#dc reading list

[superfam]

THE SUPERMAN STARTER READING LIST

SO – you want to read Superman comics, but you’re intimidated by the near-century of history this character has. Or, you’ve read a few comics with him, but you want to go back to the basics to understand his character and the mythology surrounding him. There are so many continuities, origin stories, and standalones – where do you start? Well…

[Image ID: a cropped edit of the Superman ‘78 #3 variant cover by Lee Weeks, showing Lois Lane sitting on the letters of the Daily Planet globe, and Clark flying above her in his Superman costume, reaching out to take her hand. Hand-written next to them is: "THE SUPERMAN STARTER READING LIST", and hand-written in the bottom right corner is: "by MYTHIC / superfam.tumblr.com". End ID.]

This list isn’t intended to be a full, comprehensive guide to Superman’s decades of history, but a curated taster of Clark Kent in the comics medium. It aims to show you a variety of interpretations from different authors of different contexts, but with the broad goal of helping newcomers understand the heart of the character. Not every comic is able to sum up all aspects of Superman, and some could be argued to miss certain points, but each one has been selected for this list for the goal of conveying the history and breadth of his interpretations.

It’s intended to be accessible to both long-dedicated comics fans and people who are new to the DC universe, or even the medium as a whole. As such, new fans are welcome to enjoy each story as a standalone interpretation.

Please understand that this list is built from my own experience with the character, and I don’t claim it to be better or worse than any other – it’s just one way to approach his history. Essentially, I’m attempting to create the sort of list I wish I had access to when first reading Superman comics. I highly encourage the reader to form their own interpretations of each work.

With all that out of the way, please enjoy!

[Image ID: An edit of Gary Frank's artwork from Superman: Secret Origin. A slightly battered Clark in his Superman outfit embraces Jimmy with his right arm and Lois with his left. All three are smiling. The background, which depicts a disaster scene and a defeated Lex Luthor chained to a building, is covered in a translucent blue overlay. Hand-written next to Clark is: "ORIGINS". End ID.]

SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN #1-6 (2009-2010) Geoff Johns & Gary Frank

Just a couple years before the 2011 reboot of the DC Universe, a new definitive origin story was created for a Superman post-Infinite Crisis (a major event which had changed the status quo of the multiverse).

Secret Origin is only six issues long, and a great, efficient introduction to Clark Kent and Superman. It focuses on telling Clark’s origins from his own perspective, as a hero but also simply as a person. It also does a good job of setting up important supporting characters including Lois, Jimmy, Perry, and Lex.

SUPERMAN: BIRTHRIGHT #1-12 (2003-2004) Mark Waid, Leinil Francis Yu & Gerry Alanguilan

Though replaced by Secret Origin only a few years later, Birthright was written as the definitive origin story to overwrite Byrne’s 1986 reboot of the character. It was intended to bring Superman into the new century, and be more consistent with his modern interpretations. It is also influenced by the popularity of the TV series Smallville.

Birthright is longer and covers aspects of the Superman mythos in further depth, including dynamics between Clark, Lex, and the city of Metropolis, kryptonite, and Krypton in general. Due to its extended length, it also covers more on Clark’s relationship with his powers and heritage.

I highly recommend reading both modern preboot origins to experience different interpretations with different influences and intentions, even only a few years apart.

[Image ID: An edit of Tim Sale's artwork from Superman: For All Seasons. On the right, Clark lies on his bed, looking to the left with a wistful expression and with a hand on his dog curled up next to him. The background, which is his cluttered bedroom in Smallville, is overlaid with translucent grey. Hand-written to the left of Clark is: "INTROSPECTION". End ID.]

SUPERMAN SMASHES THE KLAN #1-3 (2019) Gene Luen Yang & Gurihiru

This standalone story is set in 1946, and primarily draws upon the Golden and Silver Ages as inspiration. It’s an adaptation of an episode of The Adventures of Superman radio series, “The Clan of the Fiery Cross”, which famously dealt a major hit to the KKK’s operations in America by influencing public perceptions.

The story follows Clark as well as siblings Roberta and Tommy, two Chinese-American kids who have recently moved to the Metropolis suburbs, as they uncover and fight a local chapter of the KKK. The story explores themes of immigrant identity and self-acceptance in Clark and the kids’ narratives – it presents important concepts from Superman’s history, straight from the heart of his character, in a really effective way.

SUPERMAN: FOR ALL SEASONS #1-4 (1998) Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale

This miniseries has four issues, each corresponding to a season and narrated by an important person in Clark’s life (in order: Jonathan ‘Pa’ Kent, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Lana Lang). Tim Sale’s beautifully detailed and expressive art captures the complex emotions drawn out by having your life touched by Clark Kent, which works really well with the personal, confessional style of the narration. It’s a very intimate work.

It’s a great insight into both the triumphs and very personal struggles of Clark through the inner voices of some of the most important people in his life, and captures what makes his character work really well.

FOR THE MAN WHO HAS EVERYTHING (SUPERMAN (1939) ANNUAL #11) (1985) Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons

This is a single-issue annual from right before the DC universe was rebooted, and (unsurprisingly for Moore) explores some philosophical and ideological questions regarding the Man of Steel. On his ‘birthday’, Superman falls prey to an alien organism called The Black Mercy, which feeds on its victims while keeping them complacent with vivid hallucinations of their greatest desires. Clark hallucinates a still-living Krypton, which he is a part of – but perhaps not everything is perfect.

SUPERMAN: BRAINIAC (ACTION COMICS #866-870) (2008) Geoff Johns & Gary Frank

Before retelling Superman’s beginnings in Secret Origin, Johns and Frank collaborated on this story arc which massively changes the status quo, partially by reintroducing a variety of pre-Crisis concepts including the original Brainiac and the bottled city Kandor. If you liked Secret Origin, you’ll probably like this one.

As this is our first story arc rather than self-contained story, it has more references to the ongoing continuity but is still easy enough to understand without that context. This story also prominently features Kara Zor-El as Supergirl and expands on some cosmic lore and Krypton in general.

