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You are here: Home / Featured / Donny Cates Marvel Universe Reading Order (2017 – )

Donny Cates Marvel Universe Reading Order (2017 – )

July 31, 2019 by Dave 6 Comments

Since late 2017, writer and comic book creator Donny Cates has been one of the fastest rising talents at Marvel Comics, making particularly strong Infinity War infused waves with the story “Thanos Wins.” With big, bold fearless approaches to the Marvel Universe (and all the coolest toys in the toolbox), Cates is quickly one of the most recognizable young voices at Marvel.

Comic by Cates have also spanned a wide variety of series and miniseries, sometimes lasting no more than five issues at a time. What I’ve found exploring his vision, though, is that there’s frequently connective tissue between nearly all of these series, often building to much larger events in the Marvel Comics landscape.

To help keep tabs on it all, and the proper chronology, I’ve put together a reading order guide to the Marvel Universe of Donny Cates. It’s well worth noting that Cates also has a variety of creator-owned series worth reading including the following favorites of mine:

Buzzkill

God Country

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Redneck

Babyteeth

Related Reading Orders:

Jonathan Hickman’s Marvel Universe

Brian Michael Bendis’ Marvel Universe

Doctor Strange in Marvel Damnation

The Marvel Universe of Donny Cates – Secret Empire & Doctor Strange

In addition to comics that feature the artistic prowess of Gabriel Hernandez Walta and Niko Henrichon (legitimately two of my favorite comic book artists working today), Cates’ writing on Doctor Strange kicks off with the type of big hook he’ll consistently nail: Loki is the new Sorcerer Supreme!

Amazingly, Cates, Walta and company spice up this hook with unexpected developments (and by dusting off some Marvel characters locked away in storage), and quickly cement their own brand of Doctor Strange story hot on the heels of a lengthy run by writer Jason Aaron.

Right in the middle, Cates teams back up with writer Nick Spencer (Cates and Spencer co-wrote a handful of Secret Empire tie-ins) to follow up on the impact of Secret Empire in another Marvel crossover titled “Damnation.”

Doctor Strange by Donny Cates

Collects: Doctor Strange 381-390, Doctor Strange: Damnation 1-4

This complete collection gets the entire “Marvel Legacy” Cates written era of Doctor Strange in one package. The proper order for these issues is as follows:

Doctor Strange #381 to #385 – “The God of Magic”

Damnation #1

See here for Comic Book Herald’s complete Marvel Damnation reading order!

Doctor Strange #386

Damnation #2

Doctor Strange #387

Damnation #3

Doctor Strange #388

Damnation #4

Doctor Strange #389

Doctor Strange #390

2018 Thanos Wins story arc

Donny Cates’ Thanos Saga

It’s a testament to the strength and mass appeal of “Thanos Wins” that the story by Cates and artist Geoff Shaw became the modern Thanos comic right as the mad Titan was peaking in pop culture awareness due to the MCU. As you’ll note from the start at issue #13, the story actually follows a very strong run by Jeff Lemire and Mike Deodato, and is published simultaneously with a notably similar graphic novel by Thanos creator Jim Starlin and artist Alan Davis.

Nonetheless, it’s the legacy of “Thanos Wins” that stands tall, and drives much of what’s to come in the Cates cosmic-verse.

Thanos Wins

Collects: Thanos #13 to #18, Thanos Annual #1

Cosmic Ghost Rider #1 to #5

Infinity Wars Prime #1 / Thanos Legacy #1

The kick off to Marvel’s Infinity Wars event (hot on the heels of Infinity Countdown) means major changes for Thanos. Cates doesn’t write Infinity Wars Prime #1 but it’s essential background for the story he adds to Thanos Legacy #1, as well as some of his future works!

Venom fights a truck

Cates on Venom, Inhumans, and Marvel Knights

Venom is the longest ongoing comic book written by Donny Cates at Marvel to date, and in many ways the most essential to understanding the themes and characters in Cates’ work. Alongside longtime Spider-Man savant Ryan Stegman, Cates crafts a new symbiote mythology in the pages of Venom full of supergods like Knull and lots of metal-as-hell dragons.

Venom not only builds to the event Absolute Carnage but also plants seeds of cosmic proportions to be found in the pages of Guardians of the Galaxy, War of the Realms, and Silver Surfer: Black.

