How to kill time in a snap

Age of the Geek column: The whole world is reacting to "Avengers: Infinity War."
A generation of children are shattered, fans are furiously theorizing over what happens next, and memes are spreading across the internet like a dust storm.
One would think that, with ten years of build up, "Avengers: Infinity War" would leave the viewer with a sense of closure. It does not. Ten years of waiting is rewarded with another year of waiting to see how these dramatic events ultimately play out.
As the credits rolled, my initial plan of action was to simply stay in my theater seat until next May.
Unfortunately, as tempting as that may have been, it simply wasn't a practical option.
So alternative plans had to be made.
Thus, here are five things to do to kill time in between now and the still untitled fourth Avengers movie.
#1. Go to the movies
Just because we have to wait a year to see what happens in the next Avengers movie doesn't mean that Marvel Studios will be sitting idle. Coming up in July we'll get to see what Scott Lang has been up to in "Ant-Man and the Wasp." It's unlikely that the movie will feature any insight on the post-Infinity War landscape, but at least it might explain Ant-Man's absence a little better.
Then, next March, "Captain Marvel" finally comes into play. Introducing Carol Danvers to the MCU, "Captain Marvel" will be a period piece set in the 1990s. Also, movies set in the 1990s now count as period pieces and I want to cry.
#2. Keep going to the movies
The MCU isn't the only place to get your Marvel fix. Fox and Sony are still chugging along, making the most of their licenses before the black hole that is Disney absorbs them completely.
The long awaited "Deadpool 2" will be hitting theaters next week, because when the biggest movie in the world is a Marvel Studios movie about super-powered characters teaming up to battle against a CGI-ed Josh Brolin, it only makes sense for Fox to meet that with another Marvel movie about super-powered characters teaming up to battle against a CGI-ed Josh Brolin.
Then, in October, Sony will finally make their first attempt at utilizing their stable of Spider-Man related characters outside of Spider-Man himself. Tom Hardy stars as "Venom" and while I doubt this movie will set the world on fire, the trailer at least looks better than I ever expected it to.
On the animated front, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" is scheduled for December, and will introduce theater audiences to the Ultimate Spider-Man, Miles Morales.
Finally in February, in what will likely be the last hurrah for the X-Men at Fox, "Dark Phoenix" will be the studio's second attempt at adapting the classic X-Men storyline. Here's hoping they get it right this time so the franchise can go out on a high note.
#3. Watch some television
The connection between Marvel's theatrical offerings and their television spin-offs has been strained of late, particularly as the rift has widened between Marvel Studios and Marvel Entertainment, but nevertheless these shows are still obstinately set in the same universe.
"Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." is the most obvious connected property. Built from the ground up to be a companion series for the films, the show has had its ups and downs but is never not worth watching. Next season, presuming it gets a next season, will be particularly interesting as the show may be the only piece of media set between the two Avengers movies.
Outside of ABC, Marvel's Netflix line-up continues to roll along. The second season of "Luke Cage" will premiere this June, followed by "Iron Fist" and "Daredevil" later this year.
Finally, on Freeform, "Cloak and Dagger" will spread the MCU to yet another network. This adaptation of the somewhat obscure 80's characters looks to be taking some serious liberties with the source material, giving them a mystical origin instead of the less family-friendly story of two homeless teens that gain powers after being forced to take an experimental drug. Still, it looks interesting enough.
#4. Play some video games
For PlayStation 4 owners, Insomniac's "Spider-Man" seems to be shaping up to be a solid new entry in the long list of games based on the web-slinger. Taking heavy influence from Rocksteady's wildly successful Arkham series of Batman games, "Spider-Man" should be a safe bet for anybody that wants to get hands-on with some Marvel action.
#5. Read some comic books
Why bother with adaptations when you can go straight to the source?
Once upon a time getting your hands on the stories that inspired these billion dollar franchises was a harrowing and expensive experience, depending on persistence and luck as you rummaged through long box after long box of back issues.
But those days are long over. Virtually every comic printed in the last two decades, and a healthy chuck of them from before that, are available in an easily accessible trade paperback. If you can't find them at a local comic shop, it's a snap to have them delivered to your door.
Moreover, if digital is more your style, Marvel's subscription based service, Marvel Unlimited," is an astoundingly good value with literally thousands upon thousands of books available anywhere you have an internet connection.
Tip: If you're looking to read the comic inspiration for "Avengers: Infinity War," do not look for the Marvel comic of the same name. Infinity War is actually the sequel to "Infinity Gauntlet," which is the storyline that most heavily influenced the movie.
Travis Fischer is a news writer for Mid-America Publishing and didn't get paid by Marvel to write this column, but probably should have been.