The Marvel Cinematic Universe is easily the most successful superhero universe ever. While Marvel has existed in some form or another for over 80 years, and has had some impressive successes, the MCU brought superheroes to the world in a way that comics never have. The MCU was a cultural phenomenon for the first decade it existed, giving fans fantastic stories that took the heart of Marvel and put it on screen. The MCU isn’t in the position of dominance it was once was, but that doesn’t change just how groundbreaking it was during its earlier years. Those early movies were magical, and a lot of fans want that back.
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Luckily for fans, there are lots of amazing comics out there that will recapture those feelings. Some of these books inspired the MCU and not all of them have characters that were in the early MCU, but all of them give readers some astounding tales. These ten stories will scratch that early MCU itch expertly.
10) Avengers (Vol. 5) #1-3
The 2010s are full of amazing Avengers stories, including the blockbuster run from writer Jonathan Hickman. That run kicked off with Avengers (Vol. 5) #1-3, a story that saw the Avengers dealing with a mysterious attack from Mars, leading to the creation of the biggest, most powerful Avengers team ever. This story is perfect Avengers, and will remind MCU fans of their favorite Avengers moments. On top of that, it’s the beginning of the road to Secret Wars, which is the best big story to get adapted by Marvel Studios. This is perfect Avengers, and it will make MCU fans fall in love with the comics.
9) “Enemy of the State/Agent of SHIELD”
SHIELD’s place in the MCU has been different from the comics, as SHIELD basically runs the superhero side of the national security apparatus, which was based on the old Ultimate Universe. There are several great stories from the 616 universe that have SHIELD acting the way they do in the MCU, and the best example of that is “Enemy of the State/Agent of SHIELD”, starring Wolverine. Wolverine takes a trip to Japan to deal with some business and is killed, resurrected by the Hand, and used as an assassin while SHIELD scrambles to stop him. Wolverine has some tremendous stories, and this is one the best. It definitely captures that early MCU feel, even if its not one of the stories that inspired it.
8) Civil War
Civil War is something of a controversial story. The basis for Captain America: Civil War, the story has often been thought of as an example of a book that revolves around characters being written out of character. While there’s definitely something to this, that doesn’t change how good this story is. The battle between Captain America and Iron Man is big superhero action at its finest, giving readers some of the best action scenes to ever grace a Marvel comic. It’s definitely different from the movie, but those differences will undoubtedly enthrall movie fans.
7) The Ultimates (Vol. 1) #1-13
The Ultimates (Vol. 1) #1-13 is an interesting comic. The iconography of The Ultimates played a huge role in the origin of the MCU, and that makes it perfect for readers who want to recapture the feeling of those days. This book tells the story of the Avengers of the Ultimate Universe coming together, battling the Hulk, and dealing with an alien invasion. The Ultimates (Vol. 1) is very edgy and of its time, but is also an enthralling read with killer art. These 13 issues are the perfect combination of storytelling and action that show off just how great Marvel can be.
6) Hawkeye by Matt Fraction and David Aja
Hawkeye by Matt Fraction and David Aja is one of the best Marvel runs of the 21st century and perfect for fans of the early MCU. This tells the story of Hawkeye moving into a building of his own, and dealing with the shenanigans that move entails, fighting gangs and supervillains. While parts of the story were later adapted in Phase Four, I think what makes this story perfect for that old Phase One-Three feel is the way it uses its characters. There’s a lot of humor and great characters moments in this run, and reading the whole thing will definitely serve your MCU nostalgia. Marvel keeps this run in print constantly, so it’s easy to get the whole thing. You’ll be happy you did.
5) The Immortal Thor #1-25
The Immortal Thor is a modern Marvel masterpiece. Thor was a very important part of the early days of the MCU, and it was hard to figure out what story captures the feel of those early movies. The Immortal Thor fits there perfectly, the story of the death of Thor and how he got there. This book combines Asgardian mythos with science fiction like the movies did, and does a remarkable job of giving readers some epic action. On top of that, this series has some the best Loki ever, really capturing the feel that Loki had in the early MCU. The Immortal Thor isn’t exactly like the MCU, but it does everything you’d want from any version of Thor.
4) “Extremis”
Iron Man is the most important character in the MCU, but honestly, it’s hard to find a comic that captures the flavor of the MCU Iron Man. However, there is a story that was adapted into the MCU, specifically Iron Man 3, and it has a lot of the things that MCU fans love about Iron Man. When a new nanotechnology falls into the wrong hands, Iron Man jumps into action but is completely outclassed, having to figure out how to survive. While this story doesn’t have the humor of the MCU, it’s still a great window in the mind of Iron Man and will give MCU fans some of the action and thrills they crave from ol’Shellhead.
3) “The Winter Soldier”
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is considered by many to be the best MCU film, and the best way to recapture the movie’s greatness is to read “The Winter Soldier”. This story tells the tale of the return of Bucky Barnes, pitting Captain America against someone he thought was dead for decades. This story is much richer than the movie, and I think that’s part of what makes it better than the film. This is primo Captain America action, and there are so many pages that will shock readers. “The Winter Soldier” is different than the movie, and that’s one of the strengths of the story, as it opens the door to even more Captain America stories. It’s also pretty easy to find in collected editions thanks to the Marvel Select line.
2) “Planet Hulk”
The Hulk is one of the most popular MCU characters, but rarely have the movies actually did justice to the character. However, there’s one Hulk story that I think will give MCU fans everything they’ve always wanted the MCU Hulk to be — “Planet Hulk”. This story sees the Hulk thrown to another planet by Illuminati, and joining the fight to free the planet Sakaar. “Planet Hulk” is amazing Hulk action and that’s all there is to it. There’s some expert worldbuilding and surprises that you’ll never expect. This is peak Hulk and it will make you wish we actually got this story adapted instead of Thor: Ragnarok.
1) Infinity Gauntlet
Infinity Gauntlet is a Marvel classic and it sowed the seeds of the best parts of the MCU. The story deals with the war against Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet, as Adam Warlock, Gamora, and Pip the Troll enact a plan that will pull in the heroes of Earth and the most powerful beings in the cosmos for what often seems to be a futile battle. Infinity Gauntlet is perfect cosmic Marvel action, a comic that is full of spectacle. It’s very different from the movies in the best possible way, and it will bring back all of that Infinity Saga nostalgia.
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