The most frequent question I get asked on CV is "Where should I start reading IDW TMNT?". My answer is always that issue #1 is the only real spot to start from. This series is now the longest running TMNT comic series ever, and it builds off itself as one very long story, so no jumping on points are really included. It can be complicated for a new reader though, since over the course of the series, there is always some sort of extra book being printed along with it, that ties into the main story. Some of these extra books are optional reading, but many are required to understand the story. It would be difficult to know when to read those without a good list, so...this thread.

I will make notes where a book could be considered optional reading, if it isn't essential to the main series. I'll also include both issues and volumes, depending on how you like to read back issues, but I will leave notes where you should switch between volumes after reading specific issues collected in a volume, if another book has an issue that should be read before continuing. I'm also only including issues that are canon, so the Batman crossovers are not included.

1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (Issues 1-4 of the main series are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Change is Constant)
2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2
3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #3
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4
5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 30th Anniversary Special (Collects a series of brand new one-shot stories from various versions of the ninja turtles over their 30 year history. The story you need to read for the IDW series is titled "A Lot to Learn".)
6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5 (Issues 5-8 of the main series are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Enemies Old, Enemies New if you like to read in trades, but you may want to read some of the other books in between issues as shown on this list)
7. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series #1 - Raphael (Issues 1-4 of the micro-series are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series #1 if you like to read in trades, but you may want to read some of the other books in between issues as shown on this list)
8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series #2 - Michelangelo
9. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6
10. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series #3 - Donatello
11. *optional reading Infestation 2: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 - 1 of 2 (This issue was part of the Infestation 2 event IDW did, where Lovecraftian horrors invaded several of their series. This is part of the main canon, but it's never referenced again. Raphael has a very brief cameo in the main book Infestation 2, but it's hardly worth reading if you just want to read the IDW story)
12. *optional reading Infestation 2: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2 - 2 of 2
13. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #7
14. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #8
15. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series #4 - Leonardo
16. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #9 (Issues 9-12 of the main series are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shadows of the Past if you like to read in trades, but you may want to read some of the other books in between issues as shown on this list)
17. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #10
18. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series #5 - Splinter (Issues 5-8 of the micro-series are collected in Teenage Mutant NInja Turtles Micro-Series #2 if you like to read in trades, but you may want to read some of the other books in between issues as shown on this list)
19. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #11
20. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #12
21. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series #6 - Casey Jones
22. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13 (Issues 13-16 of the main series are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Sins of the Fathers if you like to read in trades, but you may want to read some of the other books in between issues as shown on this list)
23. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #14
24. *optional reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual 2012 #1 (Although I marked this as optional, I still recommend reading it. It's done completely by Kevin Eastman, which is awesome having one of the original creators write and illustrate it, and it is referenced in the main series and has a lot of main characters involved. I only call it optional because it's a one-shot, and you can likely understand the rest of the main story without reading this.)
25. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series #7 - April
26. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #15
27. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #16
28. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series #8 - Fugitoid
29. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #17 (Issues 17-20 of the main series are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Krang War)
30. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #18
31. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #19
32. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #20
33. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Villains Micro-Series #1 - Krang (Issues 1-4 of the Villains Micro-Series are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Villains Micro-Series #1 if you like to read in trades, but you may want to read some of the other books in between issues as shown on this list)
34. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Villains Micro-Series #2 - Baxter
35. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Secret History of the Foot Clan #1 (Issues 1-4 of Secret History of the Foot Clan are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Secret History of the Foot Clan)
36. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Secret History of the Foot Clan #2
37. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Secret History of the Foot Clan #3
38. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Secret History of the Foot Clan #4
39. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #21 - City Fall Part One (Issues 21-24 of the main series are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: City Fall, Part 1 if you like to read in trades, but you may want to read some of the other books in between issues as shown on this list)
40. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #22 - City Fall Part Two
41. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Villains Micro-Series #3 - Old Hob
42. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #23 - City Fall Part Three
43. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #24 - City Fall Part Four
44. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Villains Micro-Series #4 - Alopex
45. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Villains Micro-Series #5 - Karai (Issues 5-8 of the Villains Micro-Series are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Villains Micro-Series #2 if you like to read in trades, but you may want to read some of the other books in between issues as shown on this list)
46. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #25- City Fall Part Five (Issues 25-29 of the main series are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: City Fall, Part 2 if you like to read in trades, but you may want to read some of the other books in between issues as shown on this list)
47. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Villains Micro-Series #6 - Hun
48. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #26 - City Fall Part Six
49. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Villains Micro-Series #7 - Bebop & Rocksteady
50. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #27 - City Fall Part Seven
51. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #28 - City Fall Part Eight
52. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Villains Micro-Series #8 - Shredder
53. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #29 - Northampton Part 1 (Issues 29-32 of the main series are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Northampton)
54. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #30 - Northampton Part 2
55. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #31 - Northampton Part 3
56. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #32 - Northampton Part 4
57. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Utrom Empire #1 (Issues 1-3 of Utrom Empire are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Utrom Empire)
58. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Utrom Empire #2
59. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Utrom Empire #3
60. *optional reading The X-Files/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Conspiracy #1 - Conspiracy Part 3 of 6
61. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual 2014 #1
62. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #33 (Issues 33-36 are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Monsters, Misfits, and Madmen)
63. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #34
64. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #35
65. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #36
66. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #37 (Issues 37-40 are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Mutant Order if you like to read in trades, but you may want to read some of the other books in between issues as shown on this list)
67. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time #1 (Issues 1-4 of Turtles in Time are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time)
68. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time #2
69. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time #3
70. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time #4
71. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #38
72. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #39
73. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #40
74. *optional reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters #1 - Part 1: Crossing the Divide (Issues 1-4 of TMNT/Ghostbusters are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters 2) (Although this is marked as optional reading, I highly recommend this book, and events are referenced briefly in the main series. But if you don't want to read this extra book, you can understand the main story easily enough)
75. *optional reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters #2 - Part 2: The Meeting of the Minds
76. *optional reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters #3 - Part 3: Showdown In Chinatown
77. *optional reading Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 - New Friends, Old Ghosts
78. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #41 - Attack On Technodrome Part One (Issues 41-44 of the main series are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Attack On Technodrome)
79. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #42 - Attack On Technodrome Part Two
80. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #43 - Attack On Technodrome Part Three
81. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #44 - Attack On Technodrome Part Four
82. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutanimals #1 (Issues 1-4 of Mutanimals are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutanimals)
83. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutanimals #2
84. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutanimals #3
85. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutanimals #4
86. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #45 (Issues 45-47 of the main series and the Free Comic Book Day book are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Vengeance, Part 1)
87. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #46
88. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles FCBD #1: Prelude to Vengeance
89. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #47
90. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey and April #1 (Issues 1-4 of Casey and April are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey and April if you like to read in trades, but you may want to read some of the other books in between issues as shown on this list)
91. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #48 (Issues 47-50 of the main series are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Vengeance, Part 2)
92. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #49
93. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #50
94. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey and April #2
95. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey and April #3
96. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey and April #4
97. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #56 - Leatherhead Part 1 (Issues 56-60 of the main series are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Leatherhead)
98. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #57 - Leatherhead Part 2
99. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #58 - Leatherhead Part 3
100. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #59
101. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #60
102. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #61 - Chasing Phantoms Part 1 (Issues 61-65 of the main series are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Chasing Phantoms)
103. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #62 - Chasing Phantoms Part 2
104. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #63 - Chasing Phantoms Part 3
105. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #64 - Chasing Phantoms Part 4
106. *optional reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything #1 (Issues 1-5 of Bebop and Rocksteady Destroy Everything are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything)
107. *optional reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything #2
108. *optional reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything #3
109. *optional reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything #4
110. *optional reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything #5
111. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #1 (Issues 1-5 of Universe are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe - Volume 1: The War to Come if you like to read in trades, but you may want to read some of the other books in between issues as shown on this)
112. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #2
113. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #3
114. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #4
115. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #65
116. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #5
117. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Inside Out Director's Cut #1 (This is a collection of the back issue story in TMNT Universe 1-5, so if you read those, you really don't need this issue unless you want the extra stuff included in it)
118. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #6 (Issues 6-10 of Universe are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Univese - Volume 2: The New Strangeness if you like to read in trades, but you may want to read some of the other books in between issues as shown on this)
119. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #66 (Issues 66-70 of the main series are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Desperate Measures if you like to read in trades, but you may want to read some of the other books in between issues as shown on this)
120. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #7
121. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #8
122. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #67 - Desperate Measures Part 1
123. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #68 - Desperate Measures Part 2
124. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #69 - Desperate Measures Part 3
125. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #70 - Desperate Measures Part 4
126. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #9
127. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #10
128. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #71 - Pantheon Family Reunion Part 1 of 2 (Issues 71-75 of the main series are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Trial of Krang if you like to read in trades, but you may want to read some of the other books in between issues as shown on this)
129. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #72 - Pantheon Family Reunion Part 2 of 2
130. *optional reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo #1 - Namazu or The Big Fish Story
131. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #11 (Issues 11-15 of Universe are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe - Volume 3: Karai's Path)
132. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #12 - Karai's Path Part 1 of 4; Prey Part 1
133. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #13 - Karai's Path Part 2 of 4; Prey Part 2
134. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #14 - Karai's Path Part 3 of 4; Prey Part 3
135. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #15 - Karai's Path Part 4 of 4; Prey Part 4
136. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Free Comic Book Day 2017 #1
137. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #73 - The Trial of Krang, Part One
138. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Dimension X #1 (Issues 1-5 of Dimension X are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Dimension X)
139. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Dimension X #2
140. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Dimension X #3
141. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Dimension X #4
142. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Dimension X #5
143. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #74 - The Trial of Krang, Part Two
144. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #75 - The Trial of Krang, Part Three
145. *optional reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters 2 #1 (Issues 1-5 of TMNT/Ghostbusters 2 are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters 2) (This is optional reading, but this series is referenced in the main series, but you can still fully understand the main series without reading this)
146. *optional reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters 2 #2
147. *optional reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters 2 #3
148. *optional reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters 2 #4
149. *optional reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters 2 #5
150. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #16 - From the Heart, For the Herd Part One; Triceratots! (Issues 16-20 of Universe are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe - Volume 4: Home if you like to read in trades, but you may want to read some of the other books in between issues as shown on this)
151. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #17 - From the Heart, For the Herd Part Two; Triceratots! Part Two
152. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #76 - Invasion of the Triceratons Part One (Issues 76-80 of the main series are collected in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Invasion of the Triceratons if you like to read in trades, but you may want to read some of the other books in between issues as shown on this)
153. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #77 - Invasion of the Triceratons Part Two
154. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #18 - Monster Hunt; Mutagen Maitenance
155. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #78 - Invasion of the Triceratons Part Three
156. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #79 - Invasion of the Triceratons Part Four
157. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #80 - Invasion of the Triceratons Part Five
158. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #19 - Service Animals Part One; Kingdom of Rats Prelude
159. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #20 - Service Animals Part One; Through Red Eyes
160. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #81 - Kingdom of the Rats Part 1 (The trade for the remaining issues of the main series are not out at the time of this list being written)
161. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #21 - Lost Causes; How Woody Spent His Triceraton Invasion (The trade for the remaining issues of Universe are not out at the time of this list being written)
162. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #82 - Kingdom of the Rats Part 2
163. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #22 - Lost Causes Part Two; Dangerous Waters
164. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #83 - Kingdom of the Rats Part 3
165. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #23 - ...And Out Came the Reptiles Part One; Nobody Cares
166. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #84 - Kingdom of the Rats Part 4
167. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #24 - ...And Out Came the Reptiles Part Two; Life At Sea
168. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #25 - Spirit Walk
169. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #85
170. *optional reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road #1 (The trade for Hit the Road is not out at the time of this list being written)
171. *optional reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road #2
172. *optional reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road #3
173. *optional reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road #4
174. *optional reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road #5
175. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #86 - Battle Lines, Part 1

