DC Master Reading Order
Welcome to the DC Master Reading Order. This is a reading order for all DC comics that are deemed important or are just enjoyable comics to read. Comics from the Golden and Silver Ages are contained in Part 1 of the reading order. These comics, at least until the 70's, can be tough to read as the plots rely on staggering amounts of coincidence and the characters tend to hammer home their personality traits issue after issue. If you find you aren't enjoying these issues it is recommended you skip to Part 2 of the order, which begins immediately after Crisis on Infinite Earths.
First appearances are marked by the earliest issue the character appeared in, not necessarily their earliest chronological appearance.
Part 1
Issues: Action Comics #1 to Legionnaires 3 #4
Years: 1938-1986
Events: Jack Kirby's Fourth World, Aquaman: Death of a Prince, Crisis on Infinite Earths
First Appearances: Barry Allen, Batman, Big Barda, Bizarro, Brainiac, Captain Boomerang, Catwoman, The Creeper, Darkseid, Deathstroke, Doom Patrol, Jason Todd, Jimmy Olsen, John Constantine, Joker, Justice League, Killer Croc, Krypto, Legion of Super-Heroes, Lois Lane, Metal Men, Metallo, Mister Mxyzptlk, New Gods, Parasite, Ra’s al Ghul, Robin, The Rogues, Solomon Grundy, Supergirl, Superman, Swamp Thing, Talia al Ghul, Wally West, Weather Wizard
The first part of the order contains all the Pre-Crisis comics and ends with the Crisis on Infinite Earths event. The beginning of the order starts off heavily with the Superman Family but gradually other characters are brought in. A lot of the Golden and Silver Age comics rely on extreme amounts of coincidence for their plots, which doesn't always make for the easiest reading. If you are mainly interested in the Post-Crisis DC Universe you should skip this part and begin reading at Part 2.
Part 2
Issues: Batman #404 to Mister Miracle Vol. 2 #19
Years: 1987-1990
Events: Legends, Millennium, Invasion!, Superman: Exile, Janus Directive, Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying, War of the Gods
First Appearances: Oracle
The beginning of the Post-Crisis era. We start off with a high concentration of some of the most iconic Batman stories of all time: Year One, The Long Halloween, Dark Victory, Killing Joke, and A Lonely Place of Dying. Also featured is the excellent Man of Steel limited series and the Post-Crisis origins of many of the biggest DC superheroes. Post-Crisis we also see the beginning of large crossover events.
Part 3
Issues: Robin II: The Joker's Wild! #1 to Detective Comics #707
Years: 1991-1997
Events: Panic in the Sky, Justice League: Breakdowns, Armageddon 2001, Eclipso: The Darkness Within, Death of Superman, Funeral for a Friend, Reign of the Supermen, Bloodlines, DC Universe: Trinity, Knightfall Saga, Batman: Prodigal, Batman: Troika, Zero Hour, The Trial of Superman, Underworld Unleashed, The Flash: Dead Heat, Batman: Contagion, Batman: Legacy, Final Night
First Appearances: Azrael, Bane, Stephanie Brown
Along with the annual crossover events we also see two of the biggest comic events of the 90's: Death of Superman and the Knightfall Saga. These two events helped fuel the speculator boom of the early 90's and ultimately played a significant part in the collapse of the comic book market. The Batman: Contagion event marks the beginning of a series of events that will culminate in Batman: No Man's Land several years later. Zero Hour is the second of DC's large "Crisis" events.
Part 4
Issues: JLA Secret Files and Origins #1 to Batman: Nine Lives #1
Years: 1997-2002
Events: Genesis, Batman: Cataclysm, Brotherhood of the Fist, Behold! The Millennium Giants, DC One Million, Batman: No Man’s Land, Day of Judgment, The Justice Society Returns!, Superman: Emperor Joker, Batman: Officer Down, Our Worlds at War, Joker’s Last Laugh
First Appearances: Cassandra Cain
This part of the reading order starts off with a revamped Justice League being written by Grant Morrison and also sees the return of the Justice Society. The DC One Million event depicts the DC Universe 83,000 years in the future. Gotham City continues to have a bad time in Batman: Cataclysm and the government finally says enough is enough in Batman: No Man's Land.
Part 5
Issues: JSA: The Liberty File #1 to Lex Luthor: Man of Steel #5
Years: 2000-2005
Events: Bruce Wayne: Murderer?, Bruce Wayne: Fugitive, World Without Young Justice, JSA: Black Reign, Batman: War Games
First Appearances: Onomatopoeia
The popular Batman storyline Hush takes place in this part of the order and we have an updated version of Superman's Post-Crisis origin with the Superman: Birthright limited series. The Dark Knight Returns and The Dark Knight Strikes Again are placed in this section since they have to appear somewhere. We also have the excellent alternate universe Superman: Red Son limited series.
