10 Best Marvel Comics Since 2020

Marvel has been producing fantastic comics for years, with quality rarely dipping. However, the 2020s have been proving to be a stand-out decade for the company’s output so far, with many titles consistently selling in the Top 10 and having the critical success to match.

So far, Marvel’s most beloved books of the decade span a wide variety of character types and genres that each have varying levels of notoriety. Ultimate Spider-Man is a slow-paced drama that captured the attention of fans, while Eternals was a divine epic and quiet hit in the vein of stories like Silver Surfer: Requiem. Marvel’s current output has something for everyone while also dominating the market regarding quality.

10 Inferno Said Goodbye To An Era

Created By Jonathan Hickman, Stefano Caselli, Valerio Schiti, David Curiel, Joe Sabino, Adriano Di Benedetto, & R.B. Silva

The legendary Jonathan Hickman kickstarted mutantkind’s time on Krakoa. While the writer was not able to end the saga on his own terms, the Inferno miniseries was his farewell to the project. Illustrated by various artists who helped define the Krakoa era, the comic was a mystery focusing primarily on Mystique.

Mystique’s motives in the title were very clear: above all else, she would get her wife Destiny back. With this plot balanced with the political intrigue established in House of X and Powers of X, Inferno already had the shape of a fantastic comic. But what set it apart was its inclusion of sci-fi, coming through via the awakening of Nimrod. The new step in Sentinel technology represented an evolution that went beyond mutants, seemingly mankind’s response to homo superior—and it represented all the consequences that came with such a thing.

9 Eternals Changed 50 Years Of Comics

Created By Kieron Gillen, Esad Ribić, Clayton Cowles, Matt Wilson, Guiu, Dustin Weaver, Edgar Salazar, & Ryan Bodenheim

While some may dismiss Gillen and Ribic’s Eternals as a cheap attempt to tie into the feature film adaptation, the comic was far more than that. Not only did it bring Gillen back into writing for the Big 2 after a brief venture into independent works, it also reinvented the concept of The Eternals as a team in a very modern setting, throwing them into a political thriller focused on the hierarchy and power struggles within a divine pantheon.

An ensemble piece focusing on a variety of characters belonging to the titular team, Eternals was an attempt at an epic that succeeded. In this title, The Eternals were almost trapped in a cycle they could not necessarily escape from. They could not truly die, with a human passing on every time an Eternal was resurrected— a reveal that retconned the team’s history and added a layer of tension to every previous Eternals story. The team could also never win at their mission to protect Earth forever and correct any excess deviations that may threaten it, either, making them Marvel’s Sisyphus in a way. The series then led into the event A.X.E.: Judgment Day, with some of the Eternals facing off against the Avengers and X-Men, the latter group seen as deviations that needed to be corrected.

Created By Al Ewing, Martin Cóccolo, Joe Sabino, Matt Wilson, Jonathan Hickman, Alex Ross, Ibraim Roberson, Carlos Magno, Greg Land, Frank D’Armata, Jan Bazaldua, Valentina Pinti, & Espen Grundejtern

Al Ewing’s expansion of his Immortal line took him to the world of Asgard and has become a recent smash hit among fans. Delving deep into the hero Thor, Ewing is on a mission to write a series that encapsulates the character’s most definitive elements, like his work on The Immortal Hulk.

So far, the run is succeeding, imbued with a tone that can only be described as ponderous, mythical, and regal. Its most memorable arc to date is Thor opposing the company Roxxon, who have purchased the rights to depict the god however they see fit. The storyline is a satire of commercialization and has some remarkable meta-commentary on some modern depictions of superheroes, with a critique on how corporations will go to any lengths to maintain any sort of relevance— a message that feels more appropriate now more than ever.

7 Daredevil Fulfilled A 40-Year Old Prophecy

Created By Chip Zdarsky, Marco Checchetto, Clayton Cowles, Jorge Fornés, Nolan Woodard, Francesco Mobili, Marcio Menus, Mattia Iacono, Rafael de Latorre, Matt Wilson, Stefano Landini, & Ann Nocenti

Chip Zdarsky’s foray into Daredevil left behind what can only be considered a generational run in the vein of Mark Waid or Brian Michael Bendis’ runs on the character. While partly bolstered by the beautiful art of Marco Checchetto, Zdarsky’s interpretation of the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen was one for the ages.

The run was rife with political commentary on the prison industrial complex and legal system, with Daredevil eventually breaking out of the system’s constraints to cease perpetuating its status quo. Matt Murdock is arguably written at his peak for most of the run, eventually quitting his law firm to rehabilitate the villains he fights and eventually taking out The Hand—but that peak quickly plateaued, showing the effect power has on anyone in the end.

6 Ultimate Spider-Man Gives Us A Twist On A Classic Hero

Created By Jonathan Hickman, Marco Checchetto, Cory Petit, David Messina, Matt Wilson, & Joe Sabino

Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe line is the company’s current critical and commercial darling, with Ultimate Spider-Man as the first proper ongoing set within this universe. As a result, the series had a heavy burden to carry, headlining an entire alternate Earth, but it did so with absolute gusto.