In the past few weeks, I've been trying to conquer all of the old NES games from my childhood that I loved, but could never beat.

For a warmup, I beat all of the main series Sonic games for all of the characters on the Genesis, including & Knuckles with Sonic 3. I know these aren't necessarily too difficult, or NES games, but they have the same nostalgia, and the end bosses for each character are all difficult. I also got the good endings for all characters, by collecting all of the chaos emeralds, and super emeralds. Man, I forgot how much I love those games.

Then I went in hardcore to one of the most difficult games of all time:

CASTLEVANIA

I finally beat it. Damn is this game hard. I managed to get to Dracula as a kid once, but I could never beat him, and I spent hours trying to beat him over and over. I finally did it though. It still took me hours to finally beat Drac, but I can finally say I beat Castlevania. That feels good.

Next on the list:

STREET FIGHTER 2:

This is on the SNES, but I still find this to be one of the more difficult fighting games to beat in the 1 player mode. I'm not talking Super Street Fighter 2, or any of the other billions of versions of this game that are easier, but the original SF2. I'm also playing as Ryu, who has some of the worst moves in the original version. The moves look awesome, and are the most iconic of the series, but besides the Haduken, the rest do nothing but put you in bad spots to get destroyed. His normal attacks also have the worst range in the game, making it very difficult to land a hit before your opponent does. The computer opponents become brutal after you finish the core characters too, and start fighting characters like Balrog and Vega. Vega must have beat me 50 times before I finally knocked him out twice in one match. I finally got through, Hadukened M.Bison enough to make him finally stay down, and can say I've beaten the one player mode of the original SF2, with Ryu. Booya.

Next on my list was:

NES MEGA MAN SERIES

This is 1-5 of the Mega Man titles for NES. I've always been able to beat Mega Man 2, it's pretty easy for a MM game really, but the rest always gave me trouble as a kid. You've got to remember, that we didn't have internet when these games came out, so I couldn't just look up boss weaknesses online. I had to figure them out the old fashioned way, through trial and error, and a ton of continues. It could take hours to finally figure out a strategy and boss order to beat the 8 stage bosses in each game, and that's the easy part of the game. Now you have to go into Wily's Fortress, and beat some of the toughest platforming stages on the NES. These games take some serious skill, and you can't just run and gun through the games either. You need to strategize attack patterns, master enemy timing patterns, and conserve weapon ammunition to discover which weapons will kill the Wily bosses, because if you get to the boss with nothing but the buster, you're normally screwed. Those bosses can be tough enough even when you have the right weapon for the job. But...I did it. After beating these too, I think I can safely say these are my personal favorite video games of all time. I don't think any other game has ever mastered level design and gameplay as well as these games did. They were truly a masterpiece, and games of today should take notes from these classics, because they could learn a lot.

So that's where I'm at right now. The next titles I'm taking on are:

CASTLEVANIA 2: SIMON'S QUEST. I loved this game as a kid, but could never figure out what I'm supposed to do. It's like trying to beat Zelda for the first time, without any hints to find the secrets of the game. No one I knew had any idea what to do in this game when I was a kid. We all liked it, but damn was it confusing. I want to finally conquer this game, because I need some payback for the countless hours I wasted on this as a kid.

MIKE TYSON'S PUNCHOUT: Plain and simple, I've never even come close to beating Tyson. I don't know how, but I'm going to beat this.

NINJA GAIDEN: This game...

BATTLE TOADS: I've never seen the other side of that friggin Turbo Tunnel.

Finally,

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: I absolutely loved this game, but I could never beat the stage after the water stage, where you get to drive the Turtle Van. I believe it was the 5th stage. I just couldn't figure out where I had to go. This game is just hard too. There is never an easy moment in this entire game. Enemies re spawn, and are completely random when you enter a new screen. You might be fighting fire creatures or aliens, there is no guarantee, so no way to plan your attack. It's just relentless. I can't wait to work my way back to this though. It's probably the one game I played the most as a kid, besides maybe NES Golf with my dad.

I might add more to this list as I go, but I'll update it as I beat more games on my VG bucket list. Wish me luck!

I created a thread for this also in the Guardians of the Galaxy forum page, but that will probably go unnoticed like most of those threads tend to do. Here's the link if you'd like to leave comments or discuss over there instead - http://www.comicvine.com/guardians-of-the-galaxy/4060-25956/forums/essential-reading-for-the-guardians-of-the-galaxy--1585925/#0

Anyone who knows me, knows that I don't really read much of what Marvel or DC put out anymore. One title that's always been an exception is the Guardians of the Galaxy. I've been a huge fan of every team that has carried the name Guardians of the Galaxy. Whether it's the classic Guardians of Earth 619 who fought to liberate the Galaxy from the evil Badoon Empire in an alternate future, the re-imagined Guardians brought from the genius writing of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (or DnA for short), or the current cosmic team that is involved more with the Earth based heroes, but still finding time for some epic space adventures, I can't get enough.

