10 Classic Marvel Comic Books You Must Read in 2026

Image via Marvel Comics Published Aug 9, 2026, 6:22 AM EDT Eddie Possehl is a dynamic and driven writer/director with a passion for the written word and all things film, television, comics, and games. His passion for storytelling led him to establish his own production company in hopes of achieving his dreams. His dedication to his craft has attracted renowned talent like Yuri Lowenthal to collaborate with him on his projects. As he grows and improves, Eddie is a shining example of a self-starter. Sign in to your Collider account Spoilers for Spider-Man: Brand New Day are found in this article. Tread carefully.2026 is a gigantic year for both Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With so many great productions coming from Marvel Studios this year, anyone looking to get into the source material has a great potential selection of books to choose from that are timely with this year's biggest theatrical and streaming releases. This year is a big one for heroes like Spider-Man, Doctor Doom, Jean Grey, the X-Men, the Avengers, and more. Whether they're newer or older, these titles are perfect for anyone looking to get into Marvel Comics this year. Many are very timely for the releases Marvel Studios has coming this year, and can provide some great supplementary reading for fans. Doom Becomes Iron Man: Infamous Iron Man (2016) Image via Marvel Comics While audiences now know that Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) in Avengers: Doomsday is, in fact, Victor von Doom, there was a huge theory, for a time, that the MCU's Doom was a variant of Iron Man. While it's finally been confirmed that this is not true, fans who were looking to see something like that or are at least curious can find the comic book run known as Infamous Iron Man (2016) is a great read for them. After the events of the"Civil War II" crossover event—in which Tony Stark actually died—a remorseful Doctor Doom took on the mantle of Iron Man. Written by the ever-talented Brian Michael Bendis, this series takes on a similar plot structure/themes as the even more popular Superior Spider-Man (2013), which was a very good move for them, as people adored seeing this redemption story for their favorite Marvel Comics supervillain. Daredevil's Greatest Outing: Daredevil (2019) Image via Marvel Comics If someone enjoyed the second season of Daredevil: Born Again and wants more of that kind of content from The Man Without Fear, Chip Zdarsky's 2019 run is perfect. It's one of the greatest Daredevil stories ever told, and literally anyone who enjoys Daredevil: Born Again would enjoy Daredevil (2019). Not to mention, anyone who was looking forward to maybe seeing Daredevil (Charlie Cox) in Spider-Man: Brand New Day will find some of the best Spider-Man x Daredevil content in this title. Spidey makes for an amazing partner, especially if it's alongside someone as extremely different as Daredevil, meaning seeing them together is always a real treat. The Might of Doom: Emperor Doom (1987) Image via Marvel Comics Doctor Doom is coming. The end is near. If audiences patiently awaiting Avengers: Doomsday are looking to get their fix of this classic Marvel Comics villain, they need to look no further than Emperor Doom (1987). The mere concept of this book—Doctor Doom actually winning by kidnapping the mind-controlling villain known as the Purple Man—is super unique, and that makes it a wonderfully fun read. The twist is that the world is now ruled by Doom, and only Wonder Man is not affected by the mind control. However, while he's obviously doing terrible things, Wonder Man does manage to realize that there are some things that ended up working out in people's favor from this whole debacle—Doctor Doom's mind control accomplishes things like world peace, ridding the world of nuclear weapons, and more. It's a very compelling conflict, and after breaking other heroes free, Wonder Man begins to take down Doom's reign of anti-free will. Sting of the Scorpion: Amazing Spider-Man #20 (1964) Image via Marvel Comics If Spider-Man fans are excited about anything in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it's the long-awaited inclusion of Scorpion (Michael Mando). Not only is he a beloved Spider-Man villain, but after his big tease in the Spider-Man: Homecoming post-credits scene all the way back in 2017, people have been patiently waiting for him to finally be included. Many thought that Marvel Studios was simply never going to follow up on their "promise" to bring him in. For those excited about Scorpion's inclusion who have not read the comics—or comic readers looking for a blast from the past—the perfect book to read this year is Amazing Spider-Man #20 (1964), aka the first appearance of the menacing foe. This issue is filled to the brim with '60s charm and is a genuinely great