Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Avengers: Infinity War boasts a sprawling ensemble cast that includes Robert Downey Jr., Josh Brolin, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Olsen, Sebastian Stan, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Bettany, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Benedict Wong, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland and Anthony Mackie. The film arrives in theaters May 4, 2018, with the untitled sequel opening May 3, 2019.

What makes something an “event” comic? Is it the sheer number of issues? The number of characters? The impact on the Universe? Sure, it’s those things, but it’s also a combination of those factors – and more than that, its lasting impact on the readers in the long run. Events like Atlantis Attacks over at Marvel, or Invasion at DC might be remembered fondly; but they’re not seminal works that changed the way comics are made. Okay, maybe some of the books on our list don’t quite fit that criteria, either… But trust us: these are the eleven biggest comic book events – ever:

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INFINITY GAUNTLET #1 (Jul 1991)

CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1 (Apr 1985)

7. The Infinity Gauntlet

Basically a more refined version of the giant cosmic crossovers of 1985, The Infinity Gauntlet found uber-baddie Thanos gaining possession of the all-powerful Infinity Gauntlet. Since Thanos was in love with the avatar of Death, he decided to offer a gift by erasing half of all life in the Universe… Which didn’t sit well with, um, anyone. Massive fights don’t get much bigger than this, as the entire Universe fought against Thanos, drawn by the able pens of George Perez and Ron Lim (and written by Jim Starlin). The comic was so popular, it spawned two sequels, and an ongoing series. But the original is still the best.

1. Crisis on Infinite Earths

That said, the gold standard is still, over twenty-five years later, DC’s Crisis on Infinte Earths. A massive villain named The Anti-Monitor, who lives in – you guessed it – the Anti-Matter Universe wants to destroy not just all life in our Universe, but all life in every Universe, and every reality. Ostensibly started as a way of simplifying what DC considered an overly complicated continuity and reboot the whole line, Marv Wolfman and George Perez created an epic work of comics. From the heroic death of The Flash, which used to be the manly-man hallmark (“Sure, I’m a dude, but I cried when Barry Allen died,”), to the several epic battles against The Anti-Monitor, this series is bigger than anything that came before it, and really, has never been matched since.