#dc guide

Do you want to get into reading DC comics but it all seems very overwhelming and you have no idea where to start? Or maybe you've already been reading comics for a while but you've been avoiding exploring new characters because you just cannot find a good reading list for them.

If so you've come to a good place!!!

Along with @seratheminx on TikTok (go follow her! she makes really fun edits and other DC related videos, and this whole thing was her idea!) we've been working on a little project that assembles reading lists for different DC characters and teams for easy access! It also contains explanations for newer readers on basic terms and timelines. And gives our recommendations on where to start reading!

So far we have assembled lists for 230+ characters!

And there's a wheel you can spin to randomly choose a character from the list ✨😎.

Anyway here's the link to the docs:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1toKeMJJQRUBVBZmDL4KTTfVEtsVrxm63BYmBUJCjc-M/edit

Unfortunately I don't have a large following and most of my mutuals are already into comics so I would appreciate some help with rebloging so it can reach a wider audience!

If you have any questions or suggestions (we're in no way experts on a whole DC comics universe just two fans doing our best so if you find any mistakes please let us know) there's a suggestion forms at the end or you can send me an ask/dm.

Enjoy ❤️

DISCLAIMER 📢

hi mootie!! <33

tbh it v much depends on your personal preferences with how you try out new media and stuff, but i will try my best to suggest some ways to help you get into dc!!

keeping in mind that adaptations and comics are not always 1:1 of each other, i would recommend checking out a dc movie, a dc tv show, a video game, or any animated dc projects!! this is usually people's first exposure to the dcverse, and it can help you find a favourite character or a favourite team or a favourite side of dc to choose from so you can narrow down your options

i personally find it easier to read comics for a character, so once you find a character you're into it, i'd recommend looking up their comics wiki & then find a beginners/get to know comics guide for them on tumblr! lots of characters have tons of reading guides. again, you can read by events or by teams too!

follow a wide variety of people in dcblr, fanartists, personal comic blogs, @.why-i-love-comics, edit blogs, fanfic writers, etc and follow various tags to get those posts!

once you're comfortable, you can start narrowing down and cutting out blogs/tags you don't like, or following more of a specific part of dc you like!

essentially, there is NO right or wrong way, really, so long you do the basic etiquette of not spreading misinformation imo. you can be into the movies, the shows, the animated shows, the comics, the video games, etc... and it's all valid. you can read in an organised way, you can try to read chronologically, or by order of events, or you can play around and read comics in any order. most of these media are easy to pirate or consume online safely, i personally wouldn't recommend buying things immediately as a beginner, shop around and gain familiarity first

source material is for shaping your understanding of the universe, fandom, memes, fanart, fanfics, etc are to give you a space for comfort and community and guiding you so you don't feel overwhelmed! fanon to me isn't inherently bad, but it can be misleading and lock you in one facet when the same character could have much complexity and you never get out of your comfort. plus, when you read the source material, you can engage in fan discussions much easily since everybody is on the same page but you can still disagree because the interpretation and preferences are still subjective, AND for creative work, the golden rule of "to write better, read more" still applies; i picked up digital art purely because i was motivated by wanting to design a dc comic character (helena), and my writing, analysis, reading, annotation, etc skills improved

when i wasn't reading marvel comics for a long time, i used to play marvel snap the game for my own enjoyment, simply because it gave me joy through the visual effects of seeing fun cards of my beloved characters

again, this is a choose your own adventure games and there is no right or wrong answer. curate your space, gain more information to make your own choices, have an open minded, brace yourself for the fact that you won't be perfect and it's okay because nobody is, we are always learning and growing and changing our minds. the pro of dc & marvel to me is how vast and infinite their worlds are like an open sandbox game; your personal happiness is the first priority, and while i do get irritated at a lot of fandom and editorial nonsense, i will not shame anybody who finds their joy from dc in a different way from me because like come on!! it's a hobby, not the end of the world. people cannot be incorrect in how they engage with the dcverse, only incorrect in how they present information, imo

finally, some recommendations from me, based on my personal experiences and what i see my friends enjoying too <3

dc animated: justice league unlimited · the justice league crisis on infinite earth triology · dc super hero girls · batman beyond · my adventures with superman · young justice · batman: the brave and the bold · vixen

