Starting out--not a virgin, but still fairly new

[darthyagi]

Hey, all.

I'm Jeff, and I'm finally making the plunge.

I've been passingly familiar with comics all my life, enough to know who my favorites are, that I prefer DC over Marvel, etc. But I was always more used to Japanese manga because of my circle of friends.

But I'm a grown-up now, and have kids. I don't have friends anymore. :/

I need advice. I've got a ton of Aquaman, which I want to get through to current, but after that, I don't know where to go. I'd like to get really familiar with the overall DC universe, but I have no idea where to really start. I prefer silver age and newer, but that's really all I know. I just like to see the world and mythos grow.

Any advice is appreciated. I know this is a huge question. Thanks!

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Darwyn Cooke's DC: The New Frontier is a modern re-telling of the earliest days of the Silver Age set in the 1950s. I cannot recommend it enough. It is one of the best DC stories ever told by a master at the top of his game.

[The_Lurk]

Hey, all.

I'm Jeff, and I'm finally making the plunge.

I've been passingly familiar with comics all my life, enough to know who my favorites are, that I prefer DC over Marvel, etc. But I was always more used to Japanese manga because of my circle of friends.

But I'm a grown-up now, and have kids. I don't have friends anymore. :/

I need advice. I've got a ton of Aquaman, which I want to get through to current, but after that, I don't know where to go. I'd like to get really familiar with the overall DC universe, but I have no idea where to really start. I prefer silver age and newer, but that's really all I know. I just like to see the world and mythos grow.

Any advice is appreciated. I know this is a huge question. Thanks!

Silver age and newer; thats good. That covers basically everything

If you want (and can afford) to walk the long road this series is a good start: https://www.amazon.com/Crisis-Multip...dp/1563898950/

Its a 6 or 7 TP strong series covering most of all major Justice League and Justice Society meetup up beginning in the 60ys to the point very short before the Crisis of Infinite Earth. https://www.amazon.com/Crisis-Infini...dp/1563897504/

I'm not completely sure but I think that and all the others will be bundled up in here https://www.amazon.com/Crisis-Box-Se...dp/1401295177/
It talks about a 14 volume boxed set so I guess it covers every somewhat major up to and including the most major happening ever in 1985.

Notable detours I can think of while reading that above would be https://www.amazon.com/Fourth-World-...dp/1401274757/ (or for a more economic approach https://www.amazon.com/New-Gods-Jack...dp/1401281699/ and maybe it Mr Miracle sister-book) and https://www.amazon.com/New-Teen-Tita...dp/1401276911/

[jb681131]

Hey, all.

I'm Jeff, and I'm finally making the plunge.

I've been passingly familiar with comics all my life, enough to know who my favorites are, that I prefer DC over Marvel, etc. But I was always more used to Japanese manga because of my circle of friends.

But I'm a grown-up now, and have kids. I don't have friends anymore. :/

I need advice. I've got a ton of Aquaman, which I want to get through to current, but after that, I don't know where to go. I'd like to get really familiar with the overall DC universe, but I have no idea where to really start. I prefer silver age and newer, but that's really all I know. I just like to see the world and mythos grow.

Any advice is appreciated. I know this is a huge question. Thanks!

Here is what I recommended on another thread:

DC has 4-5 eras :

Gold / Silver / Bronze age - 1938-1986
Modern Age - 1986-2011
New52 - 2011-2016
Rebirth - 2016-ongoing

DC is made of Several major heroes:

Superman
Batman
Wonder Woman
Flash (there has been multiple ones)
Aquaman
Green Arrow
Green Lantern (there has been mutiple ones)

DC has also other great heroes

Shazam! (aka Capitain Marvel)
Martian Manhunter
Plastic Man
Atom
Black Canary
Booster Gold
Cyborg
Nightwing (formerly the first Robin)
Batwoman
Power Girl
...

DC has lesser known heroes that are a bit aside

Animal Man
Swamp Thing
John Constantine
Detective Chimp
The Watchmen
The Metal Men
...

DC heroes have younguer apprentice, and other young heroes

Robin (there has been a few)
Superboy
Aqualad
Supergirl
Beast Boy (aka Chagelling)
Speedy
Starfire
Kid Flash
Raven
Wonder Girl
Batgirl
...

DC has teams with these heroes:

The Justice League
The Justice of America (aka JLA)
The Teen Titans
The Titans
The Justice League Dark
The Suicide Squad (team of vilains forced to do good by the government)
The Green Lantern Corps
...

What to read ?

You can read the main DC Events
You can only read stories from one hero / teams
Or you can read it all

Here are DC main events:

1931 - Flash of Two Worlds - creation of the multiverse
1985 - Crisis on Infinit Earths - recenter of the DC univers and start of the Modern age
1986 - Legends - creation of the modern Justice League and the Suicid Squad
1987 - Jutice League International - optional
1994 - Zero Hour: Crisis in Time - return of the Multiverse
2004 - Identity Crisis - events implying all of the DC's heroes
2005 - Infinite Crisis
???? - 52 - excellent - tells what happen in the missing year after Infinit Crisis
2008 - Final Crisis
2009 - Blackest Night - A Green Lantern Event - you should read the Green Lantern by Geoff Johns run
2010 - Brightest Day - Consequence of Blackest Night
2011 - Flashpoint - Flash disrupt time - start of the New52 era
2013 - Justice League: Trinity War - prequel to Forever Evil - optional
2014 - Forever Evil + Justice League: Forever Heroes
2015 - Justice League: Darkseid War - sequel to Forever Evil - optional
2016 - DC Univers Rebirth
2017 - Batman/The Flash: The Button - optional
2019 - Doomsday Clock - Should have read The Watchmen

