DC Universe
DC Universe
Recommended Reading Order - 1777 Entries

This is a reading order for every collected edition and bookshelf format release in the DC multiverse!

The main goal is to help people arrange books on a shelf and decide what title to read next. This is a list of books that can be read start to finish with the least amount of spoilers and awkwardness, and with the maximum enjoyment of events, cameos, and crossovers.

All of the DC character, series, and event reading lists are created in relation to this master list. If you are looking for something more specific, check the tags to the right or create a filtered search!

To view a quick loading text version of this list go to the DC Quick List.

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+ Tor Vol. 1
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One Million Years Ago 1; 3-D Comics 2 (October), 2 (November) September – November 1953
+ Tor Vol. 2
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Tor 3-5 May – October 1954
+ Tor Vol. 3
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Tor (1975) 1; Tor (1993) 1-4 May 1975 – September 1993
+ Tor: A Prehistoric Odyssey
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Tor 1-6 July – December 2008
+ Viking Glory: The Viking Prince
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Original Graphic Novel August 1991
+ Showcase Presents: Jonah Hex Vol. 1
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All-Star Western 2-8, 10-12; Weird Western Tales 12-14, 16-33 October 1970 – April 1976
+ Jonah Hex: Welcome To Paradise
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All-Star Western 10; Weird Western Tales 14, 17, 22, 26, 29-30; Jonah Hex 2, 4 February 1972 – September 1977
+ Bat Lash: Guns and Roses
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Bat Lash 1-6 February – July 2008
+ Showcase Presents: Bat Lash
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Showcase 76; Bat Lash 1-7; DC Special Series 16; Jonah Hex 49, 51-52 October 1968 – September 1981
+ Jonah Hex: Two-Gun Mojo
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Jonah Hex: Two-Gun Mojo 1-5 August 1993 – December 1993
+ El Diablo
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El Diablo 1-4 March – June 2001
+ Jonah Hex: Face Full Of Violence
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Jonah Hex 1-6 January – June 2006
+ Jonah Hex: Guns of Vengeance
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Jonah Hex 7-12 July – December 2006
+ Jonah Hex: Origins
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Jonah Hex 13-18 January – June 2007
+ Jonah Hex: Only The Good Die Young
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Jonah Hex 19-24 July – December 2007
+ Jonah Hex: Luck Runs Out
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Jonah Hex 25-30 January – June 2008
+ Jonah Hex: Bullets Don’t Lie
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Jonah Hex 31-36 July – December 2008
+ Jonah Hex: Lead Poisoning
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Jonah Hex 37-42 January – June 2009
+ Jonah Hex: The Six Gun War
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Jonah Hex 44-49 August 2009 – January 2010
+ Jonah Hex: Counting Corpses
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Jonah Hex 43, 50-54 July 2009, February – June 2010
+ Jonah Hex: No Way Back
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Original Graphic Novel June 2010
No Cover + Jonah Hex: Tall Tales
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Jonah Hex 55-60 July – December 2010
+ The Enemy Ace Archives Vol. 1
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Our Army At War 151-155; Showcase 57-58; Star-Spangled War Stories 138-142 February 1965 – January 1969
+ The Enemy Ace Archives Vol. 2
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Star Spangled War Stories 143-145, 147-150, 152, 158, 181-183, 200 February 1969 – July 1976
+ Showcase Presents: Enemy Ace
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Our Army at War 151, 153, 155; Showcase 57-58; Star-Spangled War Stories 138-152, 158, 181-183, 200; Detective Comics 404; Men at War 1-3, 8-10, 12-14, 19-20; The Unknown Soldier 252-253, 260-261, 265-267; DC Special 26 February 1965 – August 1982
+ Doc Savage: The Man Of Bronze
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Doc Savage 1-8 October 1972 – January 1974
+ Sandman Mystery Theatre Vol. 1: The Tarantula
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Sandman Mystery Theatre 1-4 April – July 1993
+ Sandman Mystery Theatre Vol. 2: The Face and the Brute
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Sandman Mystery Theatre 5-12 August 1993 – March 1994
+ Sandman Mystery Theatre Vol. 3: The Vamp
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Sandman Mystery Theatre 13-16 April – July 1994
+ Sandman Mystery Theatre Vol. 4: The Scorpion
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Sandman Mystery Theatre 17-20 August – November 1994
+ Sandman Mystery Theatre Vol. 5: Dr. Death and The Night of the Butcher
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Sandman Mystery Theatre 21-28 December 1994 – July 1995
+ Sandman Mystery Theatre Vol. 6: The Hourman and the Python