Set in a world where Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man as a middle-aged man with a family, Ultimate Spider-Man is built on an already unique premise— but the premise alone does not carry the story, which is where its unique themes come in. Ultimate Spider-Man is built on the core concept of feeling like something was stolen from one’s life and seeking to fill the void left behind by any means necessary. Its slow burn-style plot allows for an excellent way to explore this new status quo, from political intrigue with the Osborns to fleshing out the Parker family to even grappling with the criminal underworld of New York.

5 Moon Knight Combined Eras for a Definitive Version

Created By Jed MacKay, Alessandro Cappuccio, Cory Petit, Federico Sabbatini, Rachelle Rosenberg, Danny Lore, Alessandro Vitti, & Creees Lee

Originally greenlit to promote the Disney+ show of the same name, Jed Mackay’s saga for the titular character ended up as one of Moon Knight’s best comic runs. While fans were apprehensive due to the character’s appearances in Jason Aaron’s Avengers that Mackay had to follow up, the comic truly shooed all worries away.

MacKay’s Moon Knight already had a fantastic basis with its depiction of Marc Spector— introducing therapy as a regular part of his life and actually exploring the character’s faith as a Jewish man, rather than briefly touching on the subject as some previous series had— but what set the run apart was its unique approach to a supporting cast. MacKay brought back several older characters from both Moon Knight and Marvel’s history, in many cases, fleshing these characters out to be both memorable and endearing, and in one case, giving them a new identity and leading role altogether.

4 Beta Ray Bill Modernized A Fan Favorite

Created By Daniel Warren Johnson, Joe Sabino, & Mike Spicer

Overnight comic sensation Daniel Warren Johnson’s one and only Marvel title prior to his recruitment for Transformers as part of Image’s Energon Universe, Beta Ray Bill was a fantastic addition to his growing catalog of work. Focusing on the titular Beta Ray Bill, one of Thor’s most prominent supporting characters, the 2021 series was a deep character study of the hero.

As Beta Ray Bill traveled the cosmos to find a replacement for his hammer, the comic explored his insecurities, from feeling like he was trapped in Thor’s shadow to his alien and horse-like appearance. But, beyond the character work, this comic was stunning due to its visuals; dynamism and vibrancy were emphasized at every corner, with the artwork constantly popping off the page. Daniel Warren Johnson’s love of wrestling is very apparent in all of his work, with Beta Ray Bill as no exception.

3 Fantastic Four Is a Return to the Silver Age

Ryan North, Iban Coello, Ivan Fiorelli, Jesus Aburtov, Joe Caramanga, Alex Ross, Leandro Fernández, Carlos Gómez, Francesco Mortarino, Brian Reber, & Fernando Sifuentes

Ryan North’s run on Fantastic Four is yet another in a series of sleeper hits common for the group of superheroic explorers, with the book already considered a fan-favorite and mandatory reading for them. Returning to emphasizing family dynamics, action-packed adventures, and quick-witted quipping.

North’s approach to writing for the Fantastic Four has been described as somewhat Silver Age in nature. Not because the plotlines are nonsensical or because Jack Kirby is on pencils— though the artwork of Iban Coello and a storyline set in an alternate universe of dinosaurs are nothing to sneeze at— but because of its return back to the classic formula of episodic sci-fi adventures. While not the deepest or most thought-provoking book on shelves right now, Ryan North’s Fantastic Four surely is one of the most exciting and entertaining for fans of the superhero genre.

2 X-Men: Red Gave Us A New Race Of Mutants

Created By Al Ewing, Stefano Caselli, Federico Blee, Ariana Maher, Andrés Genolet, Joann Cabal, Michael Maria, Cory Petit, Matt Wilson, Fernando Sifuentes, Jacopo Camagni, Luca Pizzari, Rafael Pimentel, Stefano Landini, Yıldıray Çınar, Raphael Draccon, Marcelo Costa, & Felipe Sobreiro

The Krakoa era of X-Men presented many spinoff titles, from X of Swords to Hellions to both runs of Marauders, but X-Men: Red was truly one of the era’s highlights. Returning Storm back to the fan-favorite and iconic role of leader she once had, the series explored the Mutants of Arakko, a Krakoa-like civilization founded on Mars.

The Mutants of Arakko are a group almost deific in nature, taking heavily from Egyptian and West African gods in their visual design and aesthetics— in stark contrast to the Abrahamic religious inspiration behind the depiction of Magneto and Professor X in House of X/Powers of X. Exploring the nature of indigenous peoples and the cultures they live under, X-Men: Red and the Arakki are perfect parallels to X-Men and the story of Krakoa.

Created By Jonathan Hickman, Valerio Schiti, Marte Gracia, & Travis Lanham

One of Jonathan Hickman and Valerio Schiti’s best collaborations, G.O.D.S. was a comic fashioned from a series bible Hickman created during his hiatus from Marvel after Secret Wars. Featuring a cast of wholly original yet fully fleshed-out characters, G.O.D.S. was a series of standalone issues delving into unexplored aspects of Marvel’s mystical world. Brought to life by Schiti’s ever-stunning art, every page was full of detail and life.

G.O.D.S. was a title that explored the space between magic and science in the Marvel universe and the balance that had to be struck between the two. The narrative itself was also remarkably existential, which suited the story’s larger scope. It presented a beautiful story about how individuals preserve their dreams and sense of self as they operate in worlds and systems far greater than themselves.