best run as Spider-Man.

X-MEN

X-Men (1963) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby: The initial run of the X-Men lays the groundwork for everything to come, but the book didn't sell well or retain Stan's attention the way Spider-Man or the Fantastic Four could, and he left the book after issue 19. Roy Thomas took over for the rest of the 60s, and there's some good stories in there too, but the real great stuff was still to come.

X-Men by Chris Claremont: MUST be read in omnibus format, because this mammoth run spanned over a decade and a half, including multiple titles - not only the main X-Men book but the New Mutants and the stellar graphic novel "God Loves, Man Kills." THE definitive X-Men run, featuring most of the team's most iconic stories.

New X-Men (2001) by Grant Morrison: Not my favorite work by Morrison, but this is probably the most important run after Claremont. Morrison brings a more militant spirit and a focus on radical activism to the X-Men, and the run opens with a bang - though I have to admit that it closes with two of my least favorite X-Men stories.

X-Men (1991) by Mike Carey: Fun stories featuring an eclectic assortment of characters and interesting team dynamics, but the real treat comes when the book becomes X-Men: Legacy, and a character study on Professor X and his son Legion.

New X-Men (2004): Of course, a classic element of X-Men stories is the school setting, and this book brings that concept into the 2000s, focusing on students at the Xavier School and their interpersonal drama. Degrassi with superpowers.

Wolverine and the X-Men (2011) by Jason Aaron: Another school-set book, this one focuses on Wolverine's efforts to run a school filled with mutant teenagers.

X-Factor (1986) by Louise and Walter Simonson: A very 80s team book focusing on the original X-Men, reconnecting after several years apart, and the conflicts they get drawn into, often the result of their own mistakes. Also features the debut of Apocalypse, one of the best X-villains.

X-Factor (1986) by Peter David: After David took over the book, the focus of X-Factor was shifted from being the original X-Men to an oddball group of government-sanctioned mutants. This book also helped flesh out the character of Mystique.

X-Factor (2006) by Peter David: X-Factor returned under David in the 2000s, this time as a detective agency specializing in cases involving mutants. There's a cynical edge to this book which was common in the 2000s but it really works for this title.

X-Force (1991) issues 116 to 129 and X-Statix by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred: Allred's art is worth the price of admission. Imagine a team where every character is expendable, most of them are liable to die in really nasty ways, and they all have weird and uncomfortable powers. That's X-Statix.

Ultimate X-Men (2024) by Peach Momoko: Probably my favorite of the new Ultimate line. Very different vibes to basically any other X-Men book - this one is essentially a horror manga in the vein of Junji Ito or Shigeru Mizuki.

THE HULK

Hulk: Gray by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale: A moody and gorgeously-illustrated take on the Hulk's earliest days.

The Incredible Hulk (1962) by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema: Buscema is one of the best Hulk artists of all time, and while Mantlo's writing can be hit or miss, when he hits he really hits, as in issue 312, one of the best Hulk issues ever written.

The Incredible Hulk (1962) by Peter David: David's run is considered the definitive Hulk run, and for good reason. It is best read in omnibus format because it is very long, and packs a lot into that long tenure. Bruce Banner's Joe Fixit alter debuts here, as does his Professor persona.

The Incredible Hulk (2000) by Greg Pak: This run includes the Planet Hulk storyline! Exiled from Earth, the Hulk rises to power as a warlord on a hostile alien world. Really scratches that Conan the Barbarian itch.

The Indestructible Hulk (2013): A different take on the Hulk, this time recasting him as an agent of SHIELD with all the adventures and difficulties that brings.

The Immortal Hulk (2018) by Al Ewing: Here we see the difference between "definitive" and "best." While David's run is the definitive Hulk run, for my money Immortal Hulk is the best. It is both a gnarly piece of body horror and a deeply thoughtful title that muses on the nature of anger, of suffering, and of pain, drawing heavily on Kabbalistic imagery and themes.

She-Hulk (2004 and 2005) by Dan Slott: An offbeat workplace comedy set in a law office specializing in cases involving superhumans. The best She-Hulk run in my book, not least because it does not involve John Byrne.