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Sandman Mystery Theatre 29-36 August 1995 – March 1996
+ Sandman Mystery Theatre Vol. 7: The Mist and the Phantom of the Fair
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Sandman Mystery Theatre 37-44 April – November 1996
+ The Superman Chronicles Vol. 1
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Action Comics 1-13; The New York World’s Fair Comics 1; Superman 1 June 1938 – June 1939
+ Sandman Mystery Theatre Vol. 8: The Blackhawk and the Return of the Scarlet Ghost
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Sandman Mystery Theatre 45-52 December 1996 – July 1997
+ Superman: The Action Comics Archives Vol. 1
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Action Comics 1, 7-20 June 1938 – January 1940
+ The Superman Chronicles Vol. 2
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Action Comics 14-20; Superman 2-3 July 1939 – January 1940
+ Superman Archives Vol. 1
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Superman 1-4 Summer 1939 – Spring 1940
+ Madame Xanadu: Vol. 1: Disenchanted
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Madame Xanadu 1-10 August 2008 – June 2009
+ The Batman Chronicles Vol. 1
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Detective Comics 27-37; Batman 1 May 1939 – April 1940
+ The Superman Chronicles Vol. 3
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Action Comics 21-25, Superman 4-5, and New York World’s Fair Comics 1940 Issue February – June 1940
+ The Shield
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Pep Comics 1-5; Shield-Wizard Comics 1 January – Summer 1940
+ All Star Comics Archives Vol. 0
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All-Star Comics 1-2 Summer – Fall 1940
+ Batman: The Dark Knight Archives Vol. 1
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Batman 1-4; Dectective Comics 33 Spring – Winter 1940
+ The Batman Chronicles Vol. 2
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Detective Comics 39-45; Batman 2-3 May 1940 – November 1940
+ The Spirit Archives Vol. 1
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Ebay (Search) Weekly Strips from June 2 – December 29, 1940 June – December 1940
+ Superman: The Dailies 1939-1940
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Ebay (Search) 1939 – 1940
+ The Superman Chronicles Vol. 4
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Action Comics 26-31 and Superman 6-7 July – December 1940
+ Superman Archives Vol. 2
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Superman 5-8 Summer 1940 – February 1941
+ Madam Xanadu: Vol. 2: Exodus Noir
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Madame Xanadu 11-15 July – November 2009
+ The Golden Age Sandman Archives Vol. 1
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Adventure Comics 40-59; World’s Fair Comics 1939, 1940 July 1939 – February 1941
+ The Shazam! Archives Vol. 1
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Whiz Comics Ashcan Edition 1; Whiz Comics 2-15 January 1940 – March 1941
+ Batman Archives Vol. 1
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Detective Comics 27-50 May 1939 – April 1941
+ The Batman Chronicles Vol. 3
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Detective Comics 46-50, Batman 4-5 and World’s Best Comics 1 December 1940 – April 1941
+ The Golden Age Flash Archives Vol. 1
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Flash Comics 1-17 January 1940 – May 1941
+ Superman: The Action Comics Archives Vol. 2
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Action Comics 21-36 February 1940 – May 1941
+ The Superman Chronicles Vol. 5
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Action Comics 32-36, Superman 8-9, and World’s Best Comics 1 January – May 1941
+ The Spirit Archives Vol. 2
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Ebay (Search) Weekly Strips from January 5 – June 29, 1941 January – June 1941
+ The Golden Age Spectre Archives Vol. 1
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More Fun Comics 52-70 February 1940 – August 1941
+ The Shazam! Archives Vol. 2
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Captain Marvel Adventures 1; Special Edition Comics 1; Whiz Comics 15-20 August 1940 – August 1941
+ The Golden Age Green Lantern Archives Vol. 1
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All-American Comics 16-30; Green Lantern 1 July 1940 – September 1941
+ All Star Comics Archives Vol. 1
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All-Star Comics 3-6 Winter 1940 – September 1941
+ The Superman Chronicles Vol. 6
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Action Comics 37-40, Superman 10-11, and World’s Finest Comics 2-3 June – September 1941
+ The Golden Age Hawkman Archives Vol. 1
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Ebay (Search) Flash Comics 1-22 January 1940 – October 1941
+ Superman Archives Vol. 3
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Superman 9-12 March – October 1941
+ The Batman Chronicles Vol. 4
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Detective Comics 51-56, World’s Finest Comics 2-3 and Batman 6-7 May – November 1941
+ The Shazam! Archives Vol. 3
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America’s Greatest Comics 1; Captain Marvel Adventures 2-3; WHIZ Comics 21-24 Summer – November 1941