Then for the different heroes here are the reading orders of the main and good stories:

Batman - appears mainly in 2 titles: Batman and Detective Comics

Batman: Year One
Batman: The Man Who Laughs
Batman: The Long Halloween + Batman: Dark Victory
The Killing Joke
Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth
Batman: Tales Of The Demon + Batman: Bride of the Demon + Batman: Birth Of The Demon
Batman: A Death in the Family
Batman Knightfall Omnibus (new version) vol.1-3
Batman: Legacy + Batman: Contagion + Batman: Catclysm - sequels to Knigtfall and prequels to No Man's Land - but optional to read
Batman: No Man's Land Omnibus vol.1-5
New Gotham Omnibus 1-2 or Batman: Evolution + Batman: Officer Down
Gotham Central vol.1-4 - optional but good
Batman Murderer ? + Batman Fugitive
Batman: Hush
Detective Comics: Heart of Hush + Streets of Gotham: Hush Money + Streets of Gotham: House of Hush - optional but very very good
Batman: Batman and Son or Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus
Batman: The Black Mirror - optional
Batman, Incorporated + Batman Incorporated New52 #1-2
Batman & Robin New52 #1-7 or Batman & Robin by Peter J. Tomasi & Patrick Gleason Omnibus
Batman: Court of Owl -> Batman New52 tpb vol.1-2
Batman: Death of the Familly -> Batman New52 tpb vol. 3
Batman: Zero Year -> Batman New52 tpb vol. 4-5
Batman New52 tpb vol.6-10 - optional
Batman: I am -> Batman Rebirth tpb vol.1-3
Batman: The War of Jokes and Riddles -> Batman Rebirth tbp vol.4
Batman Rebirth tpb vol.5-... ongoing
Detective Comics Rebirth tpb vol.1-... ongoing
Batman: White Knight
Dark Nights: Metal

Superman - appears in 2 title: Superman and Action Comics

Superman: Red Son - elseworld story
All-Star Superman
Superman by Geoff Johns - the main stories are:
- Superman: Secret Origins
- Superman: Last Son
- Superman: Escape From Bizarro World
- Superman: Brainiac
The Death of Superman + The Return of Superman
Superman: For Tomorrow
Superman: Doomed (2016)
--- You can skip the New52 and Rebirth eras ---
Super Sons Rebirth tpb vol.1-... ongoing

Wonder Woman - All runs can be read on their own

Wonder Woman by Geoges Perez Omnibus #1-3 - Wonder Woman pre-Modern Age
Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka Omnibus #1-2
Absolute Wonder Woman By Brian Azzarello & Cliff Chiang vol.1-2 - Wonder Woman New52
Wonder Woman: Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 1-3 (Wonder Woman Rebirth)

Flash

The Flash By Geoff Johns Book #1-5
The Flash New 52 tpb #1-4 - The Brian Azzarello run
The Flash New 52 tpb #5-9 - optional, less good than what Azzarello did
The Flash Rebirth tpb #1-... ongoing or The Flash Deluxe Edition Book #1-... ongoing

Green Arrow

Green Lantern / Green Arrow Omnibus - a great Bronze Age short serie
Green Arrow New52 - A very good new start
Grenn Arrow Rebirth

Green Lantern

Green Lantern by Geoff Johns Omnibus #1-3 - Massive but very good and complete <- it is a new start for the Green Lantern, what comes before is optional
Green Lantern New #4-8 - optional, to finish the New52 era started by Geoff Johns.
Hal Jordan & the Green Lantern Corps (Rebirth)

Aquaman

Aquaman: Sub Diego + Aquaman: To Serve and Protect + Aquaman: Kingdom Lost - The John Arcudi run
Aquaman New52 tpb #1-3 + Justice League New52: Throne of Atlantis + Aquaman New52 tpb #4 - The Geoff Johns run
Aquaman New52 tpb #5-8 - optional but good to understand the Rebirth era
Aquaman Rebirth tpb #1-... ongoing

Animal Man / Swamp Thing / John Constantine / Justice League Dark

Swamp Thing: The Bronze Age Omnibus (2017) - optional
Saga of the Swamp Thing Book #1-6 - The Alan Moore run
Swamp Thing by Brian K. Vaughan vol.1-2 - optional
Hellblazer vol.1-21
Lucifer: Book One-Five - optional
The Animal Man Omnibus - The Grant Morrison run
Animal Man by Jeff Lemir - Animal Man New52
- tpb #1 - The Hunt
- tpb #2 - Animal vs. Man
- tpb #3 - Rotworld: The Red Kingdom
- tpb #4 - Splinter Species
- tpb #5 - Evolve of Die
Swamp Thing by Scott Snyder - Swamp Thing New52 part.1
- tpb #1 - Raise Them Bones
- tpb #2 - Family Tree
- tpb #3 - Rotworld: The Green Kingdom
Justice League Dark by Jeff Lemir - Justice League Dark New52
- tpb #2 - The Book of Magic
- tpb #3 - The Deak of Magic
- tpb #4 - Rebirth of Evil
Swamp Thing by Charles Soule - Swamp Thing New52 part.2
- tpb #4 - Seeder
- tpb #5 - The Killing Field
- tpb #6 - The Sureen
- tpb #7 - Season's End
Justice League Dark: The Last Age of Magic - The Rebirth serie - ongoing

Have fun with that to begin with

If you want to know more about a specific hero, please tell us.

[darthyagi]

Here is what I recommended on another thread:

DC has 4-5 eras :

Gold / Silver / Bronze age - 1938-1986...

So, that'll take about fifteen minutes. What do I do with the rest of my time? Thanks! I really appreciate it.