DAREDEVIL AND STREET LEVEL STUFF

Daredevil (1964) by Frank Miller: Probably the definitive Daredevil run, and the only time I've been able to stand Frank Miller, this run features some great art as well as some of the most important Daredevil stories in the character's history.

Daredevil (1964) by Ann Nocenti: Carries on from the Miller run and takes the character of Daredevil, his supporting cast, and Hell's Kitchen in some totally new directions. Includes the story of the excellent villain Typhoid Mary.

Daredevil (1998) by Brian Michael Bendis: A gritty, very 2000s take on Daredevil, Bendis' strengths as a writer are on full display during this run, with grungy art to match.

Daredevil (2011 and 2014) by Mark Waid: A much lighter and more superhero-y run than Daredevil often gets, this excellent run features Matt going up against criminal syndicates, old enemies coming back for revenge, and more.

Hawkeye (2012) by Matt Fraction: Easily the best book Hawkeye has ever had. Spectacular art and excellent scripting featuring both Clint Barton and Kate Bishop in a firmly street-level narrative focusing on threats to the local community.

The Punisher (2011) by Greg Rucka: For my money the best the Punisher (whom I usually don't like) has ever been. A genuinely thoughtful examination of Frank Castle as a human. Many people swear by the Garth Ennis run on the character, but to me this is the definitive Punisher run.

Mockingbird (2016) by Chelsea Cain: A short but fun series focusing on Mockingbird in a number of spy thriller scenarios.

Alias (2001) by Brian Michael Bendis: A mature mystery series starring a former superheroine. It goes into some gnarly territory but it really displays Bendis' strengths in writing street-level, grounded stories within the Marvel Universe.

Moon Knight (1980) by Doug Moench: Moon Knight fans will be mad that this is the only run I have on this list but it's the only one I've read! It's a fantastic read though.

Ms. Marvel (2014 and 2016) by G. Willow Wilson: There's a reason that Kamala Khan has been one of Marvel's biggest breakout characters in recent history, and it all starts in this initial run of comics. Great art and fantastic scripts by Wilson.

Runaways (2004 and 2005) by Brian K. Vaughan: One of my favorite setups in a comic, with a group of teenagers learning that their parents are actually a supervillainous cabal and running away from home in response. Great teen drama with a superpowered twist. The second volume also has a run by Joss Whedon (bear with me) that's also pretty good.

TEAMS AND TEAM-UPS

Fantastic Four (1961) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby: One of the greatest comic books ever written. Both Lee and Kirby poured their heart and soul into these early adventures, and you can really tell. The first Galactus story is still one of my favorites. Essential reading.

Fantastic Four (1998) by Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo: Probably my favorite Fantastic Four run, with a great focus on Doctor Doom, Mister Fantastic, and Ben Grimm.

Fantastic Four (2022) by Ryan North: The current FF run, this one goes all-out on wacky science fiction adventure, with most stories only taking one or two issues to tell. Bite-size superhero fun, with fantastic characterization. Made me stan Alicia Masters.

The Avengers (1963) by Roy Thomas: The initial run of the Avengers by Lee, Kirby, and Heck, is serviceable, but the team came into their own under Roy Thomas, who introduced mainstays of the team like Vision and Black Panther to the roster, in this run which also incldues the classic "Kree-Skrull War" storyline. Throw in art by legends like John Buscema, Sal Buscema, and Neal Adams, and you've got a great run to get into the Avengers with.

The Avengers (1963) by Roger Stern: Another great Avengers run, this one solidified a roster for the team which included members like Hercules, Black Knight, and the best Captain Marvel aka Monica Rambeau, and includes the best "Avengers Mansion is attacked" story.

The Avengers (1997) by Kurt Buseik and George Perez: A creative dream team relaunched the Avengers in the late 90s to fantastic effect, with several excellent storylines and gorgeous art. This is, for my money, the definitive Avengers run.

Young Avengers (2013) by Kieron Gillan: The Young Avengers have mostly been supplanted as Marvel's premiere team of teenage superheroes, but this is their best book in my view, featuring the team's best roster and some of their best stories.

