Magic in the DC Universe: Recommendations

[Gorblax]

I hear a lot of people say they can’t get into the magic end of the DC Universe. To those people, where would be some good places to get started?

(Of course I’d throw Neil Gaiman’s The Books of Magic into the ring.)

[Hilden B. Lade]

Similarly to Gaiman's Books of Magic, Alan Moore's Swamp Thing provides a pretty great tour/introduction to the magical corners of the DCU (before Swampy goes all cosmic at the end, anyhow)

The Sandman (my personal introduction to DC's magic corner) and Hellblazer (Delano through Carey) are also good recommendations.

[Agent Z]

Paul Levitz's Dr Fate

Bill Willingham's Shadowpact

[Lee Stone]

My recommendations:

Books of Magic mini by Gaiman
Swamp Thing #37-50 by Moore (Swamp Thing TPB vol. 3 & 4)
Sandman by Gaiman (including the Death minis)

[jb681131]

Well the main magicians of the DC Univers are Zatarra and his daughter Zatana. So I'd say any story involving them. But all stories with magic don't necessarelly involve them.

From what I've read, I would recommand:

Trust - Detective Comics #833-834 - published in Batman: Death and the City (by Paul Dini)
Intelligence - Detective Comics #958-962 - published in Batman: Detective Comics: Deus Ex Machina (by James Tynion IV)

Dark Knight, Dark City - Batman #452-454 - published in Batman: Dark Knight, Dark City (by Peter Milligan) - Story about some dark ritual.


The Swamp Thing by Charles Soules - Swamp Thing New52 #9-40 - Published in Swamp Thing: Seeder, Swamp Thing: The Killing Field, Swamp Thing: The Sureen, Swamp Thing: Season's End - not really magic but it looks like it.

[Robotman]

definitely Moore's Swamp Thing! Charles Soule's Swamp Thing run was very good as well.

there were actually a lot of good magic based comics during the New 52. Animal Man, Demon Knights, Frankenstein Agent of SHADE, I Vampire, JL Dark, Swamp Thing

Sandman (especially Season's of Mist)