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You are here: Home / The Complete Marvel Reading Order Guide / Marvel Comics From Heroic Age to Fear Itself

Marvel Comics From Heroic Age to Fear Itself

Following the events of Marvel’s “Dark Reign” and “Siege,” the shared universe launches into a new era known as “The Heroic Age.” It’s a substantially more positive overall environment, with heroes like Captain America back in charge of the world’s security.

The time period includes a wealth of fun Marvel stories including the continuation of Jonathan Hickman’s time writing Secret Warriors and Fantastic Four, the launch of Rick Remender’s time writing Uncanny X-Force, and tons of fascinating Amazing Spider-Man “Big Time” stories from the Dan Slott era.

Below you’ll find all the Marvel comics that occur between the launch of the Heroic Age and the start of Marvel’s 2011 “Fear Itself.” I’ve noted my favorite books by placing the Comic Book Herald logo next to the series name.

Previously: Heroic Age

Marvel's Secret Warriors

Secret Warriors Vol. 4: Last Ride of the Howling Commandos

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Collects: Siege: Secret Warriors & Secret Warriors #17-19

The Invincible Iron Man, Vol. 5: Stark Resilient, Book 1

Collects: Invincible Iron Man #25-28

Thor: The World Eaters

Collects: Thor #615-621 & 620.1

Thor (2007 to 2011) series conclusion.

comic book herald blog logoThor: The Mighty Avenger: The Complete Collection

Collects: Thor The Mighty Avenger 1-8, Free Comic Book Day 2011

Simply one of the best all ages Marvel Comics ever released.

Deadpool by Daniel Way: The Complete Collection Volume 2

Collects: Deadpool #23 To #31

Heralds

Collects: Heralds #1-5

Darkstar and the Winter Guard (Darkstar and the Winter Guard 

Collects: Darkstar And The Winter Guard #1-3, Hulk: Winter Guard And Material From X-Men Unlimited #28

New Avengers: Luke Cage – Town Without Pity

Collects: New Avengers: Luke Cage #1-3, Daredevil: Cage Match #1, Hero For Hire #1

Black Widow: Kiss Or Kill

Collects: Black Widow (2010) #6-8 And Iron Man: Kiss And Kill

Vengeance of the Moon Knight Vol. 2: Killed, Not Dead

Collects: Vengeance Of The Moon Knight #7-10

Gorilla Man

Collects: Gorilla-Man #1-3

comic book herald blog logo




Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine

Collects: Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine #1-6

Fantastic and underrated team-up story by Jason Aaron and Adam Kubert.

Spider-Man: Grim Hunt 

Collects: Amazing Spider-Man #634-637

Spider-Man: One Moment In Time

Collects: Amazing Spider-Man #638-641

Spider-Man: Origin of the Species

Collects: Amazing Spider-Man #642-647

Spider-Man: The Extremist

Collects: Web Of Spider-Man (2009) #8-12

Doctor Doom, Mad Thinker, The Wizard in the Baxter Building
FF Villains in the house!

comic book herald blog logoFantastic Four By Jonathan Hickman Vol. 4

Collects: Fantastic Four #583-588

Note that the volume three collected edition is included in the Heroic Age guide.

Incredible Hulks: World War Hulks

Collects: World War Hulks #1, Fall Of The Hulks: Savage She-Hulks #1-3, Hulked-Out Heroes #1-2, World War Hulks: Spider-Man Vs. Thor #1-2, World War Hulks: Captain America Vs. Wolverine #1-2, And Incredible Hulk (1968) #312 And #609-611

You can find more context for these Hulk stories in my complete Fall of Hulks and World War Hulks reading order.

