No writer has had more of an influence on Marvel Comics in the 2000’s than Brian Michael Bendis. The prolific Bendis’s output and longevity are unrivaled in superhero comics this millennium, leaving a legacy of characters, comics, and Marvel architecture that speaks for itself.
As Bendis leaves the Marvel offices after 18 years for an opportunity to write DC Comic’s Superman books, it’s worth compiling all that Bendis produced for Marvel.
Of course, it would be doing Bendis a disservice not to give appropriate attention to his incredible work across Marvel’s Ultimate Universe. Beginning with Ultimate Spider-Man #1, one of my absolute favorite Marvel comics of all time, Bendis helped shape the direction of the Marvel Ultimate Universe, and frankly much of Marvel’s future. Throw in the creation of Jessica Jones, Miles Morales, and Goldballs, and it’s a heckuva ride!
Since Bendis’ fingerprints are ingrained in so much of the Ultimate Universe, I’d recommend interested readers just check out the complete Comic Book Herald guide. This is your best bet for Bendis on Spider-Man, and for Miles Morales comics:
The Ultimate Universe reading order
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The Bendis Marvel Reading Order!
Collects: Alias 1-9
Collects: Alias 11-15
Collects: Alias 10, 16-21
Collects: Alias 22-28
Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev Ultimate Collection – Book 1
Daredevil #16-19 & #26-40
Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev Ultimate Collection – Book 2
Daredevil #41 – #50 & #56 – #60
Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev Ultimate Collection – Book 3
Daredevil #66-81, What If Karen Page Had Lived? #1 (Oct 2004 – Jan 2006)
Collects: The Pulse #1-5
Bendis brings Jessica Jones out of the Marvel MAX series, Alias, and into mainstream comics!
Collects: Avengers #500-503 And Avengers Finale
The modern era of Marvel events starts right here. Check out Comic Book Herald’s Disassembled reading order.
Collects: Secret Wars #1 To #5
Collects: The Pulse #6 To #9
New Avengers Through Civil War
Collects: New Avengers #1 To #6
Collects: New Avengers #7 To #10
The New Avengers, Vol. 3: Secrets And Lies
Collects: New Avengers #11-15 And Giant-Size Spider-Woman #1
Collects: House Of M #1 To #8
Check out Comic Book Herald’s House of M reading order.
New Avengers, Vol. 4: The Collective
Collects: New Avengers #16 To #20, New Avengers Annual #1
Collects: Civil War #1 To #7
Check out Comic Book Herald’s Civil War reading order.
New Avengers, Vol. 5: Civil War
Collects: New Avengers #21 To #25
Secret Invasion
New Avengers, Vol. 6: Revolution
Collects: New Avengers #26 To #31
Collects: Mighty Avengers #1 To #6
Mighty Avengers, Vol. 2: Venom Bomb
Collects: Mighty Avengers #7-11
New Avengers, Vol. 7: The Trust
Collects: New Avengers #32 To #37, New Avengers Annual #2
Collects: New Avengers #0 To #5
Collects: Secret Invasion #1 to #8
Check out Comic Book Herald’s Secret Invasion reading order.
New Avengers Vol. 8: Secret Invasion Book 1
Collects: New Avengers #38 To #42
New Avengers Vol. 9: Secret Invasion Book 2
Collects: New Avengers #43 To #47
Mighty Avengers Vol. 3: Secret Invasion, Book 1
Collects: Mighty Avengers #12-15
Mighty Avengers Vol. 4: Secret Invasion Book 2
Collects: Mighty Avengers #16-20
Dark Reign Through Siege
Dark Avengers, Vol. 1: Assemble
Collects: Dark Avengers #1 To #6
Check out Comic Book Herald’s Dark Reign reading order.
Collects: Secret Warriors #1 To #6
Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia
Collects: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #513-514, X-Men: Legacy (2008) #226-227, Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Exodus, Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia; Dark Avengers (2009) #7-8, Dark X-Men: The Beginning (2009) #1-3, Dark X-Men: The Confession
Collects: Secret Invasion Dark Reign & New Avengers #48-50
Dark Avengers, Vol. 2: Molecule Man
Collects: Dark Avengers #9-12, Dark Reign: The List – Avengers
New Avengers Vol. 11: Search for the Sorcerer Supreme
Collects: New Avengers #51-54
New Avengers Vol. 12: Powerloss
Collects: New Avengers #55-60
Collects: Siege #1 To #4, Siege: The Cabal
Check out Comic Book Herald’s Siege reading order.