villain origin story. It's an all-time classic Spider-Man tale and the perfect intro for one of his best and most underappreciated foes. An Updated Spider-Man Tale: Spidey (2015) Image via Marvel Comics One of Peter Parker's best eras is when he's balancing being a young man, growing into his own, and being New York City's friendly neighborhood Wall-Crawler. While the classic '60s era of Spider-Man is great, Spidey (2015) is one of the best coming-of-age Web-Slinger tales out there. It reinvents the high school days to not only include all of his classic villains, but it also makes the grander Marvel Comics universe far more involved than it had been before. This approach fits the MCU well, given the whole "cinematic universe" of it all, and the consistent inclusion of other heroes/supporting characters. All 12 issues of this book are great stories that act as a perfect coming-of-age tale, akin to the vibe that's being brought forth in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is bringing in a completely new vibe for the character. An X-Men Origin: X-Men: Season One (2011) Image via Marvel Comics With it finally being revealed that Sadie Sink's Spider-Man: Brand New Day character is, in fact, the X-Men's iconic Jean Grey, it's a great time to find some awesome X-Men stories featuring the telepath. Much like Spidey (2015), X-Men: Season One (2011) takes the origins of the first class and modernizes them—including Jean. It's no secret that this team is coming to the MCU soon, so with the first member of Marvel Studios' version of the super group finally here, it's a great time to read X-Men: Season One (2011). Here, the heroes are teenagers dealing with multiple threats, including Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and the dangerous Sentinels. To make matters worse, they also need to deal with their hormonal changes and the typical woes of being a teenager. Collider Exclusive · Marvel Personality Quiz Which MCU Hero Are You? Spider-Man · Daredevil · Iron Man · Punisher · Thor · Cap Six heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory? 🕷️Spider-Man 😈Daredevil 🤖Iron Man 💀Punisher ⚡Thor 🛡️Cap FIND YOUR HERO → 01 What drives you to do what's right? Choose the answer that feels most like you. AWith great power comes great responsibility — I protect those who can't protect themselves. BMy faith and my conscience — I believe justice must be served, even in the dark. CLegacy and ego, honestly — but I've learned that others depend on me now. DThe system failed. Someone has to make sure the guilty actually pay. EDuty to the innocent and honour to my name — I was born to protect realms. FThe values I was raised with — freedom, decency, and never backing down from a bully. NEXT QUESTION → 02 It's 2 AM. Where are you? Your answer says more about you than you'd think. ASwinging between skyscrapers, keeping an eye on the neighbourhood. BRunning rooftops in Hell's Kitchen, listening for trouble. CIn my lab, upgrading my suit with a cold cup of coffee nearby. DStaking out a target I've been tracking for three weeks. ESomewhere between the stars, or at a feast that got out of hand. FOn a morning run — I was up at 4, actually. Couldn't sleep. NEXT QUESTION → 03 How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice? Every hero has a method. What's yours? AWeb them up and leave them for the police — again. BBuild an airtight case and dismantle their entire operation from the inside. CDeploy a containment system I designed specifically for them. Tech wins. DMake sure they don't escape a third time. Permanently. EChallenge them to single combat. Honour demands a decisive end. FRally allies, adapt the plan, and bring them in — by the book, even if it's hard. NEXT QUESTION → 04 How do you feel about keeping a secret identity? The mask — or the lack of one — says everything. AEssential — my loved ones would be in danger if anyone found out who I am. BCritical — the mask protects my mission as much as my face. COverrated — I announced myself to the world and I'd do it again. DI'm a ghost. The less people know about me, the better. EMy name is known across the Nine Realms. There's no hiding it. FI don't hide — but I understand why some need to. Transparency builds trust. NEXT QUESTION → 05 You've lost someone important because of your heroism. How do you carry that? Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it. AWith guilt that never fully goes away — it pushes me to do better, every single day. BI channel it into purpose — their memory is the reason I keep fighting. CI buried myself in work for years. I'm only recently learning to face it. DIt transformed me completely. I'm not the same person I was before. EWith warrior's grief — I honour them by fighting with everything I have. FI keep moving forward. Stopping means letting the loss win. NEXT QUESTION → 06 What's your role when working with a team? Who you are under pressure is who you actually are. AThe enthusiastic wildcard who somehow makes it work — and keeps the mood up. BThe strategist who works best alone but shows up when it matters most. CThe one who funds it, equips it, and occasionally takes over the whole operation. DI don't do teams. I'm more effective operating solo, on my terms. EThe heavy hitter — I crash in, draw fire, and turn the tide of battle. FThe leader — I earn trust, build the plan, and make sure no one gets left behind. NEXT QUESTION → 07 Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge? The answer defines what kind of hero you really are. AClearly — I don't kill, and I wrestle with that line constantly. BI try to hold the line, but I've come terrifyingly close to crossing it. CPractically — I do what's necessary to protect people, including hard calls. DI crossed that line long ago. What I do is justice — the system just won't admit it. EIn battle, victory is justice. Mercy is earned — not automatic. FFirmly. The moment we abandon our principles, we become what we fight against. NEXT QUESTION → 08 When you're not saving the world, what does life look like? The person behind the mask is always the more interesting story. ATrying to juggle school, a part-time job, and not failing my friends. BWorking as a lawyer by day, fighting for justice in court and on the streets. CRunning a global company, attending galas, and pretending I'm sleeping enough. DQuiet. Isolated. Surviving with a clear mission and no distractions. ENavigating a bizarre and fascinating mortal world — coffee is extraordinary. FAdapting to a world decades ahead of everything I knew. Quietly, stubbornly. NEXT QUESTION → 09 What keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you're honest about what you're actually afraid of. AThe people I couldn't save — and the ones I might not reach in time tomorrow. BWhether the monster I fight every night is starting to live inside me too. CThe threats I can see coming and whether my tech is actually good enough. DNothing. Silence is the only peace I get. I've made my choices. EWhether I'm truly worthy — of the hammer, of the throne, of the people I protect. FA world where no one stands up anymore. Where good people do nothing. NEXT QUESTION → 10 The battle is lost. You're outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do? This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully. ACrack a joke to buy a second, then find the one web shot that changes everything. BBlock out everything except the sound of the next threat — and keep going. CActivate the emergency protocol I built for exactly this scenario. Always have a plan. DI don't accept that it's lost. I keep fighting until I physically cannot anymore. ECall the lightning. All of it. The storm answers to me. FPick up the shield. Stand up. Because as long as I can stand, it's not over. REVEAL MY HERO → Your Hero Has Been Identified Your MCU Hero Is…Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed. 🕷️ Spider-ManYou carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — funny, loyal, and endlessly self-sacrificing. You do the right thing not because it's easy, but because no one else will. You understand that responsibility isn't a burden you choose — it's one that finds you. Whether it's a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up. Peter Parker's lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn't a slogan to you. It's the code you live by, even when it costs you everything. 😈 DaredevilYou fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free. You use every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks. You've looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been easy. Matt Murdock's duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own. Relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop. That is exactly you. 🤖 Iron ManBrilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem. You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic. You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility. Tony Stark's arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too. You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you're willing to give everything. Because in the end, you're Iron Man. 💀 The PunisherYou've been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What's left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief. You don't ask for forgiveness, and you don't expect gratitude. You see a corrupt, broken world and you've decided to do something about it, consequences be damned. Frank Castle's war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours. Uncompromising and unflinching — the world may not agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute. ⚡ ThorPowerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry. You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility and growth. You're larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on. Thor's story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector. You bring the storm when it's needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much. 