Dark Reign: The List (2009)
Writers: Various / Artists: Various / Marvel Comics
For a time, Norman Osborn ruled the Marvel Universe and it was known as the Dark Reign. The government had the bright idea to put old Stormin Norman in charge. He created his own Avengers made up of former villains, headed up his own version S.H.I.E.L.D called H.A.M.M.E.R, and hunted down the greatest threats to his reign. Dark Reign: The List is a great collection of individual issues where Marvel’s greatest heroes become Marvel’s most wanted. One by one, Norman sends his worst to hunt down all the heroes that oppose him, from Wolverine and the Punisher to the Avengers and Spider-Man. It’s probably one of the tie-ins that best encapsulates this era of Marvel.
Spider-Man The Gauntlet (2009-2010)
Writers: Various / Artists: Various / Marvel Comics
This is not really a tie-in but a prelude to the Grim Hunt event. So technically it counts. There have been plenty of classic Spider-Man arcs over the past decade, from Superior Spider-Man to Spider-Verse. One of my personal favorites – The Gauntlet. Spider-Man is known for having a couple of bad days but how about a bad couple of weeks? Several writers take the task of putting Peter through the wringer as one after the other he faces each of his classic villains. While these encounters are meant to push Peter to his limits, it’s the reintroduction of classic Spidey villains that really shine. Dan Slott, Joe Kelly, and Mark Waid are just a few of the amazing writers assemble to bring together this arc. They do great character work, where the villains act as the focus and we reexamine what we know about those characters. Not to mention artists who all set the tone for each villain Spidey encounters.
Secret Wars Journal/Battleworld (2015)
Writers: Various / Artists: Various / Marvel Comics
I love Secret Wars and it remains my favorite event series from Marvel in the last decade. However, the drama of the main series overshadows a lot of its bonkers setting, and readers don’t really get to explore Doom’s patchwork of multiverses known as Battleworld. That’s where Secret Wars Journal/Battleworld comes in. It’s a fun collection of stories that takes readers from one section of the Battleworld to the next. Want to see an Elizabethan era Kate Bishop, who is basically Robin Hood? It’s got you. Punisher and Iron Fist guarding a continent-sized wall called the Shield that holds back all manner of zombies, Ultron bots, and space bugs. You betcha. If you like multiverses as much as I do, you’ll love seeing strange, dark, and wacky versions of your favorite Marvel characters.
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