Dead Universes

Dead Universes (Part IV): Defiant Comics reading order

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Originally published October 28, 2013 | Updated April 2026

Originally published in 2013, this post provides a deep dive into Defiant Comics and a detailed reading order for Jim Shooter’s third major shared universe creation. In 2026, this post carries new significance. The Schism Kickstarter, which successfully funded in 2025, will finally deliver the 160 pages Shooter created in 1994 before Defiant’s closure halted completion. For the first time in over 30 years, collectors and readers can experience Shooter’s vision for how the Defiant universe was meant to conclude. This makes understanding the chronological reading order more important than ever.

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Dead Universes (part III): Reading order

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Originally published October 18, 2013 | Updated April 2026
Originally published in 2013, this post explores how to approach reading three major Dead Universes: Defiant, Valiant, and the Ultraverse. The reading strategy you choose affects how you collect. Do you read series-by-series as they were originally published? In chronological order? Or by release date? Knowing this decision upfront will help you invest in Dead Universes strategically.

This post has become even more relevant in 2026. ShooterWorks.com‘s notes on Schism, Defiant’s never-published universe-wide crossover event, now pair with an active Schism Kickstarter that successfully funded in 2025. All 160 pages of Schism were penciled and inked in 1994 before Defiant’s closure halted completion. Backers will receive at minimum digital issues 1 through 4, with print editions and hardcover collections available at higher tiers. This makes the reading order question more urgent for collectors interested in completing Jim Shooter’s vision for this universe.

Deciding how to read a Dead Universe informs the best way to collect a Dead Universe. Do you read it series-by-series, as it was originally published? In chronological order? Or by release date? Knowing this will help determine how to invest in Dead Universes.

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Dead Universes (part II): Best Practices

Marvel's ad after they bought out Ultraverse.
Marvel’s ad after they bought out Ultraverse.

Originally published October 8, 2013 | Updated April 2026

The best practices for collecting Dead Universes differ from modern comics. Whether you’re starting with Defiant, Valiant, or the Ultraverse, these principles will help you build a complete collection affordably and strategically. Originally published in 2013, this advice remains relevant in 2026 because the fundamentals of smart collecting haven’t changed.

In the previous post, we explored how accessible Dead Universe collecting can be. The barrier isn’t cost, it’s strategy. Unlike hunting for mint condition variants, collecting Dead Universes is about completing stories affordably. Here are the principles that will guide your approach.

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Dead Universes (prologue): A time traveler finds holes in the multiverse

Originally published October 8, 2013 | Updated April 2026
In 2013, we began exploring the death of shared comic universes from the 1990s boom. Over a decade later, we’re revisiting this series. Jim Shooter passed away in June 2025, and the successful Schism Kickstarter, completing his unfinished Defiant Comics story, reminded us that these dead universes still matter to creators and collectors. The time felt right to explore them more deeply: not just what they were, but why they disappeared, and what their legacy tells us about comics history.

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