I think, for brand new readers, the New 52 is a great starting point along with knowing a brief history of some of the major events like COIE. After reading some new 52 titles then you can either continue into Rebirth or jump right to current runs of series! Love your videos, always so informative and well done.
I agree wholeheartedly. It is in its own pocket and was totally about new readers. Has everything in there and plenty of riskier ventures that payed off like Dial H
As someone who prefers chronological order so I can get introduced to characters and stories before they show up casually comics is going to be tough to get into
post crisis is a good place to start. find a character you like and start at their post crisis beginning. i started like you and then after reading like 80+ comics i just started to read whatever from whenever
Starting with Dawn of the DCU isn't a bad place to start for sure! Pro: So far it's been a pretty accessible debut with Action Comics #1051 being a pretty easy starting point and Lazarus Planet primarily being an accuse to introduce new characters and tease new launching pads. Con: A little too early. With only 11 issues to read, you will read "everything" very quickly, but the first arcs of storylines aren't out yet, and there's still a ton of questions about what is and isn't continuing from Infinite Frontier to Dawn of the DCU (like the Batman Family) If you want to do a little more to read without immediately catching up, Infinite Frontier is another great starting point. Pro: There's a ton of new characters and many Dawn of the DCU storylines foundations are in Infinite Frontier (Robin and Nezha, War World Saga, Nightwing's return to the DCU, and the elevation of characters like Jonathan Kent to new roles). Con: Like Dave said the big "storylines" of the universe: Dark Crisis, War for Earth-3, Fear State, Trial of the Amazons, and Shadow War all really struggled to deliver on the promises of the great stories that built up to them. It's also about transitioning to a new generation rather than continuing with the generation of the movies. If you want stories with heroes that are in the movies, you'll be disappointed by Jonathan Kent being the Superman of Earth, Hal Jordan basically being MIA for the entire 2 years, Aquaman being Jackson Hyde, etc. The stories with the younger heroes are some of the best of Infinite Frontier, but they aren't the DCEU versions. That being said, if you want stories that feel like their isn't a ton of history, then new heroes being the lead characters might work out well for you. Rebirth was where I personally started. It's the most "OG" version of the DCU you will get. Pros: Most of the core movie characters are in roles similar to the DCEU versions. Superman is the primary superman, there is only 1 batman, Aquaman is Arthur Curry, etc. But whatever you do, DON'T read Justice League (2016). Their hasn't been a beloved and impactful Justice League story since New52. Also the new two big characters they added Jonathan Kent and Jessica Cruz have become staples of DC Comics. With both having Animated Movies already telling their stories (Battle of the Supersons and Justice League and the Fatal Five) Con: It started 7 years ago and falls apart after Dark Nights Metal. That being said the first 2 years of Rebirth are some of the most consistent storylines DC ever release. New 52: The last official hard reboot of DC. Everything before New52 "didn't happen" even though most of it was implied to have happened. Pros: The main storylines of Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman have some of the most revered runs of the last 15 years. Cons: There are a lot of rough stories in New52, and a lot of bloat. If you start here, look at CBH's fast track guide to know what to actually read vs. skip. If I were to get into comics today, I would personally start with Infinite Frontier, but there's no 1 incredible answer. 1 Possibility is to transition from Dave's recommendation to read the greatest hits of each hero before diving into modern and/or post-modern comics.
Imo I know it's decisive but the new 52 is a great start. Go from there to rebirth and on. And for all the criticism DC gets for timelines and reboots, it's confusing but it at least has start and end points and connective stories. Marvel is far harder to explain because they don't even ATTEMPT to make continuity work they do the whole pretend it all works method. Marvel hasn't had real continuity since Jim shooter. Ever since then it's the wild West. Anyways I digress. At least DC tries to make it make sense for better or worse.