🛡️ Captain AmericaYou believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will. You don't bully the small guy, and you never stop when it gets hard. Steve Rogers didn't become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you. Your strength isn't in your fists; it's in your refusal to compromise what's right, no matter the cost. In a world full of people taking the easy road, you're the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time. ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ Marvel's Multiversal Mania: Secret Wars (2015) Image via Marvel Comics After Avengers: Doomsday, the next Avengers film to come next year is Avengers: Secret Wars. While the 2015 story isn't the first comic to have the title of "Secret Wars", the 2027 movie seems to be taking the most inspiration from Secret Wars (2015), a multiversal crossover unlike any other. Now is the perfect time to revisit this seminal storyline, especially those who want to know what could happen in the 2027 movie. Secret Wars is a chaotic and exciting crossover that brings most of the heroes in the Marvel Universe into Battleworld, a planet that exhibits key traits from all other major universes. The storyline is famous for also bringing Miles Morales into the main Marvel continuity, so perhaps something like that could happen in the MCU, too. Jean Grey's Beginnings: X-Men Origins: Jean Grey (2008) Image via Marvel Comics While the "X-Men Origins" title scheme may leave a bad taste in most people's mouths—thanks to the X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie—there is a comic series that does everything that film tried to do, but far better. One of the best entries, however, is X-Men Origins: Jean Grey (2008). With beautiful artwork by Mike Mayhew and a great story by Sean McKeever, this installment is iconic. It is quite easily one of the best variants of the legendary character's origin story. It revisits her childhood and first meeting with Charles Xavier while also showing her early years in the X-Men, including her path to find herself and her role in the team, all while dealing with past trauma. It's a good take on the classic character, and a great starting point for anyone interested in her larger story. The Best Doom Origin: Books Of Doom (2005) Image via Marvel Comics Ed Brubaker is one of the most famous comic book writers of all time, and one of his best works is, without a doubt, Books Of Doom (2005). From the evidence shown in the trailer, there's no doubt that the origin of Doctor Doom in the upcoming fifth Avengers installment is going to be far different from the comic, which means it's a great idea to give one of the best origin stories of Doctor Doom a read. Books Of Doom (2005) is easily one of the most nuanced, well-written Doom stories of all time. As expected, he's an unreliable narrator, and rather than treating him like a mustache-twirling villain, Brubaker writes Victor von Doom to be a realistic man with understandable emotions and motivations. It's a real and honest look at what goes on in the mind of a man like this. A Soft Reboot for Spidey: Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2008) Image via Marvel Comics So, with the new Spider-Man movie being titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it kind of only makes sense that fans read the "Brand New Day" story arc from the long-running Amazing Spider-Man (1999) run. Taking place between Amazing Spider-Man #546 (2008) and Amazing Spider-Man #564 (2008), this arc introduced a whole new era for the character after his identity was revealed in the "Civil War" crossover, and Aunt May was shot. Being a, well, brand new day for the hero, this is a perfect jumping-on point for those who want to read modern Spider-Man. It introduces beloved villains like Mr. Negative and is an all-around soft reset for Spidey. That's almost exactly what's happening in Spider-Man: Brand New Day after his identity was erased in Spider-Man: No Way Home, so this is an excellent and timely read. Spider-Man: Brand New Day Release Date July 29, 2026 Cast Tom Holland, Sadie Sink, Tramell Tillman, Zendaya, Jon Bernthal, Jacob Batalon, Mark Ruffalo, Liza Colón-Zayas, Florence Pugh, Marisa Tomei, Naomi Watts, Michael Mando, Keith David, Rosario Dawson, Marvin 'Krondon' Jones III, Olivia Booth-Ford, Taryn Marie Butler, Alfie Byers, Johnny Myers, Billy Clements, Dean Meminger, Zabryna Guevara, Nina Rose Galano, Olani Fagbenle, Dylan Fournier Runtime 145 minutes Director Destin Daniel Cretton Writers Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers