Avengers Assemble for Book Recommendations
After months (if not years) of hype, Avengers: Endgame is finally here. To honor one of the biggest movie franchises of our time, of course, we started wondering: What should the Avengers read?
Taking cues from the movies and comics, librarians Crystal Chen and Susen Shi came up with some book recommendations for some of our favorite superheroes. If you want a deeper dive into the Avengers comics, make sure to check out our Ultimate Avengers Guide, and also make sure to take a look at our post in memory of Stan Lee.
Captain America
Everyone's favorite star-spangled-man-with-a-plan has been through a lot. For a guy who went from fighting in World War II and being frozen for years, to waking up in a time dominated by technology, Cap's got a pretty good attitude. He's the leader of the Avengers and always has some wise words for his counterparts. In fact, he's basically the dad of the group, and with that title comes...dad jokes. The punniest and corniest jokes that make you cringe are definitely something Captain America would tell, and if he needs new material he can always check out My Dad Thinks He's Funny and The Ultimate Book of Dad Jokes.
Iron Man
Attitude is everything. And in the case of Tony Stark, that attitude is...arrogant. Iron Man thinks he knows it all and is not afraid to tell it like it is. Not one to sugarcoat advice he gives or receives, Tony would love The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. One can't forget that Tony is a genius and full of ideas for new tech and gadgets. He previously used this knowledge for weapons development but changed the focus of Stark Industries after seeing the damage his weapons caused. We think Tony would find some similarities between his story and the one in Rebel Seoul.
Thor
Thor has incredible strength, can summon the elements of a storm, and can even fly with the help of Mjolnir. But all of that doesn't stop him from being a burly, loveable goofball who is sometimes a bit hot-headed. On his next trip to the library, Thor should pick up Kill the Farm Boy—a perfectly quirky and magical book for the Asgardian God of Thunder.
Hulk
Bruce Banner and Hulk seem to have a lot of differences. Banner is a brilliant scientist and Hulk...well, he really likes smashing stuff. These two constantly seem to be at odds with one another, and fighting to be the dominant personality. With that said, a novella that will ring true for both Banner and Hulk is The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. If they're looking for something a little less close to home, Temper and the graphic novel I Hate Fairyland might be good choices.
Black Widow
Natasha Romanoff is not one to be trifled with. She is fiercely loyal, intelligent, and not to mention a master assassin. Full of trickery, loyalty, and wit, our beloved Black Widow would enjoy some tales of other spies and assassins like Grave Mercy, Six of Crows, and The Lies of Locke Lamora. She might be able to teach the characters in these books a thing or two, but we still think she'd enjoy them!
Hawkeye
Clint Barton is everyone's favorite bow-and-arrow-wielding master marksman and combat expert. He may not have any fancy powers or suits, but he can certainly stand his ground in a fight. So why is he always left out of the movies? We have a feeling that Clint would relate to Mark Watney being left behind on Mars in The Martian.
But wait! Earth's (original) mightiest heroes shouldn't have all of the fun! Here are some more recommendations for a handful of our other favorite Marvel characters.
Black Panther
T'Challa is the king of Wakanda, and the Black Panther is a legacy who protects the people of the nation. With the heart-shaped herb's help, the Black Panther gets enhanced strength, speed, and agility—though T'Challa is a tough fighter even without the herb's power. Though calm and controlled, T'Challa will display his emotions when it comes to how much much he cares for his family, friends, and the people of Wakanda. We think the honorable Wakandan king would like to read the story of Sunny Nwazue in Akata Witch.
Spider-Man
Teenage wiz kid Peter Parker has incredible strength, agility, and the ability to cling to surfaces thanks to a radioactive spider bite. He started out as a neighborhood crime fighter but caught the attention of Tony Stark and became part of the Avengers crew—you try balancing all of that and your grades in high school! Peter would definitely see himself in the pages of Kick-Ass. When he's finished, we recommend Charlotte's Web so he can get some artistic tips from Charlotte for his web-shooters.
Loki
A complicated villain that many love, Loki is the God of Mischief who fully lives up to his name. With his high intelligence, magical abilities, and expert manipulation tactics, it's hard to predict exactly what Loki will do next: sometimes he's the bad guy, but sometimes he shows us that he may not be so bad after all. In between his scheming, Loki should pick up the graphic novel Trickster, and maybe even How to Win Friends and Influence People.
Thanos
Thanos is definitely not our favorite. With his enhanced strength and unyielding desire for his idea of balance, Thanos keeps his eyes set on keeping things organized. Thanos, instead of wiping out half of the population, might we suggest cleaning out your garage instead? The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up will be able to help you with that.
What reading suggestions do you have for the Avengers? Let us know in the comments!
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Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.
Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!