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The Completely Insane & Utterly Comprehensive Guide to Marvel Cosmic Comics (1963 To Present)

When most Marvel readers nowadays talk about Marvel Cosmic, they tend to focus on the creative explosion starting with Annihilation in the mid-2000’s extending through the Thanos Imperative and Annihilators around 2010.

There’s ample reason for this focus – the period generated several of my favorite Marvel Comics of the 2000’s, including Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova – but it should come as little surprise that Marvel’s Cosmic universe extends all the way back to Fantastic Four #2 in 1963!

Below you’ll find a mega Marvel Cosmic guide, from the origins of the Skrulls through more recent events like Infinity and the 2017 solo Thanos series. I would highly recommend readers (new, lapsed, or long-time) use Marvel Unlimited for the older issues, especially if the stories aren’t collected in their old trades. I’ll link to where you can find copies of these comics below, but MU is the cheaper digital option for most.

If you have questions or feedback, do what feels right to you in the comments below, or let me hear about it @ComicBookHerald on Twitter. Otherwise, enjoy the comics!

Related Reading Orders:

Fantastic Four

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Silver Surfer

Modern Marvel Cosmic

Thanos

Adam Warlock

Guardians of the Galaxy

Nova

Drax the Destroyer

Gamora

Star-Lord (Peter Quill)

Rocket Raccoon

Groot

Marvel Cosmic All Time Reading Order

That’s Jack Kirby art inside Jack Kirby art

The Origins of Marvel Cosmic

Fantastic Four, Vol. 1 (Marvel Masterworks)

Issues: Fantastic Four #2, #37

The coming of the Skrulls! Note that Fantastic Four #37 is available in later Masterworks volumes (or, of course, Marvel Unlimited) and shows the Fantastic Four actually visiting a planet of Skrulls.

Marvel Masterworks: Doctor Strange Volume 1

Issues: Strange Tales #130 To #141, #146

Steve Ditko and Stan Lee with Dr. Strange in “The Search for Eternity!”

The Fantastic Four Omnibus Volume 2

Issues: Fantastic Four #48 To #50, Fantastic Four #57 To #60

Jack Kirby and Stan Lee with “The Coming of Galactus.” These three issues (really two and a half) define so much of Marvel Comics to come, and introduce cosmic characters like Galactus and the Silver Surfer, along with the biggest Watcher appearance of all time! Then, in FF #57 to #60, it’s Doctor Doom vs. the Silver Surfer in one of my favorite Lee and Kirby productions.

Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Volume 5

Issues: Thor #131 To #133

Thor meets a Recorder and Ego the Living Planet!

The Silver Surfer, Vol. 1 (Marvel Masterworks)

Issues: Silver Surfer #1 To #18

Silver Surfer gets his own, relatively short lived solo series from Stan Lee and John Buscema. He is Shakespearean and mopey as heck.

The Fantastic Four Omnibus Volume 3

Issues: Fantastic Four #62 To #63, #65 + Annual #5 & #6

Reed in the Negative Zone, where he meets Blastaar for the first time. In Fantastic Four Annual #5 Ronan the Accuser makes his debut in Fantastic Four! In Fantastic Four Annual #6 Annihilus makes his official comics debut and turns out he’s great with kids.

Marvel Masterworks: Incredible Hulk – Volume 3

Issues: Tales To Astonish, Incredible Hulk – #101 To #102

A Hulk in Asgard

Avengers #51

Issues: Avengers #51

“In the Clutches of… The Collector!”

Marvel Masterworks: Mighty Thor – Volume 8

Issues: Thor #160 To #162, #168 To #169

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Thor, Galactus and Ego the Living Planet walk into a bar…

Marvel Cosmic Enters the 1970s

Essential Captain Marvel

Issues: Marvel Super-Heroes #12 To #13, Captian Marvel #1 To #21

The Kree-born Mar-vell launches the first solo Marvel Cosmic series, largely penned by Roy Thomas.

Classic Guardians of the Galaxy

Issues: Marvel Super-Heroes #18

Classic Guardians of the Galaxy origin. Earth shall overcome!

