DC Comics has a rich pantheon of supervillains, so it’s no wonder the publisher would want to put them all in the spotlight as often as possible. With a roster including Lex Luthor, the Joker, Black Adam, Deathstroke, and the Turtle, how could you not?
This is of course nothing new; the idea of a villain centric takeover is common throughout comics history, whether we’re talking about Marvel’s Acts of Vengeance, key portions of Infinite Crisis, Forever Evil
So what makes 2019’s “Year of the Villain” different? (Apart from the June kickoff, which positions more of a Villain’s Summer Vacation. And now that I’m picturing Grodd in a speedo, let’s move on…) The answer’s have been building throughout writer Scott Snyder’s run on Justice League, which has focused heavily on Lex Luthor’s spiritual awakening that “evil” self-interest is humanity’s true purpose. “Year of the Villain” will focus on Lex taking this message across the DC Universe, and assembling an even larger Legion of Doom that buys into his ambitions for the planet.
Previously: Heroes in Crisis
Road to The Year of the Villain (Scott Snyder’s Justice League)
Collects: Justice League: No Justice #1-4 And Stories From DC Nation #0
Following the events of Dark Nights: Metal, the Justice League lineup of comics rebranded with new core rosters under the “New Justice” umbrella. The “No Justice” mini kicked things off, and leads to three core titles: Justice League, Justice League Dark, and Justice League Odyssey.
Justice League Vol. 1: The Totality
Collects: Justice League #1-7
The Scott Snyder written era of Justice League begins, with artists including Jim Cheung and Jorge Jimenez.
Justice League – Legion of Doom Checklist:
If you’re really looking for a “Road To” fast track, I’d recommend the various “Legion of Doom” takeover issues, where the Justice League comic is converted into a villains highlight!
- Justice League #5
- Justice League #8
- Justice League #12
- Justice League #13
- Justice League #18
- Justice League #22
Justice League Vol. 2: Graveyard of Gods
Collects: Justice League #8-12
Justice League/Aquaman: Drowned Earth
Collects: Justice League/Aquaman: Drowned Earth #1, Justice League #10-12, Aquaman #40-41, Titans #28 And Aquaman/Justice League: Drowned Earth #1
You can find a checklist and reading order for this crossover with Comic Book Herald’s Drowned Earth guide.
Justice League Vol. 3: Hawkworld
Collects: Justice League #13-16, Justice League Annual #1, Justice League #17 To #18
Justice League #19 to #25 – “The Sixth Dimension”
Year of the Villain Collected Editions
DC Year of the Villain Omnibus
Collects: Year of the Villain tie-ins.
Justice League Vol. 5: The Doom War
Collects: Justice League #26-39
Batman/Superman Vol. 1: Who are the Secret Six?
Collects: Batman/Superman #1 To #5
FYI, I’m including the “Year of the Villain: The Infected” trade collections because they’re a spinoff event within “Year of the Villain” and bridge the gap to Hell Arisen.
Year of the Villain: The Infected
Collects: The Infected: King Shazam! #1, The Infected: Scarab #1, The Infected: Donna Troy, Deathbringer #1And The Infected: Gordon, The Commissioner #1
Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen
Collects: Year Of The Villain: Hell Arisen #1 To #5
Year of the Villain Comics
The Offer
The first two Year of the Villain tie-ins released – Deathstroke and Harley Quinn – do not bode well for the relevance of this “event’s” tie-ins. We’re talking approximately 4% of the comic book that actually relates to Year of the Villain, in the most predictable way possible. Harley Quinn at least has fun with it, but until further notice, unless you’ve been reading the DC series prior to Year of the Villain, you don’t need to exclusively as part of the bigger event picture.
Dark Gifts
Sinestro: Year of the Villain #1
I’ll go ahead and reiterate here, if it’s not an issue of Justice League, or doesn’t have “Year of the Villain” in the one-shot title, then the “tie-ins” are really only recommended / necessary if it’s a series you’re already interested in keeping up with. Which is fine! Again, “Year of the Villain” is not an event so much as an idea.
For it’s part, the Mark Russell written Sinestro: Year of the Villain is a fun meditation on godhood, worship, and the value of the self.
Writer Sam Humphries and the Harley Quinn team are clearly having a lot of fun making fun of “Year of the Villain” and crossovers in general. It’s really smart meta-commentary, and a tonic for the burden of tie-ins!
