How To Start Reading Modern Marvel Comics

Marvel has been at the top of the superhero world for decades now. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has made its characters the most popular superheroes in the world, and while the comics aren’t as well-known as the movies, they still sell better than their distinguished competition. Marvel’s comics have captivated readers for decades, and their current crop of books is perfect for new fans.

Marvel has a little bit of something for everyone. While big names like Iron Man and the X-Men are in the middle of events that make it hard for new readers to get into them, and the Spider-Man books aren’t exactly well-loved, many of Marvel’s most well-known heroes and teams have had recent relaunches. This is a perfect time for new readers to dive into the Marvel Universe.

Captain America’s Newest Series Brings A Fan-Favorite Writer Back To Marvel

Captain America has been going strong since 1941, and the MCU has made the character more popular. Captain America comics have always been special, with the Sentinel of Liberty battling the enemies of freedom and justice. Cap isn’t just some jingoistic propaganda-spouting hero, but the soul of the US. Captain America always does the right thing, and his newest series sees him face off against foes unlike any he has before.

Captain America (Vol. 11) sees Steve Rogers return to New York City, purchasing an apartment building he lived in when he was younger and doing his best to help the people of his community. Meanwhile, a sinister demonic force that has tried to change the world multiple times targets Captain America. However, it isn’t the first time this monstrous entity has tried to destroy Steve Rogers, as he has always been a person upon whose fate the world turns.

Important Developments:

Captain America (Vol. 11) introduces Asmoday, a demonic monster who worked with the Nazis and has been trying to change the world for the worst The book flashes back to Steve Rogers’s time before he became Captain America, as he’s embroiled in a plot by the German-American Bund Captain America is forced to step out of his comfort zone to face this demonic threat Doctor Strange – in a very different form – and Spider-Man guest star in the first story arc

Captain America (Vol. 11) sees writer J. Michael Straczynski return to Marvel for the first time in over a decade. The creator of TV’s Babylon 5 wrote for Marvel for years, and his Amazing Spider-Man run is considered by many to be the best Spider-Man run of the 21st century. Straczynski is joined by an all-star creative team – Jesus Saíz, Lan Medina, Carlos Magno, Belardino Brabo, Matt Hollingsworth, Espen Grundetjern, and Joe Caramagna – and the book’s eight issues have impressed readers and critics alike.

This book is peak Cap, mixing familiar threats like the Nazis with supernatural ones unlike any Cap has faced before. This book is perfect for new readers because most of the characters are well-known to even the most casual MCU fans, and it does an amazing job of setting up its story. The first six issues will be available in a collected edition in May and for preorder wherever comics are sold. New issues are available at comic stores and digitally.

The Avengers (Vol. 9) Gives The Team An All-New Quest

2022’s Timeless #1 starred Kang the Conqueror as he searched for forbidden moments in time. Kang is embroiled in a battle with new villains Myrrdin and the Twilight Court, the villains testing him more than anyone has in ages. Kang is defeated and runs to Earth in the present to ask the only people powerful enough to defeat his enemies for help – the Avengers. The Avengers (Vol. 9), from writer Jed McKay and main artist CF Villa, Federico Blee, and Cory Petit, kicked off in May 2023.

The first issue tells the story of how Captain Marvel brought together a new team of Avengers in a story that flashes between the assembling of the team in the past and a battle against Terminus in the present. When Kang shows up injured, the team is given a quest, as Kang warns them about the coming calamities if they can’t help him find the unreachable moments in time. Their first test hits them like a ton of bricks as they are thrust into battle with the Ashe Combine, a group of villains unlike any they’ve encountered before.

Important Developments:

The book premieres a new Avengers team – Captain Marvel, Iron Man, Captain America (Sam Wilson), Black Panther, Thor, Scarlet Witch, and Vision The first story ends with the team gaining a new headquarters – the Impossible City, a living city Longtime Avengers butler Jarvis returns in issue #11 Issues #12 and #13 are crossovers with the X-Men event Fall Of X, and then issues #14-16 crossover with Blood Hunt, Marvel’s big 2024 event

The Avengers has been on a downward turn since 2015 when writer Jonathan Hickman’s run ended. There have been many good Avengers stories, but only a few good Avengers runs. However, Avengers (Vol. 9)looks to change that. McKay and Villa are rising stars at Marvel, and this book’s premise – teaming Kang with the Avengers on a quest with consequences for the entire universe – is unique in the Avengers’s illustrious history. So far, the book has been phenomenal.

McKay knows how to keep readers glued to this story and just gets each character so well, even when he’s thrown a curveball like the change in Captain Marvel’s status quo. Avengers comics are best when there’s some kind of overarching narrative driving them, and this book has that in spades while also showing the team doing all the stuff a reader would expect of the Avengers. The book’s first collected volume – The Avengers: The Impossible City – is available for purchase wherever comics are sold, with the second volume – Twilight Dreaming – releasing in July and available for preorder, with single issues available at comic stores and digitally.

