Guide Part 12 (Dark Reign)

View Comments (90)

• I know it’s been awhile since this was posted but I just finished the Thunderbolts Dark reign large trade paperback and am wondering where to go next

• Just finished making my way through this reading list, nearly 300 strong! It wasn't easy but I'm glad I made it through. Would fully have been impossible without the effort you put into creating this list Dave, so thank you for all of the hard work.

• First I have to say this site has removed any anxiety i've had about stepping into the comic realm. Because of your trade reading order as well as your individual comic order i've been able to enjoy each major event as it was happing with next to no spoilers.

  That being said your trade list for this event doesn't seem to be in order of reading but alphabetical. If i'm wrong and that is the correct order my apologies, it just seems like they wouldn't be in that perfect of order.

  Thank you so so much

  • Yes, but also this event is much less like an event the same way that Secret Invasion or Siege are events. You can kinda read the trades in whatever order you want and it still works here.

• Invincible Iron Man #20-24 isn't part of Dark Reign, though it does occur at the time.

  • is it just 8-19, or also 25-33? (first time comic reader, heard this is a good one.)

• Captain America: Reborn #1-6 occurs earlier, and isn't part of the Dark Reign event as I've stated before, but that means Thunderbolts #136 does as well, as Scourge's identity was revealed in that issue, and was unknown during Captain America: Reborn. There's also no reason for Captain America: Who Will Wield The Shield? (which isn't part of Dark Reign) to not follow on directly from the Reborn series

• Avengers: The Initiative #31 is a tie-in for Siege, not for Dark Reign

• Dark Avengers #9-12 aren't actually part of the Dark Reign event, though they do happen at the time.

  • New Avengers #59 has Bullseye and Moonstone kissing, but Dark Avengers #10, which came out before it, has them mention her not having done that but planning to, so it's likely that issue of Dark Avengers comes before the New Avengers one.

  • Also, Dark Avenger #9 deals with Ares finding out about his son's acting with the Secret Warriors, so Dark Avengers #9-12 should come before Secret Warriors #7-10

• Dark Avengers: Ares #1-3 isn't actually part of Dark Reign, though it does occur at the time. It's also difficult to place but occurs prior to Secret Warriors #7-9, as Ares is still looking for Nick Fury/his son during it.

• Secret Warriors #7-10 aren't actually part of the Dark Reign event, although they do happen at the time

• Dark Avengers Annual #1 isn't part of the Dark Reign event, and due to the appearance of Steve Rogers at the end, it happens after Captain America: Reborn #1-6

• Dark Wolverine #80 and #81 aren't actually part of the Dark Reign event, although they do happen at the time of it.

• Steve Rogers' appearance in New Avengers Annual #3, and dialogue in Mighty Avengers #34 places Captain America Reborn #1-6 before both of these issues.

• Planet Skaar: Prologue isn't part of Dark Reign. Due to Loki still using Sif's body, it would also be set before Thor #601-603
  Skaar: Son of Hulk # 11-12 also aren't part of Dark Reign, and neither are Incredible Hulk #601-605.
  On top of that, Incredible Hulk #602 is prior to all the X-Men issues, due to them not being on Utopia at that point.

• The Dark Avengers/X-Men Utopia portion of the reading list should go as follows;
  Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men Utopia #1
  Uncanny X-Men #513
  Dark Avengers #7
  Uncanny X-Men #514
  Dark Avengers #8
  Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men Exodus #1
  Dark X-Men: The Confession
  X-Men Legacy #226-227
  Dark X-Men: The Beginning #1-3
  Dark Reign: The List X-Men

  • Also, also Dark X-Men #1-5 occurs during Dark Reign, it isn't part of the event

    • Right after the end of the Dark Avengers/X-Men issues should be Dark Reign The List: Avengers, as it states that it comes right after the end of the crossover issues, and before any of the other 'the list' issues, though it does also come after New Avengers #60 and the story from Dark Reign The List: Avengers does continue on into New Avengers Annual #3

• Uncanny X-Men Annual #2 happens at the same time, and directly after Secret Invasion: Dark Reign #1, not including the many flashbacks set years earlier that make up the majority of the issue