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Marvel maxiseries have taken readers to different worlds, and some of them have fleshed out the most important characters in the House of Ideas’ history. These tales have been able to fight their way to the top of the heap, showing readers that sometimes, bigger is better. These ten Marvel maxiseries are the best out there, stories that have given readers amazing experiences.
10) The Twelve
The Marvel Universe is much bigger than most fans imagine, especially when it comes to the Golden Age of Comics. Everyone knows Captain America, Bucky, Namor, and the original Human Torch, but there are plenty of amazing Marvel heroes of the ’40s that were forgotten. The Twelve, a 12-issue maxiseries by J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Weston, follows a dozen heroes who disappeared in the last days of WWII after they are found in the present day. While having to deal with the changes to the world, they also find themselves the targets of a murderer, one who ends up being the last person anyone suspected. This book is sensational, with Straczynski bringing these forgotten heroes to the modern world flawlessly. Weston’s pencils are perfect for the story, really bringing the whole thing to life. It doesn’t get the credit it deserves, but The Twelve is fantastic.
9) The Vision
The Vision, by Tom King and Gabriel Hernandez Walta, was one of the biggest surprises of the ’10s, a series that has gone down as one of the best of the 21st century. The 12-issue series sees the Vision create his own family and try to live a “normal life”. However, a murder changes all of that, as Vision learns the secrets of his new family and has to wrestle with he who is as well. The Vision is basically a horror series, playing off the inhuman nature of the Vision and his family. King and Walta light it up with every page, giving readers surprise after surprise. This story will shock you, and it’s a story that many fans would consider perfect in every way.
8) The Punisher (Vol. 5)
The Punisher became one of the most popular Marvel heroes of the ’80s, but the ’90s saw the character lose a lot of readers, his stories becoming cliche and boring. The anti-hero was given a Marvel Knights miniseries that tried to make him a demon-killing supernatural hero and fans rebelled, leading to The Punisher (Vol. 5) #1-12, titled “Welcome Back, Frank”, by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. This story took the Punisher back to basics, a massively entertaining romp from two of the best creators in the industry in the year 2000. The Punisher’s battle against the Gnucci family is intense and has numerous moments that will burn their way into your brain. “Welcome Back, Frank” kicked off a new era of the Punisher and still stands up all these years later.
7) Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars, by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck, was the first 12-issue event book in the history of the comic industry. The series brought together the greatest heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe, in a contest to earn the ultimate prize from the One From Beyond. This story changed the way event comics worked for years, and is full of awesome moments, from Spider-Man taking the X-Men by himself to Hulk lifting a mountain to the first appearance of Spider-Man’s symbiote to Doom tasting godhood for the first time. It’s a story that has a great legacy, and some of the coolest moments of ’80s Marvel. It’s written in a rather old school way, but it’s charming, and Zeck’s art is gorgeous.
6) Black Bolt
Black Bolt is a beloved character, but he hasn’t had a lot of chances at solo success. 2017 saw the character finally get a solo book, during the disastrous Inhumans push of the late ’10s. The 12-issue series, by Saladin Ahmed and Christian Ward, saw the Inhumans leader awaken in a cosmic prison with no powers and have to figure out how to survive. Ahmed was in rare form here (mostly because everything he’s written after the book hasn’t been exactly great), really digging into the silent monarch. Ward’s art is amazing throughout, selling the script for more than it would otherwise be worth. The book won an Eisner for Best New Series or One-Shot, and deserves more praise than it gets.
