The 10 Greatest Avengers Comic Book Runs of All Time, Ranked

The Avengers are hugely popular, largely due to the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, those movies are all inspired by over six decades of Marvel Comics. While some Avengers comics weren’t particularly noteworthy, certain creative teams delivered truly exceptional stories that still deserve attention. Here’s our list of the ten best Avengers comic book runs ever.

10. All-New, All-Different Avengers and Avengers by Mark Waid

As a longtime comics fan, I already knew Mark Waid was a huge talent – stuff like Kingdom Come and his run on The Flash were amazing. But when he took over Avengers, he really shook things up! In 2016’s All-New, All-Different Avengers, he kept a few familiar faces like Tony Stark, but brought in a fantastic new team. We got to see Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel, Miles Morales as Spider-Man, Jane Foster wielding Thor’s hammer, and the young Nova, Sam Alexander, all fighting alongside the originals. Plus, it was awesome to finally see Sam Wilson officially as Captain America, not just the Falcon. It felt like a fresh start for the team, and I was totally here for it.

Mark Waid brought a fresh, multi-generational dynamic to the Avengers, showcasing both veteran and new heroes in a way the team hadn’t experienced before. Talented artists like Adam Kubert and Mahmud Asrar further enhanced his run. While some of the younger heroes eventually formed their own team, the Champions, Waid continued to write the original Avengers in a new series. He concluded his work in 2018 with the ambitious No Surrender storyline, which is considered one of the most impressive Avengers stories of the 21st century. Though relatively short, his run left a lasting impact.

Issues in Mark Waid’s Avengers Run

All-New, All-Different Avengers #1-16, Avengers (vol.6) #1-11, Avengers (vol.1) #675-690 (2016-2018)

9. Uncanny Avengers by Rick Remender, w/John Cassaday, Adam Kubert, Daniel Acuña, and Steve McNiven (2012-2014)

Although the Avengers and the X-Men both first appeared in 1963, they were often rivals rather than allies. It wasn’t until the 2012 comic series Uncanny Avengers that the two teams officially joined forces. Written by Rick Remender and featuring stunning artwork by John Cassaday, Adam Kubert, and others, the series emerged after the events of Avengers vs. X-Men. Feeling that the Avengers hadn’t done enough to support mutants, Captain America proposed a new team—the Avengers Unity Squad—comprising members from both groups.

The Uncanny Avengers team featured a unique mix of heroes, including popular Avengers like Wonder Man and Scarlet Witch, alongside key X-Men characters like Rogue and Havok. The comics consistently delivered strong stories that focused on the complicated relationship between humans and mutants, all while pitting the Avengers against powerful foes such as the Red Skull and his S-Men. Although Rick Remender’s time writing the series was short – only two years – it was highly acclaimed. Subsequent writers continued the Avengers Unity Squad, but with mixed success. Many believe that if Remender had written the series for a longer period, it would be even more highly regarded, as his storytelling was truly exceptional.

Issues in Rick Remender’s Uncanny Avengers Run:

Uncanny Avengers (vol.1) #1-24, 2012-2014

8. Avengers and West Coast Avengers by John Byrne with Paul Ryan (1988-1990)

By 1988, John Byrne was already a major star in the comic book world when he began working on The Avengers. He’d done some Avengers issues before, but this was the first time he was both writing and illustrating the series. In fact, he took on both the monthly West Coast Avengers and Avengers titles simultaneously, with Paul Ryan assisting on the art for Avengers. His initial storyline focused on Scarlet Witch and Vision learning the truth about their children, and also featured Vision being taken apart and reconstructed as “White Vision.” These stories later had a significant impact on the WandaVision series.

Chris Byrne’s time writing the series brought exciting changes, including a long space journey with Spider-Man and the introduction of the Eternal, Sersi. He also revived the original Human Torch after decades! Byrne’s stories were grand, action-packed, and genuinely enjoyable. He even managed to make older, less popular ideas, like the Lava Men, feel dangerous again. Plus, he created the hilarious Great Lakes Avengers, a team that alone makes his run legendary.