Champions (2016) by Mark Waid and Humberto Ramos: A great teen team book, the Champions have basically replaced the Young Avengers in no small part due to this run. Makes me yearn for a Waid-penned Teen Titans ongoing.

Defenders (1972): I'm just gonna recommend the whole comic. If you want off-beat and unusual superhero team dynamics and out-there storytelling, this is a good bet. Special attention should go to Steve Gerber's run around issue 20 or so.

MAGIC MARVEL

Doctor Strange: The Oath (2006) by Brian K. Vaughn and Marcos Martin: A good entry point to Doctor Strange and his weird world, featuring some really great art.

Strange Tales (1951) by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko: Never has Steve Ditko's art been better than in those first Doctor Strange stories, weird and wonderful and surreal.

Journey Into Mystery (1951) and Thor (1966) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby: The first Thor stories are not only great, they feature Kirby's excellent Tales of Asgard backups which he would eventually develop into his Fourth World at DC.

Thor by Jason Aaron: Read in omnibus format. A true epic worthy of Norse legend. Includes some all-time great Thor stories.

The Immortal Thor (2023) by Al Ewing: The current Thor run, with a strong focus on mythology and how stories are constructed and passed down across the years.

Scarlet Witch (2023 and 2024) by Steve Orlando: A fun ongoing that finally made Wanda Maximoff a worthy headliner in Marvel, featuring her protecting a small town from magical threats.

COSMIC MARVEL

Silver Surfer (1968) by Stan Lee and John Buscema: One of my favorite comics as a teenager, this book combines space opera and melodrama to great effect.

Silver Surfer (1987) by Steve Englehart, Jim Starlin, and Ron Marz: The definitive Silver Surfer run. Includes some excellent stories, including some from the master of cosmic Marvel, Jim Starlin.

Silver Surfer (1988) by Stan Lee and Moebius: Must be read for the art alone.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2008) by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning: This is where the MCU team originated, and it's still the best run the Guardians have ever had.

Quasar (1989) by Mark Gruenwald: Has the energy of a Silver Age comic with none of the baggage. Definition of a hidden gem.

Nova (2007) by San Abnett and Andy Lanning: Probably the definitive Nova run? Spun out of Annihilation which as an event comic I haven't included here but is still a great read.

Eternals (1976) by Jack Kirby: It's kind of Fourth World backwash, but it's Kirby doing wacky cosmic stuff so you know it's a good time.

AND THE REST

Power Pack (1984): What if a bunch of kids got superpowers? No, not teenagers, little kids? It's a thoroughly 1980s premise and one that shines best in the original series from that era.

Captain America (2005, 2011) by Ed Brubaker: A high-octane action-spy thriller which reintroduced Bucky and made him Cap for a while. The definitive modern Captain America run.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1976): A short adaptation of the novel and film, and then like 10 issues of wacky Kirby sci-fi. Really great hidden gem.

Black Panther (1998) by Christopher Priest: The definitive Black Panther run, that set the stage for everything to follow.

Black Panther (2016) by Ta-Nehisi Coates: Another great run exploring the nature of power. Many comic fans do not like it because they are philistines.

Vision (2015) by Tom King and Gabriel Hernandez Walla: Tom King is hit or miss, but this book is great, with the Vision building a family - of a kind - for himself.

[samasmith23]

Dear @hellyeahheroes/@filipfatalattractionrblog,

All that me and my friend @sjbattleangel ask is that you and the rest of your friends on this blog please acknowledge and apologize for creating such a toxic echo chamber with your blog, which encourages and enables hyperbolic and inflammatory mischaracterization and harassment if comic creators that you personally dislike. If you don’t like the works of people like Jason Aaron, Dan Slott, Brian Michael Bendis, Donny Cates, Jonathan Hickman, Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Joshua Williamson etc., that’s fine; but it is UNACCEPTABLE to constantly slander and demonize them as “perverts���, "misogynists", "homophobes", "eugenists" or “fascist apologists” when there’s ZERO evidence to substantiate such extreme claims. Just because these creators wrote comics that you personally disliked does NOT mean that they're even remotely comparable to legitimately bigoted scumbags like Ethan Van Sciver & Chuck Dixon like you treat them as based on the way you constantly talk about them!