I am well aware that there are not many die hard fans of the Guardians like myself out there. With the movie hype, the popularity boom for the cosmic anti-heroes has been great, but there's still a good chance that when you hear that Star-Lord is the leading man saving the day this time around, you might be thinking:

Well I'm here to help by recommending what I believe will be essential reading for those that would like to know more about this new addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

First up is...

Annihilation Conquest: Star-Lord

http://www.comicvine.com/annihilation-conquest-starlord/4050-19051/

This is the book that started what would become the re-imagining of the new Guardians of the Galaxy. While the name Guardians of the Galaxy is never actually used in this book, this is where the seed was planted, that grew into what you will be seeing on the silver screen in a few short weeks.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Annihilation events, I'll give a brief description of what you can expect. DnA took it upon themselves to resurrect the forgotten has-beens of the Cosmic Marvel Universe from D listers, and make them just as important as A listers. They did this with a formula for putting out events, that in my opinion reads better then almost every other event in Marvel history.

Their formula was based upon creating Universe ending threats that would make up the meat of the main book. They would then surround these events with tie-in issues to re-introduce characters who will eventually band together for the finale. The difference between the tie-in issues for Annihilation events then with other Marvel events, is that (with the exception of Nova), none of the tie-ins were current on-going titles. These titles were all specifically created for the event. This was smart, because the stories didn't feel forced into the event, and each issue was designed with the sole purpose of bringing another important piece of the puzzle to the conclusion.

Anyways, one of these tie-ins was Star-Lord. Star-Lord, who was the strategic brains and second in command to Nova behind the original Annihilation Wave rebellion, is asked by Ronan of the Kree to set up a preventive security measure for Hala - the Kree home planet. Star-Lord proposed that planets needed to be pro-active for the next threat, and he designed a security counter-measure, that would essentially seal off the entire planet from the rest of the galaxy with a force-field preventing the type of genocide seen in the Annihilation Wave

His security system ultimately back-fires, when it becomes infected with the Phalanx Virus, that takes over the entire planet of Hala in a matter of minutes. After this disaster, Star-Lord is arrested for his crimes of dooming the Kree home-world. He is given a chance to fight for his freedom, by saving the Kree from the Phalanx. He is joined with several other prisoners, including what would become the original Guardians of the Galaxy of the 616 universe. These characters include Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Mantis, and Bug, along with a few others.

This story has a great surprise villain, and an epic finale that leads right into:

The Guadians of the Galaxy (2008)

http://www.comicvine.com/guardians-of-the-galaxy-1-somebodys-got-to-do-it/4000-130199/

Leading right off from where the Annihilation Conquest event left off, Peter Quill (Star-Lord), with the encouragement from Nova, decides to form a pro-active team to prevent disasters like the two Annihilation events from ever happening again.

One of his first recruits was Adam Warlock. Warlock, who uses his cosmic powers and magical abilities, has sensed fissures being ripped in the very fabrics of the Marvel Universe. The Guardians become a strike team that hits hard and fast, while Warlock uses his cosmic mojo to close up these fissures before they can cause havoc in the galaxy.

This is the volume that will introduce you to what appears to be the look and feel of the direction of the Cinematic Guardians of the Galaxy. If you watch the trailers closely, you can even see a giant, almost robotic looking head floating in the cosmos.

In the Guardians of the Galaxy 2008 volume, this floating head is known as Knowhere. It is the decapitated head of a long deadCelestial. This is where the Guardians set up there home-base from where they stage all of their missions. Here's hoping we seeCosmo running security. I'm not going to spoil the surprise of who Cosmo is or why I love that character, because it is something that needs to be experienced by reading this comic.

Thanos Imperative

http://www.comicvine.com/thanos-imperative/4050-39255/

If you're a fan of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Nova, or Thanos, then this is a must read. Not only does this issue feature the Guardians of the Galaxy heavily, but it sets up the future of the series still going on currently, and even a majority of the events that have happened in the past year for the entire Marvel Universe still.

I'm not going to give much of a description to this book, because of the large amount of spoilers to the previously mentioned issues that would be in any plot lines I would discuss, so all I'll say is that if you have ever been a fan of cosmic stories, read this now! This volume will likely have a substantial influence on the plot-lines of the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so it's a must read. It's also just a great all around story with some amazing artwork.

