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Dawn of DC, The Complete Reading Order

Building the future, “one hero at a time.” It was DC’s new statement for a new era, Following the restoration of the pre-Crisis infinite Multiverse and the disbandment of the Justice League at the end of the Dark Crisis, and the devastation of the DC Universe by the dispersion of Lazarus Resin across the globe.

While on paper, it sounded like a new start, Dawn of DC was more of a continuation of the Infinite Frontier period. Writers once again continued their runs, such as Chip Zdarsky’s Batman, Tini Howard’s Catwoman, Tom Taylor’s Nightwing, and Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s Action Comics. For new readers who wanted to jump into the DC Universe, this was not ideal, although there was new releases throughout the years to help, from a new Superman by Joshua Williamson to the launch of a new Titans title by Tom Taylor, as they became the world’s premier superhero team for a short time.

This initiative was full of events, including the return of the Justice Society, a summer of nightmares during Knight Terrors, a conflict between Batman and Catwoman in Gotham War, a global threat in Titans: Beast World, and Superman facing the House of Brainiac. During all this time, the superhero community was threatened by the ambitious Amanda Waller, who was working her way towards more power in order to enact a crazy plan and redefine the DC Universe, culminating in Absolute Power!

The Dawn of DC line started in January 2023 with Action Comics #1051 and concluded with Absolute Power #4 in October 2024. And now, here’s our Big Reading Guide to explore those almost two years of stories! As often, I’ll always advise reading about the characters you care about and not all, as this is a lot (and not everything is worth reading!).

Previously on the DC Universe… DC Infinite Frontier Reading Order.

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This reading guide is a personal and imperfect timeline of the Dawn of DC era. We tried to deliver the stories in a coherent order, balancing the connections between titles without disrupting the flow of the stories. This article doesn’t generally list the out-of-main-continuity stories (except those in some specific trades), such as Black Label.

  1. In the not-too-distant past…
  2. From Infinite Frontier into Dawn of DC
  3. Better Together with the Superman Family
  4. The Titans, DC Comics’s first superhero team
  5. Knight Terrors, a Summer of Nightmares
  6. Back in Action, with Superman, Green Lantern & Cie
  7. Justice Society of America: The New Golden Age
  8. Wonder Woman, Outlaws and Amazons
  9. Gotham War
  10. Titans: Beast World
  11. House of Brainiac
  12. The Calm Before The Wall
  13. Absolute Power, the conclusion to the Dawn of DC era
  14. Into the Future With Trinity, Wonder Woman’s Daughter

If you want to follow only Batman or Superman, we have dedicated reading orders (also listing the out-of-main continuity stories):

And of course, lots of characters have their own reading order, so don’t forget to check out our DC Comics Reading Order Guide Page!

Dawn of DC Reading Order

0. In the not-too-distant past…

Several stories published during the Dawn of DC era took place in the past, and can be read at any time!

Let’s start with the “Winning Card” story from Tom King and Mitch Gerads, a retelling of Batman and the Joker’s first encounter during Batman’s Year One:

Launched at the end of the Infinite Frontier era, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest follows Batman and Superman as they team up on missions together in stories in a not-too-distant past that roughly mirrors the Silver and Bronze Ages — at a time when Dick was Robin. While set in the past, this is part of the continuity, and those stories are sometimes referenced in the Batman or Superman series, for example.

You can also revisit the time near the end of the New 52 era when Clark, Lois, and their young son Jon lived on the Kent farm with Dan Jurgens, in a follow-up to the Superman: Lois & Clark miniseries.

Published during this era, Red Hood: The Hill is a flashback story featuring (lightly unfortunately) Jason Todd, set between Joker War and Infinite Frontier.

  • Red Hood: The Hill
    Collects Red Hood: The Hill #0-6, including the story’s beginnings from Red Hood: Outlaw #51-52.

I. From Infinite Frontier into Dawn of DC

The Dawn of DC Initiative succeeded the Infinite Frontier era, although the separation between the two periods is anything but clean cut, especially when it comes to Batman and the Batfamily!