And some members of your community, like KK4EverStuff, have gone even further by using your defamatory statements as an excuse to write literal death threats towards said-creators such as these:

These are NOT ad-hominem or hyperbolic Angry Video Game Nerd style criticisms like majingojira once tried to claim. This is violent an unhinged cyberbullying on KK4EverStuff's part. Plain and simple. Your blog encouraged and enabled his kind of toxic behavior, and you need to acknowledge that and do better going forward.

Then there is the X-Men series (particularly anything non-New X-Men: Academy X or post-Schism), Batgirls, any post-One Year Later Cass Cain-stared story or any post-One More Day Spider-Man story. It's fine if they don't appeal to you but deliberately choosing to hate them way before you even read them or gave them a proper chance? That isn't good or healthy criticism, that's just hate-reading for the sake of hate-reading. All it does is create an atmosphere of constant negativity and toxic gatekeeping which really hurt comic fans who just want to have fun. If anything after Avengers: Arena, X-Men: Schism, Robin: One Year Later or One More Day upset you that much then why you are reading them if you're automatically going to hate them? Just don't read them. It's that easy.

So please, acknowledge that you have done wrong with your past attacks against specific comic creators, toxic bad-faith comic criticism and apologize. That’s all we ask for.

Do better!

[t4tails]

Okay so, there are two types of comic book writers. There are literally only two, Nick. Listen to me closely...

There are two comic book writers, the ones that like comic books and therefore whenever they write they will learn everything to make a story tailor made for the setting and characters they've been commissioned to work on. The other type of writers are the ones who have a story in mind and will bend everything they can to make that story real no matter what characters or setting they're given.

Tom King, Grant Morrison, John Hickman, Dan Didio, Leah Williams, Brian Michael Bendis and so many others do not give a single shit. They just want whatever story they have in mind and make it happen... sometimes it's just comic book bullshit but ever so often they hit all the spots to make the most unbelievable OOC shit ever.

bursts into tears on the ground. youre right. youre right

[baambastic]

So, the Bart Allen on Prime Earth is supposed to be the same Bart Allen who was on New Earth, pre-Flashpoint. Young Justice (2019) #16 says that he got transported between dimensions while fighting Mirror Master, accidentally ran forty years into the future. He jumped into the Speed Force to return home, and the timeline was manipulated while he was in there, so when he escaped the Speed Force through the broken Force Barrier during Flash War, he found himself on Prime Earth. Cool. Maybe a bit of a stretch, but not unreasonable by comics standards.

But hold on. It actually makes zero sense whatsoever! Because New Earth’s Bart Allen died back in Kid Flash Lost!

He got kidnapped by Brainiac into the far future of the Flashpoint timeline. We know this isn’t a version of Bart from the Flashpoint timeline because he has all his memories of New Earth. Anyway, he escapes Brainiac, jumps into the Speed Force, absorbs a bunch of Speed Force energy, and gives it all to Barry, who’s trying to undo Flashpoint, and Bart dies in the process, as shown above.

So the story from Young Justice (2019) #16 just flat-out contradicts established canon in a major way. And it wasn’t even necessary! Flash War happened a whole year (real world) earlier! And speedsters coming back from the dead via escaping the Speed Force is heavily precedented. Methinks Brian Michael Bendis and David Walker failed to exercise due diligence on the character.

[lilyvalerieorchard]

If anyone of you interacts with any irredeemable media such as

Steven Universe

She-Ra

The Owl House

Star Vs The Forces Of Evil

Avatar: The Last Airbender

The Legend Of Korra

Ducktales

Gravity Falls

Helluva Boss

Hazbin Hotel

Young Justice

Gargoyles

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Sailor Moon

Dragon Ball Z

All anime

All manga

Harry Potter

X-Men

G. Willow Wilson's run on Ms. Marvel

All modern Cass Cain/Batgirl story post-One Year Later

All modern Peter Parker/Spider-Man story post-One More Day

Super Mario Bros

The Legend Of Zelda

Wolfenstein

Doom

The Last Of Us/The Last Of Us Part II

Uncharted

Ratchet & Clank

Jak & Daxter

Sly Cooper

Metal Gear Solid

Tomb Raider (old and new)