@@ultimateslinger9857 it is but also remember there is no collectibility in manga. Everything has millions of copies, so if you are a person who cares about that it doesn't exist there. Recently a company is trying to do graded copies like cgc but it's a failure, mangas format is just not suitable for what comics are. I also cannot stand the art the panel work or the format of manga. I wish I did but I just can't get with the program there's not much there for me
I love that dc actually reboots from time to time. Im a completionist and this is why i have a hard time getting into marvel because they never rebooted so i feel like i need to read it all. I decided to start at the new 52 (technically i started at flashpoint) and im about 400 issues in. I read it as chronologically as possible and it works for me.
My advice for jumping into the modern DC Universe: A good place to start would be with the recent Superman 1. A really great jumping-on point for new and old readers alike. There are also new runs of Doom Patrol, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, Green Arrow, Shazam!, Superboy, Superman (Jonathan Kent), Titans, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Powergirl, Cyborg, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, The Flash, and Batman and Robin- as well as new series like Steelworks and The Penguin. Other good recent beginnings would be with Action Comics 1051 and ESPECIALLY with Dan Mora and Mark Waid’s “Batman/Superman: World’s Finest.” That run will be a classic in a very short amount of time, if it’s not already. Now, most of these series haven’t started yet or JUST started and are only 6-12 issues, making it an easier investment to make. I suggest starting with Superman or Batman/Superman and then picking a character or two you love and go from there. Then, check out books from your local library to fill gaps in knowledge and experience those great, classic stories. That’s how I did it, and it’s been blast so far.😊
Thanks for making this! It’s been decades since I read a comic but I’m looking to get back into it. I was a Marvel guy but I’m hearing DC has better writers these days.
@@micaiahtaylor8741 way too much. It all connects to things like The Death and Life of Superman, Emerald Twilight so many more Crisis and of course Blackets Night.
I had a weird start. I started with Watchmen, then new 52 (Darkseid War, Final Days of Superman), road to rebirth, and Rebirth! Though crisis on infinite earth interest me I should probably read it
DC Comics is the true leader when it comes to being the Supercomics with the major titles loved by comic readers globally. That is why they are way ahead of the "world in 2075!" i.e. the world of comics and for many good reasons, the world of science fiction.
you said it all DC Rebirth is definetely the follow up to new 52 i think it is bizarre that it was so many years ago lol new 52 was awesome in some areas
A video on the best of DC would be an interesting window into their reputation for having "perpetual sellers" like Dark Knight Rises in a way that Marvel has never quite replicated
I got back into comics after a decade-plus layoff in the past year. I had never read much if any DC in my earlier fandom, but I read the Fourth World comics recently and they are by far my favorite comics of all time.
Brand new fan! I got into the Titans HBO Max series and started learning about the Titans and Doom Patrol. I'm reading lots of #1s, old classics like Morrison and Wolfman/Perez and looking forward to Knight Terrors
I’ve watched every dc movie ever I’ve seen every dc animated show and movie so I’ve always had knowledge to the characters especially from the new 52 dc animated movies so I picked up my first comic run starting out with flashpoint and the new 52 justice league 1-4 volumes. Then had a blast with Batman court of owls and transitioned to deathstroke. Since then I’ve herd we transitioned to rebirth and new frontier but they are only minor reboots so I started reading dark knights metal and then went straight to new frontier just for the sake of continuity but really just read what interest you that’s all that matters for new readers I’d say Start with elseworlds story’s like Batman killing joke or long Halloween shit maybe Batman/superman Batman hush novels that really give you knowledge of character you like
I mostly read Marvel which I've read the first comics to now, in the point of reaching the ultimate comics making my journey a little bit longer until I catch up. But this time I wanted to read the DC comics, but all of them would be to much for me. So, I'm gonna start at New 52 from your suggestion, thanks!
Crisis on Infinite Earths is where I would start reading DC. From 86 to 96 is the best place to start reading. At least to get an idea of what the characters use to be.