Collects: New Avengers Annual 3, Dark Reign: The List – Avengers, New Avengers #61-64 & New Avengers Finale
Collects: Dark Avengers #13-16 & Dark Avengers Annual 1
The Heroic Age Avengers
Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis: The Complete Collection Vol. 1
Collects: Avengers Prime 1-5, Avengers (2010) 1-12, New Avengers Annual (2011) 1, Avengers Annual (2012) 1
Check out Comic Book Herald’s Heroic Age reading order.
New Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis: The Complete Collection Vol. 6
Collects: New Avengers (2010) 1-16
Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis: The Complete Collection Vol. 2
Collects: Avengers (2010) 12.1, 13-24; Avengers Assemble: An Oral History Of Earth’S Mightiest Heroes
New Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis: The Complete Collection Vol. 7
Collects: New Avengers (2010) 16.1, 17-34
Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis: The Complete Collection Vol. 3
Collects: Avengers (2010) 24.1, 25-34; Avengers Assemble (2012) 1-8; Avengers: Heroes Welcome 1; Material From Avx: Vs 6
Moon Knight, AvX, Daredevil & Ultron!
Moon Knight by Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev
Collects: Moon Knight (2011) 1-12
Collects: Avengers Vs. X-Men 0-12
Check out Comic Book Herald’s Avengers vs. X-Men reading order.
Collects: Daredevil: End Of Days #1-8
Bendis returns to Daredevil for a final time to write the “last” Daredevil story!
Collects: Avengers 12.1, Age Of Ultron 1-10
Marvel NOW! X-Men & Guardians of the Galaxy
All-New X-Men Volume 1: Yesterday’s X-Men
Collects: All -New X-Men 1-5
Uncanny X-Men Volume 1: Revolution
Collects: Uncanny X-Men (2013) #1-5
All-New X-Men Volume 2: Here to Stay
Collects: All-New X-Men 6-10
Uncanny X-Men Volume 2: Broken
Collects: Uncanny X-Men 6-11
Guardians of the Galaxy: Infinite Comic
Collects: #1 To #4
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 1: Cosmic Avengers
Collects: Guardians Of The Galaxy 0.1, 1-3; Guardians Of The Galaxy: Tomorrow’S Avengers 1
All-New X-Men Volume 3: Out of Their Depth
Collects: All -New X-Men 11-15
Collects: X-Men: Battle Of The Atom #1, All-New X-Men #16, X-Men #5, Uncanny X-Men #12, Wolverine & The X-Men #36, All-New X-Men #17, X-Men #6, Uncanny X-Men #13, Wolverine & The X-Men #37, X-Men: Battle Of The Atom #2
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2: Angela
Collects: Guardians Of The Galaxy 4-10
Uncanny X-Men Volume 3: The Good, The Bad, The Inhuman
Collects: Uncanny X-Men 14, 15, Inh, 16-18
All-New X-Men Volume 4: All-Different
Collects: All-New X-Men 18-21, X-Men: Gold
Guardians and X-Men Crossovers
Guardians of the Galaxy/All-New X-Men: The Trial of Jean Grey
Collects: Guardians Of The Galaxy 11-13, All -New X-Men 22-24
The crossover begins with All-New X-Men #22, goes to Guardians of the Galaxy #11, and then continues alternating between X-Men and Guardians until completion.
Uncanny X-Men Volume 4: Vs. S.H.I.E.L.D.