Final Fantasy

The Original Star Wars Trilogy

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Star Wars: Rebels

The Last Jedi

Lord Of The Rings

The MCU

The Mad Max saga

The Evil Dead Trilogy

Braveheart

Lethal Weapon

All films by Francis Ford Coppola

All films by Roman Polanski

All films by Woody Allen

All films by Terry Gilliam

All films by Brian De Palma

All films by Quinten Tarantino

All films by Stanley Kubrick

All films by Tim Burton

All films by Rian Johnson

All films by Don Bluth

All films by Steven Spielberg

All books by Stephen King

All comics by Dan Slott

All comics by Donny Cates

All comics by Jason Aaron

All comics by Jeremy Whitley

All comics by Grace Sina

All comics by Tom Taylor

All Comics by Tom King

All comics by Scott Snyder

All comics by James Tynion IV

All comics Brian Michael Bendis

All comics by Tini Howard

All comics by Vita Ayala

All comics by Joshua Williamson

Music by Michael Jackson

Music by Janet Jackson

Music by Prince

Music by Madonna

Music by The Beach Boys

Music by The Beatles

Music by Mozart

Music by Bach

Music by Beethoven

Music by Hyden

Music by Handel

Music by Wagner

Music by Dvorak

Music by Holst

Hideo Kojima

Greg Weisman

Weird Al

Rebecca Sugar

THEN YOU ARE AN EVIL NAZI ENABLER WHO MUST BURN!

[keycomicbooks]

Civil War II 4 (2016) Marko Djurdjevic Cover, Brian Michael Bendis Story, David Marquez Pencils, 1st Appearance of Alison Green, Resurrection of She-Hulk

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[mythomars]

I did a school essay

About how Cyclops was right in AvX

If anyone is interested it’s under the cut

Argumentative Essay: Cyclops Was Right

In Marvel comics there is a man named Scott Summers or better known as Cyclops. He’s a mutant in a world that despises mutants and he made a vow to fight for mutant/human coexistence. Comics often deal with real life issues in a more fantastical way. They address social and political issues and Cyclops making a decision to start a war with the Avengers falls squarely into that category. There’s one side that says he was within his rights to do so. The other side says he went too far in starting this war. Cyclops was right to start war with the Avengers and Humans because an Avenger killed most of the mutant population, the Avengers came in way too hostile, and Cyclops understood and accepted his wrongdoings after the phoenix force was expelled from his body.

In the event series "House of M" by Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel The Scarlet Witch wiped out 98% of the Mutant Population with the 3 words “No more mutants” Only 198 Mutants survived this erasure. Some defend her claiming she was drowning in grief and anger over her father continuously putting the mutant race over her and her brother. Especially after having just resurrected her brother. However, that's no excuse to kill innocent, sentient beings. How is it the fault of millions of people that her father cared more about them than her? Cyclops has worked since 15 to prevent the extinction of his species so her easily wiping out what he has protected for over 30 years put the Avengers as a whole on his threat list.

The Avengers were clued in that the phoenix force was coming so they went to the mutant utopia with an air carrier full of heroes ready to fight, making no attempt to take this out rationally. They wanted to overpower the X-Men and take Hope Summers, AKA “The Mutant Messiah” to destroy the phoenix force. The Avengers knew this would be a new beginning for mutants and they attacked anyway. Despite Cyclops being on a mental decline since the erasure of the mutants. Becoming more radical and not thinking his actions through like he used to he knew the phoenix force would revive the mutant race. Cyclops was sane enough to weigh the pros and cons of the phoenix force coming down. If the Avengers had minded their business, everything would have very likely worked out just fine. Tony Stark admits this himself saying “In the end. With hope. The distorter. Everything. I knew it would create new mutants.” Him referring to the phoenix force coming down to earth. Despite the Phoenix Force being known to decimate lands and all life it sees fit; the Avengers knew from the beginning this would be a new beginning for mutants and they attacked anyway.