Issues in John Byrne’s Avengers Run:

West Coast Avengers (vol.1) #42-57 Annual #4, Avengers (vol.1) #305-317, Annual #19, 1988-1990

7. The Avengers by Stan Lee, with Jack Kirby, Don Heck (1963-1966)

When Marvel’s publisher, Martin Goodman, asked Stan Lee to create a team like DC’s Justice League, Lee took a different approach and instead launched the Fantastic Four. By 1963, Marvel had developed enough individual heroes to form their own supergroup, leading to the creation of The Avengers. The first two issues, crafted by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, brought together Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, the Wasp, and the Hulk. The very first issue also established Loki as a key enemy for the team.

The Avengers truly began to flourish with issue #4 when Stan Lee added Captain America to the lineup. Captain America’s leadership filled a crucial gap, and from then on, Stan Lee’s creative energy surged. Although Jack Kirby departed relatively soon after, talented artist Don Heck took over. Despite only working on the series for 35 issues and three years, Stan Lee established many of the core ideas that define the Avengers today – including the concept of a rotating roster and the introduction of iconic villains like Kang.

Issues in Stan Lee’s Avengers Run:

Avengers (vol.1) #1-35, 1963-1966

6. The Ultimates by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch (2002-2005)

Honestly, when I first stumbled upon The Ultimates, I was a little confused. The comic calls them ‘The Ultimates,’ but let’s be real – they’re the Avengers! When Marvel started their Ultimate Universe back in 2000, they kicked things off with Spider-Man and the X-Men. But when it was time for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, the folks at Marvel thought the ‘Avengers’ name had lost some of its shine. So, they gave this team a new title, even though it was clearly Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Giant-Man, the Wasp, and the Hulk – the classic Avengers lineup, just with a different label!

Mark Millar gained recognition at DC with his work on The Authority, and he brought his signature edgy style and satirical approach to superheroes when he joined Marvel. Along with artist Bryan Hitch, he created Ultimates, which felt like a big-budget action movie. It’s clear that Marvel’s Avengers films drew a lot of inspiration from this series. Looking back, the one aspect of Ultimates that doesn’t hold up well is Millar’s portrayal of the heroes – they often come across as selfish and even a little sociopathic. Some of his updates to characters like Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver also feel uncomfortable today. However, the series’ impressive scope and creativity still make it worthwhile.

Issues in Mark Millar’s The Ultimates Run:

The Ultimates #1-13, Annual #1, The Ultimates 2 #1-13, 2002-2007

5. The Avengers by Roy Thomas, with John Buscema, Sal Buscema, Neal Adams, (1966-1971)

Roy Thomas became the writer of Avengers in 1966 with issue #36, taking over from Stan Lee. He’s largely responsible for shaping the Avengers into the team we know and love today. Though following Stan Lee would have been a challenge, Thomas actually exceeded his mentor’s work. During his time writing the series, he brought back Thor and Iron Man after they’d been absent for a while, and he created the Vision – the first hero designed specifically to be an Avenger. He also gave the non-powered Hawkeye a more significant role and established the former villains Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver as vital members of the team.

Roy Thomas significantly shaped the Avengers during his five years with the series. He made Black Panther a core team member and introduced Ultron, one of their most iconic villains. Thomas heightened the dramatic, personal storylines within the team, influencing future writers, and crafted the first large-scale Avengers saga: the epic conflict with the Kree and Skrull empires. He collaborated with incredibly talented artists, most notably Neal Adams, who dramatically improved the book’s visual style, alongside other skilled artists like John and Sal Buscema. Many of the elements fans cherish about the Avengers today—and how we generally picture the team—originated during Roy Thomas’ time with the series.

Issues in Roy Thomas’ Avengers Run:

Avengers (vol.1) #35–104, 132; Annual #1–2

4. The Avengers by Roger Stern, with John Buscema and Tom Palmer, (1982-1988)

For years, the Avengers team had a consistent group of heroes, but that changed in 1982 when writer Roger Stern took over. Stern revamped the team’s lineup more dramatically than it had been in decades, since the early days of Stan Lee’s writing. He introduced new characters like Monica Rambeau, who became Captain Marvel, and added Namor, the Prince of Atlantis. Stern also gave overlooked heroes such as Hercules and Black Knight more prominent roles, and importantly, elevated the Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) from being known simply as “Ant-Man’s wife” to becoming a leader of the team.

