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
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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.
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America’s Best Comics (Tom Strong, Promethea, etc)
Damian Wayne (Robin, Son of Batman)
Darkseid (New Gods, 4th World)
Nightwing (Richard Grayson, First Robin)
Question (Vic Sage, Renee Montoya)
DC Comics Event Timeline
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Legends
Watchmen (1986)
Frank Miller’s Batman Year One & Dark Knight Returns (1986)
Millenium
Cosmic Odyssey
Invasion!
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
The Death of Superman
Check out Comic Book Herald’s full Death of Superman reading order.
World Without a Superman
The Return of Superman
Bloodlines (1993)
Knightfall
Zero Hour
Underworld Unleashed
The Final Night
DC vs. Marvel Comics (1996)
Kingdom Come
DC One Million
Day of Judgment
JLA: Earth 2
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
Identity Crisis (2004)
Seven Soldiers
Infinite Crisis
52
Sinestro Corps War
Final Crisis
Batman: Battle For the Cowl
Blackest Night Reading Order (2009)
Brightest Day Reading Order (2010)
Flashpoint
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 – )
Heroically Support Comic Book Herald!
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!
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.
whats the order for the rest of the dawn of dc
that was what ı need perfect
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)
Can you plzzzzzzzzzzz do a reading order for the batfamily
I would say this is a good reading order that includes most bat family titles.
I used this on my first run through on the Bat Family. If I remember it includes Batman, any Bat Family character, Team books where Batman is a character, and books where batman is prominent.
http://www.comicsbackissues.com/comic-book-reading-order/batman-reading-order/
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!
A full Bat-family reading order would be awesome !
I need the reading order for Armageddon 2001, please.
Do you guys have a Starfire reading order?
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.
Please, the JSA reading guide
PD: Thanks for you work!!!!
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
Very useful website thanks a lot !!
Are you planning on adding a legion reading order ?
Hi,
First of all, I want to say I really really like this site man, thanks for your efforts!
Secondly, will you be making a timeline for the new Dark Days / Dark Multiverse summer event that DC just announced?
I can’t seem to find the timeline
Hi could u guys make Aquaman reading order list?
Supergirl reading list please
Hi youve got amazing website here,
I just wanted your help to tell me how and from where to start reading dc comics? (Dc rebirth or new 52??? Or the real beginning..)
Ive never read a comic so i wanna start this journey with DC …
If u have a lot of time like hell of a then u can read the major events and special runs from the beginning and u can skip new 52 and directly go to rebirth and else if u want to read the runs or u can just go to dark night metal event and after that there DC universe expands and now we are here
Could you do an Aquaman reading guide?
Help! There is currently a SDCC sale on DC comics on comixology, but I don’t know where to begin. Do you have any recommendations? I am pretty well verse with Vertigo but not at all with the main DC universe. I hope you see this before the sale is over.
Keep up the good work!
I’d take a look at the DC books on my favorite comics list. Lotta good DC on there: https://www.comicbookherald.com/the-best-comics-of-all-time/
For everyone who has asked, I’ve now added a New 52 reading order to the site!
That DC does not have an “unlimited” style service for their back issue catalog is criminally negligent, but thanks for this.
I will second the motion for a Flash reading order.
Thanks for all you’ve,it’s been really helpful!
Are you planning on adding a Flash reading order?
I love the info on your web site. Thanks for your time.|
Zach Black, not sure but i don’t think there is a clear reading order for the new 52 except for the cross-over events. The reading orders regarding the events are the ones you can find online, besides that you can jump just in any book you’d like.
Hi just wondering do you have a trade paperback reading order for what happens between flashpoint and convergence which I believe would be the reading order for the new 52 comics into divergence? Thank you!
Great site you have here,
Just wondering…Do you have anything in the works of say like top 25 trades from the beginning of DC Comics up until 2000 ?
because that would be awesome
Glad you like the site. I’ve gotten this question a few times now, I will be adding within the next 2 weeks. Just need to finalize the 23 to 25 range
Have you finished that order yet?
Can you finish the order please
OMG that list would be so helpful!! Could you finish that order please?