New to Marvel; Secret Wars Question

[mathewMCN]

Hello all! I'm new to the forums, I've been reading/collecting DC Comics since '92 but I'm not too familiar with the Marvel U. I'm using the upcoming Secret Wars event as a jumping on point & figured I'd get more out of it if I knew some of the arcs and major players leading up to it. So my question, what comics/storylines would you guys recommend I check out to get a better handle on the (probably complicated) storyline to come?
I know the Avengers/New Avengers arc Time Runs Out serves as a Secret Wars prelude of sorts but aside from that I'm at a loss. Interested to hear what you dedicated Marvel fans recommend, any instruction would be greatly appreciated!

[Centipede Damascus]

Hickman's Avengers and New Avengers has been building up to Secret Wars from their very beginnings, when he started writing them in 2012. Time Runs Out is just the final arc leading into Secret Wars. Nothing else is essential for Secret Wars as far as we know at the moment.

However, if you want to be caught up on the major changes in the status quos for characters like Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man, you may want to read their respective series as well as the major events like Original Sin and Axis that they tie into. I would probably recommend checking out Marvel Unlimited for a cheap way to read all that.

[bandoogiemanz]

Hickman's Avengers and New Avengers has been building up to Secret Wars from their very beginnings, when he started writing them in 2012. Time Runs Out is just the final arc leading into Secret Wars. Nothing else is essential for Secret Wars as far as we know at the moment.

However, if you want to be caught up on the major changes in the status quos for characters like Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man, you may want to read their respective series as well as the major events like Original Sin and Axis that they tie into. I would probably recommend checking out Marvel Unlimited for a cheap way to read all that.

I'd rather wiki Original Sin and AXIS and save yourself the time. Hickman's runs on SHIELD and Fantastic Four according to him, laid seeds for Time Runs Out/Secret Wars.

[Cowtools]

I think an easier (and cheaper!) option would be to skip Secret Wars and pick things up with the relaunched books afterwards.
That's how I got into Marvel (after Siege) and DC (after Blackest Night). You can use the Internet to fill yourself in on what happened.
The relaunched books will likely be easy for new readers to pick up (if Marvel is smart).

[Derek Metaltron]

Since Secret Wars also ties back to alternate universes and past events you might want to consider checking them out like Civil War and House of M.