12 comics you should read if you love the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies

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There's no denying the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a success.

Its films are not only critically adored, but it is also the highest-grossing movie franchise ever, with nearly $15 billion globally.

"Black Panther" itself has already hit the $1 billion mark after a little over a month in theaters, and Marvel's next film, "Avengers: Infinity War," beat the Fandango record for fastest-selling advance tickets of any superhero movie.

But none of that would be possible without decades worth of comic book stories that inspire the MCU.

If you love the movies of the MCU, it's worth visiting your local comic book store and checking out what they have to offer.

Many classic Marvel storylines act as blueprints for the MCU. The planet Thor travels to in "Thor: Ragnarok?" It made its debut in an acclaimed Hulk comic book. "Captain America: Civil War?" It's loosely based on a Marvel comic-event.

These storylines can be found collected into trade paperback (or hardcover) versions at any comic book store, or they can most likely be ordered for you if they don't have it — just ask.

Below are 12 essential Marvel comic books any fan of the MCU who is new to comics should read:

"Iron Man: Demon in a Bottle" (1979)

Written by David Michelinie and Bob Layton

Art by John Romita, Jr., Bob Layton, and Carmine Infantino

You have to go back in time quite a bit for this important "Iron Man" story, but the Armored Avenger's solo films borrow heavily from it — albeit taking creative liberties.

The storyline not only introduces readers to Justin Hammer, a rival businessman to Tony Stark who is played by Sam Rockwell in "Iron Man 2," but also tackles Stark's alcoholism head-on.

While this aspect of Stark's comic book history is ignored in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it is tweaked in a way. "Iron Man 3" basically subs in PTSD for Stark's alcoholism.

"The Infinity Gauntlet" (1991)

Written by Jim Starlin

Art by George Pérez

"The Infinity Gauntlet" is considered one of, if not the, best storylines in Marvel comic history — and it's coming to theaters in less than a month.

Okay, "Avengers: Infinity War" may not be a direct adaptation of this classic event-comic, but it's obviously heavily inspired by it. The story finds Earth's heroes going up against Thanos, who has acquired the Infinity Stones, which basically give him ultimate power and the ability to bend the universe to his desires.

In "Infinity War," the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy face a similar situation, as Thanos seeks the remaining stones he does not have. It's one of the most ambitious crossovers in movie history so lets hope it does "The Infinity Gauntlet" justice.

"Ultimate Spider-Man" (2000)

Written by Brian Michael Bendis

Art by Mark Bagley

In the late 1990s, Marvel had filed for bankruptcy, and its comics had hit a creative slump. As the company entered the 2000s, it was looking for ways to re-group.

Enter the "Ultimate Universe," a banner under Marvel Comics which aimed to re-introduce Marvel's characters for a new generation of fans. It included comics that co-existed alongside Marvel's regular comic line, but the storylines were set in a separate universe.

"Ultimate Spider-Man" was the Ultimate line's first book, and introduced readers to what this new direction was all about: telling fresh, modern takes on the origin stories of Marvel's best characters. Bendis and Bagley created over 100 consecutive issues together over the course of seven years (one of the longest runs of a creative team in comics history).

If you liked "Spider-Man: Homecoming," it's worth checking out Bendis and Bagley's original "Ultimate Spider-Man" run, as it basically set the precedent for what the MCU would do with the character — revamp him with a fresh, young, energetic spirit.

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