#dc guide

[ainxis]

DC Comic Book 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 📢

The lists featured on the docs were not made by us! We just wanted to put them in one place for easier access as sometimes they are way harder to find than just a quick google search (which I did not realise before I started this project 💀). All the credit for those goes to their original creators! Lists are added in the form of links so you can clearly see who the og creators are, please give them some love if you found their hard work helpful!!! Seriously those guides are amazing and so well thought out! But that also means that not every list is up to date, as some were made a few years ago or didn't include certain eras for other reasons. I tried to include disclaimers if I thought that the missing years are important to the character so you can look for the rest on your own but obviously there are 230+ characters and I'm not an expert on every single one of them so 😅. The rest: definitions, recommendations and such were written by me and Sera. I just wanted to make that part clear.

[kelaeri]

DC Continuity Crash Course

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?

Just because something is published by DC (or in association with DC) does not mean the story is canon. In fact, DC frequently publishes non-canon stories (often called Elseworlds) to tell a story they otherwise can't in the main timeline. These stories are usually fairly easy to identify, especially if you're familiar with the main comics. They may take the characters to a different setting, change their origin stories, change their personalities, change their relationships, give them a new family or children– really the possibilities are endless. But the bottom line is, because these are non-canon stories, any events or (mis)characterizations you see in these do not apply to their mainstream counterparts. I realize this probably seems intuitive, but I have seen enough people conflate the two to the point I feel I have to clarify.

[momachan]

The DC Encyclopedia, New Edition 2021 [Newly Revised Edition]: This New Edition Of DC's most Comprehensive A-to-Z.

[phantobats]

I like to think that Bruce has a meticulously maintained order of where and how to store all the gadgets in the Batcave. If it's not followed properly, his entire day is ruined and his disappointment is immeasurable - and Dick knows this.

So whenever they fight, Dick will absolutely sneak into the storage and place the slightly larger Batarangs with the smaller ones, switch the flash grenades with the smoke bombs, and maybe even park the Batmobile slightly sideways instead of having it face the exit directly.

It drives Bruce crazy, but he can't react outwardly lest his other children notice and this cursed psychological warfare begins spreading.

[breesperez139]

Dc x Dp Prompt #6

“I’m a twin”, Damian said one night. He could feel the narrowed eyes of his family drilling holes on his back in disbelief. Not that he could blame them. Damian had never so much as implied being raised with a companion, much less a sibling.

“I had a brother”. Damian paused to recollect himself. He had not said his brother’s name out loud in over 8 years.

“His name was… Danyal”. Damian hated the way his voice wavered, but he could not help it. Danyal was everything to him, his other half. Their heart beat as one and when one heart stopped beating, the other one died with it. At least until his family put his heart on metaphorical life support without ever realizing.

“Where is he now?” His father asked, voice filled with knowing grief and a hint of betrayal. It had in fact been 6 years since Damian first showed up on his doorstep.

“Up there”. All eyes shifted towards the specific star he was pointing to. “Right before he died, he promised me he’d guide me from the stars. Unfortunately, the stars are not visible in Gotham, so my brother is unable to be of much help unless I leave the city.”

“Your brother is Polaris, the North Star?” Tim questioned warily, most likely in attempts to not offend him. Damian was aware of how stupid it sounded, but Danyal had promised, and his brother never broke his promises.

“Yes. Danyal is with the stars now, just as he always wanted”

[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.

[hoodielord]

Green eyes in the fear fog.

For half a second, Steph thought today would be a decent day. But no, not in Gotham.

Steph's current events professor, who was also the head of student affairs, had offered extra credit to help give college tours. Look, she had to take the extra credit she had to, even if it meant that she had to be a tour guide. It wasn't hard, just annoying.

The group was small, only five people, but two of them stuck out. A brother and sister. The brother was the definition of adoption bait blue eyes, black hair, vigilante tendencies withholding. The sister was at least as tall as Jason. She had orange hair just like Babs, you'd think they were related.

Anyways, Steph's new mission was to make sure the kid and Dick never met. The kid would not stop making puns. Some of them earned him a laugh but some earned him a smack from his sister.

"Aw, come on, Jazz, it was funny."

"You can do better." she shrugged.