Cyclops understood and accepted his wrongdoings after the phoenix force was expelled from his body and took full accountability for every other mutant that followed his leadership. When Captain America tried to save face for himself and the Avengers, claiming no wrongdoing. Despite the burning passionate rage that filled him, Cyclops admitted to his pride and ignorance when it came to the phoenix force, thinking he could control a cosmic entity. Even though Cyclops temporarily made people terrified of mutants, making their already bad reputation worse; He revitalized the mutant race, keeping his people alive to fight for another day. He wanted to stay in jail and serve his time for the reputation damage to his people.

Cyclops was right to start war with the Avengers and Humans because an Avenger killed most of the mutant population then after that the Avengers came in with no sympathy, then after all that Cyclops still understood and accepted his wrongdoings after the phoenix force was expelled from his body. This isn't the first instance of Marvel comics depicting serious topics in fantastical ways but it definitely sticks out. It shows the story of a leader turned perceived villain. Scott saved mutants despite the stubborn human species.

[aanews69]

Unleash the chaos and dive into the wild world of Hit Monkey's Revenge: From Japan to New York Chaos! 🌍🐒 In this thrilling adventure, meet Hit Monkey, the ...

[yellowocaballero]

hi! i've been reading some of your older fics and was wondering if there's any merit in watching buffy for the first time in the year 2024

This may not be obvious, but this is actually an extremely complicated and highly subjective question. I'll try to go on for too long.

As background: my mother loved Buffy and its spin-off Angel growing up. It was our Bible (besides the actual Bible). Not kidding, she was on the forums and fan groups and wrote fanfiction for it and everything (These days, she's really into kdramas and Asian dramas, and calls me about how the Thai seem like big fans of gay people). So I'm quite biased.

BTVS is both a product of its times and ahead of its times. It was a show about feminism and the struggle of living in this world as a woman, when very few shows were doing that. It was the first show to have a long-lasting lesbian couple, and the first show to depict a kiss between them. For better or for worse, it was one of the codifiers of broody vampire boyfriend. It was pretty unafraid to be experimental in a lot of what it did. It had incredibly complex and nuanced character work and growth that I still aspire to. Spike's arc is still matched in quality only by Avatar's Zuko. Angel's long term arc, from Buffy to his spin-off series, still makes him one of the most complex characters on TV. It had the most complex depiction of depression on TV at the time and I still think it's one of the best. I think the show had very high highs.

It also had very low lows. Some of the feminism is problematic in retrospect. The sapphic couple has a rather famous element that was severely problematic. There are, overall, some deeply atrocious arcs that I can appreciate objectively but not in practice. Xander: a whole-ass character aged awfully. On a meta level, the workplace conditions were bad (thanks, Whedon.) There are no people of color. The spoiler's sake I won't go into detail on this, but in general the good stuff was so influential and the bad stuff was just awful.

I think these days people tend to brush off the entire thing because it's Whedon. That is more than fair. But I'd also say that Whedon & Buffy is extremely similar to Brian Michael Bendis & Ultimate Spider-Man. Bendis was fantastic at writing sassy, bouncy, permanently stressed-out teens - issue was, he wrote entirely different serious adult characters the way he wrote these sassy teens. Same with Whedon: the annoyingly constant quips are perfect for Buffy, because that's who the characters are. They're awful in Marvel, because Steve Rogers is not Xander. Kinda similarly, Buffy was genuinely feminist for 90s TV - issue is, Whedon has not grown or developed his views, and now his works feel so sexist (oh my fucking god why did you treat Natasha like that). After a certain point it's egotistical: you're writing like that because you're Joss Whedon and it's how you write, not because it's what's best for the characters and story. But it was really important to me to get the character voices right, and it's freaking difficult to endlessly write dialogue that distinct, full of voice, witty, and clever.

I think BTVS & Angel TV's greatest influence on my writing is how intensely character-driven both of those shows were, and how intricate the characters were. What every character did was something they would do, if that made sense. Even the stuff I hated to watch, that made me uncomfortable, was the culmination of so much (usually). I think I also picked up the constant wit and humor lol. On a personal level, the conversations I would have with my mother where she broke down the character motivations and composition of the story was my first exposure to looking at storytelling from an analytical perspective and a framework of critical analysis, which was an approach I carried into the rest of the media I consumed and that was the primary reason I was able to become a decent writer. Thanks, Mom. Have fun with your kdramas.

