DC: Start Here

DC is where it all started: Superman in 1938, Batman in 1939. Where Marvel's heroes are people with problems, DC's are closer to modern myths. They're gods, legends, and the world's greatest detective.

DC also has a secret weapon for new readers: standalone stories. Many of its best books sit outside continuity, so you can read them with zero prep.

Rules for New DC Readers

Elseworlds are your friend. Stories outside continuity are complete in one book.
"Year One" stories are made for you. They retell a hero's beginning.
Ignore "Crisis" events at first. They're continuity resets, not starting points.

Six Entry Points

Batman: Batman: Year One

Four issues, and the definitive Batman origin. If you read one Batman book, make it this one. Batman: Year One

Batman, new take: Absolute Batman

DC's Absolute line (launched 2024) reimagines its icons from scratch, with no history required. Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta's Batman has no family fortune and a very different Gotham. Absolute Batman Vol. 1

Superman: All-Star Superman

Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's 12-issue story is often called the best Superman story ever written. Superman is dying, and he spends his last year doing the impossible. All-Star Superman

Wonder Woman: Year One

Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott retell Diana's arrival in the world of men. It's clean, modern, and powerful. Wonder Woman: Year One

Something different: Mister Miracle

Tom King and Mitch Gerads use a 1970s Jack Kirby escape artist to tell a story about depression, marriage, and parenthood. It won the Eisner for Best Limited Series. Mister Miracle