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Marvel Legacy

New for Patrons: Guide to Marvel Legacy Era

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Here’s part two of my one-two punch of Marvel Era guides for Patrons of Crushing Krisis, and oh my goodness was this one a lot more complicated than the first!

Marvel Legacy Era (2017 – 2018) – The Definitive Guide

This Marvel Legacy page covers every series that was released during Marvel Legacy, a brief six-month period of Marvel continuity that followed the ending of Secret Empire.

For each series, it lists the launching creative team, explains where it continued from and where it will continue to, and links to the guide that contains the full reading order details.

Marvel Legacy was a peculiar period. Unlike most Marvel Eras, it didn’t include the launch of many new series. In fact, that was it’s selling point: stability. Less new stuff, fewer events, and a general refocus on some of the classic elements and heroes that make Marvel awesome. [Read more…] about New for Patrons: Guide to Marvel Legacy Era

Brian Bendis leaves Marvel for DC! (Plus, breaking down Marvel Legacy’s writer roster)

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A few hours ago DC Comics dropped the biggest bombshell comics industry news we’ve heard in years. Forget special events or character deaths – this is truly a “nothing will ever be the same” kind of event.

It’s hard to imagine industry news bigger than that, aside from perhaps Jim Lee abandoning DC to head back to Marvel! Anything less couldn’t possibly compare. That’s because Bendis’s hand in steering the development of Marvel’s comic universe over the course of the past 17 years cannot possibly be overstated.

Brian Bendis completely rebuilt the Avengers franchise into a multi-title behemoth over the course of seven years, defining Marvel’s Universe along the way in a series of major events that fundamentally altered the company’s status quo.

He has solely written the Ultimate version of Spider-Men since 2001, including creating Miles Morales and bringing him to the main Marvel Universe.

He created Jessica Jones and set Daredevil on a course that had seen continued critical success through present day. He took previously forgotten characters like Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Spider-Woman and brought them back to prominence for other writer’s to develop.

That assessment doesn’t even mention his Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men, Iron Man, or any number of other major titles.

Brian Bendis has  just written a lot of comic book issues and stories. Even as a non-fan of most of Bendis’s output, I cannot possible deny his impact.

While it will be a little while before we learn who will be the new driving force behind Marvel’s creative direction, the more imminent question is: who will replace Bendis writing four titles a month!? We’re heading into Marvel Legacy with him writing Spider-Man, Iron Man, Jessica Jones, and The Defenders.

Plus, we have to make sure to leave at least two writers with room to steer The Avengers franchise, which will be up for a shake-up in April. Plus, we need to staff the impending returns of Wolverine and the Fantastic Four (both heavily speculated as potential Bendis territory). And, finally, we ought to spare at least one writer for a marquee X-book.

Let’s take a moment to dissect Marvel’s current roster of writers in Marvel Legacy and figure out how to reassign those books. [Read more…] about Brian Bendis leaves Marvel for DC! (Plus, breaking down Marvel Legacy’s writer roster)

Avengers & New Avengers flagship titles (2010 – present) – The Definitive Collecting Guide & Reading Order

The definitive, chronological, and up-to-date guide on collecting Avengers flagship title comic books from 2010 to present, including Avengers & New Avengers, via omnibuses, hardcovers, and trade paperback graphic novels. A part of Crushing Comics – Guide to Marvel Comics. Last updated July 2022 with titles scheduled for release through March 2023.

AvgV04 - 0019 - promoIn 2005, Marvel stopped publishing a comic called “Avengers” for the first time since 1963 in the wake of Brian Bendis’s “Avengers: Disassembled” event. In its place was his relaunched New Avengers, and later Mighty Avengers along with it.

That changed in 2010, when Marvel and Bendis launched the twin Avengers flagship books of Avengers (2010) and New Avengers (2010), each focused on a different element of the team – the heavy-hitters and the street-level characters. He would later add Avengers Assemble (2012) to focus on a movie-friendly team.

After that point, Avengers flagships continued into Jonathan Hickman’s relaunch of Avengers (2012) and New Avengers (2013), his Infinity (2013) event, the addition of Avengers World (2014), and the lead-up to his Secret Wars in 2015.

The return of the Marvel Universe launched with two flagship titles – All-New All-Different Marvel included Mark Waid’s All-New All-Different Avengers (2015) and Al Ewing’s New Avengers (2016). It later added David Walker’s Occupy Avengers (2016).

The refocus on classic characters and foes in Marvel Legacy saw those two flagship titles transform into Waid’s Avengers (2017) and Ewing’s U.S.Avengers (2017), culminating in the “Avengers: No Surrender” weekly event. (Some of the All-New team also spun out into Waid’s Champions (2017) – see Guide to The Champions.)

Then, Marvel Fresh Start kicked off with the launch of Jason Aaron’s lengthy run on Avengers (2018), which includes the Heroes Reborn (2021) event and tie-ins to Avengers / X-Men / Eternals: Judgment Day (2022). (While “Avengers: No Road Home” is listed below, for Savage Avengers see Guide to Conan).

This guide tracks all of those flagship Avengers titles from 2010 forward as well as supporting books and events tied closely to those titles and Avengers one-shots from those periods.

For Avengers+X-Men titles from 2010 to present, check out the Guide to Uncanny Avengers. Also, see Guide to Young Avengers, which includes both actual “Young Avengers” titles as well youthful or in-training teams like Avengers A.I. (2013).

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[Read more…] about Avengers & New Avengers flagship titles (2010 – present) – The Definitive Collecting Guide & Reading Order