+ The Golden Age Flash Archives Vol. 2
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Flash Comics 18-24; All-Flash 1-2 June – December 1941
+ The Spirit Archives Vol. 3
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Ebay (Search) Weekly Strips from July 6 – December 28, 1941 July – December 1941
+ Superman: The Dailies 1940-1941
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Daily Strips 1940 – 1941
+ The Superman Chronicles Vol. 7
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Action Comics 41-43, Superman 12-13, and World’s Finest Comics 4 October – December 1941
+ The Shazam! Archives Vol. 4
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America’s Greatest Comics 2; Captain Marvel Adventures 4-5; Master Comics 21-22; Whiz Comics 25 October – December 1941
+ Batman: The Dark Knight Archives Vol. 2
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Batman 5-8 Spring 1941 – January 1942
+ The Batman Chronicles Vol. 5
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Detective Comics 57-61, World’s Finest Comics 4 and Batman 8-9 November 1941 – March 1942
+ The Superman Chronicles Vol. 8
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Action Comics 44-46, Superman 14-15, and World’s Finest Comics 5 January – April 1942
+ The JSA All Stars Archives Vol. 1
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Adventure Comics 48-52; All-American Comics 19-29; Flash Comics 1-4; Sensation Comics 1-5 January 1940 – May 1942
+ The Golden Age Green Lantern Archives Vol. 2
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All-American Comics 31-38; Green Lantern 2-3 October 1941 – May 1942
+ All Star Comics Archives Vol. 2
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All-Star Comics 7-10 October 1941 – May 1942
+ Superman Archives Vol. 4
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Ebay (Search) Superman 13-16 November 1941 – June 1942
+ The Spirit Archives Vol. 4
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Ebay (Search) Weekly Strips from January 4 – June 28, 1942 January – June 1942
+ The Golden Age Starman Archives Vol. 1
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Ebay (Search) Adventure Comics 61-76 April 1941 – July 1942
+ The Batman Chronicles Vol. 6
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Detective Comics 62-65, World’s Finest Comics 5-6 and Batman 10-11 April – July 1942
+ Superman: The Action Comics Archives Vol. 3
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Ebay (Search) Action Comics 37-52 June 1941 – September 1942
+ The Wonder Woman Chronicles Vol. 1
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All Star Comics 8; Sensation Comics 1-9; Wonder Woman 1 December 1941 – September 1942
+ Batman: The Dark Knight Archives Vol. 3
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Ebay (Search) Batman 9-12 February – September 1942
+ The Seven Soldiers of Victory Archives Vol. 1
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Ebay (Search) Leading Comics 1-4 Winter 1941 – Fall 1942
+ The Shazam! Family Archives Vol. 1
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Ebay (Search) Captain Marvel Jr. 1; Master Comics 22-32; Whiz Comics 25 January 1941 – November 1942
+ Superman: The Dailies 1941-1942
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Ebay (Search) 1941 – 1942
+ Superman: The Dailies 1939-1942
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Ebay (Search) 1939 – 1942
+ Wonder Woman Archives Vol. 1
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Ebay (Search) All-Star Comics 8; Sensation Comics 1-12; Wonder Woman 1 December 1940 – December 1942
+ Batman Archives Vol. 2
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Ebay (Search) Detective Comics 51-70 May 1941 – December 1942
+ The Spirit Archives Vol. 5
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Ebay (Search) Weekly Strips from July 5 to December 27, 1942 July – December 1942
+ The Batman Chronicles Vol. 7
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Detective Comics 66-70, World’s Finest Comics 7 and Batman 12-13 August – December 1942
+ Enemy Ace: War In Heaven
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Enemy Ace: War In Heaven 1-2 (Prestige); Star Spangled War Stories 129 October – November 1966, 2001 – 2002
+ All Star Comics Archives Vol. 3
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Ebay (Search) All-Star Comics 11-14 June 1942 – January 1943
+ Superman Archives Vol. 5
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Ebay (Search) Superman 17-20 July 1942 – February 1943
+ The Blackhawk Archives Vol. 1
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Ebay (Search) Military Comics 1-17 August 1941 – March 1943
+ The Boy Commandos By Joe Simon and Jack Kirby Vol. 1
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Ebay (Search) Boy Commandos 1-2; Detective Comics 64-73; World’s Finest Comics 8-9 June 1942 – March 1943
+ The Sgt. Rock Archives Vol. 1
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Ebay (Search) G.I. Combat 28; Our Army At War 81-96 January 1959 – July 1960
+ The Sgt. Rock Archives Vol. 2
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Ebay (Search) Our Army At War 97-110 August 1960 – September 1961