" Sounds like a challenge." A wicked smirk appeared on his face.

" Danny, please don't."

"Challenge accepted."

Yep, I'm definitely keeping him away from Dick.

But something was off about them other than looking at the crime capital's university. They could probably be metahumans. Their eyes seemed to slightly glow blue. They carried themselves as they had already expected danger. I mean, it pays to be prepared, especially in Gotham, but they aren't from here.

If the siblings weren't already on a list B has they should be now. Jazz had been almost ecstatic when we were moving through the psychology department. Danny was practically bouncing off the walls when it was time to go through the engineering and physics departments. Definitely should keep an eye on them.

It was reaching the end of the tour in the cafeteria. Another weird thing about the siblings was their reaction to food. They seemed to have this sort of optimistic curiosity like they were happy to have food to eat, but at the same time, they were poking to make sure it wouldn't attack or something.

Talking with the siblings was interesting too. Danny was buzzing about the engineering department. He went into a great rant about a project that Wayne Enterprises was working on in the aerospace engineering division. Maybe she should keep him away from Tim, too.

The conversation died quickly when a shriek rang out from down the hall. Steph turned quickly to see green fear toxin fill the cafeteria. Swarms of people ran for the exits knocking each over. She quickly dug through her bag and pulled out her gas masks, one for her and her backup.

"Jazz? Jazz, where did you go?" Danny called. They must have gotten separated.

Damn, she needed another one for the siblings. She shoved her spare into Danny's hands.

" Put the mask on and head for the exit."

"But I need to find Jazz."

"I'll find her. Put the mask on and go." Steph yelled as she went further into the fog. Quickly, she sent an alert to Oracle. Signal is on patrol right now, but more bats might show up.

It was dense she could barely see in front of her. There was some noise up ahead. Someone was screaming. The yelling grew louder as she rounded the corner.

"Stop! Get away!"

It was Jazz. She was practically growling. Her fist slammed into the concrete wall, leaving a deep impact. She was clearly affected by the Fear gas. A meta affected with fear gas, not good.

"Stop! Don't hurt him. He's not a monster! He's my little brother!" Jazz had gone from fury to sadness as she practically begged for her hallucination to stop haunting her.

If it wasn’t the meta thing it was whatever she was hallucinating that caught Steph’s attention. Definitely on B's list now.

"Isn't it interesting what fear does to the mind?"

Steph saw Scarecrow emerge from the fog.

"I saw you in the psychology department. Your eyes lit up like a fire. But now they are clouded with fear."

A chill went up Steph's spine. She quickly checked her mask for leaks but didn't have any. Turning her attention back to Jazz and Scarecrow, she saw something. Green eyes shifted inside the fog. They looked like a predator hunting its prey. For a second, they look like Jason's.

From behind Scarecrow, the eyes stopped, and a figure emerged. A baseball bat slammed into Scarecrow's face, knocking him to the floor. The figure came into full view now. It was Danny his eyes were glowing green.

He knelt down to Scarecrow.

"You really don't have any brains. Do you Scarecrow? If you did, you wouldn't have hurt my sister." His voice was downright, frigid.

He turned and rushed over to Jazz who was still trying to convince her hallucinations to stop.

"Jazz, it's okay. Come on, I'm fine. It's okay." His voice was soft and gentle as he helped her up. Jazz mumbled a little as she stumbled down the hall.

Steph quickly caught up to the siblings slinging Jazz's arm over her shoulder.

"Sorry, I couldn't help earlier," Steph spoke quietly.

"It's fine. Not everybody can be a hero."

Steph wanted to laugh at the irony of that statement, but she just nodded.

"Sorry about the tour too."

"It wasn't all bad."

" Oh, the rouge attack and poisoning wasn’t bad?" Steph asked sarcastically.

" Our hometown is haunted and our community college is funded by my godfather. And he is a rich fruit loop.”

‘Ghosts?’

“You know Gotham University is funded by Wayne Enterprises right?”

“Annoying crazy fruit loop or weird himbo? Hmmm. Yeah, I’m going to have to go with the himbo on this one.”

Steph laughed at that one. Bruce is going to want to hear about this but she’ll keep him away from these siblings for a little while.