Incredible Hulks: Dark Son

Collects: Incredible Hulks #612-617

She-Hulks: Hunt For The Intelligencia (She-Hulks

Collects: She-Hulks #1-4 And Material From She-Hulk Sensational #1

X-Campus

Collects: X-Campus #1-4

X-Men: Curse of the Mutants

Collects: X-Campus #1-5

Namor: The First Mutant Vol. 1: Curse of the Mutants 

Collects: X-Campus #1-6

Wolverine in Hell!

comic book herald blog logoWolverine: Wolverine Goes To Hell

Collects: Wolverine #1-5

Jason Aaron kicks off his time writing Wolverine by sending him straight to hell.

Namor: The First Mutant Vol. 2: Namor Goes To Hell

Collects: Namor: The First Mutant #5-11

Daken: Dark Wolverine – Empire

Collects: Dark Wolverine #90 & Daken: Dark Wolverine #1-4

Wolverine: The Reckoning

Collects: Wolverine Origins #46-50, Dark Wolverine #85-87

Series conclusion

New Mutants Vol. 3: Fall Of The New Mutants

Collects: New Mutants #15-21

X-Men: Legacy – Collision

Collects: X-Men Legacy #238-241

X-Men: Legacy – Aftermath

Collects: X-Men Legacy #242-244 & #248-249

comic book herald blog logoX-23 Vol. 1: The Killing Dream

Collects: X-23 #1-6

Daken/X-23: Collision

Collects: Daken: Dark Wolverine #5-9 & X-23 #7-9

Wolverine: Wolverine vs. the X-Men

Collects: Wolverine #5.1 & 6-9

Astonishing X-Men: Monstrous

Collects: Astonishing X-Men #36, 37, 39 & 41

Astonishing X-Men: Children of the Brood

Collects: Astonishing X-Men #38, 40, 42, 43 & Uncanny X-Men #162

X-Factor Vol. 11: Happenings in Vegas 

Collects: X-Factor #207-212

New Mutants Vol. 4: Unfinished Business

Collects: New Mutants #25-28

Thunderbolts: Violent Rejection 

Collects: Thunderbolts #152-157

Elektra and Daredevil

Shadowland

Collects: Dark Reign: The List – Daredevil 1; Daredevil (1998) 501-512; Shadowland 1-5; Shadowland: Elektra, Bullseye, Ghost Rider, Spider-Man, After The Fall; Shadowland: Moon Knight 1-3; Shadowland: Blood On The Streets 1-4; Shadowland: Daughters Of The Shadow 1-3; Shadowland: Power Man 1-4; Thunderbolts (1997) 148-149; Daredevil: Reborn 1-4

Shadowland ran as a major crossover from July 2010 to December 2010. For more detailed ordering, check out my Shadowland reading order.

Black Panther: The Man Without Fear Vol. 1: Urban Jungle 

Collects: Black Panther: The Man Without Fear #513-518

Daredevil: Reborn

Collects: Daredevil: Reborn #1-4

Captain America: Trial of Captain America

Collects: Captain America #611-615 & 615.1

comic book herald blog logoSecret Warriors Vol. 5: Night

Collects: Secret Warriors #20-23

Secret Warriors Vol. 6: Wheels Within Wheels

Collects: Secret Warriors #25-28

Series finale!

Invincible Iron Man, Vol. 6: Stark Resilient, Book 2

Collects: Invincible Iron Man #29-33

Red Hulk: Scorched Earth

Collects: Hulk #25 To #30

New Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis: The Complete Collection Vol. 6

Collects: New Avengers (2010) 1-16

Issues #14 to #16 are Fear Itself tie-ins

Moon Knight on the Secret Avengers

Secret Avengers by Ed Brubaker: The Complete Collection

Collects: Secret Avengers (2010) 1-12

Avengers Academy: The Complete Collection Vol. 1

Collects: Avengers Academy 1-12, Avengers Academy Giant-Size 1, Thunderbolts (1997) 147, Material From Enter The Heroic Age 1

The first five issues are included as part of Marvel’s Heroic Age.

