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Reading DC Comics

Comic Book Herald has the following guides for reading DC Comics:

Dive In To DC Universe Comics

The Best 100 DC Comics Since Crisis on Infinite Earths (1986 – 2020)

Fast Track Guide to Classic DC Comics (1942 to 2000)

The 40 most essential reads in DC Comics from the 40’s through the 90’s! Includes classics like Batman: Year One, the Dark Knight Returns, and Superman: Man of Steel, among many others.

Fast Track Guide To the Modern DCU (2000 to 2011)

This guide will cover the 25 most essential DC Comics stories during the 2000’s (leading up to DC’s New 52)!

Where to Start With DC Comics!

The simplest guide for approaches to start reading DC Comics this year.

Fast Track Guide to DC’s New 52 (2011 to 2016)

Fast Track Guide to DC Rebirth (2016 – Present)

DC Characters Reading Orders

Adam Strange

 

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Comic Book Herald’s reading orders and guides are also made possible by My Marvelous Year club support on Patreon, and generous reader donations.

Any size contribution will help keep CBH alive and full of new comics guides and content. Support CBH’s My Marvelous Year on Patreon for exclusive rewards, or Donate here! Thank you for reading!

Aquaman

America’s Best Comics (Tom Strong, Promethea, etc)

Batman

Batman by Grant Morrison

Batman Who Laughs

Batgirl

Batwoman

Black Canary

Black Lightning

Booster Gold

Catwoman

Constantine, Hellblazer

Damian Wayne (Robin, Son of Batman)

Darkseid (New Gods, 4th World)

Deadman

Deathstroke

Doctor Fate

Doom Patrol

The Flash

Green Arrow

Green Lantern

Harley Quinn

Huntress

Jimmy Olsen

The Joker

Justice League

Lex Luthor

Lois Lane

Martian Manhunter

Mister Miracle

Nightwing (Richard Grayson, First Robin)

Plastic Man

Question (Vic Sage, Renee Montoya)

Red Hood

Red Robin (Tim Drake)

Robin (All)

Sandman

Secret Six

Shazam (Captain Marvel)

Swamp Thing

Suicide Squad

Supergirl

Superman

Teen Titans

Tom King’s DC Comics

Wildstorm Universe

Wonder Woman

Young Justice

DC Comics Event Timeline

Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985)

Legends (1986)

Watchmen (1986)

Frank Miller’s Batman Year One & Dark Knight Returns (1986)

Millenium (1988)

Cosmic Odyssey (1988)

Invasion! (1989)

The Janus Directive (1989) – The issues and reading order this event can be found within the Suicide Squad reading order, as Suicide Squad Vol. 4

Wonder Woman: War of the Gods (1991)

The Death of Superman (1992)

Check out Comic Book Herald’s full Death of Superman reading order.

World Without a Superman (1993)

The Return of Superman (1993)

Bloodlines (1993)

Knightfall (1993)

Zero Hour (1994) – You can find some additional reading for Zero Hour in the Green Lantern reading order.

Underworld Unleashed (1995)

The Final Night (1996)

DC vs. Marvel Comics (1996)

Kingdom Come (1996)

DC One Million (1998)

Day of Judgment (1999)

JLA: Earth 2 (2000)

DC Reading Order (2000 to Infinite Crisis)

The Comic Book Herald guide to getting up to speed with the DC Comics of the 2000s. Check out the full DC reading order! Includes:

Our Worlds at War (2001)

Identity Crisis (2004)

Seven Soldiers (Feb 2005 to Oct 2006)

Infinite Crisis (Nov. 2005 to May 2006)

52 (March 2006 to May 2007)

Sinestro Corps War (2007) – Expanded set up comics are included in the Green Lantern reading order.

Final Crisis (2008)

Batman: Battle For the Cowl (2008) – This would be the perfect time to check out Grant Morrison’s run on Batman.

Blackest Night Reading Order (2009)

Brightest Day Reading Order (2010)

Flashpoint (2011)

The New 52 (2011 – 2016)

The New 52 reading order includes every DC Comic that was released from 2011 to mid-year 2016. This also includes all New 52 event reading orders such as Night of the Owls or Forever Evil!

