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Secret Wars (2015) reading order

Jonathan Hickman's Avengers and New Avengers from 2012, through Infinity and Time Runs Out, to Secret Wars (2015). Start with the first Avengers and New Avengers arcs; Fantastic Four background and Battleworld tie-ins are optional.

  1. Background: Hickman's Fantastic Four and FF2009–2012

    55 issues · about 18 hours0 essential issues · about 0 min

    Hickman's earlier run introduces the Council of Reeds and builds up Reed Richards and Doctor Doom, who sit at the centre of Secret Wars. Useful context, but the Avengers books stand on their own.

    Read this stretch in 2 books
    1. Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman Omnibus Vol. 2 (2014)Covers FF #6–23; Fantastic Four #600–605, 605.1–611Find it
    2. Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman Omnibus Vol. 1 (2013)Covers Fantastic Four #570–588; FF #1–5Find it

    Fewest books first; newer printings are preferred because they're likelier to be in stock.

    1. Fantastic Four (1998)#570–58819 issues, optional
      1. #570October 2009
      2. #571November 2009
      3. #572December 2009
      4. #573January 2010
      5. #574February 2010
      6. #575March 2010
      7. #576April 2010
      8. #577May 2010
      9. #578June 2010
      10. #579July 2010
      11. #580August 2010
      12. #581September 2010
      13. #582October 2010
      14. #583November 2010
      15. #584December 2010
      16. #585January 2011
      17. #586February 2011
      18. #587March 2011
      19. #588April 2011

      Optional background on Reed, Doom and the Council of Reeds.

    2. FF (2011)#1–2323 issues, optional
      1. #1May 2011
      2. #2June 2011
      3. #3July 2011
      4. #4July 2011
      5. #5August 2011
      6. #6September 2011
      7. #7September 2011
      8. #8October 2011
      9. #9November 2011
      10. #10December 2011
      11. #11December 2011
      12. #12January 2012
      13. #13February 2012
      14. #14March 2012
      15. #15April 2012
      16. #16May 2012
      17. #17June 2012
      18. #18July 2012
      19. #19August 2012
      20. #20September 2012
      21. #21October 2012
      22. #22November 2012
      23. #23December 2012

      Optional; continues the Future Foundation story from Fantastic Four.

    3. Fantastic Four (2012)#600–61113 issues, optional
      1. #600January 2012
      2. #601February 2012
      3. #602March 2012
      4. #603April 2012
      5. #604May 2012
      6. #605June 2012
      7. #605.1July 2012
      8. #606July 2012
      9. #607August 2012
      10. #608September 2012
      11. #609October 2012
      12. #610November 2012
      13. #611December 2012

      Optional; the end of Hickman's run, read alongside FF 12–23 in release order.

  2. Start here

    Avengers and New Avengers begin2012–2013

    25 issues · about 8.5 hours19 essential issues · about 6.5 hours

    Captain America and Iron Man expand the Avengers into a much larger team, while Black Panther learns that other universes are colliding with Earth. The Illuminati reform in secret to stop these incursions. Read the two series side by side.

    Read this stretch in 1 book
    1. Avengers by Jonathan Hickman Omnibus Vol. 1 (2017)Covers Avengers #1–17; New Avengers #1–8Find it

    Fewest books first; newer printings are preferred because they're likelier to be in stock.

    1. Avengers (2013)#1–1111 issues
      1. #1February 2013
      2. #2February 2013
      3. #3March 2013
      4. #4March 2013
      5. #5April 2013
      6. #6April 2013
      7. #7May 2013
      8. #8May 2013
      9. #9June 2013
      10. #10June 2013
      11. #11July 2013

      Read alongside New Avengers 1–8, alternating roughly in release order.

    2. #12–176 issues, optional
      1. #12July 2013
      2. #13August 2013
      3. #14August 2013
      4. #15September 2013
      5. #16September 2013
      6. #17October 2013

      Co-written with Nick Spencer and collected as Prelude to Infinity; follows up threads from the opening arc.

    3. New Avengers (2013)#1–88 issues
      1. #1March 2013
      2. #2March 2013
      3. #3April 2013
      4. #4May 2013
      5. #5June 2013
      6. #6July 2013
      7. #7August 2013
      8. #8September 2013

      The incursions and the Illuminati's secret begin here.

  3. Infinity2013–2014

    16 issues · about 5.5 hours16 essential issues · about 5.5 hours

    While the Avengers leave Earth to fight the Builders in space, Thanos invades the undefended planet. The main series and both Avengers titles tell one interlocking story.

    Read this stretch in 1 book
    1. Infinity by Starlin & Hickman Omnibus (2019)Covers Infinity #1–6; Avengers #18–23; New Avengers #9–12Find it

    Fewest books first; newer printings are preferred because they're likelier to be in stock.

    1. Infinity (2013)#1–66 issues
      1. #1October 2013
      2. #2November 2013
      3. #3November 2013
      4. #4December 2013
      5. #5December 2013
      6. #6January 2014

      Read each Infinity issue followed by its matching Avengers and New Avengers chapters.

    2. Avengers (2013)#18–236 issues
      1. #18October 2013
      2. #19November 2013
      3. #20November 2013
      4. #21December 2013
      5. #22December 2013
      6. #23January 2014
    3. New Avengers (2013)#9–124 issues
      1. #9October 2013
      2. #10November 2013
      3. #11December 2013
      4. #12January 2014

  4. After Infinity: the incursions escalate2014

    43 issues · about 14 hours22 essential issues · about 7.5 hours

    The Illuminati's hidden war with the incursions grows harder to keep secret, and the wider Avengers start to notice. New threats from other worlds push both teams towards a split.

