More than the title of an Avenger movie, Age of Ultron is a crossover storyline by Brian Michael Bendis, with artists Bryan Hitch and Brandon Peterson. Published in 2013, it consisted of 10-issue core miniseries and a number of tie-in books.
Submit or perish! The artificial intelligence known as Ultron has fought for years to eradicate mankind…and now, it has all but succeeded. The few remaining heroes are battered, broken, almost beaten, and left considering desperate measures – some more desperate than others. But when Wolverine breaks ranks and pursues his own plan to defeat Ultron, will his drastic action cause more problems than it solves?
What to read before Age of Ultron?
You will hear voices telling you you waste your time reading Age of Ultron, an event that doesn’t require a lot of preparation thanks to its self-contained nature.
That said, some great stories have been written with Ultron, worth checking out, more than the event itself :
- Ultron Unlimited – Ultron invades and slaughters the Slorenian population and the Avengers risk all to stop him. (recommended)
- Mighty Avengers: The Ultron Initiative – Ultron takes over Tony Stark’s body/armor and nearly destroys the world.
- Annihilation: Conquest – Ultron takes over the Kree galaxy after the Annihilation war. (it is recommended to have read Annihilation for a better understanding)
Age Of Ultron Collected Editions
- Age of Ultron
Collects Avengers (2010) #12.1 and Age of Ultron #1-10. - Age of Ultron Companion
Collects Avengers Assemble #14AU-15AU, Fantastic Four (2012) #5AU, Superior Spider-Man #6AU, Ultron #1AU, Wolverine and the X-Men #27AU, Uncanny Avengers #8AU, Fearless Defenders #4AU & Age of Ultron #10AI.
Also available in hardcover:
- Age of Ultron
Collects Age of Ultron 1-10, Avengers Assemble 14AU -15AU, Fantastic Four 5AU, Fearless Defenders 4AU, Superior Spider -Man 6AU, Ultron 1AU, Uncanny Avenger s 8AU, Wolverine & the X-Men 27AU, Avengers 10AI
Age Of Ultron Reading Order:
Find almost all of the issues here.
- Avengers 12.1 (prologue)
- Avengers Assemble #14AU
- Avengers Assemble #15AU
- Fantastic Four #5AU (takes place before Age of Ultron #1, but can also be read as it was published, after the first two Age of Ultron issues.)
- Age of Ultron #1
- Age of Ultron #2
- Age of Ultron #3
- Superior Spider-Man #6AU (Chronologically this book is before Age of Ultron #3, but spoil a little bit this issue.)
- Age of Ultron #4
- Ultron #1AU
- Age of Ultron #5
- Age of Ultron #6
- Wolverine and the X-Men #27AU (This issue is presented as being read before Age of Ultron #6, but to better understand Sue Richards and Wolverine’s story, it is better to read it after.)
- Age of Ultron #7
- Age of Ultron #8
- Uncanny Avengers #8AU
- Fearless Defenders #4AU
- Age of Ultron #9
- Age of Ultron #10
- Age of Ultron #10AI (epilogue)
Aftermath
You can read about the ramification of the event in:
What to read after Age of Ultron?
Jump into the following event in the Marvel Universe with Infinity by Jonathan Hickman (see reading order) or reconnect with Ultron thanks to Rick Remender with Rage of Ultron. And for more Brian Michael Bendis’ Avengers, see this reading order.