After a very popular run on the Fantastic Four, Jonathan Hickman took over The Avengers from longtime Avengers writer Brian Michael Bendis in 2012. What resulted was a run of truly epic proportions with a large roster of heroes, big science fiction ideas, and top artists. His Avengers comics were well received both critically and by the fans – especially his work on New Avengers which made it into our readers top 10 comics of 2014 list.
Hickman’s run is unique in that it’s spread over two titles, Avengers and New Avengers. While running independently, the titles act as two sides of the same coin.
On one side we have Avengers, a series which features the conventional Avengers team with a large cast of additional characters thrown in depending on the situation at hand. On the other side is a much smaller team in New Avengers, featuring some of the most powerful and influential heroes in the Marvel Universe working in secret.
These two titles run along each other and can be read independently from
Below is a reading reading order list of Hickman’s entire Avengers run. I’ve separated it into the trade paperback collections as that’s the most accessible way of reading it. This includes his Avengers/New Avengers series as well as his Infinity event which was interacted with the latter two heavily.
If you don’t want to read everything on this list you don’t have to. You can read Avengers or New Avengers and get a full story. Or if you are just interested in Hickman’s Avengers run as a lead up to Secret Wars you can jump straight to the four volumes of Avengers: Time Runs Out.
Quicklinks: 6 Best Places To Buy Comics Online | 10 Avengers Comics You Should Read
New Avengers Volume 1: Everything Dies
Collects: New Avengers #1-6.
Artist: Steve Epting.
Avengers Volume 1: Avengers World
Collects: Avengers #1-6
Artists: Jerome Opena and Adam Kubert.
Avengers Volume 2: The Last White Event
Collects: Avengers #7-11
Artists: Dustin Weaver and Mike Deodato.
Avengers Volume 3: Prelude to Infinity
Collects: Avengers #12-17.
Co-writer: Nick Spencer.
Artists: Mike Deodato and Stefano Caselli.
New Avengers Volume 2: Infinity
Collects: #7-12*
Artists: Mike Deodato.
*Read issues #7-8 before Infinity (see below) and then read the #9-12 as part of Infinity.
Infinity
Collects: Infinity #1-6, New Avengers #9-12*, Avengers #14-23*, Infinity: Against the Tide Infinite Comic 1-2.
Artists: Jim Cheung, Jerome Opena, Dustin Weaver, Mike Deodato, Stefano Caselli and Leinel Francis Yu.
* These issues are also available in Avengers Volume 4: Infinity or New Avengers Volume 2: Infinity.
Avengers Volume 5: Adapt or Die
Collects: Avengers #24-28.
Artist: Salvador Larroca.
Read a preview of Avengers #24
New Avengers Volume 3: Other Worlds
Collects: New Avengers 13.INH, 14-17.
Artist: Simone Bianchi and Rags Morales.
Avengers Volume 6: Infinite Avengers
Collects: Avengers #29-34.
Artist: Leinil Francis Yu.
New Avengers Volume 4: A Perfect World
Collects: New Avengers #18-23.
Artist: Valerio Schiti and Kev Walker.
Avengers: Time Runs Out Volume 1
Collects: Avengers #35-37, New Avengers #24-25.
Artists: Jim Cheung, Stefano Caselli, Mike Deodato, Valerio Schiti, Kev Walker, Nick Bradshaw, Paco Medina and Dustin Weaver.
Avengers: Time Runs Out Volume 2
Collects: Avengers #38-39, New Avengers #26-28.
Artists: Kev Walker, Stefano Caselli, Mike Deodato, Szymon Kudranski and Mike Perkins.
Avengers: Time Runs Out Volume 3
Collects: Avengers #40-42, New Avengers #29-30.
Artists: Kev Walker, Stefano Caselli, Mike Deodato.
Avengers: Time Runs Out Volume 4
Collects: Avengers #43-44, New Avengers #31-33.
Artists: Kev Walker, Stefano Caselli, Mike Deodato.
Buy Avengers/New Avengers on…
Single Issue Reading Order
Here is the recommended reading order for those who are reading on Marvel Unlimited or want to get more granular.
New Avengers #1-3
Avengers #1-4
New Avengers #4
Avengers #5
New Avengers #5-6
Avengers #6-13
New Avengers #7
Avengers #14-17
New Avengers #8
Infinity #1
Avengers #18
New Avengers #9
Infinity #2
Avengers #19
New Avengers #10
Infinity #3
Avengers #20
Infinity #4
Avengers #21
New Avengers #11
Infinity #5
Avengers #22-23
Infinity #6
New Avengers #12-15
Avengers #24-28
New Avengers #16-17
Avengers #29-34
New Avengers #18-23
Avengers #35
New Avengers #24-25
Avengers #36-37
New Avengers #26
Avengers #38
New Avengers #27
Avengers #39
New Avengers #28
Avengers #40
New Avengers #29
Avengers #41
New Avengers #30
Avengers #42
New Avengers #31
Avengers #43
New Avengers #32
Avengers #44
New Avengers #33
The Complete Collection Editions
Marvel is beginning to phase out the above trade paperbacks in favour of larger editions known as Avengers by Jonathan Hickman: The Complete Collection. These are are the collections that you will have to track down to read everything.
Avengers by Jonathan Hickman: The Complete Collection Volume 1
Collects: Avengers (2012 series) #1-5, New Avengers (2013 series) #1-6, and Astonishing Tales: Mojoworld #1-6.
Astonishing Tales: Mojoworld is a digital-exclusive comic from 2008 that features Sunspot and Cannonball. It’s not essential to understand Hickman’s run but it’s a nice bonus for the collection.
