Secret Wars Reading Guide

Every year Marvel Comics has a company-wide event which sees some of their biggest characters come together to tackle a threat (or sometimes each other) in a huge story. Often these events launch new series, create new status quos and shape the Marvel Universe moving forward. In 2015 Marvel have taken this into overdrive with not just the Marvel Universe being shaken up but the Marvel Multiverse! Secret Wars will included many of Marvel’s many alternative universes and diverging timelines as inspiration for many of the upcoming Secret Wars stories. This sure to create a sense of nostalgia for more seasoned Marvel readers, while new readers will have plenty to discover.

But how will all these alternative universes be in involved. After lots of tampering with time and space the Marvel Multiverse has kind of collapses and what has been left is Battleworld. Battleworld is essentially the Earth which has been patchworked into different regions, each of which represent an alternative universe or a divergent timeline – as seen below.

Secret Wars is built up into a main 8-part series and an array of miniseries which tie-in to the what is going on in some way or another. If you just want to read the main story then check out Secret Wars #0-8. If you want to get dive in a little deeper with Secret Wars then I suggest checking out a few of the miniseries. It is not essential to read any or all of the tie-in miniseries in order to understand Secret Wars with most of them being stand alone stories set within the Battleworld. If you’re looking to read a few but not sure which ones, I suggest checking out any that have creators or characters that you enjoy or simply look cool to you.

Below is the Secret Wars Reading Guide which lists all of the tie-ins as well as the creators that will be involved in each series and the months each issue will be released. This list will be updated regularly as new information and issues are released.

If you have any questions about Secret Wars feel free to leave them in the comments below.

Lead Ins

While there are a few hints leading up to Secret Wars the best title to read if you want to lead up to Secret Wars is Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers/New Avengers. You can find out more, as well as a reading list here.

Marvel have also released a collection called Secret Wars Prelude which will also help you. It includes the following:

New Avengers (2013) 1-3, Secret Wars (1984) 10-12, Fantastic Four 611, Ultimate Comics Spider -Man (2011) 1, Ultimate Comics Ultimates 4

Secret Wars

Written by Jonathan Hickman. Art by Esad Ribic.

This is the main series in which all the major events will happen.

Secret Wars #0 – May 2nd (Free Comic Book Day) (Read here)

Secret Wars #1 – May 6th

Secret Wars #2 – May 13th

Secret Wars #3 – June 3rd

Secret Wars #4 – July 1st

Secret Wars #5 – August 12th

Secret Wars #6 – October 7th

Secret Wars #7 – November 11th

Secret Wars #8 – December 9th

Secret Wars #9 – January 13th 2016

Last Days

all of the Secret Wars tie-ins fall under one of thee very distinct banners. The first is Last Days which revolve around Marvel characters and how they react to the catastrophic events of Secret Wars and the formation of Battleworld.

Loki: Agent of Asgard

Written by Al Ewing. Art Lee Garbett.

Loki: Agent of Asgard #14 – May 20th

Loki: Agent of Asgard #15 – June 24th

Loki: Agent of Asgard #16 – July 22nd

Loki: Agent of Asgard #17 – August 19th

Magneto

Written by Cullen Bunn. Art by Paul Davidson.

Magneto #18 – May 13th

Magneto #19 – June 17th

Magneto #20 – July 22nd

Magneto #21 – August 26th

Captain America and the Mighty Avengers

Written by Al Ewing. Art by Luke Ross.

Captain America and the Mighty Avengers #8 – May 13th

Captain America and the Mighty Avengers #9 – June 10th

Punisher

Written by Nathan Edmondson. Art by Mitch Gerads.

Punisher #19 – June 24th

Punisher #20 – July 22nd

Black Widow

Written by Nathan Edmondson. Art by Phil Noto.

Black Widow #19 – June 24th

Black Widow #20 – August 29th

Ms Marvel

Written by G. Willow Wilson. Art by Takeshi Miyazawa.

Ms Marvel #16 – June 17th

Ms Marvel #17 – August 5th

Ms Marvel #18 – September 9th

Ms Marvel #19 – October 14th

Silver Surfer

Written by Dan Slott. Art by Mike Allred.

Silver Surfer #13 – July 15th

Silver Surfer #14 – September 2nd

Silver Surfer #15 – November 11th

Ant-Man: Last Days

Written by Nick Spencer. Art by Ramon Rosanas.