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four – Volume 11

Issues: Fantastic Four #110

A negative zone Annihilus story

Avengers: Kree Skrull War

Issues: Avengers #89 To #97

Roy Thomas and Neal Adams with an all-time classic Avengers event: The Kree vs. Skrull war.

The Power of Adam Warlock

Issues: Marvel Premiere #1 To #2, Warlock #1 To #8, Incredible Hulk #176 To #178

The original Adam Warlock comics before Jim Starlin made Warlock the “good” centerpience in his Marvel Cosmic epic.

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four – Volume 12

Issues: Fantastic Four #122 To #123

Galactus Unleashed

The Life of Captain Marvel

Issues: Iron Man #55, Captain Marvel #26 To #32, Avengers #125, Captain Marvel #33

The Jim Starlin 70’s Marvel Cosmic era takes off, and defines much of what’s to come. Iron Man #55 is the official first appearance of Thanos and Drax the Destroyer, and Captain Marvel reaches new heights, crossing over with the Avengers in a quest to stop Thanos with a cosmic cube.

Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Volume 13

Issues: Thor #226 To #228

So Thor, Firelord, and Galactus walk into Starlin’s…

Defenders

Issues: Giant-Size Defenders #3

Defenders vs. Grandmaster

He still hasn’t gotten the red side of the cube yet

Enter Thanos and the Phoenix Saga!

Warlock War + Thanos vs. Avengers

Issues: Strange Tales #178 To #181, Warlock #9 To #15, Marvel Team-Up #55, Avengers Annual #7, Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2

Starlin’s Warlock War and The Magus begin, concludes with Thanos vs. the Avengers!

Nova Classic Vol. 1

Issues: Nova #1 To #26

Debut of Nova in 1976

The Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 1

Issues: Uncanny X-Men #98 To #108

Phoenix!

Eternals by Jack Kirby

Issues: Eternals #1 To #19

Jack Kirby’s limited series introduces Eternals and more importantly, Celestials

Essential Ms. Marvel

Issues: Ms. Marvel #1

Carol Danvers cosmic powerset origins.

Star-Lord Origins

Issues: Marvel Preview #11

True origins of Star-Lord

Avengers: The Korvac Saga

Issues: Avengers #170 To #177

The Korvac Saga as Avengers team with original Guardians of the Galaxy

The Thing: Project Pegasus

Issues: Marvel Two-In-One #53 To #58

Project Pegasus narrative introduces Quasar

Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four Vol. 19

Issues: Fantastic Four #210 To #213

Fighting Galactus in space, the Fantastic Four story.

Ethos of DOOM

The Dark Phoenix Saga & Original Secret Wars!

Uncanny X-Men: Dark Phoenix

Issues: Uncanny X-Men #129 To #137

Dark Phoenix Saga

Drax: Guardian of the Galaxy

Issues: Thor #314

Thor fights Drax.

Contest of Champions

Issues: The Contest #1 To #4

Marvel’s 1982 event, Contest of Champions, starring the Grandmaster.

The Death of Captain Marvel

Issues: Ogn

Jim Starlin’s “The Death of Captain Marvel” is Marvel’s first original graphic novel from the 80’s and concludes the Captain Marvel saga Starlin began back in 1973.

The Uncanny X-Men Omnibus Vol. 3

Issues: Uncanny X-Men #160 To #167

The alien Brood saga.

Fantastic Four by John Byrne Omnibus – Volume 1

Issues: Fantastic Four #251 To #255, Avengers #233, Fantastic Four #256, Fantastic Four #257 To #260

The Annihilation Gambit, then “The Trial of Reed Ricards” in space!

Thor by Walter Simonson – Volume 1

Issues: Thor #337 To #339

Walt Simonson starts his Thor run with Beta Ray Bill! The entire Simonson Thor run is essential Marvel reading.

Secret Wars

Issues: Secret Wars #1 To #12

I AM FROM… BEYOND!

Rocket Raccoon

Issues: Rocket Raccoon #1 To #4

The 1985 half-world Rocket origins by Bill Mantlo and Mike Mignola (creator of Hellboy!)

Avengers: Return of the Phoenix

Issues: Avengers #263, Fantastic Four #286

Return of the Phoenix

Rebirth of Thanos & 90’s Guardians of the Galaxy!

