Batman Graphic Novels - METAL/DARK DAYS Reading Order

[J777amo]

Hi all,

looking for some help in regards to reading order for a run in the Batman Metal series!

I currently have
Dark Days - Road to Metal
Dark Knights - Metal the Resistance
Dark Knights - Metal Dark Knights Rising
Dark Knights - Metal

Where do I go next? Would it be the following?
Batman who laughs
Dark Knights: Death Metal: The Darkest Knight
Dark Knights: Death Metal: The Multiverse Who Laughs

Thanks for any advice!

[jb681131]

Here you go:

Pre-reading

1. Multiversity by Grant Morrison
   
   1. The Multiversity #1
   2. The Multiversity: The Society of Super-heroes #1
   3. The Multiversity: The Just #1
   4. The Multiversity: Pax Americana #1
   5. The Multiversity: Thunderworld Adventures #1
   6. The Multiversity Guidebook #1 <- important, can be read on its own
   7. The Multiversity: Mastermen #1
   8. The Multiversity: Ultra Comics #1
   9. The Multiversity #2

Phase 1 - Metal

1. TPB
   
   1. Dark Days: The Road to Metal
   2. Dark Nights: Metal
   3. Dark Nights: Metal—Dark Knights Rising
   4. Dark Nights: Metal—The Resistance
2. Issues
   
   1. Dark days: The Forge #1
   2. Dark days: The Casting #1
   3. Dark nights: Metal #1-2
   4. Teen Titans #12
   5. Nightwing #29
   6. Suicide Squad #26
   7. Green Arrow #52
   8. Batman: The Red Death #1
   9. Batman: The Murder Machine #1
   10. Batman: The Dawnbreaker #1
   11. Batman: The Drowned #1
   12. Dark nights: Metal #3
   13. Batman: The Merciless #1
   14. Batman: The Devestator #1
   15. Dark nights: The Batman Who Laughs #1
   16. Batman: Lost #1
   17. The Flash #33
   18. Justice League #32
   19. Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #32
   20. Justice League #33
   21. Dark nights: Metal #4
   22. Hawkman: Found #1
   23. Dark nights: Metal #5
   24. Dark knights rising: The Wild Hunt #1
   25. Dark nights: Metal #6

Phase 2 - Batman Who Laughs / New Justice

1. Justice League: No Justice
   
   1. DC Nations #0
   2. Justice League: No Justice #1-4
2. Justice League by Scott Snyder
   
   1. Justice League #1-9
   2. Justice League #10 + Aquaman #41 + Titans #28 + Justice League/Aquaman: Drowned earth #1 + Justice League #11 + Aquaman #42 + Justice League #12 + Aquaman/Justice League: Drowned earth #1
   3. Justice League #13-16 + Justice League Annual #1 + Justice League #17-18
   4. Justice League #19-25
3. The Batman Who Laughs
   
   1. The Batman Who Laughs #1-3
   2. The Batman Who Laughs: The Grim Knight #1
   3. The Batman Who Laughs #4-6
4. Justice League/Doom War
   
   1. Justice League #26-28
   2. Black Mask: Year of the Villain + Riddler: Year of the Villain + Justice League #29 + Lex Luthor: Year of the Villain + Sinestro: Year of the Villain
   3. Justice League #30-34 + The Joker: Year of the Villain + Justice League #35-39
5. The Infected - tpb
   
   1. Batman/Superman: Who Are the Secret Six? (aka the Batman Who Laughs 2)
   2. Year of the Villains: The Infected (aka the Batman Who Laughs 3)
6. The Infected - issues
   
   1. Batman/Superman #1-2
   2. The Infected: King Shazam! #1
   3. Black Adam: Year of the Vilain #1
   4. The Infected: The Commissioner #1
   5. Batman/Superman #3
   6. The Infected: Scarab #1
   7. The Infected: Deathbringer #1
   8. Batman/Superman #4
   9. Supergirl Annual #2
   10. Batman/Superman #5
7. Year of the Villians: Hell Arisen
   
   1. Batman/Superman #6
   2. Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen #1-4

Interludes

1. Interlude: Heroes in Crisis
   
   1. Batman: I am Gotham
   2. Flash: Flash War
   3. (Red Hood and the Outlaws Annual #2)
   4. Heroes in Crisis
   5. Heroes in Crisis: The Price and other Tales
   6. Flash Forward <- important
2. Interlude: Doomsday Clock
   
   1. Watchmen
   2. Flashpoint
   3. Darkseid War
   4. DC Univers Rebirth
   5. Batman/Flash: The Button
   6. Doomsdays Clock <- important

Phase 3 - Death Metal

1. TBP
   
   1. Dark Nights: Death Metal
   2. Dark Nights: Death Metal: The Darkest Knight
   3. Dark Nights: Death Metal: The Multiverse Who Laughs
   4. Dark Nights: Death Metal: War of the Multiverses
   5. Justice League: Death Metal
2. Issues
   
   1. Dark nights: Death Metal #1-3
   2. Dark nights: Death Metal - Legends of the dark knights #1
   3. Dark nights: Death Metal Guidebook #1
   4. Dark nights: Death Metal - Trinity Crisis #1
   5. Dark nights: Death Metal - Speed Metal #1
   6. Dark nights: Death Metal - Multiverse's End #1
   7. Dark nights: Death Metal #4
   8. Death Metal: Robin King #1
   9. Dark nights: Death Metal - Rise of the new god #1
   10. Justice League #53-57
   11. Dark nights: Death Metal - Infinite hour exxxtreme #1
   12. Dark nights: Death Metal #5
   13. Dark nights: Death Metal - The multiverse who laughs #1
   14. Dark nights: Death Metal - The last story of the DC universe #1
   15. Dark nights: Death Metal #6
   16. Dark nights: Death Metal - The secret origin #1
   17. Dark nights: Death Metal - The last 52: War of the multiverse #1
   18. Dark nights: Death Metal #7