The Immortal Thor Combines Norse Mythology With The Marvel Universe In Brilliant New Ways

Writer Al Ewing is looked at by many as Marvel’s best current writer. Truly coming into his own on The Ultimates (Vol. 3), Ewing became a superstar with his work on The Immortal Hulk, a take on the Jade Giant that took the title back to its superhero horror roots. Since then, Ewing has knocked it out of the park with Guardians Of The Galaxy, SWORD, Defenders and its sequel Defenders Beyond, X-Men Red, The Resurrection Of Magneto, and the vastly underrated Avengers, Inc.

However, Ewing’s newest series is the one that has everyone talking – The Immortal Thor. Thor has had his ups and downs over his long existence but has become a cornerstone of the Marvel Universe. The best Thor comics take the Norse mythology roots of the character, modernize them, and use them to inform the story of Thor. Ewing is doing that brilliantly with this series, enmeshing Thor in a prophecy about the world’s end and introducing readers to an all-new Norse pantheon.

Important Developments:

The Immortal Thor is the first Marvel comic that goes all in on non-binary Loki, as they change their gender multiple times throughout every issue they’re in Introduces the gods of Utgard, like Toranos the Utgard Thor, Skrymir, and Utgard Loki Has a team-up in the first arc of everyone who wielded Mjolnir Has brought back classic Thor villains Enchantress and Executioner, as well as bringing in The Immortal Thor villain Dario Agger for a very meta new story

Ewing is joined by Martin Coccolo, Ibraim Roberson, Matthew Wilson, and Joe Sabino and the series has been nothing short of amazing. The Immortal Thor has massive stakes, and the book’s first story arc tests Thor in completely new ways. Loki is a key part of the book, helping and hindering their brother, and readers constantly get the idea that they know something they aren’t telling anyone.

The book’s latest story sees Dario Agger use the resources of Roxxon, Marvel’s premiere evil corporation, to purchase the comic rights to Thor, teaming with Enchantress and Executioner to use magic to drain Thor’s power by using this comic portrayal of the God of Thunder, leading to Roxxon Presents: Thor #1. The Immortal Thor is another masterwork from Ewing, combining deft storytelling with an understanding of Norse mythology and the world of Marvel’s Thor with beautiful art. This book has it all, and every Thor fan will love it. The Immortal Thor: All Weather Turns To Storm is available wherever comics are sold. The second volume is available for preorder, and single issues are available at comic stores and digitally.

The Incredible Hulk Combined Body Horror, Monster Horror, And Cosmic Horror-Tinged Americana

The Immortal Hulk blew readers away, giving them the best Hulk story in ages. Horror has always looked good on the Hulk, but The Immortal Hulk’s follow-up went in a completely different direction. Marvel pivoted quickly, bringing together writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Nic Klein, Travel Foreman, Danny Earls, Matthew Wilson, and Cory Petit, for The Incredible Hulk. This book goes back to the horror well with the Hulk, as an ancient horror called the Eldest awakens and calls to its terrible kind across the US. It is time for the Age of Monsters to begin, and the Hulk is a key part of the Eldest’s plan.

Meanwhile, the Hulk and Bruce Banner hate each other more than ever, and their actions in recent years have put them on the run again. Hulk is pulled into a monster attack where he meets a new friend – a young girl named Charlie, for whom he has a soft spot. Charlie is connected to the Eldest and the Mother of Horrors, so they go on the run together, being pulled into more attacks by the servants of the Eldest.

Important Developments:

The Incredible Hulk brings back a horror feel but does it in a way unique to what came before The book takes the body horror of The Immortal Hulk‘s transformation sequences and ramps them up to eleven The book’s road trip feel gives it a unique energy compared to other Hulk books This book keeps the Hulk separate from his usual supporting cast and the superheroes he usually associates with, giving the book a feeling of isolation that makes the horror that much more acute

The Incredible Hulk is even more of a horror book than The Immortal Hulk. That book was as much about the psychology of Hulk and Bruce Banner while digging into a large cast of gamma-powered heroes and villains. This book is about the Hulk, his new friend Charlie, and the monsters, digging into the horror in ways that range from creepy to terrifying. While horror is the focus, this is still a Hulk book, meaning fans expect some hardcore action.

This comic has that in spades, with the Hulk’s battle against the monsters giving the readers the action they crave. Each artist on the book so far has done an excellent job, and Johnson understands how to work with them, giving them some amazing things to draw that play to their strengths. The Incredible Hulk Vol. 1: The Age Of Monsters is available now. The second volume can be preordered, and single issues are available at comic stores and digitally.

The Ultimate Spider-Man (Vol. 3) Is The Best Spider-Man Comic In Years

The Amazing Spider-Man is usually the bestselling comic on the stands, but calling it the most beloved comic is a road too far. Amazing has been on a downward spiral of fan appreciation since 2007’s One More Day, and the most recent volume doesn’t exactly make fans of Spider-Man happy for a variety of reasons. Marvel editorial has angered fans for years by keeping Spider-Man and Mary Jane apart despite loud protestations. Many readers have given up on ever getting a Spider-Man book that they could enjoy again. However, that changed when writer Jonathan Hickman started a new Ultimate Universe with Ultimate Invasion.