SUPERMAN: UP IN THE SKY #1-6 (2019-2020) Tom King & Andy Kubert

This is an accessible, self-contained exploration of the extent of Superman’s moral fibre, following Clark as he attempts to save a single girl who was abducted from Earth and taken into space. It’s quite abstract at points with the questions it asks about themes of compassion and commitment, which I think is conveyed particularly well in the panelling and artwork.

[Image ID: An edit of Frank Quitely's artwork from All Star Superman. Clark in his Superman outfit is flying with his arms outstretched. The top half of his face is cut off. The background is an abstract depiction of the heart of the sun, and has been overlaid with a translucent orange. Handwritten beneath Clark is: "INTERPRETING AND RE-INTERPRETING". End ID.]

THE K-METAL FROM KRYPTON (drafted 1940, restored 2004-2011) Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster Studio

The K-Metal from Krypton is an unpublished and unfinished comic from 1940, written by Superman creator Jerry Siegel, and drafted by the studio of the other Superman creator, Joe Shuster. After being lost for decades, the story has slowly been recovered and restored by Superman fans.

Though this one is much more unconventional than the other items on the list, I think it’s extremely important to Superman’s history and generally understanding him as a character. It comes from a time when creative control of their character was being taken from Siegel and Shuster, and though it is unknown why this story was unpublished, that’s a major point of context to keep in mind.

This draft sets up the predecessor to kryptonite in the Superman comics – “K-Metal” – and also contains a scene where Clark reveals his identity to Lois, and they agree to be partners in helping others. This is a major departure from the status quo of Clark keeping his secret from Lois as she tries to uncover it, which would continue for the rest of the Golden and Silver Ages.

The restoration effort can be read online: http://theages.superman.nu/k-metal/splash.php

THE MAN OF STEEL #1-6 (1986) John Byrne & Dick Giordano

This limited series is the immediate post-Crisis origin story and reinvention of Superman. It wasn’t put in the Origins section because I think from a modern perspective it shouldn’t be an introduction to Clark, but rather something you read to understand the history of his character.

It originated major changes in the Superman mythology, some of which have become instilled in it (such as Lex Luthor and Lois Lane’s modern characterisations), and others which have been forgotten or discarded.

One major thing is the great effort this origin made to make Clark American over being Kryptonian… Byrne has expressed great distaste of portrayals of Superman which emphasise his immigrant identity, and that should be kept in mind while critically reading this work.

ALL-STAR SUPERMAN #1-12 (2005-2008) Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely

Arguably the most critically acclaimed Superman comic, this has been saved for late in the list as I believe it’s enhanced with more context of and experience with Clark. This is a series which explores the nature of storytelling and legacy, which was created with the aim of creating a timeless Superman story.

When Superman learns he will soon die, what does he reflect on? What does he change? This is heavily inspired by, and is a love letter to, Silver Age Superman.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE MAN OF TOMORROW? (SUPERMAN #423 & ACTION COMICS #583) (1986) Alan Moore, Curt Swan & George Pérez

Written in the wake of Crisis on Infinite Earths, this is another story about Superman ‘dying’, and is essentially a great mediation on and send-off to the Silver Age incarnation of the character. It refers to itself as an “imaginary” story, and can be seen as one concrete ending for this version of Clark Kent and the rest of the Superman characters, in a medium with few.

It can be found in a collection with For the Man Who Has Everything.

SUPERMAN: RED AND BLUE #1-6 (2021) Various

To finish off our starter reading list, let’s move from Superman’s end to his future. This is an anthology of short stories from various authors and artists, exploring a spread of visions of the Man of Tomorrow.

I think it’s an appropriate end for this starter exploration of Clark Kent’s many interpretations! As with all anthologies, it has its ups and downs in quality, but as a whole I truly believe it captures the heart of this character.

Thank you for reading all this way. I really hope this reading list helps you delve into the character of Superman and inspires you to read further beyond what I’ve suggested here.

Most of all, I hope it helps at least some people grow to love Clark Kent as much as I have.

A PDF version of this reading list is available here.

#it is finally here #my stupid 1600 word reading list #if you requested suggestions then this is your fault lmao #i put all my love of clark into this #i hope its useful #and feel free to send asks with any questions i will be happy to expand #took a long time to edit my ramblings down to this stage lmao #original #reading list #supers #kal #my writing #clark kent #superman #dc #dc reading list #superman reading list #the superman starter reading list

[annah-kitathryne]

Helena Bertinelli/Huntress Reading List/Completionist Guide

Helena Bertinelli is the Huntress of Prime Earth. She has existed as a character since 1989, and has appeared in her own series as well as multiple other series throughout the years. Most well known for being a Bird of Prey, she has a long history that tends to be hard to track. Instead of hunting down all of the issues, this guide has every one of her appearances in the attempt to follow her chronologically, but where her movements couldn’t be followed the natural passing of time was used to follow the story. 

This is both a reading list and a completionist guide. This means there will be times when the issue only has a cameo of Helena. For a casual reader this list may be a little much. If that is the case click [here] for a shorter list that can get you started on Helena. 

Moving onto Content Warnings. 

There will be mentions and depictions of Sexual Assault of Adults and Minors, Slavery, PTSD, and Murder. These are some of the big Content Warnings. That being said let’s get started. 