Part 6
Issues: Detective Comics #815 to Booster Gold Vol. 2 #14
Years: 2005-2009
Events: Identity Crisis, Countdown to Infinite Crisis, Batman: War Crimes, Infinite Crisis, Superman: Up, Up, and Away!, Batman: Face the Face, Amazons Attack!, Lightning Saga, The Resurrection of Ra’s al Ghul, Sinestro Corps War
First Appearances: Damian Wayne
And here we go. First up is Identity Crisis, followed by the massive Countdown to Infinite Crisis and then the Infinite Crisis event itself. This is followed by the 52 limited series and the One Year Later storylines, which explore the changes in the status quo of various heroes after the Infinite Crisis event. During the Countdown to Infinite Crisis we have the excellent Green Lantern: Rebirth limited series and the beginning of Geoff Johns' epic run with the character.
Part 7
Issues: Trinity #1 to Flashpoint #5
Years: 2008-2011
Events: Final Crisis, Battle for the Cowl, Blackest Night, Brightest Day, Superman: New Krypton, Batman: Judgment on Gotham, Reign of Doomsday, War of the Green Lanterns, Flashpoint
First Appearances: Larfleeze, Pandora
We have yet another "Crisis" event with Final Crisis, which has major repercussions within the Batman Family series of comics. There are several huge events such as Blackest Night, Brightest Day, and Superman: New Krypton. Then there is Flashpoint which radically changes the DC Universe and ushers in the New 52 era.
New 52
Issues: Dial H #0 to Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 7 #23
Years: 2011-2015
Events: Batman: Zero Year, The Culling, Night of the Owls, Rise of the Third Army, Wrath of the First Lantern, Rotworld, Throne of Atlantis, Superman: H’El on Earth, Death of the Family, Green Lantern: Lights Out, Batman: Requiem, Gothtopia, Trinity War, Forever Evil, Forever Evil: Blight, Krypton Returns, Red Daughter of Krypton, Superman: Doomed, Robin Rises, Green Lantern: Uprising, New 52: Futures End, Green Lantern: Godhead, Batman: Endgame, Multiversity, Convergence
First Appearances: Duke Thomas, Justice League Dark
Welcome to the New 52 Reading Order. This is a reading order for all DC comics published under the New 52 line, beginning after the Flashpoint event and ending with the Convergence event. The continuity of the New 52 continues in the DC You Reading Order.
DC You
Issues: Gotham Academy #7 to Justice League Vol. 2 #52
Years: 2015-2016
Events: Superman: Savage Dawn, Robin War, Darkseid War, Final Days of Superman
First Appearances: None
Welcome to the DC You Reading Order. Following the Convergence event the New 52 branding was dropped from all DC comics and was replaced by the DC You branding. DC You begins after the Convergence event and ends with DC Rebirth.
DC Rebirth
Issues: DC Universe: Rebirth #1 to Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #2
Years: 2016-2021
Events: Night of the Monster Men, Justice League vs. Suicide Squad, Superman Reborn, The Lazarus Contract, Dark Nights: Metal, Heroes in Crisis, Drowned Earth, Event Leviathan, City of Bane, The Infected, Joker War, Dark Nights: Death Metal, Endless Winter, Future State
First Appearances: None
Welcome to the DC Rebirth Reading Order. This is a reading order for all DC comics published in the Rebirth era, beginning with DC Universe: Rebirth #1 and currently ongoing. It proceeds directly after the New 52 and DC You reading orders.
Part 8
Issues: Superman: Earth One Vol. 1 to Suicide Squad Kill Arkham Asylum #5
Years: 2010-2021+
First Appearances: None
The New 52, DC You, and DC Rebirth reading orders only contain in-continuity comic issues. This part of the reading order is dedicated to the non-canon comics DC has released since 2011. Non-canon comics in the Infinite Frontier era will also be added to this reading order.
Infinite Frontier
Issues: Infinite Frontier #0 to Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight #4
Years: 2021-2023
Events: Fear State, Trial of the Amazons, Shadow War, Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, Lazarus Planet
First Appearances: None
Infinite Frontier is the name of the new era of DC Comics, following DC Rebirth. Rather than serve as a line-wide reboot, Infinite Frontier keeps the previous stories canon, while making many of the pre-Flashpoint storylines canon too. It also focuses on new or reintroduced characters, while allowing writers more creative freedom in telling their stories.
Dawn of DC
Issues: Dawn of DC Primer Special Edition #1 to Absolute Power #4
Years: 2023-2024
Events: Knight Terrors, Gotham War, Titans: Beast World, Superman: House of Brainiac, Absolute Power
First Appearances: Brainiac Queen
Following Infinite Frontier comes the Dawn of DC era. It focuses on hope, legacy, and rebuilding, spotlighting iconic heroes like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, while also elevating newer characters such as Power Girl, Jon Kent, and the Doom Patrol.
DC All In
Issues: Action Comics #1070 to JSA Vol. 2 #18
Years: 2024-2025
Events: DC K.O.
First Appearances: None
With Amanda Waller’s anti-metahuman campaign concluded, heroes emerge into a world reshaped by fear, control, and resistance. Classic heroes like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman move forward with sharpened missions, while younger and legacy characters step into greater prominence.