[nelkcats]

Spite

Danny made himself known to the world by hacking into the Justice League's communications line. Amity was safe but he was so tired of being ignored that the moment he figured out how to isolate his small town from the rest of the world he decided to let the heroes know they had failed.

He posted all the ignored calls, the GIW legal documents, the experiments, everything that would let them know that they had failed. Because he had saved himself and the others but never got help.

In a very short time Amity declared itself independent, similar to Atlantis or Themyscira; they didn't need anything from the rest of the world anyway.

At first the League thought it was the attack of a villain or some new organization.

It became very obvious that this was not the case the more they confirmed the information presented, from a law passed under their noses to the threat of exterminating an entire race of beings that were much stronger than them but decided to chose a peaceful route instead of just destroying everything.

For the first time in years, the League felt useless. The weight only increased when the last piece of "evidence" turned out to be the death certificate of Daniel Fenton, the first victim of the whole mess.

[bet-on-me-13]

Danny is there for every Hero Death

Ever heard of SCP-4999, a man who appears at the deathbed of anybody who dies alone to offer them some final comfort? That's Danny for all Hero Deaths.

He's there for Superman when he is killed by Doomsday, leading him to the Afterlife with a kind smile

He's there for Barry Allen when he dies, letting him know that he can finally stop running.

He's there for Stephanie Brown when she dies of her Wounds in Dr Leslie's office, holding her hand as she passes

And he's there with Jason Todd when he is betrayed by his mother and killed by the Joker, offering a shoulder to cry on as the building explodes

He is the comforting presence there to sooth all Heroes in their final moments, because he never had one in his own.

[bisupergirl]

SUPERGIRL READING GUIDE MASTERPOST

ULTIMATE SUPERGIRL READING GUIDE Includes reading guides for PRE-CRISIS, POST-CRISIS, NEW 52, REBIRTH, and INFINITE FRONTIER (continuously updated for recent appearances!)

SUPERGIRL STORYLINE RECOMMENDATIONS Includes recommendations for my favorite Supergirl stories across all of Kara's different eras.

PRE-CRISIS SUPERGIRL RECOMMENDATIONS Includes recommendations for my favorite PRE-CRISIS Supergirl storylines.

[morverenmaybewrites]

The Pizza Delivery Girl's Survival Guide to Gotham City Update

Pairing: Jason Todd x Reader

Newest chapter

AO3 Link

Summary:

People who lived outside of Gotham City would most often think of it in terms of its heroes and villains. About Batman and Robin, Joker and Harley Quinn.

People who actually live in Gotham City would only think of one thing: surviving.

Who cares about the people in costumes when your house has been bombed for the fifth time, or your wife has been taken hostage just because she worked in a bank?

Or, in your case, when you have to make regular deliveries to places where even Batman feared to tread?

Because let's face it. In a world full of superheroes and costumed villains, the real heroes are the ones who make sure that people get their pizzas in forty-five minutes or less.

Chapter Preview:

You paused on the bridge that hung high above the Burrow, and for the first time in your life, you felt a terror was so great that it made your throat close.

Gotham City had never looked so beautiful. From such a height, the burning neon lights looked like stars. 

But above your head, the sky looked pitch black. It made you think of the bodies that would sometimes wash up on Gotham Bay’s shores, black and bloated with rot. It made you think of  the shadows of inmates in the asylum, their voices like the skittering of insects, rising and falling as you passed them by.

It made you think of the night Timothy Young died, and you wondered that if, back then, there had been light enough that he saw the shadow of a monster fall over him. 

You wondered if he had time to understand what was happening, before he started against the concrete below. And then decided decided that it didn’t matter: you would understand If Francine Langstrom came for you, you would know. 

You would understand what was happening to you before you hit the ground. 

Your skull splitting open, the pink-grey ropes of your brain scattering on the concrete. And the thousand pictures that follow. Your death turned into a spectacle and a profit.

Just like Tim Young’s.

The thought made you freeze. You were standing in front of one of the many wooden bridges that connected the rooftops of abandoned buildings. The Burrow’s infamous floating night market. Set up by dusk and torn down by dawn, only to rise up again the next night, the floating night market was one of the Burrow’s main attractions. A bustling collection of kiosks made out of cheap plywood and tarpaulin, it was said that you could find anything there, so long as you didn’t ask too many questions: cheap phones, likely stolen from someone off the street, fake licenses, a sample of Bane’s Venom for impatient bodybuilders. It was set high up in the air, amidst the rooftops of many abandoned buildings, connected by a series of rickety wooden bridges.

