ULTIMATE SUPERGIRL READING GUIDE
since i've been asked a few times in the past for various reading guides for kara, i thought i'd compile them all into one post for the sake of convenience!
this guide has reading orders for supergirl comics in PRE-CRISIS (1959-1985), POST-CRISIS (2004-2011), NEW 52 (2011-2016), REBIRTH (2016-2021), and INFINITE FRONTIER (2021-present).
if you have any questions at all don't be afraid to shoot me an ask!
for each section bolded comics are required, italicized comics are recommended, and everything else is optional!
ORIGIN AND MIDVALE ERA (NOTE: you'll have to flip to the back of each issue to get to kara's section!) action comics (1938) #252-253, 254-255, 256, 257, 258, 259-260, 261-262, 263-264, 265-266 superman's girl friend, lois lane (1958) #14 action comics (1938) #267, 268, 269-270, 271-275 superman's pal, jimmy olsen (1954) #51 action comics (1938) #276-285, 286-287, 288, 289, 290, 291-294, 295-298, 299-302, 303, 304, 305-306, 307-308, 309-310, 311-312, 313-317
STANHOPE COLLEGE action comics (1938) #318-319, 322-323, 332-333, 337, 339, 340, 350, 358, 359, 366-368, 369-370, 371-372, 374-376 worldâs finest (1941) #169 adventure comics (1938) #381-382, 383, 384, 386-389, 391, 393-394, 395-397, 399, 400, 402, 404-405
K-SFTV REPORTER â SAN FRANCISCO adventure comics (1938) #406-407 action comics (1938) #402 (second story titled "superman vs. supergirl: feud of the titans") adventure comics (1938) #409-415, 417, 419, 420, 421-424
VANDYRE UNIVERSITY supergirl (1972) #1-10
STUDENT ADVISOR â FLORIDA (NOTE: every member of the superfamily has a story in the superman family (1974), so you'll have to flip through to find kara's section!) the superman family (1974) #165, 168, 171, 174, 177, 180, 182 justice league of america (1960) #132-134 the superman family #183, 184-186, 187-189, 191-193, 194, 196-198, 199, 200, 201-202, 203, 204-205, 206-207
ACTRESS â NEW YORK the superman family (1974) 208-210, 211-214, 215-216, 217, 218 superman (1939) #373 (second story titled âan eye (and ear) on the world!â) detective comics (1937) #508-510 the superman family #219-222
THE GREAT DARKNESS SAGA (i recommend this storyline in it's entirety, but kara only appears in the last issue!) legion of superheroes (1980) #290-294
LAKE SHORE UNIVERSITY supergirl (1982) #1-12 (cw: nazi imagery in the brief interlude in #12)Â supergirl (1982) #13-15 (cw: antisemitism, nazi imagery, depictions of the holocaust.) supergirl (1982) #16-23
LAST APPEARANCES AND DEATH legion of super-heroes (1980) #300-303 dc comics presents (1978) #28 tales of the legion of super-heroes (1984) #314-315 crisis on infinite earths (1985) #4-7
BONUS POST-COIE APPEARANCES christmas with the super-heroes (1988) #2 (last story titled âshould auld acquaintance be forgotâ) supergirl (1996) #49, 75-80 solo (2004) #1 (third story titled âyoung loveâ) convergence: adventures of superman (2015) #1-2
ORIGIN superman/batman (2003) #8-13Â (or you can watch superman/batman: apocalypse (2010) instead which I recommend! the art is a lot more tasteful and it's a very faithful adaptation of the comic so you wonât be missing out on anything.)
KARA WITH THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES supergirl and the legion of super-heroes (2006) #16-36
LOEB AND KELLY HELL ERA supergirl (2005) #1-5, 9-10, 19 (you donât have to read any of this since it gets retconned anyway, but if youâre interested in karaâs early characterization, the beginnings of her friendship with cassie sandsmark, or her difficulty fitting in on earth then youâre welcome to read what iâve provided.)