Ant-Man: Last Days – August 26th (one-shot)

Spider-Woman

Written by Dennis Hopeless. Art by Natacha Bustos.

Spider-Woman #10 – August 26th

Silk

Written by Robbie Thompson. Art by Tana Ford.

Silk #7 – August 19th

Battleworld

Battleworld is a banner used for tie-in stories which are set on the vast Battleworld that has been created in the events of Secret Wars. These stories focus on a region of this newly formed world.

Inhumans: Attlian Rising

Written by Charles Soule. Art by John Timms.

Inhumans: Attlian Rising #1 – May 27th

Inhumans: Attlian Rising #2 – June 10th

Inhumans: Attlian Rising #3 – July 15th

Inhumans: Attlian Rising #4 – August 12th

Inhumans: Attlian Rising #5 – September 23rd

Ultimate End

Written by Brian Michael Bendis. Art by Mark Bagley.

This series has been heavily publicized that it will send the Ultimate Universe.

Ultimate End #1 (of 5) – May 20th

Ultimate End #2 (of 5) – June 10th

Ultimate End #3 (of 5) – July 1st

Ultimate End #4 (of 5) – August 5th

Ultimate End #5 (of 5) – September 9th

Secret Wars: Battleworld

Secret Wars: Battleworld #1 (of 4) – May 20th

Written by Josh Williamson and Ed Brisson. Art by Mike Henerson and Scott Hepburn.

Secret Wars: Battleworld #2 (of 4) – June 3rd

Written by David Walker and Donny Cates. Art by JJ Kirby and Marco Turini.

Secret Wars: Battleworld #3 (of 4) – July 15th

Written by Ivan Brandon and Ryan Ferrier. Art by Aaron Conley, Logan Faerber and Paul Pope.

Secret Wars: Battleworld #4 (of 4) – August 12th

Written by James Stokoe and Peter David. Art by James Stokoe and Daniel Valadez.

Secret Wars Journal

Secret Wars Journal #1 (of 5) – May 27th

Written by Prudence Shen and Michael Rosenberg. Art by Ramon Bachs and Luca Pizzari.

Secret Wars Journal #2 (of 5) – June 10th

Written by Kevin Maurer and Si Spurrier. Art by Cory Smith and Jonathan Marks.

Secret Wars Journal #3 (of 5) – July 1st

Written by Scott Aukerman and Frank Tieri. Art by Richard Isanove and RB Silva.

Secret Wars Journal #4 (of 5) – August 19th

Written by Mike Benson and Sina Grace. Art by Laura Braga and Victor Ibenez.

Secret Wars Journal #5 (of 5) – September 16th

Written by Jen & Sylvia Soska and Aaron Alexovich. Art by Alec Morgan and Diogo Saito.

Master of Kung-Fu

Written by Haden Blackman. Art by Dalibor Talajic.

Master of Kung-Fu #1 (of 4) – May 20th

Master of Kung-Fu #2 (of 4) – June 3rd

Master of Kung-Fu #3 (of 4) – July 8th

Master of Kung-Fu #4 (of 4) – August 12th

Ghost Racers

Written by Felipe Smith. Art by Juan Gedeon.

Ghost Racers #1 – June 10th

Ghost Racers #2 – July 8th

Ghost Racers #3 – August 12th

Ghost Racers #4 – September 23rd

Thors

Written by Jason Aaron. Art by Christopher Sprouse.

Thors #1 – June 17th

Thors #2 – July 29th

Thors #3 – September 2nd

Thors #4 – October 28th

Marvel Zombies

Written by Simon Spurrier. Art by Kev Walker.

Marvel Zombies #1 – June 10th

Marvel Zombies #2 – July 22nd

Marvel Zombies #3 – August 26th

Marvel Zombies #4 – October 14th

Star-Lord and Kitty Pryde

Written by Sam Humpheries. Art by Alti Firmansyah.

Star-Lord and Kitty Pryde #1 – July 22nd

Star-Lord and Kitty Pryde #2 – August 12th

Star-Lord and Kitty Pryde #3 – September 2nd

Age of Ultron vs Marvel Zombies

Written by James Robinson. Art by Steve Pugh and Ron Garney.

Age of Ultron vs Marvel Zombies #1 – June 24th

Age of Ultron vs Marvel Zombies #2 – July 29th

Age of Ultron vs Marvel Zombies #3 – August 19th

Age of Ultron vs Marvel Zombies #4 – September 2nd

Runaways

Written by Noelle Stevenson. Art by Sanford Greene.

