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So, you've seen Avengers: Endgame and you need more—but the next Marvel Studios movie isn't until July, and even then, can Spider-Man: Far From Home really deliver the massive storytelling and universe-threatening stories that you're craving? It's time, then, to turn to the comic books that built the House of Ideas in the first place. Here are five comic books to read after surviving the Endgame.
What if Thanos hadn't destroyed the Infinity Stones? The original source material for both Infinity War and Endgame offers a distinctly different version for how things could have ended that may come as a pleasant surprise for those who were hoping for a more existential resolution that also spotlights far less famous members of the Marvel Universe. It's a glimpse into a world that never happened, and a fun exploration of ideas that many thought might have ended up onscreen.
How to read it: Available digitally on Comixology and Marvel, or in the Infinity Gauntlet print collection.
The epilogue to the movie offers a significant shift to the Captain America mythology in a couple of ways, but only one of them is likely to be followed up onscreen. For the other, perhaps the best place to look for answers is this mostly forgotten issue of the alternate history comic series What If?, which asks the question, "What if Captain America Hadn't Vanished During World War II?" No, it’s not exactly the set-up teased by the end of Endgame, but it might just be the closest thing we'll ever get to it.
How to read it: Available digitally on Comixology and Marvel or in the What If? Classic Vol. 1 print collection.
For those who needed more of the Professor Hulk persona, look no further than the early-1990s era of the Incredible Hulk comic book series, in which Bruce Banner appeared to come to terms with his situation, and took charge of the possibilities offered by a gamma-powered body, leading to something not unlike the Professor Hulk—albeit one with a far drier sense of humor and more direct methods of trying to make the world a better place in his eyes. Of course, things don't necessarily work out too well, but that's pretty much the fun of it all…
How to read it: Available digitally at Comixology and Marvel, or the Incredible Hulk Visionaries: Peter David Vols. 6-8, as well as the Incredible Hulk Epic Collection: Ghosts of the Past, Incredible Hulk Epic Collection: Future Imperfect, and Incredible Hulk Epic Collection: Fall of the Pantheon print collections.
If we're talking about time travel stories involving Earth's mightiest heroes, then this 12-part series in which Avengers from different eras and time periods are brought together to deal with a threat from across all history can't be ignored. Imagine a story even more grand in scale than Endgame, and a cast of characters more kooky than any we've seen in theaters just yet—cowboys, mid-20th century pulp heroes, and cosmic beings—and you're about halfway to where this series goes. What's next for the MCU? This is one possible direction.
How to read it: Available digitally on Comixology and Marvel, or in the Avengers Forever print collection.
What happens in the aftermath of Thanos' death? The latest comic book incarnation of the Guardians explores that very question, and the solution isn't something that most people would be expecting—especially given that there happens to be a failsafe option that suggests that people might have been safer in a universe where Thanos was still around. One of Marvel's hottest comic books currently being published (it only launched in January), it's a good primer on what the company is up to in comics these days, and a reminder that Marvel's comic books are at their best when they zig where the movies zag.
How to read it: Available digitally on Comixology and Marvel.
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