[Start Here]

Huntress (1989) #1, #2 

Justice League America (1987-1996) #26 

Huntress (1989) #3 - #6 

Justice League America (1987-1996) #30, #31

Huntress (1989) #7 - #12

Justice League America (198-1996) #35 

Time Masters (1990) #1 

Huntress (1989) #13 - #19 

Justice League International Special (1990) #1

Justice League America (1987-1996) #42

Justice League International Special (1991) #2

Armageddon (1991) #2 

Detective Comics (1937-2011) #652, #653 

Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #1 - #6 

Justice League Europe (1989-1994) #47 - #50 

Detective Comics (1937-2011) #662

Showcase ‘93 (1993)  #9 , #10

Black Canary (1993) # 9 - #12

Green Arrow (1997-1998) #83 

Showcase ‘94 (1994) #5 

Robin (1993-2009) #6 

Showcase ‘94 (1994) #6 

Huntress (1994) #1 - #4

Robin (1993-2009) #17

Detective Comics (1937-2011) #686

The Batman Chronicles (1995-2000) #1 

Underworld Unleashed (1995) #2 , #3

Batman (1940-2011) #529

Batman: Shadow of the Bat (1992-1999) #49

Detective Comics (1937-2011) #698

The Batman Chronicles (1995-2000) #4

Batman: Shadow of the Bat (1992-1999) #53

Batman (1940-2011) #533

Detective Comics (1937-2011) #701

Robin (1993-2009) #33 , #34

Birds of Prey: Manhunt (1996) #1 - #4

Detective Comics (1937-2011) #703

Green Lantern (1990-2004) #81 

Robin (1993-2009) Annual #6 , #45

Genesis (1997) #1 - #4

Catwoman (1993-2001) #51 , #52 

Spectre (1992-1998) #62

JLA (1996-2006) #16 - #19 

Nightwing and Huntress (1998) #1 - #4 

Batman 80-Page Giant (1998/1999) #1 

Green Lantern (1990-2004) #103

Superman: Doomsday Wars (1998-1999) #1 - #3 

DC One Million (1998) #1 , #2 

JLA (1996-2006) #1,000,000 

DC One Million (1998) #3, #4

JLA Secret Files (1997-2000) #2

JLA (1996-2006) #24 - #26 

Hourman (1999-2001) #1

Nightwing (1996-2009) #26 - #29 

JLA (1996-2006) #27 

JLA/Titans (1998/1999) #1 - #3

Batman 80-Page Gaint (1998/1999) #2

The Batman Chronicles (1995-2000) #19

Detective Comics (1937-2011) #720

Batman: Huntress/Spoiler - Blunt Trauma (1998) #1 

Detective Comics (1937-2011) #721

 The Batman Chronicles (1995-2000) #14 

Robin (1993-2009) #65

Batman: No Man’s Land (1999) #1 

Batman: Shadow of the Bat (1992-1999) #83 

Batman (1940-2011) #563 

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight (1989-2010) #116 

Batman: Shadow of the Bat (1992-1999) #84

Batman (1940-2011) #564

Detective Comics (1937-2011) #731

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight (1989-2010) #117

Batman (1940-2011) #565

Detective Comics (1937-2011) #732

Batman: Shadow of the Bat (1992-1999) #86

Detective Comics (1937-2011) #733

JLA (1996-2006) #28 - #31

Martian Manhunter (1998-2001) #6 - #9

JLA (1996-2006) #32

Martian Manhunter (1998-2001) Annual #2

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight (1989-2010) #119

Batman: Shadow of the Bat (1992-1999) #87

Batman (1940-2011) #567

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight (1989-2010) #120

Nightwing: Secret Files and Origins (1999) #1

Batman (1940-2011) #568

Catwoman (1993-2001) #72

Batman (1940-2011) #570

Detective Comics (1937-2011) #737

Batman: No Man’s Land - Secret Files & Origins (1999) #1

Batman: Shadow of the Bat (1992-1999) #93

The Batman Chronicles (1995-2000) #18

Nightwing (1996-2009) #38 - #39

Batman: No Man’s Land (1999) #0

Batman (1940-2011) #573

Detective Comics (1937-2011) #740

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight (1989-2010) #126

Batman (1940-2011) #574

Detective Comics (1937-2011) #741

Batman: Shadow of the Bat (1992-1999) #94

Batman: Gotham Knights (2000-2006) #1

Batman: Gotham City Secret Files and Origins (2000) #1

JLA: Foreign Bodies (1999) #1 

JLA (1996-2006) #34 - #41

JLA: Secret Files and Origins (1997-2000) #3

Azrael: Agent of the Bat (1994-2203) #63 - #65 

Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E (1999/2000) #8

The Batman Chronicles (1995-2000) #15

Batman: Gotham Knights (2000-2006) #7

Batman/Huntress: Cry For Blood #1 - #6 

Batman: Outlaws (2000) #1 - #3

Nightwing (1996-2009) #52

Wonderwoman (1987-2006) #164 - #167

Justice League: Justice League of Amazons (2001) #1

Justice League: JL? (2001) #1

Superman: The Man of Steel (1991-2003) #109

Batman (1940-2011) #586

Batgirl (2000-2006) #18 

Batman (1940-2011) #591 

JLA (1996-2006) #58

Detective Comics (1937-2011) #763

Joker: Last Laugh (2001) #5 

Robin (1993-2009) #95 

Joker: Last Laugh (2001) #6

JLA: Incarnations (2001-2002) #7

Detective Comics (1937-2011) #773

Batman: Gotham Knights (2000-2006) #34, #35 

Nightwing (1996-2009) #75

JLA: Welcome to the Working Week (2003) #1

Batman: Family (2002-2003) #2, #4, #8 

Batman (1940-2011) #609

Batman: Gotham Knights (2000-2006) #37 - #40 

Action Comics (1938-2011) #802

Batman (1940-2011) #617 , #619

Bird of Prey: Secret Files and Origins (2003) #1

Birds of Prey (1998-2009) #57 - #61

Robin (1993-2009) #120

Batman: Gotham Knights (2000-2006) #48

Superman/Batman (2003-2011) #5 

Outsiders (2003-2007) #8 - #10

The Adventures of Superman (1987-2004) #623

Gotham Central (2002-2006) #17 , #18 

Batman: Gotham Knights (2000-2006) #50

Birds of Prey (1998-2009) #64 - #66

Outsiders (2003-2007) #12

Birds of Prey (1998-2009) #67 - #80

