Recommended reading
(Note the pictures are links to purchase the books on Amazon, if you’re inclined.)
Avengers: Behold… The Vision
An excellent era of Avengers comics featuring the Vision’s earliest adventures with the team, starting with his introduction in Avengers #57-58 and culminating with his first meeting with Scarlet Witch in Avengers #75-76. Plus yet another contender for the strangest superhero wedding.
Avengers: Kree/Skrull War
An iconic Avengers arc. Relevance to Wandavision is light. Only that this is where the hints of romance began. But the ending of Wandavision and that of Spider-Man: Far From Home suggest this arc may inspire coming events in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Avengers: Celestial Madonna Saga
I must caveat this recommendation up front, as it is not for everybody. It is a deep dive into the Avengers and the Marvel Universe that is key to understanding the storytelling magic that arises from the complex currents and interconnections between these many colorful heroes. Not a gentle introduction to superheroes. The deep end of the pool. We’ll give you some “wet your feet” recommendations later. But this is where Vision proposes to Wanda and marries her, in the midst of a battle across space and time for the fate of the universe.
Vision and Scarlet Witch
This collects both Vision and the Scarlet Witch series and is my top recommendation for Wandavision fans; the first thing the series inspired me to read. Wanda and Vision attempt to live a quiet family life in the suburbs.
Avengers: Absolute Vision
A two book set. Between them, they collect Avengers #231-254 and others. It begins with Vision and Scarlet Witch being called from domestic life to help with a case, which leads to the Vision being injured, and ultimately to his attempt to conquer the world, before being shut down and arrested by the government. These events are a precursor to his dismantling and getting turned into “white Vision”. These books also feature the introduction of Monica Rambeau, Captain Marvel, and her early days with the Avengers. Definitely what I would recommend to people interested in getting to know Monica Rambeau. Tangential relevance to the show (especially as Vision is comatose for most of the first book), but great superhero comics. The first time in Avengers history when the team was majority female.
Avengers West Coast: Vision Quest
Hesitant recommendation for quality; high recommendation for relevance. This is where shadowy government types dismantle Vision and transform him into “white Vision” while robbing him of his personality.
Avengers West Coast: Darker than Scarlet
Picks up where Vision Quest left off. The Scarlet Witch has effectively lost her husband. Now her children will disappear as though they never existed.
Young Avengers
Great comics, new reader friendly. Tangential relevance to Wandavision, yet still the second thing the series inspired me to read. Once I saw Billy and Tommy in their Halloween costumes on the show, I knew I needed to reread the story of Billy and Tommy’s teenage years as the superheroes Wiccan and Speed.
House of M
Medium recommendation for quality, but it’s relevant. Wanda uses her magical powers to reshape the world. Not into a happy suburbia but into a world where Magneto and his family rule. Wandavision the show is basically a mash-up of House of M with the Vision and the Scarlet Witch series.
Vision
Sometimes older superhero stories seem dated to modern audiences, so you may prefer this recent Vision miniseries with its modern pacing and style to the original Vision and the Scarlet Witch miniseries. It echoes some of the same themes of that series and the show about the attempt to construct a happy suburban sitcom life. Vision builds himself a robot family.
Agents of Atlas
If you need more Jimmy Woo, this is a delightful series that reunites Marvel’s classic 1950s heroes.
Astonishing X-Men
If you’re curious to see the origins of SWORD, some great and new-reader friendly X-Men comics from Joss Whedon.