New Universe

Issues: New Universe Star Brand #1 To #3

Marvel’s 1986 ‘New Universe’

Silver Surfer Epic Collection: Freedom

Issues: Silver Surfer #1 To #14

Silver Surfer: Parable

Issues: Silver Surfer: Parable #1 To #2

Stan Lee teams up with art legend Moebius for this elseworlds style battle between Silver Surfer and Galactus.

Avengers: Legacy of Thanos

Issues: Avengers #255 To #261

The legacy of Thanos!

Avengers: Kross Time Kangs

Issues: Avengers #295 To #297

Kross Time Kangs by Walt Simonson, with a healthy helping of Nebula.

Fantastic Four (Secret Wars III)

Issues: Fantastic Four #318 To #319

Unofficially known as Secret Wars III

Quasar Classic Volume 1

Issues: Quasar 1-9; Material From Avengers Annual 18, Marvel Comics Presents (1988) 29

1989 series launch for Wendell Vaughn.

Silver Surfer Homecoming

Issues: Silver Surfer: Homecoming

OGN by Jim Starlin.

Silver Surfer: Rebirth of Thanos

Issues: Silver Surfer #34 To #38, Thanos Quest #1 To #2

Starlin’s back, baby! Quite likely my favorite Thanos comics ever.

Guardians of the Galaxy by Jim Valentino Omnibus

Issues: Guardians Of The Galaxy (1990) 1-29, Annual 1-2; Marvel Super-Heroes (1967) 18; Material From Fantastic Four Annual 24, Thor Annual 16, Silver Surfer Annual 4

1990 new series launch for the classic Guardians roster.

Jim Starlin & Ron Lim’s 1990’s Infinity Trilogy!

Infinity Gauntlet

Issues: Infinity Gauntlet

Still the standard bearer for universe-wide cosmic events.

You can quite comfortably keep your reading to the core six event issues of Infinity Gauntlet, but if you want all the tie-ins (Silver Surfer and Dr. Strange particularly add to the narrative), I have an Infinity Gauntlet reading order here.

Infinity Gauntlet Aftermath

Issues: Infinity Gauntlet Aftermath

Warlock and the Infinity Watch begins here.

Avengers: Galactic Storm

Issues: Avengers: Galactic Storm

1992 mega crossover event

Infinity War

Issues: Infinity War

Again, if you want all the tie-ins for Infinity War, I’ve listed out a reading order on the Thanos comics guide page.

Infinity War Aftermath

Issues: Infinity War Aftermath

Infinity Crusade

Issues: Infinity Crusade Vol. 1 + Vol. 2

Infinity Watch Vol. 1

Issues: Warlock And The Infinity Watch #1 To #22.

Thor: Blood & Thunder

Issues: Thor #468 To #471, Silver Surfer #86 To #88, Warlock Chronicles #6 To #8, Warlock And The Infinity Watch #23 To #25

And the order is:

Thor #468

Silver Surfer #86

Warlock Chronicles #6

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #23

Thor #469

Silver Surfer #87

Warlock Chronicles #7

Warlock and the Infinity Warch #24

Thor #470

Silver Surfer #88

Warlock Chronicles #8

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #25

Thor #471

Infinity Watch Vol. 2

Issues: Warlock And The Infinity Watch #26 To #42

Marvel Cosmic in the Mid-90’s through Early 2000’s

The Phalanx Covenant

Issues: Uncanny X-Men #316, X-Men #36, Uxm #317, X-Men #37

The mini X-crossover ultimately leads to the start of the 90’s Generation X.

Thanos: Cosmic Powers

Issues: Secret Defenders #12 To #14, Cosmic Powers #1 To #6

Starjammers

Issues: Starjammers #1 To #4

Corsair and crew get their own space pirate miniseries (1995).

Skrull Kill Krew

Issues: Skrull Kill Krew #1 To #5

Morrison and Millar 1995 miniseries taking Fantastic Four #2 to its fast food conclusion.

Galactus: The Devourer

Issues: Galactus: The Devourer #1 To #6

Louise Simonson limited series

Marvel Boy

Issues: Marvel Boy #1 To #6

Grant Morrison and JG Jones miniseries introducing new Kree hero.