Teen Titans (2003-2011) #21

Birds of Prey (1998-2009) #81, #82

The OMAC Project (2005) #2

Birds of Prey (1998-2009) #83 , #84

Detective Comics (1937-2011) #809

JLA (2005-2008) #117, #119

Birds of Prey (1998-2009) #85 - #87

Nightwing (1996-2009) #112

Birds of Prey (1998-2009) #86 

JSA: Classified (2005-2008) #3

JLA (2005-2008) #121

Birds of Prey (1998-2009) #88 - #91

Infinite Crisis (2005-2006) #5 , #7

Adventures of Superman (1987-2006) #648

Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special (2006) #1

52 (2006-2007) #1 

Robin (1993-2009) #148

Birds of Prey (1998-2009) #92 - #99

Nightwing (1996-2009) #127

52 (2006-2007) #34

Birds of Prey (1998-2009) #100 - #103

52 (2006-2007) #48 , #52

Birds of Prey (1998-2009) #104 - #108

Justice League of America Wedding Special (2007) #1 

Green Arrow / Black Canary Wedding Special (2007) #1 

Birds of Prey (1998-2009) #110

Green Arrow and Black Canary (2007-2010) #1

Detective Comics (19337-2011) #837

Gotham Underground (2007/2008) #2 , #7

Birds of Prey (1998-2009) #111 - #115

Countdown to Mystery (2007/2008) #6 , #8, #9

Birds of Prey (1998-2009) #116

Birds of Prey (1998-2009) #117 - #119

Huntress: Year One (2008) #1 - #6

Manhunter (2004-2009) #33 - #36

Trinity (2008-2009) #9, #13 , #14 , #50

Final Crisis: Requiem (2008) #1

Final Crisis (2008/2009) #3

Birds of Prey (1998-2009) #120 - #123

DC Universe: Decisions (2008) #3

Secret Six (2008-2011) #1 , #7

Batman and the Outsiders (2007-2011) #13

Birds of Prey (1998-2009) #124 - #127

Batman and the Outsiders (2008/2009) #4 , #5

Batman: Battle for the Cowl (2009) #1 , #2 

Batman: Battle for the Cowl: Network (2009) #1

Batman: Battle for the Cowl (2009) #3

Batman: Streets of Gotham (2000-2011)  #3 - #6 , #9, #13

Blackest Night: Batman (2009) #2

Batman (1940-2011) #693 - #695 , #697 

Azrael (2009-2011) #2

Detective Comics (1937-2011) #859 - #663

Justice Society of America (2007-2011) #38

Detective Comics (1937-2011) #864, #865

Red Robin (2009-2011) #12

Batgirl (2009-2011) #10 , 11

Birds of Prey (2010-2011) #1 - #4

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne (2010) #3

Birds of Prey (2010-2011) #5 , #6

Superman/Batman (2003-2011) #78

Birds of Prey (2010-2011) #7 - #10

Brightest Day (2010-2011)

Birds of Prey (2010-2011) #11

Batman Incorporated (2011) #6

Secret Six (2008-2011) #36

Birds of Prey (2010-2011) #12 - #15

Batman (1940-2011) #713 

Convergence: The Question (2015) #1, #2

New - 52 

Batwoman (2011-2015) #2

Secret Origins (2014-2015) #8 

Nightwing (2011-2014)  #30

Grayson (2014-2016) #1 - #5 ,Annual #1 , #6 - #11

Batgirl (2011-2016) Annual #3

Midnighter (2015) #3

Harley Quinn (2014-2016) #20

Grayson (2014-2016) Annual #2 

Batman & Robin Eternal (2015/2016) #2 , #3

Titans Hunt (2015-2016) #1 

Grayson (2014-2016) #13 , #14 

Batman & Robin Eternal (2015/2016) #5 

Midnighter (2015) #8 

Batman & Robin Eternal (2015/2016) #17

Grayson (2014-2016) #16 

Midnighter (2015) #9

Batman & Robin Eternal (20115/2016) #18 - #20

Grayson (2014-2016) #17

Midnighter (2015) #10

Batman & Robin Eternal (20115/2016) #23 , #24 

Grayson (2014-2016) #18

Batman & Robin Eternal (20115/2016) #25

Midnighter (2015) #11

Grayson (2014-2016) #19

Midnighter (2015) #12

Grayson (2014-2016) #20 Annual #3

Rebirth 

DC Universe: Rebirth (2016) #1 

Nightwing: Rebirth (2016) #1 

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey: Rebirth (2016) #1 

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey (2016-2018) #1 - #4

Nightwing (2016-) #9 

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey (2016-2018) #5 - #13 

Nightwing (2016-) #26 - #28 

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey (2016-2018) #14

Nightwing (2016-) #30 , #31

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey (2016-2018) #15 - #22

The Hellblazer (2016-2018) #19 - #24 

The Unexpected (2018-2019) #3 , #4 

Green Arrow (2016-2019) #45

Aquaman/Justice League: Drowned Earth (2018) #1 

Detective Comics (2016-) #1000

Batman (2016-) #71 

Action Comics (1938-) #1011

Harley Quinn (2016-2020) #64 

Batgirl (2016-2020) #39 

DC Villains Giant (2019) #1 

Batman (2016-) #81 - #83

Birds of Prey: Sirens of Justice (2020) #1 

Birds of Prey (2020-) #1 

Batgirl (2016-2020) #50

Dark Knights: Death Metal (2020) #5

Infinite Frontier 

Infinite Frontier #0 

Detective Comics (2016-) #1034 - #1039

The Other History of the Dc universe (2021) #5 

Batman Secret Files; Huntress (2021) #1

Detective Comics (2016-) #1041 , #1042 , #1046

Robins (2021-2022) #4, #5

Detective Comics (2016-) #1047. #1049 - #1058 , #1061

Nightwing (2016-) #95

Batman: Dear Detective #1 

Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths (2022) #5

Batman (2016) #129

Nightwing (2016-) #98

Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate (2023) #1

[Current Present: July 2023]

Else Worlds and Others 

Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey (2020) #1 - #4

Superman and Batman: World’s Funniest (2000) #1 

JLA: Act of God (2000-2001) #1

Future State: 

Future State: Dark Detective (2021) #1 , #3

Future State: Nightwing (2021) #1 , #2 

DCeased: 

DCeaased (2019) #3, #4

DCeased: Unkillable: #1

DC vs. Vampires: 