TL:DR: There is merit, especially if you care about good character work. There are things about it that may make you want to drop it, which is extremely valid. Season 1 is rough but interesting, Season 2 and 5 are the best, Season 3 is pretty good, Season 4 and 7 skippable, and Season 6 is........epic highs, epic lows......

[daresplaining]

Daredevil vol. 2 #48 by Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev, Matt Hollingsworth, and Cory Petit

I've written about this scene before, but I just keep coming back to it. Matt has just been attacked by Typhoid Mary, approximately thirty seconds into his second date with Milla. With the help of Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, who are bodyguarding for him at the time, Matt manages to fight Typhoid off and get Milla out of harm's way. He brings her back to his apartment, where he can treat his injuries and Milla can get some breathing space to recover. As the evening progresses, they end up in bed together.

There are so many stories— heck, so many Daredevil stories— in which a scene like this would turn sexual. And there isn't anything inherently wrong with that, and there are certainly undertones here for anyone looking for them. But instead, Milla and Matt get into something much more somber: a direct examination of what they've just been through, and what Milla wants to do about it. The bed scene begins with Milla tracing her fingers over the scars on Matt's body while he tells her which villain gave him each one. The conversation slides into the exchange above. This is not long after Karen Page's death (a fact that will pop up in more emphatic ways later in the run). Milla has just been on two disastrous dates, the latest of which put her in direct physical danger. Matt is brutally aware of the kind of target he is putting on her by allowing her to associate with him, and now he knows that Milla knows it too. In previous relationships he might not have brought it up; before Karen's death, before Elektra's, before Glori's, he might have said nothing here, eager for love and brashly confident in his ability to be the hero and keep his girlfriend safe. But no matter how much he likes Milla, and no matter how desperately he might want this relationship— because he's into her, because he needs something pleasant and consistent in his messy life, because the guy rebound dates like it's his damn job— he has the wherewithal, and the honesty, and the fear to tell her that she should take all of this danger seriously and leave. He gives her that choice.

It's easy for us as the readers, with the benefit of hindsight, to say that Milla was foolish to ignore the warnings and to pass up this opportunity to get out of the relationship before it turned ugly. But what I think hits me so hard about this scene is her conviction, and her courage to push all of that aside and offer up the hope that this time, things might be better. Milla has not known Matt for long, other than by reputation, but she has already proven that she is willing to go to great lengths to protect him. She isn't easily frightened, and she likes Matt too much to let him go this easily. Look at the framing and pacing of this moment. Matt makes his long speech about the horror Milla has just been through, and how much he likes her and how little she deserves what she will go through by being around him, and how he can't imagine why she would possibly want to stay. It's a speech full of stutters and pauses; Matt is rattled and frightened. And then there are two panels of silence, in which Milla seems to consider him, and he seems to consider her (it's almost framed as if they are looking at each other, and while obviously that's not what they're literally doing, it does create the sense that an examination is taking place). And then Milla just snuggles in closer and gives her answer: "Because I'm quite fond of you." And there's immense power in such a simple, almost casual response. She has witnessed the danger. She has thought about the danger. She wants to hang out with him anyway because she likes him.

The final panel is beautiful, framing Milla's single line of dialogue. A breeze lifts the curtain on the open window. The walls of the bedroom are transparent, letting in a view of the city and the sky, as if they are lying outdoors, perhaps invoking that feeling of the sounds of New York coming into the room and shattering that illusion of spatial separation. In this moment, neither of them can know what is coming, but with her choice to stay, Milla has conjured a world in which they can both imagine that this kind of peace might be possible.

[ectonurites]

Sorry to bother you, but you seem to know a lot about the comics, and specifically about Tim Drake. I was wondering if you knew off the top of your head when Tim and Steph last canonically dated? Because I see people blaming Meghan Fitzmartin a lot, but I could've sworn that they last broke up before she became Tim's author.