Peter David’s Captain Marvel

Issues: Captain Marvel #1 To #35, Captain Marvel #1 To #25

Peter David’s 2000 to 2004 era. I’ve written in detail how to navigate the series in trades and on Marvel Unlimited.

Fantastic Four: Resurrection of Galactus

Issues: Fantastic Four (1998) #46-50, Fantastic Four Annual 2001

A veritable who’s who of cosmic cameos, including Moondragon, Quasar, Captain Marvel, the Watcher, and of course, Galactus.

Fantastic Four/Inhumans

Issues: Inhumans #1-4 And Fantastic Four #51-54

Pegged as an Annihilation prelude by Marvel retroactive marketing, the Inhumans take to space and do help set the stage for some of the developments of the later War of Kings event.

Maximum Security

Issues: Maximum Security Event reading order

Early 2000’s take on a Marvel Cosmic event.

Thor vs. Thanos

Issues: Thor #18 To #25

Thanos vs. Thor and a story so unacceptable to my love for the Mad Titan that I wrote a headline implying it made me cry (bah! Tears are for the weak!).

Jim Starlin Returns to Thanos & Drax Reinvented!

Infinity Abyss

Issues: Infinity Abyss #1 to #6

Jim Starlin’s 2000’s return to Thanos and Adam Warlock, and his savage retcon of basically any use of Thanos that he didn’t author.

Fantastic Four Vol. 6: Rising Storm

Issues: Fantastic Four #519 To #523

Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo bring you that time Johnny Storm was a herald of Galactus.

Marvel Universe: The End

Issues: Marvel Universe: The End #1 to #6

Since the Infinity Gauntlet only wiped out half the Marvel Universe (half!), Starlin goes for it all with Thanos in “The End.”

Thanos: Redemption

Issues: Thanos #1 To #12

Thanos first ongoing solo series, as the all-time great Marvel villain seeks some sense of purpose.

Warlock by Greg Pak

Issues: Warlock #1 To #4

Warlock by Pak and Adlard

X-Men – Phoenix: Endsong/Warsong Ultimate Collection

Issues: X-Men: Phoenix -Endsong 1-5, X-Men: Phoenix – Warsong 1-5

What happens to the Phoenix force when Jean Grey isn’t around?

Beta Ray Bill: Stormbreaker

Issues: Stormbreaker: The Saga of Beta Ray Bill #1-6

You’re going to want to read the Beta Ray Bill saga after the events of Thor: Disassembled.

Drax the Destroyer: Earthfall

Issues: Drax The Destroyer #1 To #4

Miniseries redefining Drax the Destroyer for the 2000’s.

Annihilation Through Annihilators

Modern Marvel Cosmic

For the full guide to the 2004 to 2011 run of “modern” Marvel Cosmic, you can check out my original Comic Book Herald guide.

Otherwise, the general flow of events, with complete reading orders linked, is as follows:

Annihilation Reading Order

Annihilation: Conquest Reading Order

Nova by Abnett & Lanning starts here

Guardians of the Galaxy by Abnett & Lanning starts here

New Avengers: llluminati

Issues: New Avengers: Illuminati #1 To #4

Not purely cosmic, but the Illuminati (a who’s who of Marvel power players composed of Black Bolt, Professor X, Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Reed Richards and Namor) deal with the likes of infinity gems, Beyonders, and Skrulls. It’s almost entirely cosmic.

Planet Hulk to World War Hulk to Skaar: Son of Hulk

Issues: Greg Pak’s Hulk Saga reading order

Greg Pak brings the Hulk to space and introduces a whole new realm of hugely important Marvel Cosmic players.

New Avengers: llluminati

Issues: New Avengers: Illuminati #5

Finishing the Bendis and Cheung Illuminati sets up the next mega Marvel event…

Secret Invasion

Issues: Secret Invasion reading order.

Marvel’s 2007 to 2008 mega event.

Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter

Issues: Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter #1-3 and Secret Invasion Aftermath: Beta Ray Bill

X-Men: Deadly Genesis & Rise and Fall of the Shi’ar Empire

Issues: X-Men Deadly Genesis #1 to #6, Uncanny X-Men #475 to #486

Silent War & Son of M

The previous two trades will help explain Emperor Vulcan, while the latter two trades will help explain the state of the Inhumans. Not required reading, but a good bit of “what the heck’s going on here?” history setting up War of Kings.

War of Kings Reading Order

S.W.O.R.D.

Issues: SWORD #1 to #5

S.W.O.R.D is an incredibly underrated miniseries from Kieron Gillen and Steve Sanders, giving the extraterrestial agency introduced during Joss Whedon and John Cassaday’s Astonishing X-Men it’s own solo narrative.

Realm of Kings Reading Order

The Thanos Imperative

Silver Surfer: Requiem

Issues: Silver Surfer: Requiem #1 To #4

Out of continuity, beautiful look at the Silver Surfer’s last days.

Annihilators + Annihilators: Earthfall

Issues: Annihilators #1 To #4, Annihilators: Earthfall #1 To #4

The Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning cosmic era officially concludes with their boss-level team-up between the likes of Silver Surfer, Ronan the Accuser, Beta Ray Bill, and Gladiator.

Rocket Raccoon & Groot: The Complete Collection

Issues: Tales To Astonish (1959) 13 (Groot Story ), Incredible Hulk (1968) 271, Rocket Raccoon 1-4, Marvel Preview 7 (Sword In The Star Story ), Annihilators 1-4 (Rocket Raccoon & Groot Stories ), Annihilators : Earthfall 1-4 (Rocket Raccoon & Groot Stories )

AvX through Marvel NOW! Cosmic

For readers particularly interested in the Marvel NOW! era of Marvel Comics, I’d recommend the complete Comic Book Herald guide to Marvel NOW!, which includes sections specifically for cosmic books.

Avengers vs. X-Men

Issues: Avengers Vs. X-Men reading order

The Phoenix Force returns and splits the Avengers and X-Men into warring factions.

Thanos Rising

Issues: Thanos Rising

In my humble moderate opinion, the worst Thanos comic ever conceived.

Kieron Gillen Iron Man

Issues: Iron Man #1 To #11

Kieron Gillen’s Marvel NOW! run on Iron Man takes ol’ Tony to space!

Nova Volume 1: Origin

Issues: Marvel Now! Nova

Jeph Loeb launches an all-new Nova for Marvel NOW! in the distant wake of Thanos Imperative.

Thor: God of Thunder

Issues: Thor: God Of Thunder #1 To #25

Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic’s Thor: GoT is one of my absolute favorite Marvel NOW! runs, and it invents new cosmic aspects of the Marvel Universe at nearly every turn. Highly recommended.

Fantastic Four by Matt Fraction Omnibus

Issues: Fantastic Four (2012) 1-16, 5Au ; Ff (2012) 1-16; Marvel Now! Point One 1

The Matt Fraction and Mark Bagley run is semi-underrated (albeit entirely inferior to the Fraction and Allred simultaneous FF) and mostly occurs in space.

Hunger

Issues: Hunger #1 To #4

While Age of Ultron is not necessarily a cosmic event, its timey-wimey narrative does lead to this epilogue series with the one and only world devourer, Galactus!

Hickman’s Infinity through Guardians / X-Men in The Black Vortex

Infinity by Jonathan Hickman

Issues: Infinity reading order

God Emperor Jonathan Hickman takes on Starlin’s Thanos/Infinity mantle and somehow wields the power with sufficient control and skill. In all honesty, Infinity will really only make sense if you read the entire Hickman Avengers run to this point, and it’s quite cosmic (and awesome) in its own right.

Thanos: A God Up There

Issues: Thanos: A God Up There

Quality digital exclusive follow-up to Thanos’ role in Infinity.

Guardians of the Galaxy/All-New X-Men: The Trial of Jean Grey 

Issues: Guardians Of The Galaxy 11-13, All-New X-Men 22-24

The Trial of Jean Grey

Original Sin

Issues: Original Sin reading order

Biggest developments for Uatu the Watcher since 1966.