DC vs. Vampires (2021-2023) #2 , #10 , #11

DCAU: 

Superman & Batman Magazine (1993-1995) #1 , #4

The Batman & Robin Adventures (1995-1997) #19 

Justice League Unlimited (2004-2008) #20 , #22 , #27 , #31 , #36

Batman: The Adventures Continue Season Two (2021-2022) #3

Injustice: 

Injustice: Year Zero (2020-2021) Chapter #1 , #2 

Injustice: Gods Among Us (2013-2016) #6 , #7 , #9 , #11 , 12

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Two (2013-2016) #3 , #6 , #7 - #11 , Annual #1

Injustice: Gods Among us - Year Three (2013-2016) #2 , #6 , #9 - #12

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Four (2013-2016) #1 

Flashpoint: 

Flashpoint: Emperor Aquaman (2011) #2 , #3 

Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies (2011) #2 , #3

Flashpoint: Lois Lane and the Resistance (2011) #2

Convergence (2015) #6 , #7 

Tiny Titans:

Tiny Titans (2008-2012) #45

Bombshells: 

DC Comics: Bombshells (2015-2017) #6 , #10 , #16 , #17 , #18 , #26 

Bombshells: United (2017-2018) #36

Batman: The Brave and The Bold:

Batman: The Brave and The Bold (2009-2010) #11 , #14

All-New Batman: The Brave and The Bold (2011-202) #4

Lil’Gotham: 

Batman: Lil’Gotham (2013-2014) #3 , #5 , #6 , #8 , #10 , #12

Scooby-Doo: 

Scooby-Doo Team-Up (2018) #34

The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries (2021-) #5 , #12

Other Appearances (Crossovers) 

Batman Versus Predator II (1993/1994) # 1 - #4

JLA/Witchblade (2000-2001) #1

Avengers/JLA (2003/2004) #4

Other Characters to hold the name, Huntress: 

Paula Brooks

Helena Wayne

Carol Danvers (Amalgamverse)

Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe

>~<>~<>~<>~<

To the Helena Bertinelli fans I hope you enjoy! 

@inkareds​ I finished the complete guide if you want to check it out. 

If I made any mistakes or forgot something leave a comment, or send me a message. I tried to include everything, but I could have messed up. I will also try to update this as new Huntress stuff comes out, so the list may grow. 

#reading guides #reading order #comic guide #character reading list #comic reading list #helena bertinelli #Huntress #dc huntress #DC comics #dc reading list #helena my love

[wrdn-tabris]

BATMAN BEYOND/TERRY McGINNIS; a reading list

So, you're interested in the Batman of the future! A series which takes place in the far off year of... 2039? Listen, the original show came out in the nineties, you gotta give it some slack.

Hopefully here I've compiled a nice list of the comics, as well as any extra appearances of Terry, Batman of Neo-Gotham.

Who is Terry McGinnis?

Terry McGinnis is our seventeen year old protagonist. He meets Bruce Wayne after the old man helps him in beating back a gang who take after the late Joker, and in helping Bruce into his manor discovers that he was formerly Batman. After his father's murder, Terry steals the hi-tech batsuit in order to hunt down the people responsible for his death. In doing so he sees Gotham for how corrupt it really is, and becomes the Tomorrow Knight and Batman of the future.

Where to start?

The best place to start is with the 1999 animated series of the same name. It takes place firmly in the DCAU, alongside Batman: The Animated Series and The Adventure continues, Superman TAS, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited.

The show goes over three seasons, with cameos in a spin off called The Zeta Files (which only ran for a season) Static Shock (ep, Future Shock) and Justice League Unlimited (The Once and Future Thing; part 2, Epilogue) and a movie, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.

While the cameos are more optional, you don't really need to watch them, though Epilogue is treated as the 'end' of both JLU and Batman Beyond. ROTJ also has two different versions, a censored and uncensored one.

You can watch it on WatchCartoonsOnline, though I'd be a little careful with using that site. If you also have MAX, it should be available for streaming on there.

Comics wise, I apologize for not putting individual issues. I've also included links to readcomicsonline for each comic.

DCAU Tie-In Comics

These tie in directly with the show, and as far as I know, were released at the same time.

Batman Beyond I

Batman Beyond II

Superman Adventures #64

Unlimited and 2.0

The unlimited and 2.0 comics take place post show, and are in the same universe as the DCAU so I personally consider it canon to the series.

Batman Beyond: Hush Beyond (2010)

Batman Beyond: Industrial Revolution (2011)

Batman Beyond: 10,000 Clowns (2012)

Batman Beyond Unlimited

Batman Beyond 2.0

Justice League Beyond

Justice League Beyond 2.0

(and optional, the Superman Beyond comics. I think Terry only has some cameos, but it's always fun to hang out in the world a little bit with different characters)

Superman Beyond 2011

Superman Beyond 2012

N52 Futures End and Rebirth

Futures end is... personally, I'm not a fan. While Terry isn't Batman for the entirety of 2015, 2015 takes place in the aftermath of futures end, while Rebirth is the aftermath of 2015, only a few months later.

N52 Futures End #1-17 #18-30 #31-48

Batman Beyond (2015)

Batman Beyond Rebirth

Neo-Year

A reboot of BB, Urban Legends #7 and Neo-Year set off as Terry's own personal sort of 'year one' as Batman, one without Bruce. I'm personally highly enjoying it so far, and I feel like it does treat his character very well. Neo-Gothic is currently on-going.

Urban Legends #7

Batman Beyond: Neo-Year

Batman Beyond: Neo Gothic

Optional Individuals and Cameos

Batman #700

Superman/Batman 2010 Annual #4

Milestones 30th Anniversary A story with Static and Terry

Batman 2016 #135

Countdown #21 (Just a brief cameo)

Justice League vs The Legion of Superheroes #3

Batman: Beyond the White Knight

This is as comprehensive of a list as I can get, including almost every appearance of Terry's that I can think of. I hope that this helps anyone who is interested about Terry, he's personally one of my favorite characters and I think he's really fun and compelling.

