Where to start?

[Yellow]

Hello, dear comic book fans. I want to start reading DC comic books, but I don't know where should I start. Most people recommend more modern stuff, but I would like to start in Silver Age or Bronze Age, because I enjoy these two periods most.

Also, I'm not new to comic books, I read Marvel Comics since I was kid, but discovering DC stories would be nice too.

[LordMikel]

Hello, dear comic book fans. I want to start reading DC comic books, but I don't know where should I start. Most people recommend more modern stuff, but I would like to start in Silver Age or Bronze Age, because I enjoy these two periods most.

Also, I'm not new to comic books, I read Marvel Comics since I was kid, but discovering DC stories would be nice too.

If you've never read DC comics before, how do you know you'll like Bronze age and Silver Age the most?

[Tzigone]

Hello, dear comic book fans. I want to start reading DC comic books, but I don't know where should I start. Most people recommend more modern stuff, but I would like to start in Silver Age or Bronze Age, because I enjoy these two periods most.

Also, I'm not new to comic books, I read Marvel Comics since I was kid, but discovering DC stories would be nice too.

If you like Silver and Bronze age, then I would recommend starting with (presuming you have bound edition or digital subscription or some such access and aren't trying to find old individual comics) the silver age Flash stories. Those are my favorite silver age. There are a few issues of Showcase (I think 4, 8, 12 and 14), but you could start Flash 105 if you liked (they just kept the numbering from the old Flash Comics for some reason).

I find Flash and Green Lantern to be better than the Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman golden-age survivors in the time period (particularly Superman/boy and Wonder Woman as the love interests became pathetic manipulators and beggers for marriage in the era). I don't go for the zany, but if you do, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen and Superman' Girlfriend Lois Lane might be up your alley.

Early bronze age, I've got to recommend Justice League of America. The Satellite League era is well-regarded, and I especially like the first half. The first appearance of the satellite is #78. I might go back just a bit earlier (though there are some reprint issues in there) and start with #73.

Bronze age Batman is also pretty popular. Dick is in college, and there is no Robin. Some other changes, too. Some I like, some I don't. O'Neil's work is especially popular.

Late bronze age, the New Teen Titans dominated. Has more of the soap opera elements of modern comics and a different edge. Some of the torture-porn art can be tedious, but it's got some great stuff for the characters. Goes downhill after Perez leaves the title.

[jb681131]

Here is what I recommand:

Superman

• The Man of Steel by John Byrnes
• Death and Return of Superman
• Superman: Birthright
• Superman: Secret Identity - non-canon
• Superman: Red Son - non-canon
• All-Star Superman - non-canon
• Superman by Geoff Johns
• Superman Rebirth by Peter J. Tomasi

Batman

• Batman by Neal Adams Omnibus
• Batman: Ego by Darwyn Cooke
• Batman: Year One by Frank Miller
• Batman: The Long Halloween + Dark Victory by Jeph Loeb
• Batman: Court of Ows + City of Owls by Scott Snyder

Joker

• Batman: Going Sane by JM DeMatteis
• Joker: The Devi'l Advocate by Chuck Dixon
• The Killing Joke by Alan Moore
• Batman: A Death in the Family by Various - get the edition with "A Lonely Place of Dying".
• Joker by Brian Azzarello
• Batman: White Knight + Curse of the White Knight by Sean Murphy - non-canon
• Joker War by James Tynion IV (ongoing)

Harley Quinn

• Batman: Mad Love by Paul Dini
• Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy by Jody Houser
• Harley Quinn & the Gotham City Sirens by Various
• Harleen by Stjepan Šejić
• Batman: Harley and Ivy: The Deluxe Edition by Various

Wonder Woman

• Wonder Woman by George Perez
• Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia by Greg Rucka
• Wonder Woman by Brian Azzarello & Cliff Chiang
• Wonder Woman rebirth by Greg Rucka

Green Lantern

• Emerald Dawn I, II - in Green Lantern: Hal Jordan vol.1
• Emerald Twilight/New Dawn - in Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner vol.1-2
• Green Lantern by Geoff Johns
• Hal Jordan and the Green Lanterns
• The Green Lantern by Grant Morrison
• Green Lantern: Earth-One - non-canon

Green Arrow

• Green Lantern/Green Arrow by Dennis O'Neal
• The Longbow Hunter by Mike Grell
• Green Arrow by Jeff Lemir
• Green Arrow Rebith by Various

Aquaman

• Aquaman: Death of a Prince
• Aquaman by Peter David
• Aquaman by Will Pfeifer
• Aquaman by Geoff Johns
• Aquaman Rebirth by Dan Abnett

Flash

• Flash by Carmine Infantino
• Flash by Mark Waid
• Flash by Geoff Johns
• Flashpoint by Goeff Johns
• Flash New52 by Francis Manupul & Brian Buccellato
• Flash Rebirth by Joshua Williamson

Shazam!