Convergence Reading Order (2015)

A complete, annotated Convergence reading order for new DC comics fans!

DC Rebirth (2016)

Dark Nights: Metal (2017)

DC Rebirth Year Two (2017-2018)

Doomsday Clock (2017-2018)

DC Rebirth Year Three (2018-2019)

Heroes in Crisis (2018-2019)

Event Leviathan (2019)

Year of the Villain (2019)

DC Rebirth Year Four (2019-2020)

Year of the Villain: The Infected (2019-2020)

Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium (2019)

Batman: Joker War (2020)

Dark Nights: Death Metal (2020 – 2021)

DC Future State (2021)

DC Infinite Frontier (2021)

Dark Crisis (2022)

Dawn of the DCU (2023)

Absolute DC Universe (2024 – )

 

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If you like Comic Book Herald, and are able to donate, any small contribution will help keep CBH alive and full of new comics guides and content. Donate here! Or, support CBH’s My Marvelous Year on Patreon for exclusive rewards! Thank you for reading!

View Comments (40)

  • So where would you recommend I start reading DC AFTER Crisis On Infinite Earths? I tried another site for reading orders but it really didn't help me at all. There were way too many gaps and stuff that just clearly didn't belong where it was. If you could help me figure this out, that would be GREATLY appreciated.

  • good evening, first of all thanks for ALL the works that you do for us. Second things, can you plz update the harley quinn RO and do one of poison ivy. God bless you all and have a nice day! (i hope that i written everythings weel, im italian and i dont know english perfectly)

    • The Full Batfamily is alot.....just Infinite Frontier's reading order alone is like 50% Batman.... and that order is now 30 pages long.... I'm not saying it wouldn't happen someday, but you could more or less get by from New 52 to Infinite Frontier by just reading the era reading orders and just doing the Batman family books.

      I'm not saying a full order is off the table, but it will take one of the guide writers having the knowledge and wanting to dive into it.

      Otherwise, the Batman specific reading order has a bunch of Batfamily stuff in it.

  • Any chance we could get a list of relationship reads? I want to know the whole story of Batman and Catwoman, but all I can find online are articles full of spoilers rather than a list of comics to pick up. And while we’re on the subject, I wouldn’t say no to lists about other pairings, such as dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon. Thank you!

  • Again, thank you so much for all the time and effort these take.

    Could you please do a Bombshells reading order, maybe?

  • Hello,

    I am just getting into reading DC comics. I have always watched the animated series and movies. I am a big fan of Ra's Al Ghul and wanted to read about him. Unfortunately, I don't see him mentioned on this list and sources online are inconsistent in their recommendations so I don't know where to start. Would you be so kind to assist me? Thank you so much

  • Hi
    I just want to ask a little Questions
    Should I like read all the comics from the Superheros up until Crisis then Crisis on infinfte earths and then the Comics you put there?

    • Probably not! The character guides are designed for readers who really just want to explore that particular character, not the entire universe. If you're interested in the events of the entire DCU, you can drop straight down to Crisis.

  • I love your site!!! I was just wondering where Infinite Crisis: fight for the multiverse(2014-15) fits in all this ?

  • Hi,

    Is it possible to update DC/Marvel read orders because there are missing links ?
    The last ones for exemple : 90’s X-Men Reading Order or Legion of Super-Heroes Reading Order.

    It's hard to find any reading order links that are not in the lists.

    Thank you.

  • hi, love your blog! i've never really got into reading comics until recently, although i've been a fan superheroes for as long as i can remember. i love continuity and story/character lore so knowing the order of a particular storyline is hugely beneficial to me... so thank you!

    one thing i've noticed, at least on the dc reading list, you don't have many villains listed. i see the joker, obviously... but i'd love to know which series/stories i should read if i like other villains (such as the riddler -thanks to fox's gotham i LOVE the riddler). any thoughts on doing a villains list for dc and/or marvel??

    thanks,
    Julie

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