Young Avengers Reading Order: Heinberg to Gillen
From Heinberg and Cheung to Gillen and McKelvie, the best Young Avengers in order.
By Web Admin
The Young Avengers are one of Marvel’s best-loved modern creations: a team of teenage heroes who started as an unofficial next generation and grew into fan favorites in their own right. They introduced characters who now anchor major stories, from Kate Bishop and America Chavez to Wiccan and Hulkling, and their two flagship runs are among the most acclaimed superhero comics of the twenty-first century. Better still, there is not much of it, so you can read the essentials in a couple of sittings.
This guide lays out a Young Avengers reading order that skips the filler and gets you to the great stuff. It covers the founding run, the crossovers and epilogues that matter, the emotional climax of The Children’s Crusade, and the beloved modern relaunch. Follow it and you will understand this team, why readers adore it, and where its members go next.
First, know what you are getting into
The Young Avengers debuted in 2005 as a group of teens inspired by the Avengers, and the concept could have been a gimmick. Instead it became a showcase for sharp character writing and, over time, one of Marvel’s most inclusive and beloved young-hero franchises. There are really just two essential runs plus a handful of connecting stories, which makes this one of the easiest team reading orders to complete.
If you are new to Marvel in general, our Marvel reading order for beginners is the friendliest starting point. If you already know the Avengers, our Avengers reading order gives you the parent team these kids are riffing on.
Stage 1: The founding run — Young Avengers (2005)
Start at the beginning with Young Avengers (2005) #1-12 by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung. This is the run that introduced the team: Iron Lad, Patriot, Hulkling, Wiccan, and then Stature, Kate Bishop as Hawkeye, the Vision (Jonas), and Speed. It is a smart, emotional book that treats its teenage heroes with total seriousness while never forgetting to be fun.
It is collected in two trades, Sidekicks (#1-6) and Family Matters (#7-12), or gathered with the rest of the Heinberg and Cheung material in Young Avengers by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung: The Children’s Crusade omnibus. This is the essential foundation; read it first.
Stage 2: The connecting stories (2006-2008)
A few shorter stories bridge the gap between the two big runs. During Marvel’s Civil War, the team featured in Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways (2006) by Zeb Wells, a fun crossover with another young-hero team. Later, Young Avengers Presents (2008) is a six-issue anthology giving individual members their own spotlight chapters.
These are optional but rewarding. They keep the characters active between the founding run and their emotional climax, and they are collected in their own trade paperbacks. Read them if you want the full picture; skip them if you want to get straight to the essentials.
Stage 3: The emotional climax — The Children’s Crusade (2010-2012)
The founding era pays off in Avengers: The Children’s Crusade (2010-2012), a nine-issue series that reunites the original creative team of Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung. It follows Wiccan and Speed as they search for the Scarlet Witch to understand their connection to her, tying the Young Avengers directly into one of Marvel’s biggest cosmic threads. It is beautifully drawn and deeply felt.
It is collected as Avengers: The Children’s Crusade and within the Heinberg and Cheung omnibus. Read it after the 2005 run and the connecting stories, because its emotional weight depends on knowing these characters. It is the true conclusion of the team’s first era.
Stage 4: The modern masterpiece — Young Avengers (2013)
Now read the run that made the Young Avengers a phenomenon. Young Avengers (2013) #1-15 by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie is a stylish, funny, formally inventive relaunch that reassembles a new lineup: Wiccan, Hulkling, Kate Bishop, plus kid Loki, America Chavez (Miss America), Noh-Varr (Marvel Boy), and Prodigy. Its pop-art energy and razor-sharp dialogue made it an instant classic and one of the best superhero comics of its decade.
It is collected in three trades, or in a single Young Avengers by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie: The Complete Collection. If you only read one thing on this list, make it this run; it is a landmark. Two of its breakout stars have their own guides worth reading afterward, our Loki reading order follows the trickster who steals the show here.
Stage 5: Where the members go next
After the 2013 run, the team scattered into solo and ensemble books that carried its DNA forward. The essentials to chase are:
- Hawkeye (Kate Bishop) — Kate headlines her own acclaimed series, spinning out of the Fraction and Aja Hawkeye run.
- America (2017) by Gabby Rivera — America Chavez gets her first solo ongoing.
- The Vision (2015) by Tom King — while not a Young Avengers book, it deepens the synthezoid legacy that runs through the team.
These are the natural continuations for readers who fall for specific members. Each is collected in easy-to-find trades and stands on its own.
Stage 6: Meet the team’s neighbors
The Young Avengers share a corner of Marvel with other great young-hero books. If the coming-of-age superhero vibe is what you are here for, branch out to Kamala Khan, whose series is one of the best modern on-ramps to the entire universe; our Ms. Marvel reading order covers it in full. It pairs perfectly with everything above and shares the same warm, character-first spirit.
This stage is pure recommendation rather than required reading, but these books rank among the best Marvel graphic novels for exactly the readers who love the Young Avengers.
Reading order at a glance
| Step | Title | Collects | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Young Avengers (Heinberg/Cheung) | Young Avengers #1-12 (2005) | The founding run |
| 2 | Civil War: YA & Runaways / YA Presents | 2006-2008 | Optional bridges |
| 3 | Avengers: The Children’s Crusade | 2010-2012 | The emotional climax |
| 4 | Young Avengers (Gillen/McKelvie) | Young Avengers #1-15 (2013) | The modern masterpiece |
| 5 | Hawkeye (Kate Bishop), America | 2015-2017 | Following the members |
| 6 | Ms. Marvel and friends | Modern young-hero books | Same spirit, wider world |
Short version: read the 2005 run, then The Children’s Crusade, then the 2013 run. That trio is the essential Young Avengers.
Where to buy and how to collect
The whole essential saga fits in just a few volumes, which makes this an affordable team to collect. The Heinberg and Cheung omnibus gathers the entire first era, while the Gillen and McKelvie run is available as three trades or one complete collection. Marvel’s digital service carries all of it, so you can sample before buying print, and libraries increasingly stock these popular volumes.
AmazonCheck price on AmazonWhere to go next
Once you have finished the Young Avengers, the wider universe beckons. Our Avengers reading order covers the parent team, and if you enjoy Marvel’s more morally complicated squads, our Thunderbolts reading order and Defenders reading order are the natural next reads.
Frequently asked questions
Where should a beginner start with the Young Avengers?
Start with Young Avengers (2005) #1-12 by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung, collected as Sidekicks and Family Matters or in the omnibus. It introduces the whole team from scratch and requires no prior reading.
Do I need to read the 2005 run before the 2013 run?
It helps but is not strictly required. Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie’s 2013 run is written to be accessible, but knowing the returning characters, especially Wiccan and Hulkling, makes it richer. Ideally, read the 2005 run and The Children’s Crusade first.
Which Young Avengers run is the best?
Most readers point to the 2013 run by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie as the definitive Young Avengers, praised for its style, humor, and formal invention. The 2005 Heinberg and Cheung run is the essential foundation.
Who are the main Young Avengers?
Across the two eras the core members include Patriot, Hulkling, Wiccan, Kate Bishop (Hawkeye), Stature, the Vision (Jonas), Speed, and later America Chavez, kid Loki, Noh-Varr, and Prodigy. Several have gone on to headline their own series.
Keep exploring with our Marvel reading order for beginners and the Loki reading order.