Runaways #1 – June 17th

Runaways #2 – July 8th

Runaways #3 – August 19th

Runaways #4 – September 23rd

Korvac Saga

Written by Dan Abnett. Art by Otto Schmidt.

Korvac Saga #1 – June 24th

Korvac Saga #2 – July 15th

Korvac Saga #3 – August 12th

Korvac Saga #4 – September 9th

Siege

Written by Kieron Gillen. Art by Filipe Andrade.

Seige #1 – July 15th

Seige #2 – August 5th

Seige #3 – September 9th

Seige #4 – October 7th

Secret Wars: Offical Guide to the Marvel Multiverse

This is not a comic book as such but more a reference guide to the Marvel Multiverse, showcasing many of the alternative universes that have become apart of Secret Wars’ Battleworld. If you want to learn more about the universes and characters that make up Secret Wars this is the guide for you, after this one of course, haha.

Warzones!

Warzones! features the conflicts of different regions of Secret Wars’ Battleworld. Unlike the Battleworld banner, Warzones! are a bit more removed from the main Secret Wars story.

A-Force

Written by G. Willow Wilson and Marguerite Bennett. Art by Jorge Molina.

A-Force #1 – May 20th

A-Force #2 – July 1st

A-Force #3 – August 12th

A-Force #4  – September 9th

A-Force #5  – October 14th

Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars

Written by Cullen Bunn. Art by Matteo Lolli & Jacopo Camagni. 

This series is a little bit different in that it is set during the original Secret Wars series from the 1980s and shows Deadpool’s secret involvement in it.

Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars #1 (of 4) – May 20th

Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars #2 (of 4) – June 17th

Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars #3 (of 4) – July 29th

Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars #4 (of 4) – August 26th

The Infinity Gauntlet

Written by Gerry Duggan and Dustin Weaver. Art by and Dustin Weaver.

The Infinity Gauntlet #1 – May 27th

The Infinity Gauntlet #2 – June 24th

The Infinity Gauntlet #3 – August 5th

The Infinity Gauntlet #4 – September 9th

The Infinity Gauntlet #5 – October 28th

Where Monsters Dwell

Written by Garth Ennis. Art by Russ Braun.

Where Monsters Dwell #1 (of 5) – May 27th

Where Monsters Dwell #2 (of 5) – June 24th

Where Monsters Dwell #3 (of 5) – July 15th

Where Monsters Dwell #4 (of 5) – August 26th

Where Monsters Dwell #5 (of 5) – October 28th

Inferno

Written by Dennis Hopeless. Art by Javier Garron.

Inferno #1 – May 27th

Inferno #2 – June 10th

Inferno #3 – July 8th

Inferno #4 – August 19th

Inferno #5 – September 30th

M.O.D.O.K.: Assassin

Written by Chris Yost. Amilcar Pinna.

M.O.D.O.K.: Assassin #1 (of 5) – May 27th

M.O.D.O.K.: Assassin #2 (of 5) – June 10th

M.O.D.O.K.: Assassin #3 (of 5) – July 29th

M.O.D.O.K.: Assassin #4 (of 5) – August 26th

M.O.D.O.K.: Assassin #5 (of 5) – September 30th

Spider-Verse

Written by Mike Costa. Art by Andre Aruajo.

If you read Spider-Verse and couldn’t get enough of all the alternate universe Spider-Men then this is a series you should be reading.

Spider-Verse #1 – May 20th

Spider-Verse #2 – August 5th

Spider-Verse #3 – August 19th

Spider-Verse #4 – September 16th

Planet Hulk

Written by Sam Humphries. Art by Marc Lamming.

Planet Hulk #1 – May 20th

Planet Hulk #2 – June 24th

Planet Hulk #3 – July 15th

Planet Hulk #4 – August 12th

Planet Hulk #5 – September 9th

Old Man Logan

Written by Brian Michael Bendis. Art by Andrea Sorrentino.

Based around the classic Wolverine story of the same name about Wolverine in a dystopian future. It’s very well loved and even made it into out Wolverine Stories You Should Read list.

