The 3 Greatest Marvel Comics of All Time, Ranked

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There are countless fantastic stories in the pages of Marvel comics, and we could easily recommend a hundred that you’d love. But for those seeking the essential experience, what are the three Marvel superhero comics that absolutely *everyone *should experience?

3 The Immortal Hulk

By Al Ewing, Joe Bennett, Ruy José, Paul Mounts, Cory Petit and More

Ewing and Bennett’s 2018 epic is a horror story about being the Hulk. *Immortal Hulk *mines every Hulk story ever told and discovers new themes, connections and consequences to the life of the Green Goliath, ultimately unearthing the true perpetrator of all his suffering. Over fifty issues, Ewing examines the Hulk through every possible lens, from existentialist philosophy and religious iconography to class theory and feminism.

Meanwhile, Bennett simultaneously renders the Jade Giant as walking apocalypse and tantrumming child - a modern-day Job who cannot understand his own suffering and who may shatter the world in his attempts to escape it. Cosmically ambitious and yet deeply personal, *Immortal Hulk *is one of Marvel’s most sophisticated and most compelling stories.

2 Daredevil: Born Again

By Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli, Joe Rosen and Christie Scheele

Unquestionably the ultimate Daredevil story, Born Again punches Matt Murdock to the ground and asks why he would ever want to get back up. After New York crimelord Wilson Fisk discovers Daredevil’s identity, he sets about deconstructing Matt Murdock’s life piece by piece, bringing him to an all-time low physically, financially and mentally.

Unlike many superhero stories, it’s not a given that Matt has it in him to fight back, and the alchemy of the story lies in how it manages to construct an incredibly inspiring second half from a deeply specific journey into Matt’s past and motivations. One of the best scenes in comics stars Matt’s ally Ben Urich - a journalist who Kingpin intimidates into silence, and who doesn’t have superhero iconography to inspire him back to bravery.

Mazzuchelli’s art creates a pulp underworld where there’s always further to fall, but one that can also be home if you’re tough enough to live there. The realism creates a sense of superheroes as visiting titans, and Daredevil as a normal man who - at his very best and at immense cost - can briefly stand alongside them.

Honorable Mentions:

• Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona - Alphona’s truly unique art and Wilson’s loving understanding of Kamala Khan’s headspace pitch the most compelling new superhero since the days of Stan Lee.
• ***Hawkeye *****by Matt Fraction and David Aja - **Aja’s gorgeously minimalistic art and Fraction’s focus on Hawkeye as a weaponized midlife crisis combine into the definitive study of Clint Barton’s heroic archer.
• ***X-Men *****by Chris Claremont - **Perhaps the ultimate comics masterwork, Claremont’s 17-year run on X-Men is packed with nuanced character work and countless ideas that have defined the franchise ever since. We could pull out highlights like ‘Days of Future Past’ or ‘Dark Phoenix Saga,’ but each is enhanced by the journey as much as the destination.
• ***Amazing Spider-Man *by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko and More - **The epitome of superhero comics as an ongoing story, the dream team of Ditko and Lee conjure up the most relatable superhero to ever exist, mixing slow-burn personal struggles with ‘villain of the week’ action.

1 Marvels

By Kurt Busiek, Alex Ross, Richard Starkings and John Gaushell

Photojournalist Phil Sheldon grapples with the opening days of the age of superheroes, as the Fantastic Four, Avengers, X-Men and more arrive on the scene. Busiek tells a tender story of human triumphs and failures in the face of the unknown, while Alex Ross cements his legacy as the most respected comic artist since Jack Kirby, drawing superheroes that may as well be swinging past your window.

Marvels is essential reading for any fan of the Marvel Universe, compellingly depicting the ‘shared universe’ that is mere lip service in many other stories. At the same time, Sheldon’s personal journey makes it one of Marvel’s most affecting stories, asking what role a normal person can have in a world of marvels. *Marvels *is a fantastic, beautifully drawn story that will make you care far more about every Marvel story you read afterwards.

Those are the three definitive **Marvel Comics **stories everyone should read - let us know below what you think of our ranking, as well as what other titles belong on this list.

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