Collects: Uncanny X-Men 19-25
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3: Guardians Disassembled
Collects: Free Comic Book Day 2014 (Guardians Of The Galaxy) 1, Guardians Of The Galaxy 14-17, Amazing Spider-Man 654 (B Story), Captain Marvel (2012) 1
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 4: Original Sin
Collects: Guardians Of The Galaxy 18-23, Annual 1
All-New X-Men Volume 5: One Down
Collects: All-New X-Men 25-30
All-New X-Men Vol. 6: The Ultimate Adventure
Collects: All-New X-Men 31-36
Uncanny X-Men Vol. 5: The Omega Mutant
Collects: Uncanny X-Men 26-31
Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex
Collects: Guardians Of The Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex Alpha 1, Guardians Of The Galaxy 24-25, Legendary Star-Lord 9-11, All-New X-Men 38-39, Guardians Team-Up 2, Nova 28, Cyclops 12, Captain Marvel 14, Guardians Of The Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex Omega 1
Uncanny X-Men Vol. 6: Storyville
Collects: Uncanny X-Men 32-35, 600
All-New X-Men Vol. 7: The Utopians
Collects: All-New X-Men 37-41
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 5: Through the Looking Glass
Collects: Guardians Of The Galaxy 24-27, Annual 1
Guardians of the Galaxy: New Guard Vol. 1: Emporer Quill
Collects: Guardians Of The Galaxy 1-5
All-New All-Different Iron Man, Spider-Man Through Civil War II
Invincible Iron Man by Brian Michael Bendis
Collects: Invincible Iron Man (2015) 1-14
Spider-Man: Miles Morales Vol. 1
Collects: Spider-Man 1-5
Collects: International Iron Man 1-7
Guardians of the Galaxy: New Guard Vol. 2
Collects: Guardians Of The Galaxy 6-11
Collects: Civil War Ii 0-7, Free Comic Book Day 2016
Spider-Man: Miles Morales Vol. 2
Collects: Spider-Man 6-10
Guardians of the Galaxy: New Guard Vol. 3: Civil War II
Collects: Guardians Of The Galaxy 11-14, Free Comic Book Day 2016 (Civil War II)
Infamous Iron Man, Ironheart, Jessica Jones through Marvel Legacy
Collects: Infamous Iron Man 1-6
Invincible Iron Man: Ironheart Vol. 1: Riri Williams
Collects: Invincible Iron Man 1-5
Jessica Jones Vol. 1: Uncaged!
Collects: Jessica Jones 1-6
Spider-Man/Spider-Gwen: Sitting in a Tree
Collects: Spider-Man #12 To #14, Spider-Gwen #16 To #18
Spider-Man: Miles Morales Vol. 3
Collects: Spider-Man 15-19
Infamous Iron Man Vol. 2: The Absolution of Doom
Collects: Infamous Iron Man 7-12
Invincible Iron Man: Ironheart Vol. 2: Choices
Collects: Invincible Iron Man (2016) #6-11
Guardians of the Galaxy: New Guard Vol. 4: Grounded
Collects: Guardians Of The Galaxy 15-19
Defenders Vol. 1: Diamonds Are Forever
Collects: Defenders 1-6, Free Comic Book Day 2017
Collects: Spider-Men Ii 1-5
Invincible Iron Man: The Search for Tony Stark
Collects: Invincible Iron Man 593-600
Jessica Jones Vol. 3: Return of the Purple Man
Collects: Jessica Jones 13-18
Defenders Vol. 2: Kingpins of New York
Collects: Defenders 6-11
Spider-Man: Miles Morales Vol. 4
Collects: Spider-Man 234-240
Spider-Man: Miles Morales Vol. 5
Collects: Spider-Man 237-241
I just want to preface this by saying thank you so much, this is an awesome list and has been extremely helpful.
That being said, I think it would be best to revise the Dark Reign part. Specifically, the issues of New Avengers and Dark Avengers tie heavily in those arcs and constantly reference one-another. For example, in one issue of “New”, Ronin will make a statement about Osborn, and then in the next issue of “Dark”, Osborn will respond to that claim and make remarks about Ronin, rinse and repeat. It doesn’t make much sense to read these comics several trades of each book at a time. I followed your separate Dark Reign reading order for this part and it made the reading MUCH more cohesive.
The order in your other list for Bendis’ Dark Reign books is as follows:
Secret Invasion Dark Reign #1
New Avengers #48-49
Dark Avengers #1-4
Secret Warriors #1-6
New Avengers #50-54
Dark Avengers #5-6
New Avengers #55-58
Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia (incl. Dark Avenger #7-8)
New Avengers #59-60
Dark Reign The List: Avengers #1
New Avengers Annual #3
Dark Avengers Annual #1
Secret Warriors #7-10 (technically not Bendis, but might as well finish the story)
Dark Avengers #9-12
Once again, thanks a ton for these lists!
Jessica Jones vol 2: The secrets of Maria Hill seems to be missing
Are all these comics (and the ones in the Hickman reading order) in the Complete Marvel reading order? Just want to make sure I read all of them.