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Lord Vatek

Avenger
Jan 18, 2018
21,509
I don't want to go too deep into the golden age so I will be starting with Fantastic Four #1 and working up from there. I plan to use Marvel Unlimited for the majority of them and my local library's surprisingly extensive collection of trades to cover any gaps.

I'm trying to find a good, comprehensive listing of all of the 616 comics (preferably in release order) but Google has proven unreliable. Any suggestions on that front, and any other potential pieces of general advice, would be greatly appreciated.
 

PlanetSmasher

The Abominable Showman
Member
Oct 25, 2017
115,655
You would be dead before you made it halfway through, and that's not an exaggeration. Never mind the fact that lots of issues are likely lost to time.
 

Brakke

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
3,798
There is no reason to do this.

Pick up fishing or something. Learn to golf. Read a real book. Get a PhD in theoretical physics.
 

Anth0ny

Member
Oct 25, 2017
46,991
lol I actually tried this. only made it a few years in starting with fantastic four #1 before I... got a job and had to stop.

it was definitely fun at first because everything was just prime stan lee but it ain't easy to just keep going
 

Freddy=Legend

Drive-in Mutant
Member
Oct 29, 2017
5,125
Ummm, all of it...? From Fantastic Four #1....? Do you plan to do literally anything else with your waking hours other than read?

Good luck
 
OP
OP
Lord Vatek

Lord Vatek

Avenger
Jan 18, 2018
21,509
For the record, I don't plan to do this all in one sitting. Just casually in my free time. I don't really care how long it takes.
 

DeathPeak

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,991
Good luck! I've been reading Amazing Spider-Man and Doctor Strange alone, and it's taking a looooong time. Stan Lee writes A LOT of text.
 

Kapryov

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,135
Australia
Don't listen to the naysayers, OP, do it if you think you can.
And keep us updated every few years as you reach milestones.
 

TheYanger

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
10,152
This is like flippantly saying that you've decided to watch every film ever released in major american cinema - but don't worry, not in one sitting.
 

Vault

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,614
60s comics can be tough to read like only Spider Man really holds up in my opinion

Fantastic four doesn't get great until like 40 issues in

X men is terrible before the Claremont run
 

Anth0ny

Member
Oct 25, 2017
46,991
Good luck! I've been reading Amazing Spider-Man and Doctor Strange alone, and it's taking a looooong time. Stan Lee writes A LOT of text.

Yeah, that golden/silver age style of writing is crazy. Gotta explain every little thing + plug other comics. Every. single. issue.

Made those early ones a tough read, even though the stories themselves are great.
 
OP
OP
Lord Vatek

Lord Vatek

Avenger
Jan 18, 2018
21,509
https://cmro.travis-starnes.com/reading-order.php

Its still being worked on but its about 28,000 issues sorted.

This looks like what I was looking for. Thanks!

I think this is the most comprehensive?

Https://comicbookreadingorders.com/marvel/marvel-master-reading-order/

Oh wait you mean with no edited lists? Yeah good luck... Even the condensed lists like above are massive.

This looks like a good back-up in case I decide to start skipping some of the more pointless issues (which very well might happen).
 

DrScruffleton

Member
Oct 26, 2017
12,548
I once tried to read only the Thor comics from the beginning. I got a a year or two into the series and then gave up
 

DeathyBoy

Member
Oct 29, 2017
3,430
Under my Hela Hela
For the record, I don't plan to do this all in one sitting. Just casually in my free time. I don't really care how long it takes.

Can't be done.

Even if you go from Fantastic Four 1, that's fifty plus years. And if you're going for completion, you have to go from the first Submariner/Cap A comic in the 1930s. And as they aren't going to stop making comics anytime soon, yikes.

Just read the big event comics.
 

excelsiorlef

Bad Praxis
Member
Oct 25, 2017
73,325
I don't want to go too deep into the golden age so I will be starting with Fantastic Four #1 and working up from there. I plan to use Marvel Unlimited for the majority of them and my local library's surprisingly extensive collection of trades to cover any gaps.

I'm trying to find a good, comprehensive listing of all of the 616 comics (preferably in release order) but Google has proven unreliable. Any suggestions on that front, and any other potential pieces of general advice, would be greatly appreciated.

Ummm pretty sure you'll die of old age before you get to like say the year 2000
 

Sgt. Demblant

Self-requested ban
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
7,030
France
Well, Cap showed up in the 40s, so you obviously need to start there otherwise nothing will make sense.
And don't you dare skip the 50s monster comics from Atlas. A lot of these monsters would reappear later in series like Fantastic Four.

You should also track down every single zero and -1 issue and read them beforehand.

Easy.
 

Starlite

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
565
You are absolutely out of your mind. Big universe comics like Marvel and DC are not meant to be read this way. They were never written with the idea or expectation that you would read everything, maybe just a couple ongoing series at a time. There's just too much content, so much content that you're gonna burn yourself out. Character and story arcs more or less get a refresh every few years or so, with past stories getting thrown by the wayside until they become relevant again at any particular author's discretion.

If it took you 10 minutes to read an issue, and you took an hour each day to read at least six issues, every single day, reading all ~28,000 Marvel comics would take you close to 13 years. And that's not counting the time taken to search for and load each individual issue. That'll add some more time.

10 minutes per issue is really pushing it, at that point you're really rushing through the issue, not really taking in the art and just giving it little more than a passing glance. And that's modern comics, the writing in the 60s and 70s was for more dense and will take you significantly longer. And of course there's the many, many Giant-Sized issues that will take you even longer...

I you're gonna try anything at all like this, I would least start with a character/team that you particularity like and focus on that. I still wouldn't recommend starting at the very first #1 and reading up to modern day. But pretty much every major Marvel characters has at least one critically-lauded run, and there's usually issues that are made to get reader up to speed on origins/relevant past adventures in order to hit the ground running as soon as possible.
 
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TEP

Member
Oct 25, 2017
114
I tried doing this with just the Fantastic Four books last summer. I gave up around 70 issues in.

Don't underestimate how much longer it takes to read older comics. Like others have said, they're way more wordy than modern ones.
 

Fatmanp

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,438
Damn that would be a chore. I can't even imagine a full read through of X Men or Spiderman.
 

Yams

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,844
Don't do this. Mainly because 50% of it is probably bad.


Also, Just read the FF issues that were basically Jack Kirby doing everything and Stan Lee was acting as his editor and letterman
 

Seijuro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,858
Good luck with that, I hope you make it through, but that's a giant undertaking.Just be prepared to wade through a lot of bad runs too.

And have fun sorting through issues once the big crossovers start, which is a tall order even when you are currently in the loop.