I think with the popularity of movies like The Avengers, Thor, Captain America, The X-Men, etc. that there will be a resurgence of interest in Marvel Comics and the universe created within the books. With that interest comes a desire to read all the comic books in order, and at first I thought the way to go was chronologically, and then I realized the comic books refer to events that are happening in other comics books during the different story lines. So why not instead read them in order of the events that are happening. Luckily for me, I’m not the only one who had this idea, and thus I bring you the Complete Marvel Comics Reading Order.
I’d highly recommend that you start on the FAQ pages. The one linked is for frequently asked questions about the Order, and at the top of that page you’ll find grey navigation buttons that will take you to the Site FAQ, and the Marvel FAQ. Checking out all three of those pages will make navigating the rest of the site a breeze.
That’s not to say that navigating the site is difficult, if you go directly to the main page instead you’ll find a navigation menu at the top of the page that includes The Order, Titles, Comic Box, Groups, Story Arcs, and Characters. There’s even more navigation found above the main menu with links to the Order List, Forums, Stats/Leader, Comic News, Login, FAQs, Podcasts, and Register. Registration is super simple form to fill out and submit, and doing so allows you to track your reading and submit reviews.
Let’s take a quick peek at the main categories, shall we?
The Order – if you click into the Order section you’ll find a complete listing. Each entry will be labeled as to whether or not it is essential reading or not, there will be thumbnail image of the issue cover, a small blurb explaining what the comic is about, and a Details button that you can click to be whisked away to the complete information for that issue including where you can read it online.
Titles – this is the reading order by comic title. I’m not sure why you’d want to read in alphabetical order, but it’s nice if you’re looking for a specific issue quickly and know the title.
Comic Box – once you’ve registered and selected favorite characters or groups, in this section you’ll find an assortment of things related to who you chose as your favorites.
Groups – this the reading order organized by groups. For example, if you want to read The Avengers comics, you could head here to check them out.
Story Arcs – this is the reading order organized by Story Arc. An Arc is a story line that is completed over multiple issues of a comic.
Characters – if you guessed that this is the reading order organized by character, you’d be right! Here you can check out the information surrounding your favorite characters including what issues of which comics they appeared in.
Overall this site is a really great way to get into reading comics from the Marvel Universe, so if you’re ready to dive in, you might want to start here and use the reading order! Go check it out today!
http://cmro.travis-starnes.com/
~Amanda