• The Power of Shazam
• Shazam: Power of Hope
• Superman Vs. Shazam!
• Shazam! New52 + Shazam! Rebirth by Goeff Johns

Justice League

• Crisis On Multiple Earth
• DC: Legends + Justice League international
• JLA: Year One + JLA
• Justice League New52 by Geoff Johns

Justice League Dark & more

• 7 soldiers of Victory (prequel to Final Crisis)
• Justice League Dark by James Tynion IV (ongoing)
• Animal Man by Grant Morrison
• Swamp Thing by Scott Snyder + Animal Man by Jeff Lemir

Teen Titans

• The New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman
• Teen Titans Rebirth

Doom Patrol

• Doom Patrol by Grant Morrison
• Doom Patrol by Gerard Way

New Gods / Darkseid / Orion / Mister Miracle

• The Fourth World by Jack Kirby
• Orion by Walter Simonson
• Legions of Super-Hero: The Great Darkness Saga - happens in the future
• Mister Miracle by Tom King
• Justice League Odyssey

Other teams

• OMAC by Jack Kirby
• The Steve Ditko omnibus - the Charleston Comics heroes
• Legion of Super-Heroes: The Great Darkness Saga
• JSA: The Golden Age
• DC: Legends + Suicide Squad by John Ostender
• The OMAC Project + Checkmate by Greg Rucka
• Vilains United + Secret Six by Gail Simone
• Planetary by Warren Ellis
• Stormwatch by Warren Ellis + The Authority by Warren Ellis

Elseworlds

• DC: The New Frontiere <-- the best of the best, presents every heroes/teams through time.
• DCeased - a ongoing event with the extinction of the earth's population by a virus.
• Kingdom Come

Have fun

[shooshoomanjoe]

If you've never read DC comics before, how do you know you'll like Bronze age and Silver Age the most?

Creators swapped between Marvel and DC. Wouldn't be difficult to find some DC comics a fan might enjoy from the same period the fan enjoyed Marvel.

[SiegePerilous02]

For Bronze Age, I'd read

Swamp Thing by Alan Moore
Fourth World stuff by Jack Kirby
Batman by Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers
New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Perez
Alan Moore's Superman stories: "For the Man Who Has Everything," "Jungle Line" and "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?"
Superman: Phantom Zone by Steve Gerber and Gene Colon
The Legion of Superheroes by Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen

[Gaius]

Green Lantern: Sector 2814 Vol. 1-3 by Len Wein and Steve Englehart for Bronze Age GL.

[jb681131]

Green Lantern: Sector 2814 Vol. 1-3 by Len Wein and Steve Englehart for Bronze Age GL.

I haven't read it and didn't know it was by those 2 writters I like a lot. Is it really good ? I've only read Green Lantern/Green Arrow by O'Neil which is very fun.

[Jim Kelly]

Green Lantern: Sector 2814 Vol. 1-3 by Len Wein and Steve Englehart for Bronze Age GL.

That's weird that they started those trades with the Len Wein run. Is there some thematic connection I'm missing? There was a lot before that, including the Marv Wolfman run and the Mike W. Barr run. For me the Wolfman run was significant because he introduced a bunch of science fiction elements that crossed over with the New Teen Titans and the Omega Men. Why cheat readers out of all that good stuff?

[Gaius]

I haven't read it and didn't know it was by those 2 writters I like a lot. Is it really good ? I've only read Green Lantern/Green Arrow by O'Neil which is very fun.

Some pretty good character stuff for Hal and John. It’s also where Guy comes back and gets his traditional personality.

That's weird that they started those trades with the Len Wein run. Is there some thematic connection I'm missing? There was a lot before that, including the Marv Wolfman run and the Mike W. Barr run. For me the Wolfman run was significant because he introduced a bunch of science fiction elements that crossed over with the New Teen Titans and the Omega Men. Why cheat readers out of all that good stuff?

Yeah, I’m hoping some more Bronze Age GL gets some better trade reprints.