Comic Books Comic Book • Page 267

If you don't like Marvel's line-wide summer event strategy, you're coming back at a perfect time 'cause the pendulum is currently swinging away from that after the diminishing returns of Civil War II and Secret Empire. Thankfully, the better Marvel titles that tied into these events generally found a way to still feel like themselves and not need the main event to make sense. So, when you (for example) read the Civil War II tie-in arc of Ms Marvel, it won't feel like the series got bogged down or anything. And, if you jump into current Marvel titles, you shouldn't have to worry about another big, obstructive event dropping next summer.


Anyways, in addition to Fraction's Hawkeye, Miles Morales Spider-Man, Vision, and Ms Marvel, here are some other titles to check out! Let's start with runs that are either over or at least deep into their run:

Silver Surfer by Dan Slott & Mike Allred: This has been consistently in my top 2 or 3 favorite ongoing series for the past few years. The final issue of this 29-issue run (split into two volumes 'cause renumbering and whatnot) comes out soon, and while I'm sad to see it go, I'm glad it got to tell the full story it was supposed to tell. It's stylish and silly and romantic and just generally delightful.

Mighty Thor by Jason Aaron & Russell Dauterman: The Jane Foster Thor story has been fantastic thus far, and this from someone who wasn't previously that excited by the world of Thor. Jane is dying of cancer, but when she picks up Mjolnir, she becomes the Might Thor; however, when she powers down, her cancer is worse than before. It's been a fun, epic adventure made even better by Dauterman's bold, intricate art style. (You should also consider starting with Jason Aaron's Thor: God of Thunder series with Esad Ribic on art, which came before the Jane Foster switch and is essentially part of the same large Thor epic.)

Daredevil by Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera, Chris Samnee, etc.: If you demand that your Daredevil comics tell gritty crime stories, you won't like this, but if you want a comic book series that channels Silver Age bombast with wonderful pop art visuals, you'll love it. The duo of Waid and Samnee went on to do a 12-issue Black Widow series afterwards, and they'll be doing Captain America starting next month, so there's lots from this team to take in!

Spider-Woman by Dennis Hopeless & Javier Rodriguez: This fun series took Jessica Drew to the streets with a cool costume redesign and teamed her with Ben Urich and obscure villain The Porcupine. If you're a Spider-Man fan and/or if you dig the above Daredevil series, you'll dig this. (This is goofy to read in that the first 4 issues were an unrelated "Spider-Verse" event tie-in with lame Greg Land art before getting underway for real with #5; it then renumbered after #10 w/ a new #1, and in that new run, two of those issues were part of the "Spider-Women" crossover w/ Spider-Gwen & Silk, which can also be skipped. Aren't comics fun?)

Spider-Gwen by Jason Latour & Robbi Rodriguez: Speaking of Spider-Gwen, her ongoing series is a fun alternate reality series that every Spider-fan should check out. Really stylish with some fun takes on well-known characters.

Superior Foes of Spider-Man by Nick Spencer & Steve Lieber: Don't let the name deceive you: While this was launched during the Superior Spider-Man era (when Doc Ock's mind was in Spidey's body), it doesn't really have anything to do with that under-appreciated storyline. Rather, it's a self-contained series that followed Boomerang, Shocker, and some other c-list Spidey villains as they bumbled about NYC's criminal world. It's a very funny love letter to the world of Spider-Man (and the rest of street-level Marvel) that's definitely worth your time.

Young Avengers by Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie: This creative team, which is now doing an Image series called The Wicked and the Divine, did a wonderful 15-issue run on Young Avengers that every fan of young superheroes should check out. Great, stylish art, and super engaging ensemble of characters.

Avengers/New Avengers/Infinity/Secret Wars by Jonathan Hickman & lots of artists: If you want something way more epic and crazy, encompassing the entire Marvel universe, check out Hickman's Avengers work. The main Avengers series under him featured a surprisingly large cast of characters doing some big Avengers stuff, while the companion series New Avengers dwelt on the Illuminati as they attempt to prevent the implosion of the entire multiverse. These titles crossed over early on for an event called "Infinity" (which introduced the Black Order that will be in the Infinity War film), and then they collided at the end for "Secret Wars" (with fantastic Esad Ribic art). All of this together is like 90-something issues and isn't for everyone, but if you randomly crave a story on a massive scale, it doesn't get more massive than this. Just make sure you google "hickman avengers reading order" first, lol.