Been getting into comics more lately, though mine have been indie titles like Scott Pilgrim. Batman is my main interest as I grew up with the Animated Series and the Tim Burton films. I am also playing through the Arkham games again right now. He’s my favorite super hero and yet I barely read the comics. I believe I have Year One and The Man Who Laughs. Was thinking of trying the stories I don’t know well like Long Halloween or Hush. Or locate some comics from the 70s and 80s, I guess mainly from when Tim Drake started as Robin.
I started my reading journey with Dark Nights Metal event. Then went back at the New 52 JL tittles from Geoff Johns since the Snyder films take a lot of inspiration from those comics. Then I went to the gold and silver age most important stories as some elseworlds like Batman Earth One, The Long Halloween etc.
@@axium9328 I started from the opening Rebirth comic where wally is trapped in the speed force then followed that up with the batman rebirth and the flash rebirth
I'm getting into DC by reading all of post crisis batman. As in every comic in the mainline Batman publication all the way from #401 to #713. I just like the idea of having an entire era of a single publication collected and read. And I know it's going to take ages but I think it's worth it. Plus I can always take breaks and read something else as needed. I've been following this path for a while now and so far I'm really enjoying it. That being said, not everyone has my obsession with being a completionist. Ultimately I think it's more a case of what kind of reader you are. Do you want to follow one character or read key stories from a few different characters? Do you care about chronology or are you happy to jump around. Do you mind if you don't understand every reference to other events that you come across? Also how much are you willing to spend? Being obsessive can get pricey very quickly. And how much time do you have to read comics? They key is not to get hung up on the best way to do it and end up doing nothing. But just jump in and try a method and see if it works for you. If not then try something else, but just do it.
I wanna start in the order the comics were created, i don’t care which place is best to start, I just care in which order they came out. For example did Superman 32 come before or after green lantern 12. I don’t know if those are real, it’s just an example. I only want to know dates, number of comic, title, and series. And also order of when it was created.
I’m still confused 😩 I started watching flash and arrow and I’m hooked!! Is the next step watching supergirl ? And Superman and Lois and which comics coincide with the current universe I am watching
Hm. Well, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is a fantastic recent portrayal of Supergirl. Green Arrow JUST started a new comic series a couple days ago, and The Flash has his 800th comic coming up later this year, a special anniversary issue. For Superman, the new Superman run has been a really great place to start for new readers, and Action Comics 1051 (I think?) is a good place to start for new readers who like a lot of what Superman and Lois has to offer (It even has an ongoing back issue of Superman and Lois). I think those should be good places to push off from with what you’ve been watching. I hope that helps!😊
I'm gonna do a "Hot Take here" cause I'm an older gentleman: if you're a very young kid,start with a Kiddie style comic that has the most BASIC interpretations of these Iconic characters and DC has put out "Justice League Action" type comics before and Maybe you've seen the cartoons. Cause if you go immediately to super dark stories like Final Crisis or Darkest night ,it might Scar you when you're Young. I'd say if you've watched the series "Batman:The Brave and The Bold" I'd go find the original comic series that THAT show is based on. Or if you're an older pre teen/Teen I'd go with the "Year One" series. There's so much content that isn't Canon. When I got back in it was DC Zero Hour:Crisis in Time.
