Marvel Insider John Swindle from Texas breaks down his Marvel favorites! Become a Marvel Insider today, and earn points to redeem for exclusive rewards just for being a Marvel fan—including the chance to curate your own Reading List for thousands of fellow fans!
This issue reeled me back into comics after I stopped reading for a bit. Wolverine is the headmaster of a new school. With students like Quentin Quire, Kid Gladiator, and Broo, only chaos can ensue. Read through issue #3 for the first arc as Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo make magic. In this series, the school’s teachers answer the letters page. You can see the letter I wrote to my favorite X-Man, Iceman, in issue #9.
Two years ago a friend and I decided to read Spider-Man from the start. We haven’t finished that project yet, but issues #31 to #33 are the BEST Spider-Man story. One of the first stories to connect over multiple issues. It introduces Harry Osborn and Gwen Stacy as Spidey tangles with the Master Planner. Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko tells a beautiful story.
If you need more Corgis in your comics then this is the one for you. This was my favorite title of the 2010s—it’s a shame it’s only 8 issues. Bobbi Morse gets examined after exposure to some “dangerous” formulas. What could go wrong? Chelsea Cain writes Mockingbird as she kicks butt with staves, science, and sarcasm. Plus there are tons of Easter eggs hidden in Kate Niemczyk’s art.
Kamala Khan is easily one of my favorite characters. Like us, she is a huge Super Hero fan. When she becomes a hero herself, she knocks it out of the park, juggling family, friends, and school in the process. But what happens when the hero you idolize might be in the wrong? Kamala struggles when her friends and family are on a different side than her hero. Read through issue #11 for this compelling story.
Leia and the gang seek to cripple the Empire while also getting revenge on Shu-Torun. First, they need to gather some more recruits. Keep an eye out for the best scene in this issue when they recruit Tunga. A wonderful issue to start Kieron Gillen’s final arc on his Star Wars run. Read through issue #67 for the conclusion. And if you learn one thing from this story: Never, ever cross Princess Leia.
This was my first ever Avengers issue. I was looking to broaden my Marvel horizons to more than Spidey and the X-Men, so I picked up the New Avengers. It had some familiar characters as well as ones who were completely new to me at the time. A great mystery is afoot. Who is the Sentry and why has no one ever heard of him before? You won’t regret diving into the early days of Brian Michael Bendis’ epic Avengers run.
I grew up reading the 2000s era Chris Claremont. When I got an MU subscription years later, I devoured all the classic Claremont X-Men issues. This graphic novel is the writer at his finest. This story highlights the prejudice against mutants. Claremont makes Reverend William Stryker one of the most terrifying villains in comics.
This list was almost a love letter to the works of Jason Aaron. I couldn’t finish without this masterpiece wrapping up his epic run writing Thor. Malekith comes to Midgard to conquer the last of the Ten Realms. Thor and all the other Midgardian heroes must fight to take back Earth. Jason Aaron, Russell Dauterman, and Matthew Wilson create a comic that is the finest in all the Realms.