Rocket Raccoon Volume 1: A Chasing Tale

Issues: Rocket Raccoon 1-6

Rocket Raccoon Vol. 2: Storytailer

Issues: Rocket Raccoon 7-11

Captain Marvel Volume 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More

Issues: Captain Marvel #1 To #15

Carol Danvers makes her way to space before joining up with the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Rocket Raccoon & Groot Vol. 0: Bite and Bark

Issues: Groot #1 To #6, Rocket Raccoon #1 To #11

Legendary Star-Lord Vol. 1: Face It, I Rule

Issues: Legendary Star-Lord 1-5

Guardians & X-Men: The Black Vortex

Issues: Guardians & X-Men: The Black Vortex reading order

Love it when Thanos gets sassy

Jim Starlin Returns For A New Thanos Infinity Saga

Thanos Annual #1

Issues: Thanos Annual #1

Starrrrrrrlllllliinnnnnnnn

Deadpool vs. Thanos

Issues: Deadpool Vs. Thanos #1 to #4

Deadpool and Thanos throwdown (well mostly, Thanos throws Deadpool down) for the love of Lady Death.

The Infinity Revelation

Issues: The Infinity Revelation OGN

Thanos Vs. Hulk

Issues: Thanos Vs. Hulk #1 To #4

The Infinity Relativity

Issues: The Infinity Relativity OGN

The Infinity Entity

Issues: The Infinity Entity

The Infinity Finale

Issues: The Infinity Finale

The End of Marvel NOW! & Secret Wars (2015)

Silver Surfer Volume 1: New Dawn

Issues: Silver Surfer #1 To #14

Dan Slott and Mike Allred Run (last days tie-ins)

Avengers: Time Runs Out

Issues: Avengers 35-44, New Avengers 24-33

Time Runs Out! Here’s the Hickman reading order as I’ve laid out elsewhere:

Avengers #34.1, #34.2, #35

New Avengers #24

Avengers #36

New Avengers #25

Avengers #37

New Avengers #26

Avengers #38

New Avengers #27

Avengers #39

New Avengers #28

Avengers #40

New Avengers #29

Avengers #41

New Avengers #30

Avengers #42

New Avengers #31

New Avengers #32

Avengers #43

New Avengers #33

Avengers #44

Secret Wars (2015)

Issues: Secret Wars (2015) reading order

Man, I love me some Secret Wars. I’ve listed out the most cosmic tie-ins below as well.

Star-Lord & Kitty Pride

Guardians of Knowhere

Korvac Saga: Warzones!

Infinity Gauntlet: Warzones!

All-New All-Different Marvel Cosmic

All-New Contest of Champions

Issues: Contest Of Champions #1 To #10

Forgettable but cosmic follow-up to Secret Wars (2015). Yes, it’s largely based on the Marvel mobile app (ugh).

All-New All-Different Avengers

Issues: All-New, All-Different Avengers 1-6

The first volume of Mark Waid’s All-New Avengers pits the team against cosmic threats.

Nova Vol. 1: Burn Out

Issues: Nova 1-6

Ultimates Vol. 1 + Vol. 2

Issues: Ultimates #1 To #12

Ultimates is my favorite Marvel Comic of 2016, and one of the best Marvel cosmic books in years, even through Civil War 2 tie-ins!

Rocket Raccoon & Groot Vol. 1: Tricks of the Trade

Issues: Rocket Raccoon & Groot #1 To #10

Gamora Vol. 1: Momento Mori

Issues: Gamora #1 To #5

Drax Vol. 1 + Vol. 2

Issues: Drax #1 To #11

Guardians of the Galaxy: New Guard Vol. 4: Grounded

Collects: Guardians of the Galaxy (2015) #15-19

The gang has a series of solo adventures while broken up and stranded on Earth only to reunite and fight Thanos in the end, concluding the Bendis era.

The Unworthy Thor

Collects: The Unworthy Thor (2016) #1-5

In this mini-series, the Odinson (along with Beta Ray Bill) quests for his worthiness out in the cosmos but encounters The Collector, The Black Order and more!

The Mighty Thor Vol. 3: Asgard/Shi’ar War

Collects: The Mighty Thor (2015) #13-19

Jane Foster faces off against the Phoenix Force in an intergalactic challenge of the gods!