    Read this stretch in 2 books
    1. Avengers by Jonathan Hickman: The Complete Collection Vol. 4 (2021)Covers Avengers #24–34; New Avengers #13–23Find it
    2. Avengers World: The Complete Collection (2019)Covers Avengers World #1–21Find it

    Fewest books first; newer printings are preferred because they're likelier to be in stock.

    1. Avengers (2013)#24–3411 issues
      1. #24February 2014
      2. #25March 2014
      3. #26April 2014
      4. #27May 2014
      5. #28June 2014
      6. #29July 2014
      7. #30July 2014
      8. #31August 2014
      9. #32September 2014
      10. #33September 2014
      11. #34October 2014

      Starts with issue 24.NOW.

    2. New Avengers (2013)#13–2311 issues
      1. #13February 2014
      2. #14April 2014
      3. #15May 2014
      4. #16May 2014
      5. #17June 2014
      6. #18July 2014
      7. #19August 2014
      8. #20August 2014
      9. #21September 2014
      10. #22October 2014
      11. #23October 2014
    3. Avengers World (2014)#1–2121 issues, optional
      1. #1March 2014
      2. #2March 2014
      3. #3April 2014
      4. #4May 2014
      5. #5June 2014
      6. #6July 2014
      7. #7August 2014
      8. #8August 2014
      9. #9September 2014
      10. #10September 2014
      11. #11October 2014
      12. #12November 2014
      13. #13November 2014
      14. #14December 2014
      15. #15January 2015
      16. #16February 2015
      17. #17March 2015
      18. #18April 2015
      19. #19May 2015
      20. #20June 2015
      21. #21July 2015

      Spin-off with the extended team; not needed for the main story.

  5. Time Runs Out2014–2015

    22 issues · about 7.5 hours20 essential issues · about 6.5 hours

    The story jumps eight months ahead with the Avengers and the Illuminati at war with each other while the multiverse collapses. Both series build straight into Secret Wars.

    Read this stretch in 2 books
    1. Avengers: Time Runs Out [Marvel Premier Collection] (2026)Covers Avengers #35–44; New Avengers #24–33Find it
    2. Avengers World: The Complete Collection (2019)Covers Avengers #34.1, 34.2Find it

    Fewest books first; newer printings are preferred because they're likelier to be in stock.

    1. Avengers (2013)#34.1–34.22 issues, optional
      1. #34.1November 2014
      2. #34.2March 2015

      Point issues by Al Ewing and Sam Humphries; side stories not needed for the main plot.

    2. Avengers (2013)#35–4410 issues
      1. #35November 2014
      2. #36December 2014
      3. #37December 2014
      4. #38January 2015
      5. #39February 2015
      6. #40March 2015
      7. #41April 2015
      8. #42May 2015
      9. #43June 2015
      10. #44June 2015

      Read alongside New Avengers 24–33, alternating issue by issue.

    3. New Avengers (2013)#24–3310 issues
      1. #24November 2014
      2. #25December 2014
      3. #26January 2015
      4. #27January 2015
      5. #28February 2015
      6. #29March 2015
      7. #30April 2015
      8. #31May 2015
      9. #32May 2015
      10. #33June 2015

  6. Secret Wars2015–2016

    10 issues · about 3.5 hours9 essential issues · about 3 hours

    With the multiverse gone, the survivors wake up on Battleworld, a patchwork planet ruled by Doom. This is the conclusion of Hickman's whole Avengers story.

    Read this stretch in 1 book
    1. Secret Wars [Marvel Premier Collection] (2026)Covers Free Comic Book Day 2015 (Secret Wars) #1; Secret Wars #1–9Find it

    Fewest books first; newer printings are preferred because they're likelier to be in stock.

    1. Free Comic Book Day 2015 (Secret Wars) (2015)#1June 2015, optional

      Short free prelude; not needed to follow the main series.

    2. Secret Wars (2015)#1–99 issues
      1. #1July 2015
      2. #2July 2015
      3. #3August 2015
      4. #4September 2015
      5. #5October 2015
      6. #6December 2015
      7. #7January 2016
      8. #8February 2016
      9. #9March 2016

  7. Battleworld tie-ins2015–2016

    22 issues · about 7.5 hours0 essential issues · about 0 min

    A small selection of side series set in Battleworld's domains. None are needed to follow Secret Wars; pick by interest.

    Read this stretch in 2 books
    1. Secret Wars: Battleworld Omnibus Vol. 3 (2026)Covers Siege #1–4; Old Man Logan #1–5; Secret Wars Journal #1–5; Secret Wars: Battleworld #1–4Find it
    2. Thors (2016)Covers Thors #1–4Find it

    Fewest books first; newer printings are preferred because they're likelier to be in stock.

    1. Thors (2015)#1–44 issues, optional
      1. #1August 2015
      2. #2September 2015
      3. #3November 2015
      4. #4January 2016

      Detective story about Doom's police force of Thors; closest to the main plot.

    2. Siege (2015)#1–44 issues, optional
      1. #1September 2015
      2. #2August 2015
      3. #3November 2015
      4. #4October 2015

      Defenders of the Shield wall; read in issue order despite the cover dates.

    3. Old Man Logan (2015)#1–55 issues, optional
      1. #1July 2015
      2. #2August 2015
      3. #3September 2015
      4. #4October 2015
      5. #5December 2015

      Logan travels across Battleworld's domains.

    4. Secret Wars Journal (2015)#1–55 issues, optional
      1. #1July 2015
      2. #2August 2015
      3. #3September 2015
      4. #4October 2015
      5. #5November 2015

      Anthology of short Battleworld stories.

    5. Secret Wars: Battleworld (2015)#1–44 issues, optional
      1. #1July 2015
      2. #2August 2015
      3. #3September 2015
      4. #4October 2015

      Anthology of short Battleworld stories.

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