Sequels

1. Future State - tpb
   
   1. Future State: The Next Batman
   2. Future State: Dark Detective
   3. Future State: Suicide Squad
   4. Future State: Superman
   5. Future State: Justice League
   6. Future State: Wonder Woman
2. Infinite Frontier - issues
   
   1. Infinite Frontier #0
   2. Infinite Frontier: Secret Files #1-6
   3. Infinite Frontier #1-6
   4. Justice League Incarnate tpb
   5. Death of the Justice League - Justice League #75
   6. Road to Dark Crisis - to be determined
   7. Dark Crisis - to be determined

Enjoy

[JBatmanFan05]

Phase 2 - Batman Who Laughs / New Justice
[LIST=1][*]The Batman Who Laughs

1. The Batman Who Laughs #1-3
2. The Batman Who Laughs: The Grim Knight #1
3. The Batman Who Laughs #4-6

[*]Justice League: No Justice

1. DC Nations #0
2. Justice League: No Justice #1-4

[*]Justice League by Scott Snyder

1. Justice League #1-9
2. Justice League #10 + Aquaman #41 + Titans #28 + Justice League/Aquaman: Drowned earth #1 + Justice League #11 + Aquaman #42 + Justice League #12 + Aquaman/Justice League: Drowned earth #1
3. Justice League #13-16 + Justice League Annual #1 + Justice League #17-18
4. Justice League #19-25

[*]Justice League/Doom War
[LIST=1][*]Justice League #26-28[*]Black Mask: Year of the Villain + Riddler: Year of the Villain + Justice League #29 + Lex Luthor: Year of the Villain + Sinestro: Year of the Villain[*]Justice League #30-34 + The Joker: Year of the Villain + Justice League #35-39

This cannot be accurate (and flies very much in the face of publication order). Justice League #7-8, etc shows us what The Batman Who Laughs has been doing since the end of Metal (he sought out Lex and allowed himself to be captured by Lex & Joker). So The Batman Who Laughs #1-3, Grim Knight, #4-6 must take place like at least after JL #13. I think I, personally, have it placed after JL #18.

https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Bruce_Wayne_(Earth_-22)

[G-Man27]

Also, don't forget Justice League Incarnate, it comes between Infinite Frontier and Death Of The Justice League

[jb681131]

Also, don't forget Justice League Incarnate, it comes between Infinite Frontier and Death Of The Justice League

True, I missed it.

[jb681131]

This cannot be accurate (and flies very much in the face of publication order). Justice League #7-8, etc shows us what The Batman Who Laughs has been doing since the end of Metal (he sought out Lex and allowed himself to be captured by Lex & Joker). So The Batman Who Laughs #1-3, Grim Knight, #4-6 must take place like at least after JL #13. I think I, personally, have it placed after JL #18.

https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Bruce_Wayne_(Earth_-22)

To me this shows part of the incoherence of this saga.

[JBatmanFan05]

To me this shows part of the incoherence of this saga.

You (or whoever did that order) were dead correct to link that BWL mini-series to Scott Snyder's JL run, I absolutely agree. But like it or not, the BWL mini chronologically happens like in the middle of Snyder's JL run. Just no way around that (and it was published that way).

[jb681131]

You (or whoever did that order) were dead correct to link that BWL mini-series to Scott Snyder's JL run, I absolutely agree. But like it or not, the BWL mini chronologically happens like in the middle of Snyder's JL run. Just no way around that (and it was published that way).

So should I rather place it before "Doom War" ?

[JBatmanFan05]

So should I rather place it before "Doom War" ?

It's pretty arbitrary, as long as it happens after #JL 13. Here is some publication order info that might help you decide since it's so arbitrary/subjective:
https://ibb.co/gyqgxFX


For myself, I chose after just after like JL #18 (not too close to Doom War, but not too far from it either)

[jb681131]

It's pretty arbitrary, as long as it happens after #JL 13. Here is some publication order info that might help you decide since it's so arbitrary/subjective:
https://ibb.co/gyqgxFX


For myself, I chose after just after like JL #18 (not too close to Doom War, but not too far from it either)

I see. But I don't like beaking story arcs. So I chose to pace it right before Doom War.

[JBatmanFan05]

I see. But I don't like beaking story arcs. So I chose to pace it right before Doom War.

I don't like to break up arcs either, but there are arc breaks before Doom War. I put it after the contents of the JL: Hawkworld trade, which ends with like JL #18 or an annual. There is an arc break I think after JL #13 as well.

And, FYI, the solicit for JL #13 directs you to the mini: (if I didn't place it after #18, decent chance I might pick just after #13)
https://www.dccomics.com/comics/just...tice-league-13

[J777amo]

I don't like to break up arcs either, but there are arc breaks before Doom War. I put it after the contents of the JL: Hawkworld trade, which ends with like JL #18 or an annual. There is an arc break I think after JL #13 as well.

And, FYI, the solicit for JL #13 directs you to the mini: (if I didn't place it after #18, decent chance I might pick just after #13)
https://www.dccomics.com/comics/just...tice-league-13

Thank you both for your help!