Thanos Vol. 1: Thanos Returns

Issues: Thanos #1 To #6

Nova Vol. 1: Resurrection

Issues: Nova 1-5

Jeff Loveness and Ramon Perez team-up to tell a Richard Rider Nova story.

Star-Lord Vol. 1: Grounded

Issues: Star-Lord 1-6

Rocket Raccoon: Grounded

Collects: Rocket Raccoon (2016) #1-5

Ultimates 2 Vol. 1: Troubleshooters

Collects: Ultimates 2 (2016) #1-6

To Galactus, his Ultimates! Eternity’s jailer is finally revealed!

Silver Surfer Vol. 5: A Power Greater Than Cosmic

Collects: Silver Surfer (2016) #7-14

The concluding volume of Dan Slott and the Allred’s acclaimed run!

Royals Vol. 1: Beyond Inhuman

Collects: Royals (2017) #1-5, Inhumans Prime #1

Post-IvX, the House of Boltagon and Marvel Boy take to the stars to search for the true origins of the Inhumans.

Black Bolt Vol. 1: Hard Time

Collects: Black Bolt (2017) #1-6

At the onset of their deep space voyage, the Inhumans decide to drop Maximus off at some super-secret space prison. Except he’s pulled the classic switcheroo and now Black Bolt is lost in space. Featuring the best Absorbing Man ever!

Rocket Vol.1: The Blue River Score

Collects: Rocket (2017) #1-6

Featuring the Technet!

All-New Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 1: Communication Breakdown

Collects: Free Comic Book Day 2017 All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #1, All-New Guardians of the Galaxy (2017) #1-2, 4, 6, 8, 10

Thanos Vol. 2: The God Quarry

Collects: Thanos (2016) #7-12

“The God Quarry” is such a metal phrase…

All-New Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2: Riders In The Sky

Collects: All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #3, 5, 7, 9, 11-12

The Mighty Captain Marvel Vol. 2: Band of Sisters

Collects: The Mighty Captain Marvel (2016) #5-9

Locked off from aid and reinforcements, CM and Alpha Flight plus guest stars face unending waves of Chitauri attackers in Earth’s orbit!

Ultimates 2 Vol. 2: Eternity War

Collects: Ultimates 2 (2016) #7-9, 100

Part event tie-in to Secret Empire, part anniversary nod to the original run. Al Ewing and company still go out on a high note!

Generations

Collects: Generations: Banner Hulk & The Totally Awesome Hulk #1, Generations: Captain Marvel & Captain Mar-Vell #1, Generations: Captain Marvel & Ms. Marvel #1, Generations: Hawkeye & Hawkeye #1, Generations: Iron Man & Ironheart #1, Generations: Miles Morales Spider-Man & Peter Parker Spider-Man #1, Generations: Phoenix & Jean Grey #1, Generations: Sam Wilson Captain America & Steve Rogers Captain America #1, Generations: The Unworthy Thor & The Mighty Thor #1, Generations: Wolverine & All-New Wolverine #1

Specifically cosmically noteworthy for the Carol / Mar-Vell segment…

Cosmic Marvel Legacy & Infinity Countdown, Infinity Wars, and An All-New Infinity Watch!

Marvel Legacy

Collects: Marvel Legacy #1, Marvel Legacy Primer pages, FOOM Magazine (2017)

The Infinity Countdown gets a prologue here!

Black Bolt Vol. 2: Home Free

Collects: Black Bolt (2017) #7-12

Royals Vol. 2: Judgment Day

Collects: Royals #6-12, Inhumans: Judgment Day

Thanos Wins by Donny Cates

Collects: Thanos (2016) #13-18, Thanos Annual (2018) #1

Enter the Cosmic Ghost Rider!

The Mighty Captain Marvel Vol. 3: Dark Origins

Collects: Captain Marvel (2017) #125-129

Carol encounters the Reality Stone!

All-New Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: Infinity Quest

Collects: Guardians of the Galaxy (2017) #146-150

Infinity Countdown prelude.