Shazam start with Shazam he's fun has the cool bad guys and good variety of storylines, or my favorite the original hellblazer run or new 52 was good to but my favorite
I'd say Rebirth ran into a different problem than New 52. New 52 had some great books, but poor editorial oversight. There were contradictory timelines, some writers used stuff other writers said never happened, etc. Rebirth brought back the DC history and optimism, but then got purposely derailed by other editors (seemingly 1 in particular) who disagreed with the shift (and just seems to REEEAAAALLLY hate Wally West, Dick Grayson and the JLI). Did...did he just call Identity Crisis a "classic storyline" Eww. I really wouldn't call those Marvel soft reboots. For me the closest Marvel has come to a reboot is when they folded in Miles Morales to the main universe after the second Secret Wars (not to be confused with Secret Wars II). Jumping into it shortly after Crisis on Infinite Earths was what started to hook me. I or my parents (on my behalf) had picked up random comics at the grocery store, but shortly after Crisis is when DC really started hooking me on the larger lore, then they cemented their hold as the Superman books moved into the triangle era, which really hooked me week to week. Oooo, greatest DC books list... I'll play. Off the top of my head, in no particular order, and no doubt forgetting a bunch that I will kick myself for later, and definitely not sticking to 15, I'll mention: Byrne's Man of Steel Batman Year One beginning of Perez Wonder Woman JLI Ostrander's Suicide Squad Superman Chronicles volume 1 Superman: The Dailies The Superman Story Superman #400 Must There be a Superman? Green Lantern/Green Arrow For the Man Who Has Everything Moore's Swamp Thing Wolfman/Perez Teen Titans Levitz Legion of Super Heroes Best of DC Digest # 50 Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow Crisis on Infinite Earths History of the DCU really anything Perez drew at DC Watchmen Dark Knight Returns Camelot 3000 Birthright Superman for All Seasons Batman: Long Halloween Legends of the Dark Knight (especially #s 1 - 20) Kirby's Fourth World books The Weird Morrison's Animal Man All Star Superman Sandman really anything Gaiman wrote at DC Transmetropolitan Invisibles Swamp Thing #88 Morrison's Doom Patrol Killing Joke really anything Moore wrote at DC Gotham Central Ostrander/Mandrake Spectre and Martian Manhunter Arion: Lord of Atlantis Warlord Longbow Hunters Arak: Son of Thunder Milestone's original run Paradox Press Jeff Smith's Captain Marvel Sunday Comics Ordway's Power of Shazam Waid's Flash JLA Year One Kingdom Come really anything Waid writes at DC really anything Ross draws at DC Lucifer U.S. Death/Funeral/Reign/Return of Superman most of the triangle era Superman JLA/DC 1,000,000 Gerard Jones Green Lantern books Johns JSA Robinson's Starman Invasion Superman: Secret Origin Green Lantern: Secret Origin Morrison's Action Comics Hitman Simone's Secret Six and All New Atom Priest's Steel Kessel's Superboy David's Supergirl and Young Justice Gotham by Gaslight Secret Identity Red Son JLA: The Nail JLA/Avengers DC Vs Marvel Up in the Sky Superman Smashes the Klan Cave Carson has a Cybernetic Eye Way's Doom Patrol It's a Bird
Question for people from America, how can I download the DC app if I'm in Europe, will the app be available for us soon and how to buy DC comics, ebay, amazon or something else? Thank you
I kinda lost track after the first 2 years of rebirth, and everything from the last 4 or 5 years has been super confusing. It feels like they’ve rebooted like 3 times now with back to back universe shattering events.
The best advice is to go to Crisis on Infinite Earth, read from there it 2010 and then pick up Lazarus Event and be done. Do not dive into the muck of Flashturd and New Poopy-2
@@piotrd7355 are you slow? There’s no point in getting invested in a character arc if it’s just going to be retconned. All that character development is down the drain for no reason. 🙄
@@CaptainChapin Very nice. Why do you start a conversation by insulting me? Do you want to follow a coherent story that takes place over 40 or 50 years? Because I don't, I don't care. Finished runs have a beginning and an end. They are a coherent story and they don't have to be set in a narrative frame spread over 100 years to enjoy reading them.
@@CaptainChapin The point is the excellent story. I agree that the constant rebooting is absolutely ridiculous, but every movie ends, every novel ends, every song ends, every modern video game ends, every TV show goes off the air. Many movies and shows get rebooted, many songs get covered by other singers, and none of it changes my enjoyment of the original one iota. The point of getting into comics is not feeling certain that this particular version of the story will continue forever, it's the same point as getting into any story: enjoying that specific story. Also insulting other commenters doesn't help your argument at all, ever.
I wish that comics would work like TV. Have a run and end it. Then reboot it with different takes. Also just make some of the superheroes stay in their own books. I want a Superman series (and other ones) where the other heroes don't exist.