After the Wasp, Captain Marvel took over as leader, and She-Hulk became a key member during Roger Stern’s time writing Avengers. Stern’s run really highlighted female heroes. While some new members, like Starfox and Dr. Druid, weren’t fan favorites, he deserves credit for taking risks. His most famous story, “Under Siege,” where Baron Zemo attacked the Avengers’ headquarters and turned their own defenses against them, is considered one of the greatest Avengers stories ever told. Stern worked on Avengers for five years, primarily with artists John Buscema and Tom Palmer, and their collaboration is still considered one of the best in the history of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

Issues in Roger Stern’s Avengers Run:

Avengers (vol.1) 227–279, 281–287, Annual #13–14 (1982-1988)

3. New Avengers, Mighty Avengers, Avengers (Vol. 3), and Dark Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis (2004-2013)

Around the mid-2000s, Marvel decided its core Avengers team needed a significant refresh. They brought in top talent, starting with acclaimed writer Brian Michael Bendis, and completely revamped the team’s lineup. Bendis added Spider-Man and Wolverine – two of Marvel’s biggest heroes – who had never been Avengers members before. Following the storyline Disassembled, which featured Scarlet Witch’s breakdown and Hawkeye’s death, Bendis launched New Avengers with artist David Finch, and later collaborated with a host of other talented artists including Leinil Francis Yu, Alex Maleev, Mike Deodato, and John Romita Jr.

The series was a huge hit, and New Avengers outsold X-Men for the first time in over 20 years. From the beginning, the tension between Iron Man and Captain America drove the story, eventually leading to the Civil War event by Mark Millar. Brian Bendis continued writing the series for nearly ten years, expanding it with titles like Mighty Avengers, Dark Avengers, and simply Avengers. While this run connected to many large storylines, including Secret Invasion and Dark Reign, the characters were always well-developed under Bendis’ direction.

Issues in Brian Michael Bendis’ Avengers Run:

This list details various Avengers comic book series and issues published between 2004 and 2013. It includes Avengers (volume 1) issues #500-503 and the Avengers Finale, followed by New Avengers (volumes 1 & 2) spanning issues #1-62 and #1-34 respectively. Also included are New Avengers: Illuminati (#1-5), The Mighty Avengers (#1-36), Dark Avengers (volume 1) (#1-16), Avengers Assemble (#1-8), and Avengers (volume 4) (#1-34).

2. Avengers by Jonathan Hickman (2012-2015)

Jonathan Hickman is a well-known comic book writer, having gained popularity with his work on titles like Fantastic Four and his independent series East of West. After the success of The Avengers movie, he took over the comic book series, building the team around the movie’s cast while also including popular heroes from the earlier New Avengers comics, such as Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Spider-Woman. He also introduced new characters and brought in former X-Men members like Sunspot and Cannonball. Throughout this run, Hickman collaborated with a talented group of artists, including Jerome Opena, Stefano Caselli, and Steve Epting.

Jonathan Hickman’s time writing Avengers was revolutionary, filled with incredibly creative ideas like the Avengers World and the danger of incursions from alternate universes. These storylines all led to his massive Secret Wars event in 2015. He skillfully gave every hero a purpose, managing a huge cast of characters with surprising success. No other Avengers writer has taken such big risks or expanded the scope of the series as much as Hickman. He redefined what the Avengers meant within the Marvel Universe, and fans were amazed by his vision.

Issues in Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers Run:

Avengers (vol.5) #1-44, New Avengers (vol.3) #1-33, Avengers World #1-5

1. Avengers by Kurt Busiek, with George Perez, Alan Davis, Carlos Pacheco (1997-2002)

In 1997, experienced writer Kurt Busiek relaunched the Avengers with a new #1 issue after a year-long experiment with Image Comics. He aimed for a classic approach to storytelling, updated for modern readers, as part of Marvel’s “Heroes Return” event. Working with acclaimed artists like George Perez, Alan Davis, and Carlos Pacheco, Busiek’s team successfully combined personal drama with large-scale threats, and they were arguably the best at achieving that balance.

Kurt Busiek’s five-year, 56-issue run on Avengers is considered by many to be the definitive version of the series, and remains unmatched to this day. He skillfully brought together nearly every major Avenger, while also introducing a new generation of heroes like Firestar and Justice. Busiek revitalized Carol Danvers, restoring her to prominence, and gave depth to underused characters like Wonder Man. Plus, his portrayals of classic villains like Ultron and Kang were exceptional.

Issues in Kurt Busiek’s Avengers Run:

Avengers (vol.3) #1-56, Avengers Forever #1-12, Avengers: The Ultron Imperative #1, 1997-2002

2026-02-13 02:07