So, the people 'blaming' Meghan Fitzmartin are correct—but I can understand some confusion happening because the breakup occurred off-panel. So like, if you weren't following things closely at the time these books were coming out, it might seem like the first Tim story Fitzmartin wrote was referencing a breakup that already happened somewhere else... but that is not the case.

The other possible confusion point would be that there was an earlier 'break up & get back together' storyline with them in the Rebirth era, a few years before she wrote Tim.

To briefly go over the Rebirth & onward Tim/Steph dating timeline just to clear things up (and I'll be using cover dates just for consistency, so if you want release date subtract two months):

Detective Comics #934-935 August 2016 [written by James Tynion IV] Tim & Steph are established to be dating in Rebirth continuity. We don't see the actual moment they start dating, we're just shown that this is now the situation.

Detective Comics #940 November 2016 [written by James Tynion IV] Tim is 'killed' (he's not really but everyone thinks he is, and he is out of the picture for a while) and thus that effectively pauses any relationship between he and Steph, obviously.

Detective Comics #969 January 2018 [written by James Tynion IV] Tim is back and reveals himself as alive to Steph, and the two of them resume their relationship. After a short timeskip, we then learn that in the aftermath of his return... Tim is not being honest with Steph about his plans (to not go to Ivy like he said he would, to instead continue hero-ing indefinitely).

Detective Comics #970 February 2018 [written by James Tynion IV] Tim & Steph start to have some tension here because of how he's overworking himself, how he's handling things with her, and there's a moment where she says she's leaving, he asks if she means 'The Belfrey, the team, or me?' and she says 'I'll get back to you on that.'

Detective Comics #974 April 2018 [written by James Tynion IV] In the aftermath of the team sort of exploding due to ~plot events~ Steph breaks up with Tim while he's throwing too much of himself into his work.

Detective Comics #981 July 2018 [written by James Tynion IV] More plot stuff happens (a whole big mess with Brother Eye) but once that's settled, the two reunite and rekindle their relationship as they head off ‘to Ivy University’ as they tell Bruce, but we know that’s not actually where they’re going.

Young Justice (2019) #5 July 2019 [written by Brian Michael Bendis] Flashbacks show us that after leaving Gotham, Tim & Steph had specifically gone to see the Justice League/Zatanna for help with timeline memory things rather than going to Ivy. Even though they’re in separate places at the main timeline of the book, this shows us that they're still together.

Young Justice (2019) #11-20 February 2020 - January 2021 [written by Brian Michael Bendis] Steph & Tim immediately try to get ahold of one another via text once Tim's back on the correct earth, and work on getting back in touch until eventually reuniting. They are shown together [and depicted as still dating] during the later parts of the book.

Dark Nights: Death Metal: The Last Stories of the DC Universe #1 February 2021 [written by Joshua Williamson, James Tynion IV, and Scott Synder] Shows the two of them together within the larger group of former Titans/YJ members—specifically one panel towards the end shows us Tim with his arm around her while they talk with others [fun fact that’s the panel my icon is from I just had edited Steph’s head out of the way]. As I recall/as far as I'm aware, this issue is the last time we see them interacting together/together as a couple before Future State and then the Infinite Frontier relaunch. [disclaimer that there could be like... a splash page group shot or something that I'm forgetting elsewhere during the Dark Nights: Death Metal event but like, that's not actual interaction that's just physically being present in the same group shot].

NON-CANON BUT RELEVANT: Future State: Robin Eternal #1-2 March - April 2021 [written by Meghan Fitzmartin] During the Future State event which was used largely to tease/set up plotlines for the Infinite Frontier relaunch, in this potential future Tim & Steph are seemingly no longer together but still on okay terms—teaming up in the story, but with clear tension and history there.

Batman: Urban Legends #4 August 2021 [written by Meghan Fitzmartin] We learn that Tim & Steph broke up off-panel before the events of the issue. Steph appears in the following issue further reiterating that they recently broke up.

So yeah! They broke up off-panel and this was first referenced in Batman: Urban Legends #4, thus under Fitzmartin's pen.