KELLEY PUCKETT ERA Amazons Attack! teen titans (2003) #47-48Â amazons attack! (2007) #3Â supergirl (2005) #20Â amazons attack! (2007) #4Â teen titans (2003) #49
supergirl (2005) #21-22Â teen titans (2003) #50, 51-55Â supergirl (2005) #25-33
superman/supergirl: maelstrom (2009) #1-5
Superman: Brainiac action comics (1938) #866-870
GATES AND IGLE HEAVEN ERA supergirl (2005) #34
New Krypton (new krypton is one of my favorite events and i recommend it in its entirety, but for the sake of brevity Iâll only be listing the issues relevant to kara.) superman: new krypton special #1Â superman (1939) #681Â adventure comics special featuring guardian #1Â action comics (1938) #871Â supergirl (2005) #35Â superman (1939) #682Â action comics (1938) #872Â supergirl (2005) #36Â superman (1939) #683Â action comics (1938) #873
teen titans (2003) #66Â supergirl (2005) #37-42
Friends and Fugitives superman: secret Files 2009 #1Â supergirl (2005) #43Â action comics (1938) #881Â supergirl (2005) #45Â action comics (1938) #882Â supergirl (2005) #46-47
supergirl (2005) annual 1, #48-50
Last Stand of New Krypton adventure comics (2009) #8 superman: last stand of new krypton #1 supergirl (2005) #51 superman (1938) #698 adventure comics (2009) #9 superman: last stand of new krypton #2 adventure comics (2009) #10 supergirl (2005) #52 superman (1938) #699 superman: last stand of new krypton #3 superman: war of the supermen (2010) #0, 1-4Â
supergirl (2005) #53-57, annual 2, 58-59
END OF SUPERGIRL VOL 5 supergirl (2005) #60-64 supergirl (2005) #65-67
REIGN OF THE DOOMSDAYS action comics (1938) #900-904
ORIGIN and SUPERGIRL VS THE WORLDKILLERS supergirl (2011) #1-7
SUPERGIRL and SILVER BANSHEE supergirl (2011) #8-11
SUPERGIRL and SUPERBOY superboy (2011) #6
SANCTUARY supergirl (2011) #12, 0, 13
HâEL ON EARTH superman (2011) #13 supergirl (2011) #14 superman (2011) #14 superboy (2011) #15 supergirl (2011) #15 superboy (2011) #16 superboy (2011) Annual #1 supergirl (2011) #16 superman (2011) #16 superboy (2011) #17 supergirl (2011) #17 superman (2011) #17
SUPERGIRL and POWERGIRL supergirl (2011) #18-20
CYBORG SUPERMAN supergirl (2011) #21-23 action comics (2011) #23.1 supergirl (2011) #24
KRYPTON RETURNS action comics (2011) annual #2 superboy (2011) #25 supergirl (2011) #25 superman (2011) #25
SUPERGIRL VS LOBO supergirl (2011) #26-27
RED DAUGHTER OF KRYPTON supergirl (2011) #28-29 red lanterns (2011) #28-29 supergirl (2011) #30 red lanterns (2011) #30 supergirl (2011) #31 red lanterns (2011) #31-32 supergirl (2011) #32-33
SUPERMAN: DOOMED (this is a whole storyline but I'll only be listing the issues that kara appears in!) superman/wonder woman (2013) #9 action comics (2011) #33 supergirl (2011) #34 superman: doomed (2014) #2 action comics (2011) #35 supergirl (2011) #35
FUTURES END supergirl: futures end (2014) #1
JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED justice league united (2014) #1-5 justice league united (2014) annual #1 justice league united (2014) #6-10
CRUCIBLE supergirl (2011) #36-40
FINAL DAYS OF SUPERMAN (kara only appears in the issues i've italicized and bolded, but i put all the relevant issues if you wanted to read the full storyline!) superman (2011) #51 batman/superman (2013) #31 action comics (2011) #51 superman/wonder woman (2013) #28 batman/superman (2013) #32 action comics (2011) #52 superman/wonder woman (2013) #29 superman (2011) #52
KARA IN NATIONAL CITY supergirl: rebirth #1
supergirl (2016) #1-8 batgirl (2016) annual 1 supergirl #9-12
supergirl (2016) annual 1 supergirl #13-20
world's finest: batwoman and supergirl #1-2
ROGOL ZAAR and THE SINS OF THE CIRCLE the man of steel #1-2, 3-6 supergirl #21-33, #34-36
LEVIATHAN and BATMAN WHO LAUGHS superman: leviathan rising special #1 supergirl #34-36 supergirl (2016) annual 2 supergirl #37-42
HOUSE OF KENT action comics (2016) #1022-1023 action comics (2016) #1024-1028
FUTURE STATE superman of metropolis (2021) #1-2 kara zor el, superwoman (2021) #1-2
action comics 2021 annual
WOMAN OF TOMORROW supergirl: woman of tomorrow (2021) #1-8
WORLD'S FINEST batman/superman: world's finest (2022) #2-6, 8, 12, 44
A WORLD WITHOUT CLARK KENT and RED MOON (kara is featured in the back-up story! if you want the full context of this plot i recommend reading the full warworld arc in action comics [action comics #1030-1046, superman: warworld apocalypse #1]!) action comics (2016) #1044-1046, 1047-1049
DAWN OF DC action comics (2016) #1051-1053, 1055-1056 superman (2023) #1-3 power girl special #1 steelworks (2023) #1-3
KNIGHT TERRORS knight terrors: superman (2023) #1-2
DAWN OF DC (continued) action comics: doomsday special (2023) superman (2023) #7 hawkgirl (2023) #4 supergirl special (2023)
NEW WORLDS [this arc starts on action comics #1057âkara doesn't appear in that issue but I recommend reading it for context!] action comics (2016) #1058-1060 action comics 2023 annual
JOURNEY TO FERIMBIA powergirl (2023) #5, 6-7
HOUSE OF BRAINIAC action comics (2016) #1064 superman (2023) #13 action comics (2016) #1065 superman (2023) #14 action comics (2016) #1066 superman (2023) #15
UNIVERSE END action comics (2016) #1070-1081
MISCELLANEOUS RECENT APPEARANCES: justice league unlimited (2024) #1, 4-6 superwoman special #1 superman (2023) #21-22
SUMMER OF SUPERMAN superman unlimited (2025) #1-2
NEW HISTORY new history of the dc universe (2025) #2-3
MISADVENTURES IN MIDVALE supergirl (2025) #1-10
HERO OF KANDOR supergirl (2025) #11-12
OTHER RECENT APPEARANCES dc's supergirl next door (2026) supergirl's family vacation (2026)
UPCOMING: supergirl (2025) [monthly ongoing] supergirl: the world (2026) [out june 2nd] supergirl: survive (2026) [out june 3rd] summer of supergirl special (2026) [out june 24th]
