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Marvel Comic Book Reading Orders

In 1961, the modern Marvel Universe was born with the introduction of the Fantastic Four. What has since been referred to as the Marvel Age of Comics, this time period introduced the concept of a shared universe with superheroes who—while heroic—had personal lives that came with challenges as big as the colorful villains they battled.

With over a half century’s worth of comic books to choose from—even more if you count the World War II era stories from the Golden Age—the Marvel Universe is as dense as it is wide. From the dark alleyways of New York City to the furthest reaches of the cosmos, there are near infinite stories to tell in this universe, the broad strokes of which have been summarized in terrific books like the History of the Marvel Universe.

But what about those of us who want to dive a bit deeper into this expansive mythology? We believe we’ve created the perfect solution. The goal of our Marvel reading order guides is to help fans both new and old make sense of it all. Because of the size and scope of Marvel's history, these guides will be a constant work in progress, so check back frequently for new additions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How are these guides organized?

A: At the top level these guides are split apart according to major historical and publishing eras. For example, there are periods in comic book history known as the Silver Age (roughly 1961-1970) and the Bronze Age (1970-1985). In more recent times, Marvel has had a number of soft relaunches that involve new series and creative teams, including Marvel NOW! (2012-2015) and All-New, All-Different Marvel (2015-2018). We’ve broken apart our guides into these different eras to make it easier for you to pinpoint specific moments in Marvel's comic book history that you want to explore.

Q: What will I find in each guide?

A: In each guide you will find a multi-page list of every ongoing series, limited series, and one-shot from that publishing era in an order that we think makes the most sense from a continuity perspective. We’ve also included brief descriptions of major storylines, events, and character introductions, as well as covers from some of Marvel's most popular issues.

Q: How did you decide upon the specific order each book or series goes in?

A: In some cases there is a very clear order in which things take place, like during a major crossover event. In other cases, there are multiple storylines happening simultaneously or around the same time with no reference or relation to each other. For your enjoyment, we’ve tried to keep as many consecutive issues in one series together as often as possible while avoiding continuity errors. In fact, we spend a lot of time reading each and every issue to ensure we’re presenting reading orders that we think make as much sense as possible.

Q: If Marvel has been telling continuous stories with these characters for over half a century, how come Spider-Man isn't a 70 year old man by now?

A: Great question, and often one of the most confusing aspects of comics. There are a few things to keep in mind. One, ignore references to dates and real world events as much as possible. Marvel comics typically take place in the present at the time they’re released, so you shouldn't let outdated references get in the way of the story.

More importantly, these comics work on a sliding time scale. That means time moves slower in the Marvel Universe relative to the real world. The general rule of thumb is for about every five years of comics, one year of time has passed in the Marvel Universe (with a few notable exceptions). So, while almost 60 years have passed in the real world since the first appearance of Spider-Man, only about 10-15 years have passed in the story. For example, Peter Parker who was a teenager during his first appearances in the 1960’s is now only considered to be in his late 20's or early 30's in modern comics.