#batman beyond #terry mcginnis #dc comics #dc reading list #cara speaks #dcau

[clay-cuttlefish]

Have you ever wondered what was up with that faceless guy from Justice League Unlimited? Or how that recurring cop from Batman the Animated Series ended up as a vigilante? Or just really wanted to read about some pulp detectives having existential crises while trying to be superheroes?

Well, this is the excessively detailed spreadsheet for you!

Featuring every single appearance* of both Vic Sage and Renee Montoya, as well as the other characters who've temporarily taken up the mantle, categorized by how much they show up and how important it is to their arcs. Also includes content warnings and my notes, which are mostly just rambling.

*currently just comics. TV/movies/video games will be coming shortly. I'm avoiding watching Gotham.

Please let me know if there's anything I could fix or improve!

Thanks to @megamind2010 for the template.

#the question #vic sage #renee montoya #dc comics #dc reading list #clayposts #nearly nine hundred comics in this. aaaaaaaah

[bish-0-p]

animal man reading guide.

i recently finished reading just about every appearance for buddy baker aka animal man, so i figured i would try my hand at making a guide! if there are any mistakes, feel free to correct me &lt;3.

buddy's first appearance is in Strange Adventures #180

Strange Adventures #184, #190, #195, #201

Wonder Woman (1942) #267 & #268

Action Comics #552 & #553

DC Comics Presents #77 & 78

Crisis on Infinite Earths #10-12

Animal Man (1988) #1-6

Invasion! #2-3

Animal Man #7-8

Justice League International #24

Animal Man #9-11

from here, buddy has joined justice league europe. that content is skippable, but if you want to read it it's Justice League Europe #1-12. continue reading animal man alongside it. i switched between them

Animal Man #12-26 is the rest of the morrison run. this is THE essential run. if you read anything, read morrison's run

Animal Man #27-32 is the milligan run. it continues the horror elements of morrison's run with a theme of "loss of control"

Animal Man #33-50 is the veitch and dillon run, and it expands on the theme of loss of control by having buddy lose control of his life, arguably his family, and his powers for the ten thousandth time

Animal Man #51-79 is the delano run, and it's my second favorite run of the series. this run is all about buddy taking control back over his life in the form of literally becoming a god

Animal Man #80-89 is the prosser and harper run, which i heavily disliked because it went a completely opposite direction. it also marks the end of the series and the last we see of buddy for a bit

Aquaman #35

Resurrection Man #25-27

Hawkman (1986) #16-17

now we get into the infinite crisis/52 era. there's a lot of jumping

Identity Crisis #1 & #7

JLA #119

Infinite Crisis #2

Outsiders (2003) #31

Firestorm (2004) #20

Infinite Crisis #3

Outsiders #32

Firestorm #21

Infinite Crisis #6-7

52 #5-9, #16-20, #28, #31-33, #35-37, #43, #47, #51-52

Countdown to Adventure #1-8

from here you could read Rann-Thanagar Holy War, it's optional

Justice League of America (2006) #26-27

Blackest Night #5-8

Flashpoint #5

Animal Man (2011) #1-11

Swamp Thing (2011) #11-12

Animal Man #12-17

Swamp Thing #17

Animal Man #18-22

Justice League Dark (2011) #23

Animal Man #23-29

Justice League United #0-16

from here, buddy is mostly only seen in cameos. most of them aren't worth reading for buddy alone, but i enjoyed The Flash #790-791

and there you have it! if there are any additional suggestions or questions, please feel free to comment, dm me, or send me an ask <3

#dc #dc comics #buddy baker #buddy baker dc #animal man #animal man dc #dc reading order #reading order #animal man reading order #dc reading guide #reading guide #dc reading list #reading list

[theofficialdailyplanet]

made a reading order for match / bizarro superboy / bizarro boy / kent conner!

havent finished all of them on the list yet but wanted em all together

and no the ten year gap isnt a mistake, they only let him out the basment recently

#dc match #kent connor #bizarro superboy #bizarro boy #superboy #teen titans #young justice #dc #dc comics #dc reading list #comic reading order #comic reading guide #shazas reading lists #shaza reading lists

[dcbinges]

DC "Millennium" checklist (1987)

#millennium #comics #dc #dc comics #80s comics #80s #reading list #dc reading list #wish i had this months ago because i read this event way out of order lmao #and I got a driveby NTT spoiler

[jlquarterly]

TIM DRAKE READING ORDER

For those who, like me, when they like a character they need to read every single comic the character appears in, I have compiled a list of all of Tim Drake’s appearances from his debut up to the 2011 Flashpoint reboot (not including New 52 continuity).

If you enjoy my reading guides or find them helpful and would like to support me, you can do so on my Ko-Fi.

#tim drake #robin #red robin #dc comics #reading order #tim drake wayne #dc reading guide #reading list #comics #batfam #dc robin #batman comics #archival work

[umbrellacam]

Saw a post where someone wasn't sure if Tim being good at computers was a fanon thing or not and friend I am happy to inform you that he's been a computer/tech guy from some of his earliest appearances in the comics.

Detective Comics (Vol. 1) #620 (Rite of Passage part 4) - immersed in the ~web~

Robin II: The Joker's Wild #3 - tabletop roleplaying games and spending hours in the basement on the computer - not beating the geek allegations on these fronts, Timmy

Detective Comics (Vol. 1) #676 - Dick was more into traditional detective work and tended to outsource the computer stuff in these days

Batman (Vol. 1) #514 (Prodigal part 10) - hackin' through all the garbage and garble

Robin (1993) #33 - Robin sneaking in and connecting Oracle with the baddies' mainframe so she can do her thing and steal all their data >:)

Nightwing (1996) #6 - "no you're really talented and well suited to be Robin." "no, you." "no, YOU!"

