My Approach to Reading the DC Universe

Written by Brett in DC 
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DC is full of some of the comic book industry’s most iconic and long-lasting characters. There is Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc. — the list continues. However, with over 80 years of history, finding a place to start can be pretty daunting. It becomes even more complicated when you add significant events, crossovers, and universe reboots.

Batman was my start in DC (way to start simple). I was only planning to read the highest recommended titles, but then the completionist in me took over. I kept going further back in time and at greater depths. Very quickly, I became lost and decided I needed a plan.

One of the issues I had with other reading guides is that when researching “what to read,” I unintentionally learned what happened. A central goal of these guides is to provide new readers recommendations on what to read with as few spoilers as possible.

This guide is by no means comprehensive. I stead it covers what I have read and learned, and I will continue to update as I make my way through the DC Universe.

Table of Contents

Overview

I wanted to put together a guide for new comic readers that provided answers to the three most common questions I had when I started:

  1. Where should I start?
  2. How does it all fit together?
  3. What is good, and what can I skip?

When I start a new character or story, I aim for comprehensive but also manageable. That is to say, I want to get as much of a complete and chronological read as possible, but I understand that it isn’t worth the time or effort to read everything. Check out my favorite DC stories if you are looking for a fast track through DC.

Things that I take into consideration with my recommended reading orders:

  1. Balance of Quality and Quantity – This can be tough since some titles have thousands of issues. When I try to read a character like Batman or Green Lantern, I read as many major storylines as possible. I will cover the most popular runs, but I also recognize that a lot needs to be ignored before I can finish.
  2. Consistent Tone – For me, I factor two things into tone: WHEN and WHO
    • Publication Era – While I try to go in chronological order, I have found that it can be somewhat distracting with stories written several decades apart. Mostly, I recommend reading collected editions because they nicely group stories with a similar tone and artwork and maintain sequencing. I will build the guides in chronological order. Still, I will call out recommendations for titles that I think should be read according to publication year instead.
    • Writers & Artists – In addition to when the comic was published, who is writing the story also matters. For me, switching between different authors for the same character is jarring and ruins the experience a bit. If there are parallel series for a character, I tend to read one entirely and switch versus jumping back and forth. The exception to this is for major storylines that cross titles. Again, I find focusing on collected editions helps.
  3. Anchor Points – As much as I would love just to read all of Batman, that would probably take me years and become quite monotonous. I do like to jump around to different characters (and other publishers) from time to time. For DC, I find that the major crisis events provide great anchor points. It gives me about a decade’s worth of content to dive into for a character and is typically a decent transition point. I can then move on to another series for a while, and when I come back, I am starting fresh in a new story or series run.

Reading the collected editions is the easiest way to balance quality with quantity and maintain a consistent tone. I mainly use Hoopla and Kindle Unlimited to find and read these collected editions.

How I navigate the DC through the years

Golden Age (1934 – 1956) & Silver Age (1956 – 1969)

I skip everything in DC from the Golden Age and Silver Age, except for historical issues like Detective Comics #27 (the first appearance of Batman). Personally, I’m not too fond of the stories, tone, or artwork from these periods. Most of the stories are too hoaky for me and don’t have much substance. If you want to read anything from these eras, there are many collected editions and guides.

Bronze Age (1970 – 1985)

Additionally, I try to skip most of the Bronze Age as well. Most of the storylines have been retconned, so there is not much lost from a storytelling perspective. Many stories here still follow a similar tone as the Golden and Silver Ages; however, this era begins the transition into the darker and grittier storytelling for which DC is known.

There are some notable runs in the Bronze Age that I do recommend, such as Dennis O’Neil/Neal Adams’ runs on Batman and Green Lantern/Green Arrow or Marv Wolfman’s run on The New Teen Titans. These stories have more substance and dip into significant social issues. I include many of the most popular in the reading lists. For the most part, I have never felt like I was missing out by skipping this era, and it cuts out a lot of reading time.

Modern Age (1985 – 2011)

I try to start new DC characters in the Modern Age, typically right after Crisis on Infinite Earths. Because the Modern Age is 25 years long, I use major crisis events as my anchor points.

Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985) to Zero Hour (1994)

For DC, post-Crisis on Infinite Earths is typically the starting point for most characters. This first-of-its-kind event was designed to correct all of the previous discrepancies that evolved through DCs history. This crisis led to the multiverse’s destruction and resulted in a single solidified DC Universe.

During the ’80s, the industry was revolutionized, and DC accelerated its transition into the darker, more mature tone that I prefer. The stories became more socially relevant, and I am surprised at how many issues touch on societal problems that are still relevant today. This stretch contains some of my all-time favorites and some of the greatest comic stories. Not everything was great, and sometimes the content has not aged well, but for the most part, I see how innovative it was at the time.

Zero Hour (1994) to Infinite Crisis (2005)

Zero Hour is DC’s second attempt to fix inconsistencies built over time by resetting the timeline. The ’90s was an exciting time in the comic book industry. A mass commercial explosion led to many spinoff series for major characters (i.e., Batman had Detective Comics, Batman, Batman: Shadow of the Bat, and Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight). Additionally, the comic book industry started accelerating the use of “major” crossover events. Last, the ’90s was also a period where DC tried to modernize several of their lines with new heroes and updated costumes (i.e., the new Batman, Kyle Rayner as Green Lantern, or Connor Hawke as the new Green Arrow). All of this gets messy and makes it hard to follow what to read. With that said, there were still some great stories and excellent runs.