Avengers by Jonathan Hickman: The Complete Collection Volume 2
Collects: Avengers (2012 series) #6-17, New Avengers (2013 series) #7, and material from Shang-Chi: Masters of Kung Fu.
Avengers by Jonathan Hickman: The Complete Collection Volume 3
Collects: Infinity #1-6, Avengers (2012 series) #18-23, New Avengers (2013 series) #8-12.
Avengers by Jonathan Hickman: The Complete Collection Volume 4
Collects: Avengers (2012 series) #24-34 and New Avengers (2013 series) #13-23.
Avengers by Jonathan Hickman: The Complete Collection Volume 5
Collects: Avengers (2012 series) #35-44 and New Avengers (2013 series) #24-33.
Buy Avengers by Jonathan Hickman: The Complete Collection on…
Omnibus Editions
Marvel have also released Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers run in two omnibus editions. Find out more about these below:
Avengers by Jonathan Hickman Omnibus Volume 1
Collects: Avengers (2012 series) #1-23, Free Comic Book Day 2013 (Infinity story), Infinity #1-6, Infinity: Against the Tide Infinite Comic #1-2, Astonishing Tales: Mojoworld #1-6, and material from Shang-Chi: Masters of Kung Fu.
Avengers by Jonathan Hickman Omnibus Volume 2
Collects: Avengers (2012 series) #24-44 and New Avengers (2013 series) #13-33.
Buy Avengers by Jonathan Hickman Omnibus on…
What Do I Read Next?
Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers run leads into Secret Wars. You can find out more about that here.
Have Your Say!
Have you found this useful? Will you be reading everything or be a bit more picky? You can let me know in the comments or via Facebook or Twitter.
Hi
Love Mr Hickmans run and have all the complete collections so far.
Does “Time run out” follow on from them and will that be collected in the same format?
Where does Avengers world fit into his run?
Just bought the complete collection but it’s not mentioned in your post.
Infinity does not collect New Avengers #7-8 but instead collects New Avengers #9-12
Hey just getting into comic and I see he made 2 new avengers volume 1 I’m confused
Hi Caleb, can you elaborate more? Are you seeing 2 New Avengers Volume 1s in this guide or somewhere else online? Hickman’s run is unique in which 2 comics (“Avengers” and “New Avengers”) act as 2 sides of the same coin. While they are seperate they are ultimately on the trajectory. It might possible you are looking at an addition which collects a larger amount of comics (15 issues instead of 6).
can you buy infinity against the tide as single comics or is it just in the tpb? i cant find them anywhere thanks
Hey Jase, Infinity: Against the Tide was a digital release that could be redeemed with the digital code in the back of the comic. It was never released in print on its own. You can buy it on comiXology or the Marvel store.
Hey man awesome list. Do you know if I can get a collected edition of infinity with just 1-6? I haven’t been able to find one that doesn’t have the avengers v4 and new avengers v2.
Thanks
Hey Brad, great question. I had look online and couldn’t find any evidence of a TPB with only Infinity #1-6.
hi,
what issues does infinity volume 2 collect?
hello, great work,
what does avengers volume 4 infinity collect?
what does new avengers volume 2 infinity collect?
Hi, I didn’t put Avengers vol 4 or New Avengers vol 2 in the list as those issues are covered in the Infinity collection. I put a note under the Infinity collection explaining this.
Trevor, can I jump directly into Time Runs Out? I’ve read Infinity and the first issues from both Avengers and New Avengers
Yeah, you should be able to jump on with Time Runs Out. Maybe have Wikipedia handy for if there are bits that don’t make sense.
Hello Trevor! Amazing job as always.
I have one question, being that Comixology has this items on sale, https://www.comixology.com/comics-sale?list_id=11952&lang=1 What is the most I can do with $15 dollars? what do you recommend me to purchase to get the most out of the story.
Hey Fernando, thanks!
15 will get you 3 volumes with some change. I’d got with Avengers vol 1-2 and New Avengers vol 1. If you’re willing to spend an extra dollar or so I would also pick up New Avengers vol 2.
Will I Be okay with infinity 1-6 only??
You can read Infinity #1-6 on its own if you want to.
What about Avengers World?
thanks for the list, i am stashing up to past time during power outage
Thanks man, I’ve been meaning to get back into the Avengers and you provided a great entry point.
No worries! I hope you dig it!
I wouldn’t say that Hickman’s run on Avengers and New Avengers is an easy read, but it’s well worth it, even discounting the fact it’s all been leading up to a company wide shake up at Marvel.
Thank you so much! I was slightly curious about current avengers run but it looked too confusing to get into. With your post I’m ready to give it a shot!
This is the exact reading order:
New Avengers #1-3
Avengers #1-4
New Avengers #4
Avengers #5
New Avengers #5-6
Avengers #6-13
New Avengers #7
Avengers #14-17
New Avengers #8
Infinity #1
Avengers #18
New Avengers #9
Infinity #2
Avengers #19
New Avengers #10
Infinity #3
Avengers #20
Infinity #4
Avengers #21
New Avengers #11
Infinity #5
Avengers #22-23
Infinity #6
New Avengers #12-15
Avengers #24-28
New Avengers #16-17
Avengers #29-34
New Avengers #18-23
Avengers #35
New Avengers #24-25
Avengers #36-37
New Avengers #26
Avengers #38
New Avengers #27
Avengers #39
New Avengers 28
Avengers #40
New Avengers #29
Avengers #41
New Avengers #30
Avengers #42
New Avengers #31
Avengers #43
New Avengers #32
Avengers #44
New Avengers #33
Secret Wars
Thanks for this list. This will be super helpful for anyone who wants to read everything in avenues other than the collected editions such as Marvel Unlimited.
New Avengers #8 should be read after Infinity #1 despite that fact that it says ‘prelude to infinity’.