There are no more movies, folks. At least for a little while. One of the side effects of us having to sit our asses at home for the indefinite future is that just about all the biggest movies have been delayed until later this year or into the next. If you find yourself jonesing for some of that good-good superhero action, don’t worry. I got you.
For the MCU Stans
Avengers: Time Runs Out/Secret Wars
Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame mark one of the most impressive feats of superhero cinema. It fully replicated the crossover experience in a way that was thrilling, rewarding and surprisingly emotional. If you’ve managed to get through that, admittedly, mean-as-fuck double-feature and want that same hit, give Johnathan Hickman’s Avengers run a try.
Hickman divided his run into Avengers and New Avengers. The former was about saving the world, the latter was about preventing the death of the multiverse, often through morally complicated means. These two tones were in a collision course and reached a head in the Time Runs Out. The Ultimate universe and Earth-616 (the official Marvel universe) were on a collision course and there was nothing the heroes of both worlds could do to stop it.
The aftermath of this event led to Secret Wars. Secret Wars, in my humble opinion, is one of if not the best superhero crossover event. It’s a grand-scale epic that manages to pay off years of storytelling and set up a new status quo for the Marvel universe without ever feeling cheap or losing momentum. Most crossovers start strong and then lose steam halfway through. Secret Wars goes hard off jump and never stops, delivering huge set pieces and great character moments the entire way through.
If you’re looking to scratch your Marvel Cinematic Universe itch, look no further than Avengers and Secret Wars.
For the Folks Still Making Chadwick Throw Up the Wakanda Forever
Black Panther by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Black Panther was a banger. You know it, I know it, we all know it. If you find that you just can’t wait until May 2022 to go back to Wakanda, Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Black Panther is right there for you. Coates’ run shares many similarities with the 2018 film. It follows T’Challa and his struggles to be a righteous man and a good king. Wakanda is not presented as a utopian ideal but a society with quite a bit of political unrest, the forces of progress and tradition creating a constant tension. Under Coates’ direction, the Black Panther line was expanded to include World of Wakanda and Rise of the Black Panther, all worthwhile reads that further flesh out the kingdom of Wakanda and those who wish to protect it. In his four years on the title, Coates has crafted a true epic. A comic book that often has a lot on its mind but never forgets to entertain.
For Those Hoping The Batman Isn’t Delayed
Batman and Robin (2009-2011) by Grant Morrison
If you, like me, have been in dismay that it’s been almost a whole decade since a good Batman movie was made, you’ve been clinging on to the hope that The Batman will be good. With production delayed due to the world being on fire, there are worries the film will be delayed from its 2021 release date.
I suggest reading Grant Morrison’s 2009-2011 run on Batman and Robin. In this version, Bruce Wayne got drop-kicked through time during the events of Final Crisis. This has led to the mantle of Batman being picked up by Dick Grayson, the OG Robin. Bruce’s son, Damien, has taken the role of Robin. This pairing marks an interesting shift in the Batman/Robin dynamic as Dick is a lighter, happier Caped Crusader and Damien is a brooding, violent Boy Wonder. Seeing the two grow and bond together makes for an incredible arc. Pair it with Morrison’s Batman Incorporated (my personal favorite Batman series) and you get one of the brightest and most enjoyable runs to bear the Batman name.
Those are just a few of the comics worth checking out while you’re stuck at home. Most of these can be easily found digitally through Comixology or Kindle editions on Amazon.