Old Man Logan #1 – May 27th

Old Man Logan #2 – June 17th

Old Man Logan #3 – July 22nd

Old Man Logan #4 – August 26th

Old Man Logan #5 – September 23rd

Secret Wars 2099

Written by Peter David. Art by Will Sliney.

Secret Wars 2099 #1 (of 5) – May 27th

Secret Wars 2099 #2 (of 5) – June 10th

Secret Wars 2099 #3 (of 5) – July 8th

Secret Wars 2099 #4 (of 5) – August 12th

Secret Wars 2099 #5 (of 5) – September 9th

1602 Witch Hunter Angela

Written by Marguerite Bennett and Kieron Gillen. Art by Stephanie Hans with Marguerite Sauvage.

1602 Witch Hunter Angela #1 – June 10th

1602 Witch Hunter Angela #2 – July 29th

1602 Witch Hunter Angela #3 – September 9th

1602 Witch Hunter Angela #4 – October 7th

Red Skull

Written by Joshua Williams. Art by Luca Pizzari.

Red Skull #1 (of 3) – July 1st

Red Skull #2 (of 3) – August 5th

Red Skull #3 (of 3) – September 9th

Civil War

Written by Charles Soule. Art by Leinil Francis Yu.

This is based around the classic Marvel event Civil War in which the Marvel Universe was at war with each other over government policy and ideologies. It made our 10 Captain America Stories You Should Read list and you can find a reading order of the original story here.

Civil War #1 – July 8th

Civil War #2 – August 5th

Civil War #3 – August 26th

Civil War #4 – September 9th

Civil War #4 – October 14th

Age of Apocalypse

Written by Fabian Nicieza. Art by Gerardo Sandoval.

Age of Apocalypse #1 – July 8th

Age of Apocalypse #2 – August 5th

Age of Apocalypse #3 – September 2nd

Age of Apocalypse #4 – September 16th

Age of Apocalypse #5 – October 21st

Hail Hydra

Written by Rick Remender. Art by Roland Boschi.

Hail Hydra #1 – July 15th

Hail Hydra #2 – August 19th

Hail Hydra #3 – September 16th

Hail Hydra #4 – October 21st

Spider-Island

Written by Chirstos Gage and Tom DeFalco. Art by Paco Diaz and Ron Frenz.

This revolves around the Spider-Island story from a few years ago when a large chunk of New York City developed powers similar to that of Spider-Man. It also made our 14 Spider-Man Stories You Should Read list.

Spider-Island #1 (of 5) – July 8th

Spider-Island #2 (of 5) – August 5th

Spider-Island #3 (of 5) – September 2nd

Spider-Island #4 (of 5) – September 16th

Spider-Island #5 (of 5) – October 7th

Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders

Written by Al Ewing. Art by Alan Davis.

Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders #1 (of 2) – July 15th

Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders #1 (of 2) – August 19th

Weirdworld

Written by Jason Aaron. Art by Mike del Mundo.

Weirdworld #1 – June 10th

Weirdworld #2 – July 22nd

Weirdworld #3 – August 19th

Weirdworld #4 – September 23rd

Weirdworld #5 – October 21st

1872

Written by Gerry Duggan. Art by Nik Virella.

1872 is a series which revolves around the concept of all your favourite Marvel characters, but in a Wild West setting.

1872 #1 – July 8th

1872 #2 – August 19th

1872 #3 – September 16th

1872 #4 – October 21st

Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps

Written by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Kelly Thompson. Art by David Lopez.

Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps #1 – June 10th

Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps #2 – July 15th

Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps #3 – August 26th

Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps #4 – September 23rd

Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows

Written by Dan Slott. Art by Adam Kubert.

Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1 – June 3rd

Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #2 – July 8th

Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #3 – August 5th

Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #4 – August 19th

Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #5 – September 9th

Armor Wars

Written by James Robinson. Art by Marcio Takara.

This is based around the classic Iron Man story, Armor Wars. The original Armor Wars is an Iron Man classic which you can read more about in the 5 Iron Man Stories You Should Read list.

Armor Wars #1/2 – Available at Toys’R’Us on May 2nd. (This issue acts as prelude to #1)

Armor Wars #1 – June 3rd

Armor Wars #2 – June 17th

Armor Wars #3 – July 15th

Armor Wars #4 – August 5th

Armor Wars #5 – September 16th

X-Men ’92

Written by Chris Sims. Art by Scott Koblish.

This series will feature interpretations of the characters from the much loved X-Men animated series of the 1990s.

