Fred Van Lente

Fred Van Lente is an American writer, primarily known for his work in the comic book industry. He has written for various popular series and is recognized for his contributions to both superhero and independent comics. His notable works include 'The Amazing Spider-Man,' 'Marvel Zombies,' and 'Archer & Armstrong.'

This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.

  1. 1. Never Sleep

    Set in 1861 on the eve of Abraham Lincoln's inauguration, Never Sleep follows Kate Warn, the first female private detective in American history, and her mentee Hattie MacLaughlin. As the first female agents in the Pinkerton National Police Agency they work to foil a conspiracy to assassinate the president. Their mission moves from rural Maryland to secessionist high society and forces Hattie to choose between saving her mentor and saving the country when Kate's cover is blown. Based on a true story.

    The 17010th Greatest Book of All Time
    Purchase from Bookshop.org
  2. 2. X Men Noir

    Mark of Cain

    Set in a gritty, alternate 1930s universe, this tale reimagines the iconic mutants as hard-boiled detectives and criminals navigating the seedy underbelly of New York City. The story unfolds with a murder mystery at its core, where the lines between hero and villain blur, and the characters grapple with their own dark pasts and moral ambiguities. As the investigation deepens, alliances shift, and secrets unravel, revealing a world where power and corruption reign supreme, and survival often comes at a steep price.

  3. 3. Archer & Armstrong, Vol. 7

    A witty, action-packed collection of self-contained adventures that lampoons a gilded cabal of Wall Street elites while exploring deeper cuts of the duo’s world, from Armstrong’s centuries of misadventures to Archer’s complicated ties to the Sect. Balancing satire with heartfelt character beats, it revisits key allies and enemies, ties off lingering threads, and serves as a playful capstone that spotlights the odd couple’s enduring bond amid conspiracies, cults, and chaotic capers.

    Purchase from Bookshop.org
  4. 4. Archer & Armstrong, Vol. 6

    American Wasteland

    In Los Angeles, the mismatched duo chases a new Sect conspiracy and stumbles into a hidden underworld where America’s pop-culture myths are weaponized. Tangling with celebrity cults, ruthless moguls, and old frenemies, they trek through a secret wasteland beneath Hollywood to stop a reality-warping scheme that could rewrite national history—testing their trust, challenging Archer’s convictions, and forcing both to decide what the American Dream is worth.

    Purchase from Bookshop.org
  5. 5. Archer & Armstrong, Vol. 5

    Mission: Improbable

    Targeted by Project Rising Spirit, a hard-drinking immortal and his idealistic young partner are hunted by Bloodshot and the H.A.R.D. Corps in a relentless, globe-trotting clash of black-ops agendas and secret sects. As betrayals mount and unlikely alliances emerge, they’re forced to outwit superhuman soldiers and ruthless handlers while confronting the darker implications of the younger hero’s deadly training. The fallout tests their bond and sets a new course for their chaotic crusade.

  6. 6. Archer & Armstrong, Vol. 4

    Sect Civil War

    Secret societies explode into all-out war as a sheltered martial-arts prodigy and his immortal, hard-drinking partner scramble to stop rival sects from weaponizing a dire prophecy tied to his destiny. With his assassin sister seizing for power and old truths about his origins surfacing, shifting alliances, betrayals, and a riotous, globe-spanning melee push the duo’s odd-couple bond to the brink while exposing the absurdity and danger of the conspiracies steering the world.

    Purchase from Bookshop.org
  7. 7. Archer & Armstrong, Vol. 3

    Far, Faraway

    Catapulted from a skirmish at a top-secret desert facility into the Faraway—a chaotic pocket dimension where time’s misfits collide—a hard-living immortal and his idealistic young partner navigate dinosaurs, aliens, and a ruthless sect while uncovering the ancient catastrophe that created immortality and toppled a civilization. Framed by a revelatory flashback to their origins, the journey forces them to confront the lies of an austere upbringing, buried family ties, and a nihilist plot that could erase reality, testing their trust and the limits of their convictions.

    Purchase from Bookshop.org
  8. 8. Archer & Armstrong, Vol. 2

    Wrath of the Eternal Warrior

    A sheltered martial arts prodigy and his hard-living immortal partner are hunted by a relentless ancient warrior with a centuries-old grudge as rival secret societies race to control a catastrophic Sumerian relic. From covert monasteries to gilded conspiracies, they face assassins, duplicitous family ties, and the fallout of long-buried sins to stop a nihilist plot that could erase everything. In the chaos, two immortal brothers are forced toward a reckoning that tests loyalty, guilt, and the possibility of redemption.

    Purchase from Bookshop.org
  9. 9. Archer & Armstrong, Vol. 1

    The Michelangelo Code

    A sheltered martial-arts prodigy raised by a fanatical cult is dispatched to assassinate a hard-drinking immortal, but after discovering he’s been lied to, he joins forces with his target to unravel a centuries-spanning conspiracy. Their globe-trotting chase pits them against warring secret societies—ranging from militant nuns to occultist financiers—as they race to prevent the reassembly of an ancient device capable of mass devastation, all while uncovering the immortal’s tragic origins and the catastrophe that created him.

    Purchase from Bookshop.org