The first Ultimate Universe rebooted Marvel for the modern day and ended in 2015’s Secret Wars. Hickman’s new Ultimate Universe, unlike the first, isn’t as slavishly devoted to the original Marvel Universe and The Ultimate Spider-Man (Vol. 3), by Jonathan Hickman, Marco Checchetto, David Messina, Matthew Wilson, and Cory Petit, is a perfect example of that. In this universe, the Maker, the evil Reed Richards from the first Ultimate Universe, has made sure that the heroic community didn’t develop in the same ways, forcing Tony Stark and Reed Richards, who are Kang and Doctor Doom in this universe, to take things into their own hands and build the hero community their own way.

Important Developments:

The Ultimate Spider-Man (Vol. 3)stars an older Peter Parker who is married to Mary Jane with a son and daughter Aunt May is dead in this universe, but Uncle Ben is still alive, and he and Peter work with J. Jonah Jameson at The Daily Bugle The Green Goblin is Harry Osborn and is married to Gwen Stacy Tony sends Peter a message and a choice about whether he wants his spider powers or not, and Peter chooses to meet his destiny

The Ultimate Spider-Man (Vol. 3)completelyflips the traditional Spidey formula. It doesn’t start with a young Peter Parker, who gets bit by an irradiated spider and loses his uncle Ben because of his own hubris. This Peter Parker is older and successful, but there are still nagging secrets at the heart of the book, like what happened to Aunt May or why Peter and MJ’s marriage seems weak at first, that take this seemingly “perfect” world and show its cracks. Hickman is building an intricate story here, a specialization for the writer, but the humor and character really make it all work. Hickman is doing an amazing job with every character in this book; they all feel real and make readers want to spend time with them.

Checchetto, Messina, and Wilson are the perfect artists for this book, taking Hickman’s scripts and bringing them to life in amazing ways. This book is spectacular, weaving the perfect web for every kind of Spider-Man fan. The changes made to the Spider-Man mythos don’t change who Spider-Man is, and when Peter finally puts the costume on, all the differences melt away, and it’s the kind of wall-crawling fun that every Spider-Man fan wants. Unfortunately, physical copies of this book are very hard to find, as it basically sells out the day it drops, but anyone interested can get the book digitally. This is a near-perfect comic, and every Marvel fan needs to read it.

Ultimate X-Men (Vol. 2) Is Mutants Meet Horror Manga

The X-Men are finishing up the Krakoa Era, a five-year story that is impenetrable for new readers now. Most books are winding down, and the story has reached a needlessly complicated crescendo. The X-Men are getting relaunched soon, but now is not the time for new readers to try the X-Men. However, there is an alternative, although it’s a bit different from the usual X-Men experience. Ultimate Invasion‘s new universe has given readers another version of a classic Ultimate comic – Ultimate X-Men (Vol. 2).

The first Ultimate X-Men was a retelling of old X-Men stories that were increasingly tweaked as time passed. The book hit the same cycle of diminishing returns that other Ultimate books did and died the same whimpering death as the rest of the line. Ultimate X-Men (Vol. 2)is quite different for various reasons, with the most important being the creator behind it – writer/artist Peach Momoko, working with letterer Travis Lanham. Momoko is known for her manga art and writing style, and her Demon Days books hooked readers by combining the Marvel Universe with Japanese folklore. Momoko brings that same Japanese flavor to Ultimate X-Men (Vol. 2), giving readers a very different mutant book.

Important Developments:

Ultimate X-Men (Vol. 2)stars Hisako Ichiki, who in the 616 universe is the X-Man Armor, and is set in Japan A mysterious shadowy force is killing people in her town, including her best friend Hisako’s powers kick in while she’s escaping the shadowy being, saving her from a car hitting her She soon meets Mei Igarashi, who has wind powers, and the two battle the shadow enemy together

Ultimate X-Men (Vol. 2) doesn’t overtly have any of the usual trappings of X-Men stories – there’s no X-Mansion, no Xavier, no Cyclops, Wolverine, Jean Grey, or familiar X-Men – but it does have young outcasts with powers trying to figure out who they and what they can do. This book feels like a horror manga and that’s a very good thing. While the fact that it isn’t a normal X-Men story may turn people who want something more conventional off, readers who give it a chance will get something better than they expect.

There have only been two issues so far, so many things can happen in this book, which is why it’s perfect for new readers. There are many questions about this comic, but the biggest is whether this will ever become a “normal” X-Men comic. Much like The Ultimate Spider-Man (Vol. 2), this book sells out often, so the best bet for new readers is to buy the first two issues digitally. It’s doubtful that anyone ever asked for an X-Men horror manga, but this book has shown why everyone should want one.