X-Men ’92 #1 – June 24th

X-Men ’92 #2 – July 29th

X-Men ’92 #3 – August 26th

X-Men ’92 #4 – September 30th

Guardians of Knowhere

Written by Brian Michael Bendis. Art by Mike Deodato.

Guardians of Knowhere #1 – July 15th

Guardians of Knowhere #2 – August 5th

Guardians of Knowhere #3 – August 19th

Guardians of Knowhere #4 – September 16th

E is For Extinction

Written by Chris Burnham. Art by Ramon Villalobos.

E is For Extinction #1 – June 24th

E is For Extinction #2 – July 22nd

E is For Extinction #3 – August 26th

E is For Extinction #4 – September 30th

Future Imperfect

Written by Peter David. Art by Greg Land.

Future Imperfect #1 – June 3rd

Future Imperfect #2 – July 1st

Future Imperfect #3 – July 22nd

Future Imperfect #4 – August 5th

Future Imperfect #5 – September 2nd

Mrs. Deadpool And The Howling Commandos

Written by Gerry Duggan. Art by Salvador Espin.

Mrs. Deadpool And The Howling Commandos #1 – June 10th

Mrs. Deadpool And The Howling Commandos #2 – July 8th

Mrs. Deadpool And The Howling Commandos #3 – August 12th

Mrs. Deadpool And The Howling Commandos #4 – September 9th

Giant-Sized Little Marvel: AvX

Written and art by Skottie Young.

Giant-Sized Little Marvel: AvX #1 – June 10th

Giant-Sized Little Marvel: AvX #2 – July 1st

Giant-Sized Little Marvel: AvX #3 – August 8th

Giant-Sized Little Marvel: AvX #4 – September 9th

Squadron Sinister

Written by Marc Guggenheim. Art by Carlos Pacheco.

Squadron Sinister #1 – June 17th

Squadron Sinister #2 – July 8th

Squadron Sinister #3 – August 19th

Squadron Sinister #4 – October 28th

X-Tinction Agenda

Written by Marc Guggenheim. Art by Carmine Digiandomenico.

X-Tinction Agenda #1 – June 3rd

X-Tinction Agenda #2 – July 1st

X-Tinction Agenda #3 – August 19th

X-Tinction Agenda #4 – September 23rd

Years of Future Past

Written by Marguerite Bennett. Art by Mike Norton.

Years of Future Past #1 – June 3rd

Years of Future Past #2 – July 1st

Years of Future Past #3 – July 15th

Years of Future Past #4 – August 12th

Years of Future Past #5 – September 23rd

House of M

Written by Dennis Hopeless and Cullen Bunn. Art by Kris Anka.

House of M #1 – August 19th

House of M #2 – September 2nd

House of M #3 – September 16th

House of M #4 – October 28th

Hank Johnson, Agent of Hydra

Written by David Mandel. Art by Michael Walsh.

Hank Johnson, Agent of Hydra – August 26th (one-shot)

Howard the Human

Written by Skottie Young. Art by Jim Mahfood.

Howard the Human – August 19th (one-shot)

Secret Wars: Secret Love

Written by Michel Fiffe, Felipe Smith, Marguerite Bennett, Jeremy Whitley, Katie Cook and others. Art by Michel Fiffe, Felipe Smith, Kris Anka, Gurihiru, Katie Cook and others.

Secret Wars: Secret Love – August 19th (one-shot)

Agents of Atlas

Written by Tomy Taylor. Art by Steve Pugh.

Agents of Atlas (one-shot) – October 21st

Secret Wars Too

Creators involved:  Jonathan Hickman, Sergio Aragones, Ryan Browne, Al Ewing, Rob Guillory, Kate Leth, Eric Powell, Declan Shalvey, Kyle Starks, Ramon Villalobos and Brittney Williams.

This will be one-shot that parodies Secret Wars and most likely many elements of the Marvel Universe.

Secret Wars Too (one-shot) – November 11th

After Secret Wars

Once Secret Wars is done and dusted Marvel Comics will be relaunching all their comics with #1 issues for everything under the banner of All-New, All-Different Marvel. You can find out everything you need to know about it in my All-New, All-Different Marvel Guide.

Will You Be Reading Secret Wars?

Will you be reading the Marvel event? Also, which of the tie-in miniseries will you be checking out? Let me know in the comments below or via Facebook or Twitter.