You guys, we made it to April. Which means Infinity War is almost here. Deep breaths. Before we all head into the movie theater for the biggest movie in the MCU, I'm recommending a little bit of homework. But unlike my child's middle school math, this kind of homework won't make you yell about how you graduated so you wouldn't have to do this anymore. I'm sharing the 6 comics to read before Avengers Infinity War hits theaters April 27th. Get to know Thanos, The Black Order, and what exactly all those Infinity Stones can do.
This post contains affiliate links.
6 Comics To Read Before Avengers Infinity War
Infinity Gauntlet
If you only read one comic book before watching Infinity War this is the one. Infinity Gauntlet is probably the most expansive story on Thanos. It dives into who he is, his motivation for universal destruction, and is a pretty epic ride in the world of comic events.
Based on what I've seen of the trailers, I think this is the source material they drew the most from. Someone said to me, but what about The Infinity War comic book? I've read it and no, stick to this one.
Avengers Vol. 2 (2010-2012)
This is the one to read if you really want to know what the Infinity Stones (gems) are capable of. The Avengers are trying to stop the Hood who happens to have collected the Infinity Gems. But it's not just the stones that are making things difficult for the team. They are also reeling from internal conflict and old wounds. Sound familiar?
The movies haven't gone into great detail about what these stones can do, except Guardians 1 and Vision's origin. If you really want to see these stones in their glory and what happens when the wrong entity is using them, Avengers Vol. 2 is the place to go.
Infinity
While Captain America is off trying to save the Universe, Earth is left without it's mightiest heroes. Thanos sees Earth as ripe for picking, and leads his Black Order their for a sinister mission. Infinity is the comic to read to learn all about The Black Order, who on their own have enough power to fend off several superheroes.
Thanos' assault on Wakanda also takes the stage here, and from the previews we know in the film Thanos is definitely heading there when he reaches Earth.
Captain America and the Falcon: Secret Empire (no not that one)
I'm definitely not talking about the nightmare that was Steve Rogers as an agent of Hydra. No, this comic centers around Captain America finding out that a government scandal goes much higher up than he was expecting. Disgusted by what he found, he ditched his patriotic uniform and started going by Nomad. Beard and all.
We know Team Cap has been undercover since Civil War. This story will give you an idea of Roger's headspace and what he's like as a fugitive.
Pick up Captain America and the Falcon: Secret Empire
Silver Surfer: Rebirth of Thanos
In the prequel to Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos has been reborn by Mistress Death. This story follows Thanos' quest to collect all the Infinity Gems (stones). It also gives insight into the whys of his adventure.
Grab Silver Surfer: Rebirth of Thanos
Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War Prelude
Unlike the others on this list, Infinity War Prelude is in canon. This 2 part series, gives us a glimpse into what our heroes have been up to since we last saw them on the big screen. Like Hawkeye, who has retired again and is at home on his family's farm. Which could explain why he is missing in all the promos. Maybe he just shows up at the end sticks an arrow in Ebony Maw's eye and calls it a win.
Pick up Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War Prelude
Get the 6 comics you need to read before Avengers: Infinity War!
For more Avengers: Infinity War
Breaking Down the new Avengers Infinity War Trailer
Complete Guide to the MCU Timeline
Everything You Need to Know Before Avengers Infinity War
Avengers Assemble! Get the latest Avengers news on Facebook | Twitter #InfinityWar | Instagram
Avengers Infinity War is in theaters everywhere April 27th 2018. Get your tickets now!
Each week to celebrate #MarvelMondays, my geeky friend, Jana of Whisky + Sunshine, and I will be bringing you fun Marvel posts leading up to the Infinity War premiere. Be sure to read her post: 5 Comics You Have to Read Before Watching Avengers Infinity War. Join us on Twitter every Monday @ThatAshleyErin and @WhiskynSunshine for our Infinity War chats!
I’m not a Marvel movie fan but these look like they would be fun for those who are. The last Marvel movie I saw was Deadpool and the torture scenes in that movie made me cringe. I guess that has kept me from going to any of the other films.
Hi Gisele. Deadpool is rated R and wasn’t produced by Marvel Studios. I suggest watching the Marvel Studios films, they do not have the language or gore of Deadpool.
Awesome picks. Infinity is one of my favorites because they really get into the crazypants part of Thanos, not just the pure evil part. I think people should also read the Illuminati arc (it’s big) of the Avengers because that’s where Infinity occurs, plus it leads into Secret Wars, which is where I suspect Marvel is headed after the Infinity movies.
Secret Wars would be awesome to see on the big screen. We watched the animated version and loved it.
These are some great pics to read before I watch the movie. I have not really been into the comic book world but with the movies all coming out I am more interested in reading the backstory on all of these characters.
I enjoyed watching Marvel movies a lot, but wouldn’t consider myself a comic fan. I would love to see infinity war and not be completely lost, so i’ll definitely check out these comics.
I’m a huge MCU fan but haven’t ready any of the comics. As a newb it’s hard to know where to start. But these are good ideas. 🙂
It’s crazy how into these movies people are. Of course, living in a house of boys, this is the talk a lot of times. They’ve got their superheroes they think are special and no doubt we won’t miss this upcoming movie.
Hahaha that part about Hawkeye made me LOL! I did wonder what happened to him! He was actually one of my favorites! Thanks for the great geeky write-up and I am totally taking your advice and snagging these issues!
My son is very into comics. I shared this with him and he is wanting to read them all!
I am not really big on comic books but my best friend is and so I wonder if she’s read any of these! They look like really fun editions too.
Definitely sharing this with my oldest son. He’s a comic book fan so much that he watches the movie intently searching for comparisons between the comic book and the movies. He is so excited about Agengers: Infinity War
I’m not into the comics much but I love the idea of having some pre-reading material before you go see the movie. That makes a lot of sense to me.
You brought me back to my childhood, I haven’t picked up a comic book since I was a kid, but we do love all the Avengers movies so I should definitely get my kids into a comic book store asap!
My middle daughter is such a huge comic book fan. I haven’t read one since I was a kid. Maybe it’s time to get one and share it with her.
Hubby has a collection of Marvel comics. I’ll show this to him and see which ones he hasn’t read yet. Can’t wait to watch the movie!
This is an incredible list, Ashley! I didn’t know about these comics, but they all sound interesting.
I enjoyed watching all the Marvel Movies! But I’m not crazy about comics. I would love to see infinity war and understand it better, though!
Ohh great idea! I need to snag some of these for my son to take a look at! I think he’d get a kick out of it before going to see it!
Great idea. My husband and kids love Avengers! We couldn’t wait to see the upcoming movies.
I was not aware of these comics. My kids will love them. Thanks for sharing