Infinity Countdown

Collects: Infinity Countdown Prime, Infinity Countdown #1-5, Infinity Countdown: Adam Warlock, Material from Free Comic Book Day 2018 (Amazing Spider-Man)

Infinity Countdown: Companion

Collects: Infinity Countdown: Black Widow #1, Infinity Countdown: Captain Marvel #1, Infinity Countdown: Champions #1-2, Infinity Countdown: Daredevil #1

Infinity Countdown: Darkhawk

Collects: Darkhawk (2017) #51, Infinity Countdown: Darkhawk (2018) #1-4

Thanos: The Infinity Siblings

Collects: Thanos: The Infinity Siblings OGN (2018)

The Starlin modern graphic novels generally don’t fit that well in ongoing continuity but here’s about as good a place as any.

Death Of The Inhumans

Collects: Death Of Inhumans #1-5

Cosmic Ghost Rider: Baby Thanos Must Die

Collects: Cosmic Ghost Rider(2018) #1-5, Material from Thanos Legacy (2018) #1

Thanos: The Infinity Conflict

Collects: Thanos: The Infinity Conflict OGN (2018)

Infinity Wars

Collects: Infinity Wars #1-6, Prime, Fallen Guardian, Infinite, Material from Thanos Legacy #1

Follow the entire event with Comic Book Herald’s Infinity Wars reading order.

Infinity Wars: Sleepwalker

Collects: Infinity Wars: Sleepwalker #1-4, Sleepwalker (1991) 1

Infinity Warps: Two-In-One

Collects: Infinity Wars: Soldier Supreme #1-2, Infinity Wars: Iron Hammer #1-2, Infinity Wars: Arachknight #1-2, Infinity Wars: Weapon Hex #1-2, Infinity Wars: Ghost Panther #1-2 And Infinity Wars: Infinity Warps #1-2

Asgardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1: The Infinity Armada

Collects: Asgardians Of The Galaxy #1-5

Spinning out of events of Infinity Wars

The Life Of Captain Marvel

Collects: The Life Of Captain Marvel (2018) #1-5

Carol gets a cosmic secret origin make-over!

Black Order: The Warmasters Of Thanos

Collects: Black Order #1-5

Guardians of the Galaxy by Donny Cates Vol. 1: The Final Gauntlet

Collects: Guardians of the Galaxy (2019) #1-6

Wolverine: Infinity Watch

Collects: Wolverine: Infinity Watch #1-5

Asgardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Collects: Asgardians Of The Galaxy #6-10

Cosmic Ghost Rider Destroys Marvel History

Collects: Cosmic Ghost Rider Destroys Marvel History #1-6

Dave: Dave is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Comic Book Herald, and also the Boss of assigning himself fancy titles. He's a long-time comic book fan, and can be seen most evenings in Batman pajama pants. Contact Dave @comicbookherald on Twitter or via email at dave@comicbookherald.com.

View Comments (9)

  • Cosmic Marvel Legacy & Infinity Countdown, Infinity Wars, and An All-New Infinity Watch! Does any body know if there any more comics to read after cosmic ghost rider for this series im really hoping someone knows. And this website is the best I've found for help on reading orders for my comics

  • Are the co-features in the issue important to read as well? Silver Surfer #1 has a watcher co-feature. I plan on skipping the co-features but wanted to make sure.

  • While I love all the work you have put into this, including large chunks I am missing in my marvel cosmic collection, this needs to be updated. I'm looking for where to go after Wolverine Infinity Watch.
    For the record, this was the most up to date list I could find online. So, still, props!

  • This is awesome. I loved the modern Marvel Cosmic comics, specifically Guardians and Nova. I'll be sure to go through this list at a later time so I get to know the background behind some of the big events.

  • This is a fantastic list--thank you for doing this!

    As an FF fan from way back, I think you've missed a few bets, though:

    -first appearances of the Kree Sentry and Ronan (sometime in 1967, iirc)

    -Nova (Frankie Raye) becomes Big G's herald (242-244); also, the Trial of Reed Richards runs through 262.

    -a good bit of Hickman's FF run, especially the Universal Inhumans and Sol's Hammer, probably deserve a mention.

    -Not sure why New Universe is here but Ellis' newuniversal isn't.

    As I say: quibbles. I nitpick because this is great work!

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