Written by Jonathan Hickman with artwork by a rotating team of artists including Jim Cheung, Jerome Opeña, and Dustin Weaver, “Infinity” is a 2013 cosmic-size crossover storyline (during Marvel NOW!) set primarily around Avengers and New Avengers.
The Mad Titan Thanos makes his world-shattering return, and his armies fire the opening shots of a galactic war that will be fought both on Earth and in deep space – with our heroes caught between both battles! As every Origin Site on Earth goes active, the Builders enter the Marvel Universe. But can the Avengers win a war against the Builders and Thanos on two different fronts?
What to read before Infinity?
To prepare for “Infinity”, Marvel collected multiple stories from multiple older comics in Infinity Incoming! Let’s notice the effort, here!
- Infinity Incoming!
Collects Inhumans Vol. 2 #2, Thanos Rising #1, Avengers Vol. 5 #1-2, New Avengers Vol. 3 #2, and material from Thor Vol. 1 #146-149
More importantly, to have a better understanding of team dynamics, just read the first issues of Avengers and New Avengers by Hickman:
- Avengers Vol. 1: Avengers World
Collects Avengers #1-6: - Avengers Vol. 2: The Last White Event
Collects Avengers #7-11 - New Avengers Vol. 1: Everything Dies
Collects New Avengers (2013) #1-12
Infinity Reading Order: Collected Editions
- Infinity Hardcover
Collects Infinity #1-6, New Avengers Vol. 3 #7-12, Avengers Vol 5. #14-23, Infinity: Against the Tide Infinite Comic #1-2 - Infinity Companion Hardcover
Collects Captain Marvel Vol. 7 #15-16, Thunderbolts Vol. 2 #14-18, Avengers Assemble Vol. 2 #18-20, Infinity: The Hunt #1-4, Mighty Avengers Vol. 2 #1-3, Nova Vol. 5 #8-9, Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #3-4, Infinity: Heist #1-4, Fearless Defenders #10, Secret Avengers Vol. 2 #10-11, Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 #8-9, Wolverine & The X-Men Annual #1
Also collected in TPBs:
- Avengers, Vol. 3: Prelude to Infinity
Avengers Vol. 5 #12-17 - Avengers Vol. 4: Infinity
Avengers Vol. 5 #18-23 - New Avengers Vol. 2: Infinity
New Avengers Vol. 3 #7-12 - Infinity: Heist/Hunt
Infinity: Heist #1-4, Infinity: The Hunt #1-4
Infinity Reading Order: Issue by Issue
Prelude to Infinity
- New Avengers #7
- Avengers #14
- Avengers #15
- Avengers #16
- Avengers #17
The Main Event
In bold, you will find what is essential to read. The rest are tie-ins.
- Infinity #1
- Infinity: Against the Tide #1 (2013)
- Infinity: Against the Tide #2
- Nova Vol. 5 #8
- Nova Vol. 5 #9
- Thunderbolts Vol. 2 #14
- Avengers Vol. 5 #18
- Avengers Assemble Vol. 2 #18
- Captain Marvel Vol. 7 #15
- New Avengers Vol. 3 #8 (labelled as part of the prelude, but takes place after Infinity #1)
- Thunderbolts Vol. 2 #15
- Mighty Avengers Vol. 2 #1
- Mighty Avengers Vol. 2 #2
- Mighty Avengers Vol. 2 #3
- New Avengers Vol. 3 #9
- Infinity: The Hunt #1 (for better comprehension, it is adviced to read the whole story at once)
- Infinity: The Hunt #2
- Infinity: The Hunt #3
- Infinity: The Hunt #4
- Infinity #2
- Avengers Vol. 5 #19
- Thunderbolts Vol. 2 #16
- New Avengers Vol. 3 #10
- Infinity #3
- Captain Marvel Vol. 7 #16
- Avengers Assemble Vol. 2 #19
- Avengers Vol. 5 #20
- Thunderbolts Vol. 2 #17
- Thunderbolts Vol. 2 #18
- Infinity #4
- Avengers Vol. 5 #21
- New Avengers Vol. 3 #11
- Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #3
- Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #4
- Fearless Defenders #10
- Infinity: Heist #1 (this story began before the invasion of Earth, but like Hunt, mostly stand independent and better to read in at once)
- Infinity: Heist #2
- Infinity: Heist #3
- Infinity: Heist #4
- Avengers Assemble Vol. 2 #20
- Secret Avengers Vol. 2 #10
- Secret Avengers Vol. 2 #11
- Infinity #5
- Avengers Vol. 5 #22
- Avengers Vol. 5 #23
- Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3 #8
- Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3 #9
- Infinity #6
- New Avengers Vol. 3 #12
- Wolverine and the X-Men Annual #1 (2013)
Aftermath
What to read after Infinity?
After Infinity comes phase 2 of Jonathan Hickman’s run on Avengers and New Avengers which concludes with the Event Time Runs Out. Also, Infinity directly starts the Inhumanity event (the reading order is here).