Now for some stuff that started within the past year or will be starting up in the coming months (including some I personally haven't read yet, but I feel confident recommending them all):

Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man by Chip Zdarsky & Adam Kubert: Not everyone likes Dan Slott's never-ending Amazing Spider-Man series and its various creative decisions, and that's where this series comes in. Chip is telling a story here that's heavy on the jokes, and it feels a lot more traditional for the character without feeling in any way like a retread. Definitely look into Slott's Amazing and see if it appeals to you, but if you want to get back into the adventures of Peter Parker, this is definitely the strongest and most accessible place to do so.

Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows by Gerry Conway, Ryan Stegman, etc.: During the aforementioned Secret Wars, Marvel did a bunch of miniseries telling stories in alternate realities based on various iconic Marvel stories from over the years. The "Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows" one by Dan Slott & Adam Kubert envisioned a world where Peter & MJ were still married and had a young daughter named Annie. It was great. About a year ago, Marvel tasked Gerry Conway & Ryan Stegman with continuing that alternate continuity of Spider-Man in an ongoing series, and it also has been great. I'd advise you start with the Slott & Kubert mini, but you'd also be fine starting at the beginning of this current ongoing. There will be a time jump and creative team change next month, which would probably also be a decent jumping on point.

Hawkeye by Kelly Thompson & Leonardo Romero: This series follows the Young Avenger named Kate Bishop, who's also a major character in Matt Fraction's Hawkeye. And, if I were to name my 3 favorite current Marvel titles, this would 100% be one of them (alongside Spectacular Spider-Man & Silver Surfer). Don't let that observation hype this for you too much, since that's largely from the tone and style of the series hitting my tastes just right. But, if you end up loving Fraction's Hawkeye, Waid's Daredevil, and other series of that general style, just don't let this one fly under your radar.

Black Bolt by Saladin Ahmed & Christian Ward: Black Bolt is escaping a space prison with unlikely ally Absorbing Man. Out of all the Marvel titles I'm trade-waiting, this is the one I'm most excited to finally read. Everything I've seen of it is fantastic. I don't know how long it'll last, but when it ends, I definitely expect Ahmed to get another Marvel assignment (if that's what he wants).

Astonishing X-Men by Charles Soule & various artists: If you want to get back into the X-Men, this series looks to be your easiest bet. Soule & a revolving door of artists are currently telling a story involving the Shadow King, the mind of the current deceased Charles Xavier, and a strong cast of X-Men including Logan, Rogue, Gambit, Psylocke, & more.

Iceman by Sina Grace and Alessandro Vitti: Another good, accessible place to jump back into the world of the X-Men. This one is a bit different in that it's a character-driven solo title focusing on Bobby Drake as he explores his life not long after coming to grips with his own sexuality. Between this and Dennis Hopeless' Jean Grey series (starring a time-displaced young Jean as she deals with knowing what the Phoenix did to her older counterpart), plus Old Man Logan and All-New Wolverine (both on issue 20-something), it's a good time for solo X-books.

Marvel Two-in-One by Chip Zdarksy & Jim Cheung: This one doesn't launch until November, but I'm still gonna throw it out there in case you want some upcoming titles to jump into from the beginning. Basically, the Fantastic Four have been off the map for the past couple years, ever since the Richards family disappeared into the multiverse at the end of Hickman's Secret Wars. This series will star a reunited Thing & Human Torch as they try to figure out what happened to the rest of the Four (since most characters don't remember that Secret Wars happened).

Phoenix Resurrection by Matthew Rosenberg & Leinil Yu: Starting in December, Marvel will be releasing a 5-issue miniseries in which the original Jean Grey returns after 13 years away. I've heard that Rosenberg has a great handle on the X-Men, so if you want more X-Men in your life, maybe this upcoming miniseries should be on your radar.


Ok, I kinda went super overboard here, lol. Oh well. Hopefully you find some stuff to like in all of this and are able to fall back in love with new Marvel comics!