Taskmaster: Unthinkable

Collects: Taskmaster #1-4 And Material From Age Of Heroes #3

Captain America: Patriot

Collects: Captain America: Patriot #1-4, What If? (1977) #4, All-Winners Comics 70Th Anniversary Special

comic book herald blog logoCaptain America: Man Out of Time

Collects: Captain America: Man Out Of Time #1 To #5

Chaos War

Collects: Chaos War #1-5

Beginning in September 2010, Chaos War @comicbookherald is perhaps the strangest Marvel event of the 2000’s. It also doubles as the only Marvel comic to include a tweet from in the letters column! You can see the full issue break down in my Chaos War reading order.

Uncanny X-Men: Breaking Point 

Collects: Uncanny X-Men #534.1 And #535-539

comic book herald blog logoUncanny X-Force

Collects: Uncanny X-Force #1 To #9

X-Factor Vol. 12: Scar Tissue

Collects: X-Factor (2005) #213-219

Generation Hope: The Future’s A Four-Lettered Word

Collects: Generation Hope #1-5

Age of X

Collects: Age Of X Alpha, X-Men Legacy #245-247, New Mutants (2009) #22-24, Age Of X Universe #1-2 And The Age Of X Historical Logs

comic book herald blog logoFF by Jonathan Hickman Vol. 1

Collects: Ff #1-5

Not your father's Venom

Spider-Man: Big Time Ultimate Collection

Collects: Amazing Spider-Man 648, 649-662, 654.1

Issue #659 begins preludes to Spider-Island

Carnage: Family Feud (Carnage Vol. 1)

Collects: Carnage #1-5

Spider-Girl: Family Values

Collects: Spider-Girl (2010) #1-8

comic book herald blog logoOsborn: Evil Incarcerated

Collects: Osborn #1-5

comic book herald blog logoVenom By Rick Remender Vol. 1

Collects: Venom (2011) #1-5

The Punisher: In the Blood

Collects: Punisher: In The Blood #1 To #5

Thor: The Trials of Loki

Collects: Loki (2010) #1-4

Thor: For Asgard

Collects: Thor: For Asgard #1-7

Astonishing Thor

Collects: Astonishing Thor #1-5

Thunderstrike: Youth In Revolt

Collects: Astonishing Thor #1-6

Silver Surfer: Devolution

Collects: Astonishing Thor #1-7

The Incredible Hulks: Planet Savage

Collects: Incredible Hulks #623-629

comic book herald blog logoAnnihilators

Collects: Annihilators 1-4

Follows hot on the heels of the Marvel cosmic reading order.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Collects: Ant-Man & The Wasp #1 To #3

Heroes For Hire: Control

Collects: Heroes For Hire (2011) #1-5.

Power Man and Iron Fist: The Comedy of Death

Collects: Power Man & Iron Fist (2011) #1-5

Hawkeye and Mockingbird/Black Widow: Widowmaker

Collects: Widowmaker 1-4

Hawkeye: Blindspot

Collects: Hawkeye: Blindspot #1-4 And Hawkeye: Earth’S Mightiest Marksman

X-23 Vol. 2: Chaos Theory

Collects: X-23 (2010) #10-16

Avengers Academy: The Complete Collection Vol. 2 

Collects: Avengers Academy 13-20, 14.1; Material From Amazing Spider-Man (1999) 661-662, Fear Itself: The Home Front 1-7, Avengers: Solo 1-5

Only read issues #13, #14, and #14.1 before Fear Itself (then Avengers Academy is tie-in to the event through issue #20).

X-Men: With Great Power

Collects: X-Men #7-11

comic book herald blog logoThe Mighty Thor, Vol. 1

Collects: The Mighty Thor 1-6

Invincible Iron Man, Vol. 7: My Monsters

Collects: Invincible Iron Man #500, 500.1, Annual #1

Invincible Iron Man, Vol. 8: Unfixable

Collects: Free Comic Book Day 2010 Iron Man/Thor, Rescue 1, Iron Man 501-502, 503

Next: Fear Itself

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Zac C. says

    July 18, 2019 at 3:21 am

    You have X-Campus there three times. It looks like a mistake but I’m not sure?

    Reply

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