Other Volumes I Recommend

If the three volumes I mentioned above are the "Meat" of the expected Cinematic Universe, the following titles I recommend should be considered the "Special Sauce". These aren't necessary, but it's a great way to get a look at a few origins of the characters you'll see on screen, and get a little more in depth with who they really are.

Rocket Raccoon and Groot: The Complete Collection

http://www.comicvine.com/rocket-raccoon-and-groot-complete-collection/4050-46366/

This is a great way to learn how the two biggest fan-favorite characters of the Guardians came to be who they are today. They were much different back in their bronze age appearances. Rocket lives on a planet of "loonies", and Groot not only can say more then just "I am Groot!", he barely shuts up. The dialogue might feel a little dated, but if you can get past that, you'll find a couple of great stories in here.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Infinite Comics

http://www.comicvine.com/guardians-of-the-galaxy-infinite-comic/4050-58526/

These are digital exclusive motion comics through Comixology or the Marvel app. Each title features a different solo story from Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot. The art and colors are great, and the motion really does enhance the reading experience in my opinion. This might be a bit much for me if it was too many issues, but for four titles priced to sell, you can't go wrong. It also gives some great insight to what makes these four characters tick.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Tomorrows Avengers Vol 1 & 2

http://www.comicvine.com/guardians-of-the-galaxy-tomorrows-avengers/4050-55905/

This features the less popular Guardains of the 619 universe. These are the characters who started it all. Without them, there wouldn't be the team there is today and ultimately there would be not be a movie. You shouldn't expect to see any of these characters in the movie, but they will always hold a nostalgic place for me. The writing may be a bit dated, but I think it holds up with the times better then most comics of this age. You will also get to see a lot of Yondu, the alien archer, who has been teased for making an appearance in the movie.

I created a thread for this also in the Guardians of the Galaxy forum page, but that will probably go unnoticed like most of those threads tend to do. Here's the link if you'd like to leave comments or discuss over there instead - http://www.comicvine.com/guardians-of-the-galaxy/4060-25956/forums/essential-reading-for-the-guardians-of-the-galaxy--1585925/#0

Anyone who knows me, knows that I don't really read much of what Marvel or DC put out anymore. One title that's always been an exception is the Guardians of the Galaxy. I've been a huge fan of every team that has carried the name Guardians of the Galaxy. Whether it's the classic Guardians of Earth 619 who fought to liberate the Galaxy from the evil Badoon Empire in an alternate future, the re-imagined Guardians brought from the genius writing of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (or DnA for short), or the current cosmic team that is involved more with the Earth based heroes, but still finding time for some epic space adventures, I can't get enough.

I am well aware that there are not many die hard fans of the Guardians like myself out there. With the movie hype, the popularity boom for the cosmic anti-heroes has been great, but there's still a good chance that when you hear that Star-Lord is the leading man saving the day this time around, you might be thinking:

Well I'm here to help by recommending what I believe will be essential reading for those that would like to know more about this new addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

First up is...

Annihilation Conquest: Star-Lord

http://www.comicvine.com/annihilation-conquest-starlord/4050-19051/

This is the book that started what would become the re-imagining of the new Guardians of the Galaxy. While the name Guardians of the Galaxy is never actually used in this book, this is where the seed was planted, that grew into what you will be seeing on the silver screen in a few short weeks.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Annihilation events, I'll give a brief description of what you can expect. DnA took it upon themselves to resurrect the forgotten has-beens of the Cosmic Marvel Universe from D listers, and make them just as important as A listers. They did this with a formula for putting out events, that in my opinion reads better then almost every other event in Marvel history.

Their formula was based upon creating Universe ending threats that would make up the meat of the main book. They would then surround these events with tie-in issues to re-introduce characters who will eventually band together for the finale. The difference between the tie-in issues for Annihilation events then with other Marvel events, is that (with the exception of Nova), none of the tie-ins were current on-going titles. These titles were all specifically created for the event. This was smart, because the stories didn't feel forced into the event, and each issue was designed with the sole purpose of bringing another important piece of the puzzle to the conclusion.