Black Mask: Year of the Villain #1
Whereas Sinestro: Year of the Villain concentrates on a core Legion of Doom mainstay, this Black Mask one-shot written by Tom Taylor (always a good thing) perplexingly zooms into the life of one Roman Sionis. There are a lot of elements that feel like this should make for a great comic – particularly the inclusion of Batwoman and Renee Montaya – but it’s all a bit flat. I’m curious how this will or won’t play into the rest of Year of the Villain.
This is the big one, the start of the Justice/Doom war!
Note that this “Year of the Villain” tie-in kicks off the crossover within the crossover – “The Infected.”
This issue has a lot more to do with Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium
While it may seem extremely weird to so clearly jump Superman issues like this (it is weird!), Superman #17 actually follows up pretty directly on “The Gift” portion of Year of the Villain.
Evil Unleashed
Also an epilogue of sorts for Heroes in Crisis.
Lex Luthor: Year of the Villain #1
Sexy Lexy roams the DC multiverse in search of Luthors! Solid multiversal one-shot by Jason Latour and Bryan Hitch.
Also an Event Leviathan tie-in!
Doom Rising
Black Adam: Year of the Villain #1
Follow-up tie-in to “The Infected” alongside “Year of the Villain.” Oh, and Black Adam tosses in “Leviathan” references for an incredible three point play.
This “Infected” chapter takes place mostly prior to Batman #77, but ends closer to the “Doom Rising” portion of “Year of the Villain.” If you’ve already read Batman to this point you’ll know what has to occur earlier than these events, and it won’t really diminish the issue to read closer to publication date here.
Primarily an “Infected” tie-in
Harley Quinn: Villain of the Year #1
Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen #1
Next: Dark Nights – Death Metal
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*Sigh* this list is missing comics, and why does it stop at hell arisen 1? What about 2, 3, and 4??
Hi can I just clarify I finished the sixth dimension TPB
What should I read next am interested in doom war specifically. Haha not sure I still fully understand what is going on…
Read justice league 26-39.
Not a big reader of comics, I just finished watching a YT vid explaining the whole Justice League/Doom war or whatever, its conclusion shows the Justice League heading through some kind of doorway to somewhere… Where? Where’s the actual conclusion? All I wanted to know is if there was a series that continues the story… Seems a simple question to me, yet I can’t get a simple answer for it 🙁
I know it doesn’t apply to this story arc, but just ordering my collection and don’t know where to put Batman and the Outsiders 1, 2 or Annual 1. Thanks for all the great work!
I came here to get caught up before Death Metal, and boy am I grateful to Comic Book Herald, thank you!
That said, I really am fatigued with complicated reading orders. Definitely will read everything Snyder is involved with, though.
I wish people publishing reading order were not so lazy. Instead of slapping together whatever comes to mind you should read the comics first.
Most of this list sees heroes in two places/battles at once or batman recuperating and fighting in two consecutive issues. This is obviously not chronological order but lazy order that makes zero sense.
If you dont want to do something right just dont do it and stop confusing people.
They said “time is broken” on Flash and Action Comics book, so fuck it. Because of this lame excuse they wrote things with 0 planning.
It’s not their fault that DC screwed up
If you don’t pike the guide then don’t use it . You don’t have to come down to the comments section and go on a rant
Can you please write hostile takeover after nightwing annual 2
Will you compile these into volumes as you have done for previous years e.g. Flash Volume 11 etc?
Does year of the villain: hell arisen and justice league: hell arisen is the same thing? Sorry i’m a little bit confused.
i have been confused , since batman and superman are in one comic fighting perpetua and the other fighting the bat who laughs… are they in separated universes
Hey. I wonder when Will this fase end… I meen. When cam i stop buying superman, ww and JL without interrupting a fase…
Like, I entered this to buy the rebirth fase. It is over??? Because here in Brazil when they stopped with the rebirth cover the story of supes, we and JL wasn’t near any kind of end. I appreciate your help. Thanks!!!
Thanks for posting this list! Its verra helpful in trying to read the event in order.
One question tho, where does The Riddler – Year of the Villain 01 fit in the lineup?
Thank you! I’ve been using this page to keep track. Just over question, where she’s Justice League Odyssey fall in this order?
Thank you! I’ve been using this page to keep track. Just one* question, where does* Justice League Odyssey fall in this order?
Now I’m really lazy about keeping with what’s going on in DC, this whole dark metal thing, anyway. This is to thank you for doing a list. I really needed it!