Tim is definitely not as good as Babs/Oracle, but he's certainly her back-up for computer work in the 90's batfam. They're tech buddies and Robin!Tim is her little assistant sometimes, it's super cute:

Birds of Prey (1999) #19 - happy to play with big sister's fancy high-powered toys

Legends of the Dark Knight (1989) #125 - real cute kid

And Dick will hand off computer jobs to his little brother when he doesn't want to bother Babs 😂 (that outsourcing I mentioned):

Nightwing (1996) #68 - examine them pixel by pixel, eh? welp, sounds like a job only you can do, Timbo, you got this buddy, byyyyeeeee

And then when he'd grown up and been doing this for years, he leveled up accordingly, and did stuff like use his access to the League of Assassins computers to overload the generators in every base he could find, etc. etc.

Red Robin (2009) #8 - yeah that was pretty dumb of you Ra's :)

So yeah, it was a bit of a specialty of Tim's, in large part because he was introduced just at the turn into the 90's, when personal computers were really starting to take off and become widespread. (Robins gotta be cutting edge and all)

Of course, by no means does it follow that the other Bats suck at computers (there is no 'smart one' they are all incredibly smart and capable). This is especially true as reboots and the sliding timescale of comics have moved the DC characters into modern times, where computers run the world and everyone grows up with one in their pocket. The baseline familiarity and expertise that everyone can be expected to have is just much, much higher these days.

It gets exaggerated in fanon as all character traits do, but computer guy Tim is definitely not something just made up out of whole cloth :)b

#Tim Drake #Robin #DC Comics #batfam #Dick Grayson #Nightwing #Barbara Gordon #Oracle #Alfred Pennyworth #Batman #Dick and Tim #Babs and Tim #DC Comics panels #fanon vs. canon #Cam posts #Cam reads comics #DC meta #meta #not a fully extensive list by any means - just the stuff that I could find from my notes and general rummaging #Also: there are some fantastic additions to this in the comments so check out the notes!

[bluerosefox]

Foreboding Words of Warnings

..... I had another idea that I wanna share. Going to be quick cause I got stuff to do today.

"This, Batman. Is a list of names and ages of people who once were upon the living, who died by the hands of Joker.... they are also the ones that are demanding his death and soul ripped into nothingness so they won't suffer his ghost should he become one...." the young looking King said, his voice hard like unmoving stone, his finger tapping against the open long glowing scroll sitting on top of the table "The very dead are demanding their justice Batman. My people, my subjects, my kind want to finally end that psychopath since they now have a King that is willing to listen to them."

Batman opened his mouth, trying to come up with words to counter argue that killing was wrong, he did his best to ignore the names, the ages (a cluster of children ages ranging from babies to seventeen year olds were together on the list) but was cut off by King Phantom.

"I'm not asking permission Batman, this is merely a formality and a warning for what's to come. Everyone and everything ends and enters my domain eventually, and from there their souls are judged. So before you say I have no right to be doing this, understand that EVERYONE will be mine eventually whether they like it or not.... Although never once has so many ghosts demanded judging on a living soul all at once. I can not ignore this, even my own council agreed to the demands once I brought this matter to them." Phantom said, his glowing green eyes staring him down and everyone in the room shivered (both internally and a tiny bit outwardly) as if they had been dunked in cold ice water. The light from his flaming crown seemed to be messing with the shadows around it in the cave sending a sense of foreboding at them. "You have twenty-four hours to bring Joker to me before I send my knights to find him and drag him into my Realm. I would rather not cause mass panic among the living should they see them however hence why I came here to speak in private with you about this matter before we do."

The room was silent after that, everyone trying to wrap their heads around what was going to happen, permission or not. And trying not to freak out over the existence of ghosts being a thing... and that they had a King in the afterlife.

"Question King Kid. Do you need to be fully dead to sign that thing or can someone whose been dead and got better add their name to it?" Jason finally asked from his spot, fully ready to sign his own name on the damn thing if it meant finally getting rid of the Joker for good in this life. And for the afterlife as well. He refused to let Joker's victims and himself should he join them in the ghostly afterlife suffer seeing that crazed clown again.

#danny fenton #danny phantom #random idea #crossover #batman #dp x dc #writing ideas #blue rambles #jason todd #bruce wayne #joker #quick idea #dc #ghost king danny #competent king danny #danny had been thrown off gaurd when this request was given to him by a bunch of ghosts #but he heard them out and took in the list #he read and read and was sick to his stomach at how many died by this clowns hands #like he knew of the joker when he saw the news but seeing a full list of people #and knowing it gets bigger and longer each day he is alive really made danny think this request over for weeks #brought it to his council and they debated for days if it was a good idea to judge a living person before their end #once they reached a verdit Danny took it upon himself to visit Gotham and speak with Batman #just giving him a heads up since he knows how Batman feels about outsiders to his city #Jason signs his name when Danny says 'if said person was a victim of the Joker #Jason signs 'Jason Todd-Wayne' in front of Bruce to show that he died a Wayne #even if he doesnt use it now. He still died believing he was a Wayne.

[laufire]

batman #683 / batman: gotham knights #43 / secret origins vol. 3 #5

(dc: it's okay bruce was never jason's father it's FINE he was never responsible for him it's ALL GO-)

#i recently read the last one from the list of jason's nu52 appearances and i might've popped a vessel reading ''friend'' añdlskfajsdf #talking to the void #dc #dc comics #jason todd #bruce wayne #bat clan #favourites: you raise sons #favourites: fucked up families #id in alt text #captioned

[fancyfade]

2009 era Damian reading

As I've been doing my 2009 era Damian reading, I'm trying to condense the good stuff and bad stuff, and things I believe are relevant for his character. These are in addition to what I assume is obvious (Batman and Robin 2009, the comic where he has a starring role).

Battle for the Cowl: this has how Damian becomes Robin. It's not necessarily good. Daniels really does not understand Damian, especially this early in his writing, but it does have some important context for things going down b/c Damian helps Squire save Tim's life, and we can see Dick viewing training Damian as something he is responsible for.

Secret Origins (2014) #4: This is a much more in character Damian becoming Robin, though fit for a condensed new 52 timeline that leaves some stuff out (like Damian's rocky intro with Bruce).

Batman #688 (Long Shadows part 1): Winick seems one of the early writers who does a Damian as he lines up with later characterization (views himself more as a professional assassin), so I think this one's good.

