BNP at Home Recommends: Marvel Tie-Ins

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 am…