But now the rooftops were empty. The bridges were falling apart, its wooden planks dangling precariously from their ropes. The empty kiosks had been left to rot in the constant rain. You could even see some of the abandoned merchandise, left behind  in people’s haste to pack up: an old, broken phone, children’s toys hanging forlornly on strings, obviously meant to be prizes in a game, now swelling with rainwater. Mold grew on their cotton bodies like new fur. 

Timothy Young’s death had transformed the Burrows’ floating night market into a ghost town. The thought made you feel a little lonely, picking through the bones of a dead market, looking to find a monster. 

Francine, The voice in your head sounded like Professor Langstrom’s. Her name is Francine Langstrom. 

The buzz of static cut through your thoughts as cleanly as a falling blade. And then Jason’s voice was in your ear.

“Last chance to back out of this.” 

His voice was rough, even taking into account the poor connection and the voice modulators he used. Maybe he was scared, too. The thought eased you somewhat, to know that you were not alone. 

Even through the poor connection, you could hear the strain in his voice. You cast a glance at the direction where he was supposed to be, tried to look for even a hint of him: the faint glow of his helmet, the hulking figure of his silhouette. But you found no sign of him. Still, knowing that he was there made you feel better. 

You raised a hand and hoped that he would not see the way your fingers trembled.  

And waved. 

Read more on AO3

[hypewinter]

The summonings for residents of the Infinite Realms are constant. Across space and time they do not change. They require the same strokes in the sigil from past to present and the same breaths needed to chant from one edge of the universe to another.

Danny has always liked this as it has allowed him to see many wonders of history. And to visit many alien planets. He has met all sorts of people and experienced all sorts of events. But he has never experienced something like this. This time, he is summoned to a dying world. The planet exploding as its core devours itself. This time he is faced with two desperate parents pleading for him to save their son. But he can't. Living beings cannot be taken back through the summons. All Danny can do, is promise to guide their son to safety.

[kelaeri]

Favorite DC Resources

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)

League of Comic Geeks (Community Lists + Events)

[spaceshiprocket]

Wonder Woman by José Luis García-López, 1982 DC Comics style guide

[bluerosefox]

Same As The Day I Lost You

I...

This came to me as I'm making dinner so I'll be quick.

What if we mix deaged Danny and twin/older sibling (either one works) Damian, AND he gets tossed to his sibling in a last minute escape.

Like what if he was fighting Vlad who was doing his whole "denounce your father and join me as my son Daniel!" Thing while in the Zone and knocks Danny into something that's floating in the Zone with the ability to deage or was hit by a new Fenton or Plasmius invention while fighting in town that accidentally deages him.

Danny, who in this was adopted, gets put back to the age of six. The same age he had been found by Jazz in a 'haunted' forest Jack and Maddie were visiting/investigating while also using that time as a family vacation. (They were shocked to see a little boy with a stab wound bleeding out and rushed him to the nearby town, almost completely forgetting about the glowing green tiny puddle they found nearby and bagged most of it as evidence when they heard Jazz's scream of terror over finding the hurt little boy)

The sudden revert into that traumatized age, along with the child response to a fight or flight scenario, and add Danny's deepest need/wish to be protected his child fogged mind wishes to go to the one person who always made him feel safe.

His twin/older brother.

Just as quick as it was with Danny being turned into a child, his ghost powers ripped open a portal and sent Danny to the person he wants to be with...

Only he didn't know that right at that moment his seventeen year old twin/older brother is currently fighting the League with his family's help (his mother was trying to convince him to return to the League and be it's heir) in Nanda Parbat (the very place Damian lost the last/only person he knew loved him without any strings attached.)

So imagine everyone's face when a portal opened up, some muttering its a new pit being formed before them or something, and crawling out of it is a very scared and confused six year old Danny.

[bobbinalong]

☀️ The Jon Kent Reading Guide, now in picture and spreadsheet form.

Super-Twins Reading Guide :)

Jay Nakamura Reading Guide :)