Newbies also can enjoy Avengers Assemble, a recently launched title that brings together the film's major characters: Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Hawkeye and Black Widow.

The Avengers: Photos, Trailers, Clips and Reviews

If you've seen the lead-up Marvel movies and want to dive right into the full comics universe, there are plenty of options. The Avengers first assembled in 1963 and have gone through many groupings, civil wars, personal conflicts, deaths and rebirths (that they're still in top shape today is one of the magic secrets of the comic book world).

While Marvel has been preparing for this movie for the past four years, tying in storylines and introducing characters, the book side has spent a significant time reconfiguring and juggling its members as well. In the past few years, we've seen S.H.I.E.L.D. -- the government organization under which the Avengers operate -- go from celebrated heroes to wanted criminals and then back to nearly autonomous champions.

If you remember back to the first run of Spider-Man movies, Norman Osborn was the trilogy's most haunting villain. His most recent storyline saw him ascend to U.S. security czar, and his group, H.A.M.M.E.R., triggered a war with Asgard (Thor's home planet). As his treachery became clear, however, Captain America was able to talk the president into disavowing Osborn, and though they could not save Asgard from crashing down to Earth (creating a big boom in Oklahoma!), they ultimately were given their hero status back and trusted once again with the protection of the planet.

The main team operates in the fourth volume of the Avengers series, which just released its 25th issue. Many of the movie's heroes are in this one: Captain America (who now runs S.H.I.E.LD. following Norman Osborn's treason), Thor, Iron Man and Hawkeye. Other members include Vision, Protector, Spider-Woman, Quake and Red Hulk (aka General Thaddeus Ross, the reformed longtime enemy of Bruce Banner's Hulk).

Since 2005 (and a 2010 relaunch), there has been a second Avengers team whose story unfolds in The New Avengers. This team, led by Thunderbolts member Luke Cage, is a sprawling group. On its 25th volume 2 issue, the New Avengers consist of Spider-Man, Wolverine, Mockingbird, Thing, Iron Fist, Doctor Strange, Jessica Jones (though she has left to protect her child), Daredevil and liaison Victoria Hand.

Meanwhile, a secret superhero espionage team is at work in Secret Avengers. Led by Hawkeye, the team boasts Black Widow, Ant-Man (who is rumored to potentially get his own movie at some point), Beast, War Machine, Valkyrie, Venom, Giant-Man, Agent 13 and Captain Britain. They do all the dirty work in a title that was designed to invoke spy themes and storylines.

For those aspiring heroes, there's perhaps the coolest prep school of all time. Avengers Academy details the lives of those working to join the Avengers and the heroic professors who are preparing them. With a faculty that includes Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Giant-Man and Tigra, there is a huge student group that includes the likes of Spider-Girl, She-Hulk, X-23, Batwing and Butterball (really). Think of it as Professor X's mutant academy, but probably less emotional.

If you're headed out to the comics shop, be prepared to get engulfed in a special event: Avengers vs. X-Men. A multiple-title battle pitting the top two Marvel teams against each other, it's currently the label's biggest storyline and runs across different books and its own mini-series.

Email: Jordan.Zakarin@THR.com; Twitter: @JordanZakarin