Avengers Reading Order: Where to Start
The best modern Avengers runs and classic events, in sensible order.
By Web Admin
The Avengers have been assembling since 1963, and that is exactly the problem for a new reader. Sixty-plus years of continuity, three separate teams running at once, and a dozen line-wide events all wearing the same name is enough to send anyone back to the movies. Here is the good news: you do not have to read it in order, and you definitely do not have to start in 1963. The smartest way in is to begin with a modern run that reads like prestige television, then reach back for the classic events that everything else references.
This guide lays out an Avengers reading order in sensible stages — the best modern jumping-on point first, then the two epic runs that define the team today, then the classics worth your time. Every recommendation names the writer, the artist, the years, and the exact collected edition to buy, so you can walk into a shop (or open a tab) and know precisely what you are getting.
How this reading order works
We have split the Avengers into four stages. Stage one is your on-ramp: a single modern run you can start cold. Stage two is the modern epic — Jonathan Hickman’s sprawling, chess-game Avengers saga that culminates in Secret Wars. Stage three is the classic events every longtime fan can quote. Stage four is optional deep-cut territory once you are hooked. You can honestly stop after stage one and have read a complete, satisfying story — but most people keep going.
If you are brand new to Marvel as a whole and want the wider lay of the land first, start with our Marvel reading order for beginners, then come back here for the team specifics.
Stage 1: The modern on-ramp — Bendis’ New Avengers
Brian Michael Bendis relaunched the franchise in 2004 with New Avengers, and it remains the single best place for a new reader to start. The setup does the heavy lifting for you: a mass breakout at the supervillain prison known as the Raft throws a group of heroes together, and they decide to stay together. There is no homework, the roster is stacked with recognizable names, and Bendis writes the banter that later defined the movies.
Read these in order:
- New Avengers, Vol. 1: Breakout (2004–2005) — the origin of the modern team.
- New Avengers continuing through the “Sentry” and “Ronin” arcs.
- Avengers: Disassembled (2004) — technically the prelude that tears the old team apart; read it before or right after Breakout for context.
Bendis then steered the franchise through two of Marvel’s biggest crossovers — House of M and Secret Invasion — and out the other side into Siege (2010), which is the satisfying finale to his whole era. If you love the Bendis voice, his run alone will keep you busy for months.
Stage 2: The modern epic — Hickman’s Avengers to Secret Wars
Once you are comfortable, graduate to Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers and New Avengers (2012–2015). This is the ambitious, big-idea run: the Avengers expand into a global army while, in secret, the Illuminati confront “incursions” — parallel Earths colliding, forcing them to choose between destroying another world or letting both die. It is dense, philosophical, and builds relentlessly toward one of Marvel’s best modern events.
| Step | Title (creators, year) | Collects | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Avengers: Breakout — Bendis & Finch (2004) | New Avengers #1–6 | Total beginners |
| 2 | Avengers: Disassembled — Bendis (2004) | Avengers #500–503 | Context for the reboot |
| 3 | Siege — Bendis & Coipel (2010) | Siege #1–4 | Capping the Bendis era |
| 4 | Avengers by Hickman, Vol. 1 (2012) | Avengers #1–6 | Big-idea sci-fi |
| 5 | New Avengers by Hickman, Vol. 1 (2013) | New Avengers #1–6 | The Illuminati story |
| 6 | Secret Wars — Hickman & Ribic (2015) | Secret Wars #1–9 | The grand finale |
The cleanest way to read Hickman today is the omnibus collections, which gather both Avengers and New Avengers in the intended order — the two titles are designed to be read in tandem, alternating chapters. Secret Wars (2015) is the payoff, and it is genuinely one of the best event comics of the century.
AmazonCheck price on AmazonStage 3: The classic events worth your time
You do not need to read decades of back issues, but a handful of classic Avengers stories are referenced constantly and hold up beautifully. Read these whenever you like — they are largely self-contained.
- The Kree-Skrull War (Roy Thomas, Neal Adams & the Buscemas, 1971–72) — the sprawling galactic war that set the template for the cosmic Avengers epic.
- The Korvac Saga (Jim Shooter, 1978) — a quieter, devastating story about a god-like villain hiding in the suburbs.
- Avengers: Under Siege (Roger Stern & John Buscema, 1986) — the Masters of Evil take Avengers Mansion; widely regarded as the finest single Avengers arc ever written.
- Avengers: The Infinity Gauntlet (Jim Starlin, 1991) — technically a Marvel-wide event, but the one that inspired the movies and a must-read.
Under Siege in particular is the one we press into people’s hands — it is tense, character-driven, and completely accessible even if it is the first classic Avengers story you touch.
Stage 4: Where to go once you are hooked
Deep in? A few more runs reward the investment. Kurt Busiek and George Perez’s late-1990s Avengers is a gorgeous, classicist love letter to the team, peaking with the Avengers Forever miniseries. Jason Aaron’s Avengers (2018) is a fun modern blockbuster with a huge roster. And if you enjoyed Hickman, his separate Infinity event slots neatly into the middle of his run.
For team-adjacent reading, plenty of Avengers spin out of the X-Men and vice versa — our X-Men reading order covers the crossover territory, including Avengers vs. X-Men. And for the standout collected editions across everything above, see our best Marvel graphic novels guide.
Digital vs. print: how to actually read all this
Marvel Unlimited (Marvel’s subscription app) has nearly everything listed here and is by far the cheapest way to read the long runs — you can plow through all of Bendis and Hickman for the price of a couple of trades. If you prefer print, buy the omnibuses for the runs you love and trades for everything else. Either way, do not try to read chronologically issue-by-issue across all titles; follow the stages above and you will never feel lost.
The verdict
Start with New Avengers: Breakout. It is cheap, self-contained, and it will tell you within six issues whether the Avengers are for you. If they are, Hickman’s saga and Secret Wars are waiting, with Under Siege and the Infinity Gauntlet as the classic detours. That is a reading order that respects your time and still delivers the full sweep of Marvel’s flagship team. For the wider universe, keep our Marvel hub bookmarked.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to read Avengers comics in publication order?
No. Start with a modern jumping-on run like Bendis’ New Avengers (2004), then read the classic events as self-contained stories whenever you like. Chronological issue-by-issue reading is a trap for new readers.
What Avengers comic should I read first?
New Avengers, Vol. 1: Breakout by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch. It builds the team from scratch, requires zero prior reading, and stars characters you already know.
Where do the movies’ stories come from?
Mostly Jim Starlin’s Infinity Gauntlet (1991) and Jonathan Hickman’s Infinity and Secret Wars. The films remix these heavily rather than adapting any single arc directly.
Is Marvel Unlimited worth it for the Avengers?
For long runs, absolutely. Nearly everything in this guide is on the app, which makes it the cheapest way to read Bendis and Hickman in full. Buy print editions only for the runs you want to keep.
Next, branch out with our X-Men reading order or pick your first trades from the best Marvel graphic novels list.