dc movies: birds of prey and the fabulous emancipation of harley quinn · shazam 1 & 2 · suicide squad 2 · superman (2025) & do check out supergirl (2026) when it comes out hehe

dc tv shows: peacemaker · titan · doom patrol · pennyworth · batwoman · dead boy detectives · birds of prey (2002) · gotham knights (2023)

dc games: arkham trilogy · gotham knights

dc comics: the absolute universe comics · birds of prey (1999) · worlds' finest huntress & power girl (2012) · huntress: year one · oracle: year one ·

i recommend reading for these characters following a comic guide if any of them catches your interest: catwoman, zatanna zatara, black canary, barbara gordon, harvey dent, kon-el, lois lane, helena bertinelli, helena wayne, shazam (billy batson, freddy freeman, mary bromfield), circuit breaker, renee montoya, etc

· i recommend checking out these teams/groups: young justice, aquafam, wildstorm, wonderfam, flashfam, the batgirls (bette kane, stephanie brown, cassandra cain), green lanterns, justice league international, etc

I'm keeping this updated on my blog as well. Welcoming any and all suggestions in the comments, but these are some websites I use for my own personal collection and comic book reading.

Collection Trackers

League of Comic Geeks (All Comics/Manga + Discord)

Google Sheets / Excel

Timelines & Chronology

Comic Book Wire (Personal Favorite! Prime Earth)

DCU Guide (Personal Favorite! New + Prime Earth)

Reading Orders

Comic Book Reading Orders (DC + Marvel)

Comic Book Treasury (DC + Marvel)

Comic Book Wire (Prime Earth, Sorted by Character)

Navigating the DC universe can be tricky, even for longtime fans. Knowing what is considered "canon" can be even trickier, especially when the present canon is constantly changing, but there is a main timeline comics generally follow. This guide will take you through the basics as well as define some terms you may frequently come across in the fandom.

The first thing fans should know is The Multiverse exists in DC continuity, meaning there are several different realities that may show up or be referenced in comics. Most of these realities receive an "Earth" designation, such as Earth-1 or Earth-12. The current DC canon takes place on Earth-0.

Now, wouldn't it be nice if we could stop there? Sigh. For better or for worse, DC loves reality altering events, and Earth-0 has experienced its fair share of them with the most critical ones being Crisis on Infinite Earths and Flashpoint.

Crisis on Infinite Earths (1986) was a multiversal event that effectively rebooted the timeline and began an era of Earth-0 called New Earth or Post-Crisis. Unless otherwise re-canonized through comics published in the Post-Crisis era, stories published prior to the event (dubbed Pre-Crisis) were no longer considered canon.

Flashpoint (2011) was an event that ended the New Earth timeline and began the Prime Earth timeline. As of today, this is the timeline Earth-0 is still currently in.

Prime Earth can be broken up into various branding eras or titles, each one fairly recognizable by characteristic logos being printed on the covers of single issues and graphic novels alike, but you can also identify them by publishing date.

The New 52 (2011) marks the beginning of Prime Earth. This was a controversial era of DC wherein several things from New Earth were retconned. Many characters' origin stories were revised, each to varying degrees.

Rebirth (2016) served as a soft "reboot" to the New 52 where several elements from New Earth were re-integrated into the current timeline (restoring many old and beloved origin stories/retconning poorly received New 52 origins) while still keeping many critical plot points from the New 52 canon.

Infinite Frontier (2021) continues directly from Rebirth. Rather than rebooting anything, it integrates some more elements of the New Earth timeline and leads directly into DC's current branding initiative: Dawn of DC.

As a reminder, not everything from Post-Crisis has been re-canonized with Rebirth and Infinite Frontier; this is a common misconception. Some events in these comics happen in a way that make it impossible for certain Post-Crisis stories to have happened. Likewise, not everything from New 52 has been retconned either. The specifics, unfortunately, are unique to each character, and truly the best understanding of them is achieved through reading the comics. The DC Wiki page, however, generally does a good job explaining a character's origins and their current canon. They also typically list retcons and inconsistencies in the character's page notes.

But wait! I hear people say all the time. What about stories that don't fit the branding, like Injustice, DC vs. Vampires, or Wayne Family Adventures? Aren't they still DC?

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