Marvel Bronze Age Reading Order Part 1

Part 1.1: Momentous Events

The Bronze Age begins with a series of momentous events that rock the Marvel Universe and the characters within. From Thor’s battles with larger-than-life villains like Mangog and Mephisto to the death of a key character in young Peter Parker’s life and further still to an epic, age-long war between the Kree and Skrulls, this period will define many of these characters for years to come.

Reading Order:

Incredible Hulk #135 – #139
Thor #182 – #205
Captain America #121 – #133
Iron Man #25 – #35
Daredevil #73
Iron Man #36 – #40
Amazing Spider-Man #88 – #94
Sub-Mariner #27 – #30
Avengers #83 – #88
Incredible Hulk #140
Astonishing Tales #1 – #11
Amazing Adventures #1 – #2
Fantastic Four #105 – #110
Avengers #89 – #91
Fantastic Four #111 – #116
Amazing Adventures #3 – #5
Sub-Mariner #31
Amazing Adventures #6 – #10
Sub-Mariner #32 – #39
Marvel Feature #1 – #3
Defenders #1
Daredevil #74 – #77
Sub-Mariner #40 – #51
Daredevil #78 – #81
Fantastic Four #117 – #125
Amazing Adventures #11 – #17
Avengers #92 – #97
Iron Man #41 – #51
Daredevil #82 – #86
Avengers #98 – #104
Captain Marvel #22 – #23
Incredible Hulk #141 – #151
Daredevil #87 – #89
Incredible Hulk #152 – #156
Defenders #2 – #4
Incredible Hulk #157 – #162
Defenders #5 – #6
Daredevil #90 – #94
Marvel Team-Up #5 – #7
Avengers #105
Thor #206 – #228
Captain America #134 – #156
Marvel Feature #4 – #9
Iron Man #52 – #54
Avengers #106 – #108
Marvel Feature #10

Part 1.2: New Age Heroes

With the beginning of a new era comes the introduction of several brand new heroes to the Marvel Universe, and they may be a little different from what you’ve come to expect. From a wrongly accused ex-con in Luke Cage to the drama-filled life of the Night Nurse, this is an early example of the Marvel Universe branching out to tell new types of stories with offbeat characters. And while some of these series may appear short-lived, they introduce several characters who will have lasting impacts for years to come, the least of which being the powerful and mysterious Warlock!

Reading Order:

Hero for Hire #1 – #11
Night Nurse #1 – #4
The Cat #1 – #4
Shanna the She-Devil #1 – #5
Marvel Premiere #1 – #2
Warlock #1 – #8

Part 1.3: Monsters Unleashed

The dawn of the Bronze Age brought with it a significant change in the real world, in that the Comics Code Authority was revised to allow the use of monsters like vampires and werewolves, which were previously prohibited. This change led to an expansion of the Marvel Universe beyond just superheroes with titles like Tomb of Dracula and Werewolf by Night, among others. While initially fairly self-contained, these characters and stories begin to crossover and interact with the wider world. And even familiar heroes like Spider-Man have their own encounters with the undead in the form of Morbius, the Living Vampire!

Reading Order:

Tomb of Dracula #1 – #9
Marvel Spotlight #2 – #4
Werewolf by Night #1 – #12
Savage Tales #1
Astonishing Tales #12 – #16
Adventure into Fear #10 – #19
Man-Thing #1
Frankenstein #1 – #12
Dracula Lives #1 – #4
Tomb of Dracula #10 – #16
Werewolf by Night #13 – #14
Tomb of Dracula #17 – #18
Werewolf by Night #15
Tomb of Dracula #19 – #21
Werewolf by Night #16 – #19
Giant-Size Chillers #1
Tomb of Dracula #22 – #23
Giant-Size Creatures #1
Werewolf by Night #20 – #26
Marvel Spotlight #5 – #11
Ghost Rider #1 – #2
Marvel Spotlight #12
Ghost Rider #3
Marvel Spotlight #13 – #19
Amazing Spider-Man #95 – #102
Vampire Tales #1 – #11

Continue to Part 2