Avengers Franchise Guide: Where New Readers Should Start
The Avengers franchise is large, so the easiest way in is a single starting point. This guide covers the best comics entry points and where to go next.
In this article
This Avengers franchise guide helps you pick a first step, and for comics the answer is simple: start with one of three recommended entry points. Two of them are the Kurt Busiek and George Perez run and Hickman's Avengers #1 from 2012 [1]. You don't need to read decades of history before you begin, because an entry point is a place to start, not a full history lesson. It also helps to read A New Reader's Guide to the Batman Franchise: Where to Start.
The right choice depends on what you enjoy. If you like classic stories, the Busiek and Perez run is the natural place to begin. If you prefer modern takes, Hickman's 2012 relaunch is the better fit, and the comparison later in this guide shows how to choose between them.
This guide also covers the full comic history in order, so you can keep going once you get hooked. It shows where games and films fit in, and it ends with a plan for what to read next. Start small, enjoy one entry point, and expand from there. It also helps to read Death Note Anime Trailer.
Which Avengers comic should you read first?
The Kurt Busiek and George Perez run and Jonathan Hickman's 2012 Avengers #1 are two of the three optimal entry points for new readers [1]. Each one suits a different kind of reader, so the right first pick depends on what you want from your first few issues.
Busiek and Perez: the classic starting point
The Busiek and Perez run is one of the three entry points named in the guide [1]. Pick it if you enjoy classic team stories and want a run that feels like the Avengers you may already know from older comics.
Hickman's Avengers #1 (2012): the modern starting point
Hickman's Avengers #1 from 2012 is the other entry point [2]. Pick it if you want a more modern take on the team and are happy starting with a relaunch rather than a classic run.
How to choose
- Choose Busiek and Perez if you like older, self-contained team stories.
You do not have to commit to one run forever. Read the first few issues of the one you pick, then decide whether to keep going. If you are still undecided, start with Busiek and Perez and move to Hickman later.
Both entry points are part of a much longer story, so think of them as doors into the franchise rather than the whole house.
How do the entry points compare?
The other main option is the classic run by Kurt Busiek and George Perez. Both are among the three optimal entry points for The Avengers [1].
The two options compared
The classic option is the run by Kurt Busiek and George Perez [1]. The table below puts them side by side.
Entry point | Creators | Best for |
|---|---|---|
Busiek and Perez run | Kurt Busiek and George Perez | Readers who want classic stories |
The main difference is era and feel, not how hard the books are to start. Think of them as two doors into the same franchise. Pick the one that opens onto the kind of story you enjoy most.
Matching each entry point to a reader
The Busiek and Perez run suits you if you like the older feel of the team's stories. Start there if classic superhero storytelling is what draws you in. You'll get the classic approach from the first page.
Avengers #1 by Hickman suits you if you want a newer place to begin. It's the better pick if you'd rather read stories closer to today's comics. Both paths lead into the same franchise, so the choice is about taste.
A quick way to decide is to ask which kind of comic you already read. If you enjoy older, classic runs, go with Busiek and Perez. If you follow current series, start with Hickman.
Default pick for readers with no preference
It's the newer of the two, so it gives you a recent starting point that matches most current comic reading habits. Read it as your first step, and you'll know quickly whether you want more of the modern stories or a taste of the classic run next.
How do you read the full Avengers history in order?
The Avengers comics start in 1963 and continue to the present day, so a full read-through covers decades of stories. [3] Most new readers do not work out the order alone. They use a guide that lays the issues out for them.
Reading order guides
A reading order guide sets the comics out in sequence, issue by issue. Avengers Reading Order (1963-2015) is one example, and it covers the years from 1963 through 2015. [4]
Start with the first issue on the list and move forward. Because the list follows publication order, a storyline that runs through several issues stays in the right sequence. Keep a note of the last issue you finished so you can pick up the next one without searching.
Plan for this before you reach the end of the list, so you do not lose your place in the story.
Collecting guides
A collecting guide works differently. It lists the issues across titles, so you can see every book that carried a story, not only the main series. A guide of this kind covers every issue of every title, from 1963 to the present day. [3]
This matters when a storyline spills into other series. Suppose a big event runs through the flagship book and two side titles. A collecting guide shows you where each chapter sits, so you do not skip a part of the story and then wonder why a character is suddenly in a different situation.
A simple way to split the work is to use a reading order guide for the sequence and a collecting guide to find each issue. The reading order tells you what comes next, and the collecting guide tells you where to find it.
If you read in publication order, you will see how the team, the villains and the tone change over time. Many readers find that the early issues feel very different from the modern ones, and the guides make it easier to follow that shift.
What if you want Avengers games or movies instead?
Comics don't carry over to games or films
Comic entry points don't cover games or films directly. A comic run tells you the story and characters on the page, but a game or movie is a separate product with its own plot, tone, and rating. Picking the right comic won't tell you whether a game or film suits you.
So if you want to watch or play instead, choose each one on its own terms. Ask what it is, who it's for, and which device or format it uses.
Films: start with the parents' guide
For movies, a parents' guide is a useful first stop. Common Sense Media has a page titled "The Avengers - Parents' Guide & Movie Review" for the film [5]. It gives you a starting point before you press play.
Here's how to use it. If you're picking a film for a family night, open the page, read the rating details, and decide whether the movie fits the viewers at home. If a younger child is watching, the details help you decide whether the film suits their age. If you're watching alone, the same page tells you what to expect before you start.
Games: start with the platform
Games are built for specific systems, so the one you want may not run on the device you own. A game released for one console won't play on a PC, and the reverse is also true. Look at the platform line on the store page before you buy.
Take a PC player who spots a console-only Avengers game. Without checking, they could spend money on something they can't launch. A quick look at the platform line prevents that mistake, and it takes only a few seconds.
Check the platform and rating first
Make this check the first step for any game or film. Look up the rating, then confirm the platform or format you plan to use. Doing both takes a few minutes and keeps you from starting something that doesn't fit your device or household.
Once both match, you can start with confidence. The store page or parents' guide has the details you need.
Where should you go next?
The one thing to remember is that you don't need to read the whole franchise to get started. Pick the entry point that fits the kind of story you like, such as the Kurt Busiek and George Perez run for classic team stories or Hickman's Avengers #1 (2012) for a modern take [1]. Read a few issues and see whether the characters and tone pull you in.
If they do, follow the full order at your own pace. If they don't, switch to the other entry point rather than forcing yourself through a series you aren't enjoying. Your next step is to return to the comics guides on this site for the reading path that matches the entry point you chose.