The MCU has officially dropped Captain America 3: Civil War stateside, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m already writing hyperbolic praise in my head and I haven’t even seen it (my expectations might be a wee bit too high – it’s a dangerous state of mind!). The Rotten Tomatoes reviews are so far pulling a reverse Batman v Superman, which will surely only calm those DC vs. Marvel conspiracy theories.
As you step out of the theater this weekend, or in coming weeks, you may think to yourself: What Marvel Comics should I read now! I need more of this! Did I close the garage? Wait, no, back to what’s important, more Marvel Universe!
Don’t worry, the garage is wide open but nobody noticed (you don’t mind if I borrow a weedwacker right?), and I’ve got you covered on the perfect Marvel Comics reading approach to satiate your Galactus-sized appetite.
Marvel Comics To Read After Cap 3: Civil War
Now, anyone with half a month’s subscription to Marvel Unlimited will tell you that after watching Civil War you should read… Civil War
While this is largely logical, as a dedicated purveyor of 2000’s Marvel Comics, I do have to warn you that if you’re new-ish to Marvel Comics, jumping straight in to Civil War is going to be a bit odd. You can absolutely start there, and as stone sober splashes of comics go, it’s not the worst idea, but the 2006-2007 comic event actually falls within a timeline of Marvel events that starts back in 2004 with Avengers Disassembled (and really all the way back to 1998 with Marvel Knights if you’re keeping score at home).
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So, do you really have to read all those comics just to get to Civil War? No, you don’t. Does it enhance the experience and provide an enjoyable read if you’re really into Marvel? Yeah, I think it does.
You can check out my Marvel reading order from the top here.
Marvel Obsessives Only!
If you came out of Civil War thinking you want to read the whole entire goshdarn Marvel Universe, well, that’s sort of something I’m doing this year too.
No, I’m not literally reading every Marvel Comic (while a noble life aim, it is also certifiable), but I am running a little reading club called My Marvelous Year.
Here’s the deal: Every week, I hand curate a list of the 10 best Marvel stories from any given year of publication. I keep these lists between 20 to 30 comics. So, in week one the club read 10 stories from Marvel’s first full year, 1962, and then in week two we read 10 stories from 1963, and so on.
Every week the club also votes on the year’s hero, villain, issue, writer, and artist of the year, defining the MVPs of Marvel for every year of their history.
We’re currently on 1979, and will be taking a week long 1970’s recap week before starting with 1980.
If you’re interested, starting with Marvel Comics in 1980 is a great time to join, and you can easily sign up with naught but an e-mail address here. You’ll also get access to the list of comics we’ve read to date, and can begin catching up any time.
Civil War Characters!
Naturally, I also have reading orders and best of lists for just about every known character in Cap 3: Civil War. If you’d like to dive into the comics of a favorite character from the movie, check out the links below.
There you have it, a basic guide to getting started with Marvel Comics after Civil War!
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