 

Oh my god @Tim this is incredible, thank you so much! Just reading your descriptions has me so excited to dive back into these characters and stories (I am especially excited that there's more Young Avengers stories, I adored those characters and initial run). Thank you thank you thank you!

 

I mentioned a bit ago I was starting the New Avengers but it was Bendis' run. Started Hickman's today and I love it. Avengers isn't pulling me in yet the same way, but I love how epic it is.

 

New Avengers is certainly the better of the two, but I still really liked Avengers. It's a fun blockbuster companion to the darkness of New Avengers. And, the two of them work really effectively as pieces of the same whole.

I'm looking forward to you finishing it all and telling us what you thought!

 

Yeah I'm following an order I found and going back and forth (which I love doing when given the opportunity). My only real issue with the Avengers is too many characters and I'm guessing I'll like it more when it focuses. Should I go back and read any of the stuff before New Avengers that Hickman was a part of? I went as far back as Secret Warriors and wasn't enthralled so I jumped forward. I feel like I might like FF. Anything that's going to help my understanding of New/Avengers would be great.

 

dang there are 4 Batman books I'm very excited about getting tomorrow. what a time to be alive

anyone else interested in checking out White Knight?

 

So much yes, the preview pages have looked incredible. Also ready as hell to hear Selina's answer, ha.

 

I haven't read Secret Warriors yet, but Fantastic Four was excellent. There are a couple little references to that run in the Avengers/etc. epic, so reading that before finishing this would add to the experience, especially with how central the Richards family is to Secret Wars. But, if you don't read his Fantastic Four until after you finish this, you'll still be fine.

 

[obligatory Batman diss here], but I am looking forward to getting White Knight in collected edition after it ends. Hopefully it handles the class stuff well.

 

same here man. I've been rereading all of The War... before every new issue. It's up there with my favorite things Tom has done.

How about that last Kite Man interlude?

 

That's good to know because I have a momentum I'd really like to keep going, ha. I do find Reed Richards role incredibly interesting in New Avengers, I don't know much about the characters. I might take a look at it before I get to Secret Wars. Thanks

 

I really need to read it as a whole. Only been reading them as they come out. King's work really shines when complete.

I think that the Kite Man issues have been my favorite, excluding the dinner party which was the most perfect thing ever. It's so great what King's done with such a D list character, ha. I'm really curious what the horrible thing Batman did is. For how long this arc was it really flew by

 

Hickman single-handedly made me a big Reed Richards fan in New Avengers, Secret Wars, and Fantastic Four. The first arc of Fantastic Four is called "Solve Everything" and is about Reed joining a collection of Reeds from the multiverse. Good stuff.

 

yeah the dinner party issue was excellent and so unexpected haha. totally agree with everything you said.

Hell yeah!

 

I'm tempted to give Solve Everything a shot based off that description

 

about time I found a copy of this:

 

And just finished it. That was brilliant. Makes me even more excited to see how Mister Miracle plays out.

 

Gambit & Rogue Land New Marvel Series

New Gambit and Rogue series coming out in January. I'll have to read the new AXM later to see a glimpse of them.

 

I only skimmed the last few pages but I didn't see this posted. Hype.

NYCC announcement: Lemire & Sorrentino introduce an otherworldly mystery in GIDEON FALLS | Press Releases | Image Comics

 

@Vivatoto so the ending to The War was something else

 

Nice! If this is an ongoing with a decent creative team, I'll definitely have to add it to my pull. Hopefully Kelly Thompson is writing, since she's killing it on Hawkeye and is a vocal fan of these characters.

 

So excited to go to NYCC tomorrow.

 

Hell yeah. I'll let you know my thoughts when I read it in a few hours.

 

$53 just for new issues today...I really need to drop some stuff, lol

 

What a finale for the War of Jokes and Riddles. Did not expect everything to be tied together so perfectly, which is totally my fault because I really need to give King the credit he deserves (which is bundles). I think it will go down as a favorite of mine. The word masterpiece is kicking at me.

And about that ending I cried and I'm so fucking happy. Please please please, let there be a grand event wedding a la Green Arrow and Black Canary. So many opportunities for grumpy batman.