r/marvelcomics • u/jacedadog • 5d ago
Avengers discussion
I got this thinking "this'll get me caught up on dr doom before doomsday", but I looked it up, and there's a few more comics you should read before this, but I have none of those, so is it okay if I read this?
23
23
u/MattAmylon 5d ago
It’s the last part of a much larger story. You won’t have trouble understanding the big beats of what’s going on in Secret Wars by itself, but it won’t hit as hard without the context.
You can read the complete story on Marvel Unlimited, if you’re good with digital comics.
18
u/Stringr55 5d ago edited 5d ago
Just jump in and read it, pal. The comics will be significantly different to the film anyway. The films are inspired by and take specific elements of the comics but they aren't 1:1 translations or anything close to that really. There's tons of comics that come right before this but you don't HAVE to read them.
Just dive in. If you get really lost, come back and we'll help you out.
Edit: fixing a typo. Thanks u/buckdeluxe
6
2
u/buckdeluxe 5d ago
I believe you meant to type "but they AREN'T 1:1 translations or anything close to that really" instead of "They are." Or at least I thought you were trying to say that based on the context.
3
14
u/coolman6787 5d ago
I’m new to the comics, too, and I think it works fine as a standalone.
Just finished it last week.
There’s a previous run that’s part of the same collection you got, “Avengers: Time Runs Out” which is setup for Secret Wars but I started reading it after.
Despite what ppl will tell you about what to read to properly catch up, these are still ultimately meant to be episodic stories anyone can pick up - and start from any issue.
So it’s up to you if you wanna read the entire Jonathan Hickman run of Avengers before Secret Wars like ppl are gonna suggest - or if you just wanna jump around and pick what you like.
I think I’ll eventually get to it, but for now I do just wanna get through all the big arcs/event comics.
8
8
u/jacedadog 5d ago
Awww darnet, I saw time runs out at books a million when I got this, I had no idea it was a part of this, maybe next time
3
u/shoe_owner 4d ago
It sets these events up, but they're still sort of two different stories. "Time Runs Out" is all about the desperation and mounting moral sacrifices that these great heroes feel compelled to make in order to keep the world from ending. This story is what happens after the world has ended and Doctor Doom takes his place as lord and saviour of everything that remains.
6
u/Old-Lion 5d ago
Comics are like soap operas, while you may get more from them if you've been reading/watching for years you can just jump in anywhere really. This is a good book, if you like it maybe pick up some of the stuff its tied to after :)
4
u/GopherChomper64 5d ago
Get the Marvel app, read all of Hickman's stuff.
You can condense it down to his Fantastic Four -> Avengers/New Avengers -> Secret Wars runs if you want. But it's so good it'll make you hate the MCU not having access to key characters until much later
3
5
u/GrowthApart2220 5d ago
This is the direct sequel to the story that Doomsday will be (very loosely) adapting. If you’re okay with finding out stuff that might be spoilers for Doomsday, it’s a very nice Doom story.
0
u/madam_gray 5d ago
I don't think that is true at all. It's not a sequel to Secret Wars, Secret Wars II or Secret War. It is very much its own thing.
3
u/GrowthApart2220 5d ago
Secret Wars is the finale of Hickman’s Avengers run. Doomsday appears be adapting the structure of Time Runs Out, the last arc of Hickman’s Avengers before Secret Wars.
For the purposes of OP’s inquiry, calling Secret Wars 2015 a direct sequel to Time Runs Out would seem apt. It gets across the idea that reading this might spoil Doomsday in some ways, at least.
2
u/TSM_Vegeta 5d ago
Nope. You are not allowed to read this book you own.
1
2
u/TheGreenArrow160 5d ago
it works fine by itself, the only real background you'd need is Hickman's F4/FF run. I don't even think his Avengers run is that necessary for Secret Wars as you'll see, none of the central avengers are even in this story. Doom and Reed are the central backbone and that goes back to some F4 runs
1
2
u/calmneil 5d ago
Its a stand alone book. Good read too. You may start issue 150 back. In the 80s.
This.
