Read The Movie You Already Love

Civil War, Winter Soldier, Infinity Gauntlet, Logan, Flashpoint — the source books behind the blockbusters. It's a hand-picked shelf of 9 picks — the comics the films stole from.

Pick the film you've rewatched most and buy its source book. On this page the picks are listed in recommended order, so "Civil War" is the one to buy first.

The fastest way into comics is to start with a story you already know the shape of. Every book here was strip-mined for a film, and in every case the comic goes places the film couldn't. You already know the characters, so the only new thing is the medium — which is exactly the point of this shelf.

No. Every pick here is beginner-friendly and reads on its own, so you can start with any of them without prior reading or continuity homework.

Picks start from around $15 and cover comics. Prices change often on Amazon, so each item links straight to its current listing — buy the whole shelf at once or work through it one pick at a time.

Every pick links directly to its Amazon listing. Explaining Superheroes earns a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you — nothing here is paid placement.