Batman: streets of Gotham #1-6: damian makes some minor appearances here.

Batgirl #5-7: Always take Damian's guest-starring stuff with a grain of salt, as often times writers just go with "how would an obnoxious 10 year old boy act here" without understanding he's a specific kind of obnoxious 10 year old boy... that said I do like some of his interactions with Steph, and I think it's incredibly important that we see Damian defends his competence based on his training, not on his blood.

Like he'll sometimes justify why he belongs based on his blood (which like... no one acts like they want him around), but he isn't going around saying "I'm better than you b/c I'm batman's son". he was trained intensely since birth (and that's why he should say he's better than you :P)

Batman #692-697: not a ton of Damian in this, and it is Daniel's writing, but he's a little better than he was in Battle for the Cowl. We see Dick training Damian some.

Batman: Streets of Gotham #7, #10-#11: love this plotline for him. Good show of competence and characterization.

Blackest night: batman: More focused on Tim and Dick, and Tomasi sucks at writing Babs, but at there is some Damian content that I remember enjoying.

Red Robin #11-15: as long as you read this one with your brain turned on, it's good for explaining some Tim and Damian stuff. Sadly some fans are like "woooo arrogant 10 year old gets beat up". Nicieza makes some missteps (frames Tim's thinking around Damian as coldly logical, when it is anything but and he is reacting from a place of emotion), but one can ignore those.

Batman #703: shows Damian's character pretty well in a default Batman and Robin adventure, and his relationship (or lackthereof) with Bruce and his dynamic with Dick and Alfred

Teen Titans #88-92 (including Red Robin #20 in a crossover plot): surprised by how well I liked this one. I think it portrays Damian pretty fairly, and we can see that he is trying hard, but hasn't been given a lot of support up until now (or even now, Dick kind of just drops him off with a bunch of older kids who all also have issues and are predisposed to disliking him XD). His dynamic with rose is fun and I think it is notable how quickly he does acquiesce to following Cassie's orders when she's like (at first) the only Teen Titan who is OK with him being there and assures him its not personal when she makes a comment he doesn't like.

Bruce Wayne: The Road Home: Batman and Robin: Has some nice Dick and Damian banter, showcases how they've worked together well

Batgirl #17: more damian and steph interactions.

I will probably add more (either editing this post or in a reblog) as I keep reading.

#dc comics #fade reads dc comics #damian wayne #robin #reading list #sort of #2009 era batfam stuff

[annah-kitathryne]

League of Comic Geeks version of the Helena Bertinelli Completionists List. Updated to her appearances as of March 2024 and added missing content from the first list.

Original Tumblr List below

#dc comics #dc #helena bertinelli #the huntress #dc huntress #character reading list #dc reading list #comic reading list #league of comic geeks #helena my love

[hellrobin]

he really is the silliest

#tim tag #dc #saved panels #tim reading list #shush esme #panels #tim drake #robin 1993

[fantastic-nonsense]

the funniest thing about comics being called inaccessible because it's "impossible to know where to start" is that there are several hundred comic fans running around with extremely detailed reading lists literally begging people with metaphorical dog treats to read the comics on them and then talk about their faves with them

if you can google, you can find an easy-to-understand starter list for a character or team you're interested in

#it's me. I'm one of several hundred comic fans with multiple detailed reading lists begging people to read comics #pls I want to talk about them with you! I want to share them! I am herding you all like cats into my obsession! #there are absolutely several reasons that comics are inaccessible to newbies. 'not knowing where to start' isn't really one of them #personal #dc comics #marvel comics #indie comics

[damianbugs]

Batman: Universe (2020) written by Bendis and illustrated by Nick Derington was one of the most charming and lovely batman comic i have read in a really long time. it's a silly time travel story!!! and only six issues long!

SPOILERS AHEAD, here are some out of context panels that just really amused me;

i really enjoyed how casual batman is with the people in gotham. like yeah, bruce regularly spooks residents when he grapples up the side of their building, and stops for a quick chat. the young new cops aren't exactly sure how to handle batman while others are too used to him to care anymore.

then the whole interaction with green arrow (issue 2) was SO fun! i am so fond of them and they're rarely in enjoyable comics together anymore. i particularly loved this little detail:

at first bruce calls him oliver, but as the situation becomes increasingly more dangerous, he switches to calling him ollie! i am very normal about this.

THE BATLANTERN MOMENT. this whole part of the story (issue 3 & 4) was just, very sweet. it was a perfect balance of them being prickly to each other, while also sticking close and working really well.

this part of the story also features cowboy bruce and hal (sort of)!

...and then bruce was really worried about hal when he lost control and vanished from the past (he's fine), so much so that later in the story when he's dying, he mentions that he hopes green lantern is okay (in the present, hal leaves bruce a voice message to say he is okay, and hopes bruce is safe too).

oh right yeah so bruce dies (for like, a page, thank you confusing time travel mechanics) and THIS IS WHAT HE SAYS TO ALFRED:

I AM SORRY YOU CAN'T HEAR ME.. TELL YOU.. HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU.. I REALLY DO........ bruce wayne when i get you (issue 4).

AND THEN!!!! DICK ARRIVES (issue 5)!!!!!! i was hoping we'd get to see damian when bruce returned to the present, or that robin would come along on the time travel shenanigans, but this moment happened and i didn't even mind. it was so lovely. the duo of all time always.

a lot happens after this moment (issue 6), but these little panels really spoke to me. look at him. sitting criss cross apple sauce in the face of absolute doom. the pastel coloured eternal hell was also very funny to me, as was bruce then literally jumping between different periods of time during the final fight — but i have run out of space to share those. you need to go look at them for yourself.

so idk, READ IT !!!!!!

#after exams i just needed a fun comic so scrolled through my to read list and picked this one #healed me. i am healed. nothing can ever hurt me again. #also bruce hal and ollie oh my oh oh my god my sillies #bruce wayne #hal jordan #oliver queen #dick grayson #batman #this is the most batman to ever batman... like this is so batman #saki comic talks #DC MORE SILLY TIME TRAVEL STORIES. PLS.