Infinite Crisis (2005) to Final Crisis (2008)

Infinite Crisis is a sequel to Crisis on Infinite Earths that resulted in numerous changes to the DC universe, so it is another good stop/start point. In Infinite Crisis, characters died, went missing, returned from death/long absences, took new identities, or underwent other significant changes as individual characters. Additionally, changes were made to the timeline, and the multiverse was restored. The 2000s was an excellent era for Batman and also brought runs like All-Star Superman and Geoff Johns’ Green Lantern.

Final Crisis (2008) to New 52 (2011)

The Final Crisis brought no significant changes to the Universe. Still, it is a good anchor point since it is a major crossover event and concludes the “Crisis Trilogy.” This period of the 2000s continues to be strong.

New 52 (2011 -2016)

In 2011, DC rebooted again after the Flashpoint event and created the New 52 DC Universe. Most of the DC storylines were restarted. This era is pretty divisive and not well-received by many fans. However, there are still some great runs on Batman, Batgirl, and Swamp Thing.

DC Rebirth (2016-2023)

Rebirth (2016) to Infinite Frontier (2021)

After New 52 struggled, DC decided on another reboot. DC Rebirth brought back much of what readers disliked in the New 52 but kept what they enjoyed. Aiming to reconcile the New 52 continuity with classic elements from the pre-Flashpoint era, DC Rebirth focuses on legacy and character-driven narratives. Rebirth sought to restore a sense of hope and optimism to the DC Universe, reintroducing familiar elements and embracing the rich history of its iconic characters. This era garnered praise for its commitment to honoring the past while pushing the narrative forward, resonating with both longtime fans and new readers alike.

Infinite Frontier (2021) to Dawn of DC (2023)

The DC Infinite Frontier era emerged from the upheaval of Dark Nights: Death Metal, ushering in a renewed sense of exploration and creative freedom within the DC Universe. With a focus on a multiverse teeming with potential, this era embraces legacy characters, diverse storytelling, and a dynamic tapestry of interconnected narratives that pays homage to the rich history of DC Comics while charting new and uncharted territory. Infinite Frontier invites readers to witness a universe in flux, where heroes forge ahead into uncharted realms and confront both familiar and unforeseen challenges, promising a thrilling and unpredictable journey for fans, old and new alike.

Dawn of DC (2023 – Present)

Kicked off after the Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths and Lazarus Planet this is the current era of DC.

DC Reading Guide Collection

There are so many characters in the DC universe that I decided I needed to group them to keep my sanity as I tried to get through most of DC. For the most part, the DC universe is formed around several cornerstone characters. I am working through only 1 or 2 of them at any time.

Cornerstone Characters

Mostly, DC fits within a set of core characters that lead to mini-universes within the greater DC universe. For example, you have the Bat Family, which starts with Batman and then spins off to include stories about the various Robins, Nightwing, Batgirl, etc. You have Superman with spinoffs for Superboy, Supergirl, etc., and Green Lantern with the Green Lantern Corps. I like to focus on one of the major groups in a period between anchor events.

For example, I will read all Green Lanterns from Crisis on Infinite Earths to Zero Hour, then switch to Batman from Crisis to Zero Hour, and so on. I find this approach gives me some focus on a character and their surrounding world and takes the 80-year history at a “manageable” 10-15 years at a time. But also lets me sample different characters at a much faster pace.

Completed Guides
Coming Soon
  • Batman
  • Green Arrow
  • Superman
  • Flash
  • Wonder Woman
  • Aquaman

Teams

In addition to the significant characters, series like the Justice League and Teen Titans bring the different characters together (outside of the major events).

Completed Guides

Vertigo/DC Black Label

Vertigo was launched by DC Comics in 1993 as an imprint for more mature, creator-driven stories, often featuring adult themes, complex narratives, and darker tones. It became home to iconic series like Sandman, Preacher, and Hellblazer, allowing DC to push boundaries outside its superhero genre. In 2020, DC retired the Vertigo imprint, transitioning many of its mature titles and concepts into the newly branded DC Black Label. These are shorter series (under 100 issues) that can be read over a few months.

Completed Guides
Coming Soon
  • 100 Bullets
  • American Vampire
  • Animal Man
  • Astro City
  • Books of Magic
  • Daytripper
  • The Dead Boy Detectives
  • DMZ
  • Doom Patrol
  • The Dreaming
  • Fables
  • Hellblazer
  • Human Target
  • The Invisibles
  • Jack of Fables
  • Jonah Hex
  • Lucifer
  • Preacher
  • Sandman
  • Shade
  • Swamp Thing
  • Sweet Tooth
  • Transmetropolitan
  • The Question
  • V for Vendetta
  • Y: The Last Man
  • Watchmen (created before Vertigo, but fits here with the mature audience focus)

Wildstorm

WildStorm was originally an independent comic book studio founded by Jim Lee in 1992 as part of Image Comics and was acquired by DC Comics in 1999, becoming one of its imprints. The WildStorm universe existed separately from the main DC Universe until the New 52 reboot, which integrated WildStorm characters like Midnighter, Apollo, and Grifter into the DC continuity. In recent years, WildStorm has seen occasional revivals as a distinct imprint within DC, maintaining its legacy of edgy, sci-fi-driven storytelling.

Completed Guides
Coming Soon
  • The Authority
  • Apollo
  • Backlash
  • Deathblow
  • Gen13
  • Grifter
  • Planetary
  • Majestic
  • Midnighter
  • Sleeper
  • Stormwatch
  • Team 7
  • WildC.A.T.S.
  • Wildcore

References

Brett

In my mid-30s, I ventured into the mesmerizing world of comic books, and since then, they've captured my heart as one of my cherished pastimes. With a delightful dance between Marvel and DC, sprinkled with the occasional indie gem, I've immersed myself in this enchanting universe. As a true completionist at heart, my passion for collecting has birthed an abundance of reading lists that I'm thrilled to share with all of you, bringing us together on this thrilling comic journey.

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