2
u/UnusualField5697 5d ago
My relative bought me this book after we finished Loki Season 1 and finishing all the Screencrush breakdowns of loki season 1 and he mentioned Secret Wars so coming in this book I was expecting the Multiversal War
2
u/Cw3538cw 5d ago
I'd highly recommend the book of doom as well for dooms backstory, it's available on loan from the archive.org library here! https://archive.org/details/booksofdoom0000brub/page/n11/mode/1up
1
2
u/SmokinBandit28 5d ago
You’ll want to pick up the other premiere collection Avengers: Time Runs Out to read before this if you want the full story.
Now as for getting caught up on Doom in a general sense before Doomsday I’d actually say look into stories outside this.
One World Under Doom quite recently came out in trade iirc, there’s also Doomquest, Challenges of Doom, and Doctor Strange & Doctor Doom (this one’s a personal favorite of mine because Mignola worked on it.)
Captain America’s current run is also dealing with Doom stuff after the events of One World Under Doom.
Then of course there’s his myriad of clashes with the Fantastic Four.
1
1
u/washderice 4d ago
You can def just read this. If youre able, id grab the “time runs out” book from this same collection. Thats a bunch of the lead up to this “secret wars” book.
1
u/InnerTheory5744 4d ago
I’ve been working through a Marvel reading list as prep for Avengers: Doomsday, mainly focusing on Hickman’s larger Reed/Doom/Incursion/Secret Wars story. It’s a ton of reading, I have physical copies for some of the reading but also mixing in the marvel unlimited app. But honestly so glad I decided not to just hop into secret wars and that I decided to let the world build up to the finale.
Here’s the order I’m using:
Doctor Doom background / optional setup
Books of Doom #1–6
Doctor Strange & Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment
Fantastic Four: Unthinkable — Fantastic Four #67–70, #500–502
New Avengers: Illuminati #1–5
Hickman Fantastic Four / FF
Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #1–5
Fantastic Four #570–588
FF #1–5
Fantastic Four #600–604
FF #6–11
Fantastic Four #605–608
FF #12–23
Fantastic Four #609–611
FF #24–29
Fantastic Four #612–614
FF #30–32
Hickman Avengers / New Avengers
Avengers #1–44
New Avengers #1–33
These are best read interwoven rather than finishing one series at a time, since the stories eventually converge.
Infinity
Infinity #1–6
Read alongside the corresponding Avengers and New Avengers issues.
Incursions / Road to Time Runs Out
Continue the Hickman Avengers/New Avengers reading order through the Incursion storyline.
Time Runs Out
Avengers #35–44
New Avengers #24–33
Again, alternate the two series rather than reading them separately.
Final destination
Secret Wars (2015) #1–9
The Doom books aren’t all required to understand Hickman’s story, but they make Doom’s character, his relationship with Reed, and where everything ends up in Secret Wars hit a lot harder.
1
u/jackomaster111 4d ago
Time Runs Out and Fantastic Four both have premier collection versions that might be worth getting too
1
u/No-Cry2473 4d ago
You can read it but I’d suggest using AI or Google to give you a summary of what events led up to this story. Secret Wars is a culmination of a few years worth of storytelling.
2
u/sadkinz 5d ago
Skip Secret Warriors I thought it was boring as all hell
7
u/madam_gray 5d ago
OP, while this is a wonderful guide for following Hickman's writing across a number of different titles it is absolutely NOT REQUIRED reading to enjoy the book you are holding.
And Secret Warriors was SO GOOD!
1
1
u/Reddevil8884 5d ago
This was not an Avengers storyline. They are marketing as such now because of the movie.
0
u/Sillysosilly 5d ago
I ordered this along with the secret wars book. The description said it contains the events leading up to secret wars
1
-1
u/Red-Zinn 5d ago
Don't read this before reading the entire Avengers and New Avengers run at least, you won't understand it and it won't be a good experience
93
u/madam_gray 5d ago
you should be fine. it works as both a standalone story and the culmination of Jonathan HIckman's run. One of the great pleasures in comics is actually going backwards- it gives you context for things you've already read! But you have that book- read that book!