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You are here: Home / The Complete Marvel Reading Order Guide / The Heroic Age Reading Order (Guide Part 13.1)

The Heroic Age Reading Order (Guide Part 13.1)

Marvel Heroes Triumphant

It’s been a heck of a five year stretch for Marvel’s super heroes. One of their own Avengers reshaped reality during House of M, all of their own went to Civil War, the Skrulls nearly took over Earth during Secret Invasion, and Norman Osborne ran the world during Dark Reign and Siege.

Finally, after all that, the Heroic Age is here, with the heroes back on top!

avengers-heroic-age

Heroic Age Trade Collection Fast Track

The Heroic Age is actually pretty poorly represented in collected editions, but you can get a good fast track guide with the following reading:

Avengers: The Heroic Age

Heroic Age (Sampler)

Age of Heroes

Captain America: No Escape

Collects: Captain America #606-610

Fantastic Four By Jonathan Hickman Vol. 3

Collects: Fantastic Four #579 To #582 (Heroic Age)

Marvel Amazing Spider-Man GIT digital comics collection

Previously: Siege

Comic Book Herald’s Heroic Age Reading Order

New Avengers Finale #1
Thor #610

Siege epilogue

Avengers: Prime #1 to #5
Avengers (2010) #1 to #6

You could conceivably keep going through #12

New Avengers #1 to #6
Enter the Heroic Age #1

Previews Atlas, Avengers Academy, Thunderbolts, Black Widow, Hawkeye and Mockingbird

Deadpool Team-Up #887
Age of Heroes #1 to #4

Steve Rogers: Super Soldier #1 to #4
Secret Avengers #1 to #5
Avengers Academy #1 to #5

Naturally, series continues past this point, but issues #1 and #2 are designated “Heroic Age.” Reading to issue #14 will take you up to Fear Itself.

Thunderbolts #144 to #150

This incarnation of the Thunderbolts keeps running pretty much until Marvel Now

Heroic Age: One Month to Live #1 to #5
Heroic Age: Super Heroes #1

Series of one-shots from the perspective of Steve Rogers’ journal. Like a Marvel Encyclopedia for the Heroic Age.

Heroic Age: Villains #1
Heroic Age: X-Men #1
Heroic Age: Prince of Power #1 to #4
Deadpool #23 to #26
Amazing Spider-Man Presents: American Son #1 to #4
Atlas #1 to #5
Fantastic Four #579 to #582

These Heroic Age Fantastic Four issues are in the middle of Jonathan Hickman’s, well, fantastic run. I highly recommend you check out the Fantastic Four reading order if you’re interested.

Hawkeye & Mockingbird #1 to #6
Captain America #606 to #610
Invincible Iron Man #25 to #33

Only the first three issues have the “Heroic Age” banner, but this will give you the full “Stark Resilient” story arc.

Young Allies #1 to #6
Black Widow #1 to #5
Secret Warriors #17 to #19

This is as good a time as any to tell you Secret Warriors is great with a capital G. Hopefully you started reading back during Dark Reign, but if not, I highly recommend the full run!

New Mutants #15 to #19

This is part of X-continuity, so be aware that diving in here sight unseen may lead to temporary insanity. For a more detailed look at this and the following X-Men titles, you can check out the modern X-Men reading order.

Death of Dracula #1

X-Men Legacy #238 to #241
Uncanny X-Men #526 to #529
Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #1 to #4, Avengers: The Children’s Crusade One Shot #1, Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #5 to #9

Also not specifically “Heroic Age,” but Avengers: The Children’s Crusade is a pretty significant continuity milestone for the Young Avengers, Scarlet Witch, and Ant-Man.

Next: Shadowland & Fear Itself

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Carlos Zurita says

    September 10, 2018 at 10:10 pm

    Ugh After Dark Avenegers and New Avengers Vol 1 being so great, Avengers Prime and Avengers were pretty bad. Also, whenever I see terrible art, it literally always turns out to be John Romita Jr. The faces he draws are terrible and his Iron Man looks like a celestial. Fortunately, New Avengers vol 2 is looking good though.

    Reply
    • Joe says

      July 31, 2020 at 2:47 am

      I really enjoyed Avengers Prime, personally. Different strokes, I suppose

      Reply
      • reddie23 says

        January 6, 2025 at 12:04 pm

        I also enjoyed Avengers Prime a lot, nice story, first team-up with the top 3 Avengers, adventure story. Really enjoyable 🙂

        Reply
  2. Derek says

    June 19, 2018 at 12:30 am

    What comes after this? Shadowland > Chaos War > Fear Itself? What about Avengers vs. X-Men? Seems like any of them could be next, but I would love to get the order correct. Any advice?

    Reply
  3. Sean says

    August 14, 2016 at 8:46 am

    I believe Vengeance of the Moon Knight is missing. It’s last issues, #10, has a Heroic Age banner. #7 to 10 are probably set before Secret Avengers #1. Also, #6 is missing from the Dark Reign reading order. It’s the last one of that arc, so it should be added, in my opinion.

    Reply
    • Sean says

      December 22, 2016 at 8:00 am

      Another thing: To make the Prince Of Power comics make sense the Assault on New Olympus event (which takes place before Siege, because of Osborn’s involvement) and the limited series Hercules: Fall Of An Avenger (which takes place after Siege, because of Ares) should be read.
      Also, the Doomwar event has taken place before Age Of Heroes #4, because of what is told in the Black Panther story, which throws a wrench in the Fantastic Four reading order.

      Reply
  4. Joe says

    December 26, 2015 at 6:58 pm

    I think Chaos War should be next instead of Fear Itself.

    Reply
  5. Gabe says

    November 4, 2015 at 9:04 pm

    Where does Steve Rogers Super Soldier go?

    Reply
  6. Dr. Zoidberg says

    July 13, 2015 at 11:10 am

    Why do you say Osborne instead of Osborn? In Spain, Bertín Osborne is a singer and TV personality, and well, the strangest things come to our head when we hear Norman Osborne 😛

    Reply
    • Dave says

      July 13, 2015 at 3:16 pm

      Haha I had no idea I was doing that. Maybe they’re related 🙂

      Reply
      • Dr. Zoidberg says

        July 13, 2015 at 6:41 pm

        If you search Osborne, in this blog, It’s wrote a bunch of times https://www.comicbookherald.com/?s=osborne, maybe we have to fear the Bertín Osborne’s licensed tortilla de patatas and gazpachos, after all XD

        Reply

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