Foundational Thor stories with Stan Lee and Jack Kirby from his first appearance in Journey into Mystery in 1962. Kirby introduces Asgard as an entire universe with gods, giants and realms connected by a cosmic tree. Jack Kirby in Thor is one of the artistic peaks of American comics: the model that every Thor artist since has imitated.

Second volume with Lee and Kirby in full swing: Kirby at the absolute peak of his visual creativity and Lee taking Thor to scales no other Marvel character could handle. Sagas with Galactus, confrontations with Hela, exploration of Mephisto. Some of the most visually beautiful comics ever published by Marvel.

The Mighty Thor Omnibus Vol. 3 is the post-Kirby transition where John Buscema becomes the visual anchor for Asgard. The book matters because Thor has to keep mythic weight after Kirby leaves, and Buscema answers with anatomy, solemn staging and classical power. It is a visual evolution shelf for classic Thor, preserving the moment where John Buscema's solemn power carries Asgard after Kirby's explosive foundation.

Fourth historical volume with the entry of Gerry Conway as scriptwriter, with John Buscema consolidated on art. Conway came from shining in Amazing Spider-Man (he wrote the death of Gwen Stacy) and brings a more modern narrative to Thor without losing the grandiloquent tone. One of the lesser-known but most solid periods of the classic character.

Jason Aaron kicks off his run with one of the best Thor stories ever written: God Butcher. Gorr, a villain with real reasons to hate the gods (all his people starved to death while the deities looked on), kills gods for the cosmos. Aaron turns the conflict into a reflection on faith and responsibility. Esad Ribić on the art with digital watercolour pages.

Jane Foster takes up the mantle of Thor as she battles terminal cancer: each time she transforms, the chemo poison is nullified but the disease progresses. One of the most emotional stories in modern superhero comics — Aaron proves that the worthiness of Mjolnir is not about power but about sacrifice. Includes War of the Realms and the closing of the longest Thor run in history. Russell Dauterman delivers art that matches the epic scale of every page.

The Ultimate relaunch of the foundational Marvel team with a teenage genius Reed Richards, a college Johnny Storm, a young scientist Sue Storm and a Ben Grimm as his childhood best friend. Adam Kubert on absolute form: one of the best Marvel cartoonists of the 2000s. Co-scripted with Brian Michael Bendis.

Ultimate Spider-Man Omnibus Vol. 2 is where Bendis and Bagley prove the Ultimate version can sustain long-form Spider-Man drama, not just retell the origin. Ultimate Venom, Kraven and Peter's wider Marvel contact expand the world without losing teen intimacy. The value is momentum: Bendis and Bagley turning the alternate universe into a sustained Spider-Man shelf through dialogue, consequence and Peter's expanding Marvel world.

Ultimate Spider-Man Omnibus Vol. 3 catches the Bendis and Bagley run in full confidence. Ultimate Carnage, longer arcs and Peter's relationship with Mary Jane show a Spider-Man series no longer proving the concept, but using stability to deepen character damage. The volume shows Ultimate Spider-Man no longer proving its concept, but using stability to deepen Peter, Mary Jane and the damage caused by a more modern Marvel universe.

Ultimate Spider-Man Omnibus Vol. 4 is the transition from the historic Bendis-Bagley partnership into Stuart Immonen's cleaner, more cinematic era. The book shows the title surviving a major artistic change while Peter Parker moves toward Ultimatum pressure and darker consequences. Its role is transition: same Bendis voice, new visual language from Stuart Immonen and the road toward events that reshape the Ultimate Spider-Man line.

Start of the longest and most acclaimed run ever written about the X-Men: 16 uninterrupted years of Chris Claremont. With Dave Cockrum visually redesigning the team, Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus and Wolverine are introduced and consolidated as the new X-Men. This volume includes the first appearances and development of characters who would define Marvel for decades. Absolute starting point of the modern mutant universe and required reading for any serious Marvel collector.

John Byrne joins Claremont on art and together they create some of the most important stories ever written at Marvel: Days of Future Past and the Dark Phoenix Saga. Jean Grey, possessed by the cosmic entity Phoenix, becomes the greatest threat in the universe and sacrifices her life to save the X-Men. Absolute must-read.

Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka Omnibus gives Diana a run built on diplomacy, public scrutiny and myth rather than simple superhero spectacle. Rucka treats Wonder Woman as an ambassador with enemies in both Olympus and the modern world, supported by grounded political tension and the moral weight of representing Themyscira. The result is a character-led DC omnibus for readers who want Diana's ideals tested in public, private and divine arenas without reducing her to a supporting Justice League icon.

First volume of the 1991 relaunch with Claremont and Jim Lee. Issue #1 of the new series sold 8.1 million copies: the best-selling comic in history. Jim Lee on X-Men is absolute visual reference material: the characters as they were drawn for the next decade, the look that inspired the '90s animated series and subsequent films.

Closing of the historic Claremont-Lee collaboration. After editorial differences over creative direction, Claremont left the X-Men after 16 years of uninterrupted writing — the longest continuous run on a superhero title in history. Jim Lee briefly took over the script before leaving to found Image Comics alongside Todd McFarlane and others. A moment of historic transition for Marvel and for American comics that changed the industry forever.

Marc Guggenheim (showrunner of Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow) brings his sense of TV pacing to the comic: each issue with its emotional arc, each arc with its climax, and the whole working as a serialised season. Focus on individual characters and the ethical dilemmas that define mutants. Good gateway to the modern format.