Death of the Inhumans

The five issue destruction of Marvel’s Inhumans (which sure feels symbolic in the aftermath of their almost impossibly failed attempt at a TV debut) is my vote for Cates’ biggest miss to date, although it does have roots in some comics to come.

Even in a rare miss, though, I’d argue that the ambitions of Cates and artist Ariel Olivetti are worth the price of admission.

Venom by Donny Cates Vol. 1: Rex

Collects: Venom (2018) 1-5

I’d recommend reading Web Of Venom: Ve’Nam #1 and Venom Annual #1 after Venom #5.

Venom Vol. 2: The Abyss

Venom Unleashed Vol. 1

Read the two collections above in the following order:

  • Venom #6-8
  • Web Of Venom: Carnage Born #1
  • Venom #9
  • Web Of Venom: Unleashed #1
  • Venom #10 to #12
  • Web of Venom: Cult of Carnage #1

Marvel Knights 20th

Collects: Marvel Knights 20th #1 to #6

This celebration of the Marvel Knights’ era’s 20th anniversary is the least essential comic in the Cates-verse (it’s enthusiastically out of continuity) but it’s an interesting experiment.

Donny Cates Guardians of the Galaxy

Donny Cates Cosmic Comics

The legacy of Thanos Wins comes full circle with Donny Cates taking over a relaunched Guardians of the Galaxy, and seemingly laying claim to the dominant voice of the new Marvel Cosmic.

You can see a ton of self-referential moments throughout these books, with Death of the Inhumans connecting to Guardians, Venom connecting to Silver Surfer: Black, and Cosmic Ghost Rider at the heart of practically everything.

Guardians of the Galaxy

Silver Surfer: Black

The kickoff to Cates’ ongoing Marvel cosmic landscape (with incredible art by Geoff Shaw and Tradd Moore respectively) should be read in the following order:

Guardians of the Galaxy #1 to #5

Silver Surfer Black #1

Guardians of the Galaxy Annual #1

Guardians of the Galaxy #6

Silver Surfer Black #2 to #5

Carnage gains powers of Knull in pages of Venom comic

Marvel Events by Donny Cates

Venom: War of the Realms

Collects: Venom #13 to #16

Confusingly, Cates (and artist Ryan Stegman) actually take a break from Venom during the War of the Realms tie-ins, making these crossover issues exceedingly peripheral.

That said, Venom plays a minor influence on the core War of the Realms series by Jason Aaron, Russell Dautermann, and Matt Wilson. These connections are arguably for die-hards only, but given that Cates references Aaron’s work in Thor: God of Thunder throughout Venom, it’s worthwhile to note that’s reciprocated in Marvel’s first big event of 2019.

Absolute Carnage

Stegman and Cates bring Absolute Carnage to the entire Marvel Universe in one of the biggest stories of 2019!

For the full reading order and all tie-ins, check out Comic Book Herald’s guide to Absolute Carnage.

Cosmic Thor & Venom Island

Guardians of the Galaxy by Donny Cates Vol. 2: Faithless

Collects: Guardians of the Galaxy #7 to #12

Venom by Donny Cates Vol. 4: Venom Island

Collects: Venom #21 to #25

Thor by Donny Cates Vol. 1

Collects: Thor #1 to #5

Filed Under: Featured, Marvel Series Tagged With: donny cates, Marvel Comics, reading order

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About 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.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. G says

    April 25, 2021 at 3:32 am

    Hey, I appreciate the reading order! It has been very helpful. It’s possible I missed it but I don’t see Venom vol 3 anywhere and I’m wondering where it fits. I’m assuming it fits right after absolute carnage but I wanted to be sure.

    Reply
    • Dillon says

      August 25, 2021 at 2:19 pm

      Volume 3 is Venom: War of the Realms. It fit right before Absolute carnage.

      Reply
  2. Matthew Oakden Fieldhouse says

    March 23, 2020 at 5:04 am

    Can I just read Guardians of the Galaxy?

    Reply
    • Borf Chunky says

      February 9, 2021 at 10:29 am

      it’s a damngood run. you don’t have to read them all. But I am betting that after GOTG you’ll want more.

      Reply
  3. Curt Matzenbacher says

    July 31, 2019 at 8:44 am

    Is he the same guy who just resigned as US director of national intelligence?

    Reply
    • Dave says

      July 31, 2019 at 10:16 am

      haha I had to look this up, but you’re not too far off!

      Reply

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