Anyways, one of these tie-ins was Star-Lord. Star-Lord, who was the strategic brains and second in command to Nova behind the original Annihilation Wave rebellion, is asked by Ronan of the Kree to set up a preventive security measure for Hala - the Kree home planet. Star-Lord proposed that planets needed to be pro-active for the next threat, and he designed a security counter-measure, that would essentially seal off the entire planet from the rest of the galaxy with a force-field preventing the type of genocide seen in the Annihilation Wave

His security system ultimately back-fires, when it becomes infected with the Phalanx Virus, that takes over the entire planet of Hala in a matter of minutes. After this disaster, Star-Lord is arrested for his crimes of dooming the Kree home-world. He is given a chance to fight for his freedom, by saving the Kree from the Phalanx. He is joined with several other prisoners, including what would become the original Guardians of the Galaxy of the 616 universe. These characters include Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Mantis, and Bug, along with a few others.

This story has a great surprise villain, and an epic finale that leads right into:

The Guadians of the Galaxy (2008)

http://www.comicvine.com/guardians-of-the-galaxy-1-somebodys-got-to-do-it/4000-130199/

Leading right off from where the Annihilation Conquest event left off, Peter Quill (Star-Lord), with the encouragement from Nova, decides to form a pro-active team to prevent disasters like the two Annihilation events from ever happening again.

One of his first recruits was Adam Warlock. Warlock, who uses his cosmic powers and magical abilities, has sensed fissures being ripped in the very fabrics of the Marvel Universe. The Guardians become a strike team that hits hard and fast, while Warlock uses his cosmic mojo to close up these fissures before they can cause havoc in the galaxy.

This is the volume that will introduce you to what appears to be the look and feel of the direction of the Cinematic Guardians of the Galaxy. If you watch the trailers closely, you can even see a giant, almost robotic looking head floating in the cosmos.

In the Guardians of the Galaxy 2008 volume, this floating head is known as Knowhere. It is the decapitated head of a long deadCelestial. This is where the Guardians set up there home-base from where they stage all of their missions. Here's hoping we seeCosmo running security. I'm not going to spoil the surprise of who Cosmo is or why I love that character, because it is something that needs to be experienced by reading this comic.

Thanos Imperative

http://www.comicvine.com/thanos-imperative/4050-39255/

If you're a fan of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Nova, or Thanos, then this is a must read. Not only does this issue feature the Guardians of the Galaxy heavily, but it sets up the future of the series still going on currently, and even a majority of the events that have happened in the past year for the entire Marvel Universe still.

I'm not going to give much of a description to this book, because of the large amount of spoilers to the previously mentioned issues that would be in any plot lines I would discuss, so all I'll say is that if you have ever been a fan of cosmic stories, read this now! This volume will likely have a substantial influence on the plot-lines of the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so it's a must read. It's also just a great all around story with some amazing artwork.

Other Volumes I Recommend

If the three volumes I mentioned above are the "Meat" of the expected Cinematic Universe, the following titles I recommend should be considered the "Special Sauce". These aren't necessary, but it's a great way to get a look at a few origins of the characters you'll see on screen, and get a little more in depth with who they really are.

Rocket Raccoon and Groot: The Complete Collection

http://www.comicvine.com/rocket-raccoon-and-groot-complete-collection/4050-46366/

This is a great way to learn how the two biggest fan-favorite characters of the Guardians came to be who they are today. They were much different back in their bronze age appearances. Rocket lives on a planet of "loonies", and Groot not only can say more then just "I am Groot!", he barely shuts up. The dialogue might feel a little dated, but if you can get past that, you'll find a couple of great stories in here.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Infinite Comics

http://www.comicvine.com/guardians-of-the-galaxy-infinite-comic/4050-58526/

These are digital exclusive motion comics through Comixology or the Marvel app. Each title features a different solo story from Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot. The art and colors are great, and the motion really does enhance the reading experience in my opinion. This might be a bit much for me if it was too many issues, but for four titles priced to sell, you can't go wrong. It also gives some great insight to what makes these four characters tick.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Tomorrows Avengers Vol 1 & 2

http://www.comicvine.com/guardians-of-the-galaxy-tomorrows-avengers/4050-55905/

This features the less popular Guardains of the 619 universe. These are the characters who started it all. Without them, there wouldn't be the team there is today and ultimately there would be not be a movie. You shouldn't expect to see any of these characters in the movie, but they will always hold a nostalgic place for me. The writing may be a bit dated, but I think it holds up with the times better then most comics of this age. You will also get to see a lot of Yondu, the alien archer, who has been teased for making an appearance in the movie.

Just a collection of my debates from CAV's and Tournys. This is more just a tool for me to read up on my old debates, but feel free to check them out if you're interested.