Chronoligical Order vs. Release Order

regero · Post by **regero** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 9:53 am

So...Been reading up all over the place, picking up all the necessary books...and soon enough I will be delving, shall I say...valiantly....into the this crazy story brought forth in 1991. Here is my dilemma...to read in release order or chronogical order?
It seems there is a lot of preference involved in the answer to this question. I'm wondering if it really matters? I read about people wanting to be suprised more and so they read in release order, I've read that people actually like to just go through each title, or they do so up to a crossover point...etc etc. VERY CONFUSING for a newbie

So maybe you guys can help with the Pro's Con's of it all?
Cheers
Mike

Draco · Post by **Draco** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 10:18 am

Seeing as it was all released years ago i would suggest reading it in chronological order.

That way you get to understand it all that much better without putting the pieces together later on etc.

There is a reading order list and someone else reading this is no doubt moments away from giving you the link

Ian

xodacia81 · Post by **xodacia81** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 10:35 am

I would suggest a hybrid. In order to get started, my suggestion would be:

Magnus 0-4, Solar 1-5, Magnus 5-8, Harbinger 0-4, Solar 6 & 7, XO 0-4, Magnus 9-12, Shadowman 1-3, Rai 1-4,Harbinger 5-7. XO 5 & 6, Solar 8-11, Magnus 13 & 14, Rai 5, Archer & Armstrong 0, Unity 1-18(obviously the various titles). This is is just a list to get started, keep in mind. It may not be perfect, but it kind of works as a good way of doing PRE UNITY.

Post Unity it gets a lot harder to decide. I'd go with whichever titles you really enjoy the most, but keep in mind that H.A.R.D. Corps # 1 has to come after the first appearance in Harbinger, Bloodshot can be read anytime after Eternal Warrior 5 and that Solar & XO have a crossover after Aric returns in XO 10. It is all up to you, post unity. The continuity is still pretty tight RIGHT after, but once you get more than 3 issues past Unity in any title, it starts to get "creaky." Another trick to use is the date on the cover. Read everything up to and around a certain date, more or less if a story demands it, and use dates as "section breaks"

Just a few ideas. Enjoy

Elveen · Post by **Elveen** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:47 pm

Chron is no good, execpt for Unity.

The hybrid might work, I for example would just read Solar 1-10, the jump to Mag 0-8.

Post unity, just read one series up to say chaos or so.

xodacia81 · Post by **xodacia81** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 2:42 pm

I alwways thoought there was SOME good stuff post-Chaos. Stories such as Turok back in the Lost Land, the concept of Gilad struggling to redefine his role without what had been his guiding force, ALL of Shadowman and even, yes, Bloodshot. I really enjoyed some of that stuff. For my money, Dr. Mirage was setting itself up to be fantastic. That's a title that the more I read it, the more I really like it. Has elements of A&A, far as the tone. I'm not saying it is the same STYLE or AS GOOD as the BWS run on A&A, but I think that it was the best-maybe only-"fun" title VALIANT did after BWS left A&A. But yeah, post-Chaos...it gets sad for many books. BEWARE THE ENDS OF XO, SOLAR AND MAGNUS.