Marvel’s 2022 Summer comic event is Judgment Day, by ongoing Eternals/Immortal X-Men writer Kieron Gillen and Valerio Schiti (fresh off art on event books like Empyre and Inferno).
In Judgment Day, the Avengers try to prevent war between the Eternals and X-Men of Krakoa, as the Eternals discover secrets about the origins of mutantkind that could change everything. Gillen’s revamp of Eternals with Esad Ribic has been phenomenal to date, and Immortal X-Men is a hotly anticipated new direction for mutantkind in the post Jonathan Hickman era, so I have high confidence this event will – at an absolute minimum – be interesting!
Previously: Inferno
Below you’ll find a complete guide to Judgment Day including reading order for individual comics, and the comic book stories that you should read beforehand to better understand the event’s context.
Road to Judgment Day
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The best way to understand who the Eternals are, and who the Celestials are and what they represent, is to go to the source, Jack Kirby’s 1977 Eternals. The book’s very much of its era, and for my money some lesser King Kirby, but this is the true start for those interested.
Most importantly, you’ll learn here that the Celestial Host returns once in a great while to judge Earth, and determine whether they’re worth keeping around. If memory serves, the Celestials promise to return to Earth in 2026 for their final judgement, so while a 2022 event may be a bit early 1) This is Marvel time so who knows and 2) maybe this is setting the stage for that 2026 return!
Kieron Gillen & Esad Ribic’s Eternals
Most readers will likely want to start with the modernization and reinvention of the Eternals, taking place in Gillen and Ribic’s excellent ongoing series. This is simply good reading (it’s one of the best Marvel Comics of the last year, and the best place to find Thanos these days!), but given Gillen’s spearheading the event, it’s definitely going to be the most relevant pre-reading you can do.
Technically, you may also get some valuable context from the first arc of the Jason Aaron written Avengers
Krakoa’s “Destiny of X” kicks off in March 2022, and Kieron Gillen will return to the world of mutants with his Quiet Council focused book, Immortal X-Men. I have extremely high hopes, and anticipate it will factor heavily into the events of Judgment Day.
I doubt this will be super essential, but good old Mister Sinister (ok, should never be described as “good” in any context) actually messes about with California’s Golden Celestial in Kieron Gillen’s first Uncanny X-Men story, “Everything Is Sinister.”
Again, I don’t know that this will matter a ton but 1) It’s a great read and I recommend it and 2) With Mister Sinister on Krakoa’s Quiet Council, it would be weirder if it didn’t come up!
Collected A.X.E. Judgment Day Comics!
Collects: A.X.E.: Judgment Day (2022) 1-6, A.X.E.: Avengers (2022) 1, A.X.E.: X-Men (2022) 1, A.X.E.: Eternals (2022) 1, Free Comic Book Day 2022: Avengers/X-Men 1 (A.X.E. story)
A.X.E.: Judgment Day Companion
Collects: A.X.E.: Eve of Judgment (2022) 1, A.X.E.: Death to the Mutants (2022) 1-3, A.X.E.: Starfox (2022) 1
Judgment Day Issue by Issue Comics Checklist
Judgment Day Is Coming
Free Comic Book Day (2022): Avengers / X-Men
Judgment Day Arrives
Entirely inessential for Judgement Day, but ends with a cliffhanger that occurs during the event.
A.X.E.: Death to the Mutants #1
The Progenitor
A.X.E.: Death to the Mutants #2
Very loose tie-in. Can easily be skipped.
A.X.E.: Death to the Mutants #3
Next: Dark Web
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Seem to be missing XForce 30 from the list
Where does Legion of X #5 fit in the reading order? I can’t seem to find it’s spot anywhere. Thanks
Nevermind, I found it.
X-Force 30 is a tie-in that I dont see mentioned… Should I just drop it before X-Force 31?
Do Amazing Spider-man #9 &10 count as tie-ins to this event? #9 follows on from the Hellfire Gala and #10 must fit
into the Judgement Day mix somewhere?
Amazing Spider-Man #10 is right after Fantastic Four #48. As for #9, I’d read it right after the Hellfire Gala issue.
I’m not seeing where New Mutants #29 & #30 fit in, also, not seeing where X-Terminators #1 is in the reading order.
I think New Mutants and X-Terminators are separate to the event, much like X-Men #15 and Marauders #7 that have come out recently. I could be wrong though.
Also I’m sure X-Terminators was meant to start way back earlier in the year, not sure why the delay, maybe had to wait for the Hellfire Gala and X-23 to leave the X-men?
Ms. Marvel & Wolverine also takes place before Judgement Day #1, and there’s a certain location/place that is introduced there before.
Fantastic Four #47 and Avengers #60 clearly takes place before AXE Judgment Day 4.
Is there any info what will follow up this event? I want to start subscribe to a few Marvel titles, and I think it would be nice to start after the current event.
Thanks!
There’s Dark Web coming afterwards which I believe is a Spider-Man/X-Men event, but it probably won’t be until late this year/early next year until we find out what the next big thing is for crossover events.
Marvels Twitter teased an event “S.O.S.” Which appears to be Sins of Sinister. Looks like a Mr. Sinister event beginning in January.
Would I be OK just reading the AXE issues one by one without any of the tie in?
Yes, it would. The tie-ins only offer more insight of whats going on but it’d be perfect fine to just read the main issues.
New error found.
I’m honestly disappointed with the team behind Immortal X-Men
They keep putting the members of the QC sitting on the wrong places during the meetings.
The writer, the editor of the book should pay more attention.
https://twitter.com/XMenNation1/status/1554834466857619457
Nobody gives a shiet
SPOILERS
Continuation Error found in Judgement Day 1.
In X-Men Red 1, Cable is with his TO Virus out of his control, drawn in black with blue lights. He dies in X-Men Red 3 and return to live with his TO Virus back on control.
Then in Judgement Day 1 which takes place after X-Men Red 4, Cable is draw with his TO Virus out of control like in X-Men Red 1.
There was some kind of miscommunication and the Editor of the book didn’t catch it on time.
Here pics to make it more clear.
https://twitter.com/XMenNation1/status/1549797297395040259
It looks like Marauders #5 was lost in the shuffle between Destiny of X and Judgement Day.
Marauders #5 takes place before the Hellfire Gala #1.
That seem logical cause Bishop is on his Mission in Marauders #4 and Kate died in that book. Since both Kate and Bishop are part of Hellfire Gala #1, that seem logical that although Marauders #5 will be released during the Judgement Day Event, it takes place even before the Hellfire Gala happened.
You are thinking of the first Marauders run from 2019-January 2022 by Gerry Duggan. There is a second run of Marauders that started in 2022 by Steve Orlando which is only on issue 4 atm
You should add X-men Hellfire Gaia 2022 #1 after Immortal X-men #3 on the reading order.
I know the story hasn’t even started yet, but it seems that some of the issues are missing, like Death To The Mutants #3 and surely there are more Avengers issues than just #60…