The ending of Infinite Frontier and the start of Dawn of DC are interconnected. A few trades supposedly set in the Dawn of DC era were placed in the Infinite Frontier timeline.

If things are THAT complicated, it’s mostly due to a series of events in Batman and in the DC Universe, and trying to make sense of a confusing timeline! The Infinite Frontier era concluded with:

  • Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, dealing with the “death” of the Justice League. And once the Crisis was over, the superhero community had to face another event with…
  • Lazarus Planet, a magical crisis following the eruption of Lazarus Volcano. As these Lazarus clouds rain down upon the planet, people across the globe begin to develop strange new abilities, watch their already-extraordinary abilities change, and witness a whole host of chaos.

II. Better Together with the Superman Family

Superman has returned to Earth, and the future finally looks bright for him and his family! Not surprisingly, new and old enemies are ready to take down the Man of Steel! Phillip Kennedy Johnson continues his work on Action Comics alongside artist Rafa Sandoval. Meanwhile, writer Joshua Williamson and artist Jamal Campbell are working on the new Superman title.

Also back is Conner Kent, aka Superboy! Not knowing where he fits in on Earth, he sets out on a journey into space in a limited series by Kenny Porter and Jahnoy Lindsay, where he will carve his own path as a hero. Steel and Natasha also take on more prominent roles in the newly expanded Superman family, beginning with the new series Steelworks, written by actor Michael Dorn (the voice of Steel in Superman: The Animated Series) and illustrated by Sami Basri.

In the aftermath of Lazarus Planet and as part of the Dawn of DC Initiative, DC Comics launched the ‘We are Legends’ Imprint, focused on new characters of Asian Heritage. Three titles have been released within the We Are Legends imprint. It includes The Vigil by Ram V and Lalit Kumar Sharma, featuring a group of individuals given powers they didn’t want, determined to stop metahuman research and tech created for military applications at any cost. Coming from Greg Pak and Minkyu Jung, City Boy a.k.a. Cameron Kim, is just trying to make a living by using his powers of being able to speak to cities to find lost and hidden goods to pawn. The third title, Spirit World, is set later in our guide!

  • The Vigil
    Collects The Vigil #1-6 and a story from Lazarus Planet: Next Evolution.
  • City Boy
    Collects City Boy #1-6

III. The Titans, DC Comics’s first superhero team!

The Justice League has disbanded, leaving the Earth under the protection of Nightwing and the Titans! The famous team moves into a new Titans Tower in Bludhaven, ready to rise and face every challenge in their way. The Titans are not the only team with a new mission, this is also the case for the Unstoppable Doom Patrol.

Also defending the Earth from its weirdest and wildest threats is Shazam, under the creative team of Mark Waid and Dan Mora while writer Joshua Williamson and artist Sean Izaakse are busy reuniting the Arrow Family!

Interlude with Batman: The Brave and the Bold! Batman: The Brave and the Bold is an anthology series centered around Batman and other characters from Gotham, as well as other superheroes! While the first volume collects a complete arc set before the Dawn of DC era, the other volumes reprint stories that take place all over the DC timeline. Some stories don’t give enough information to be placed while others happens in a specific period or before an event. For this reason, those trades don’t have a specific place in our guide, leaving you make the choice on how you prefer to enjoy this reading!

IV. Knight Terrors, a Summer of Nightmares

In the Summer of 2023, the superheroes and supervillains of DC Comics had to confront their worst nightmares in Knight Terrors, an event orchestrated by Joshua Williamson with art by Giuseppe Camuncoli, Stefano Nesi and Caspar Wijngaard.

It all started when Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman find the body of one of their earliest enemies inside the Hall of Justice, their investigation takes them past the land of the living, beyond the land of the dead, and directly to a new villain called Insomnia, who uses his powers to engulf every single hero and villain in their own dark and twisted nightmares. The only way to save the world is to call for the help of an unlikely hero—Deadman! For more information, see our Knight Terrors Guide.

  • Knight Terrors
    Collects Knight Terrors First Blood, Knight Terrors #1-4, Knight Terrors: Night’s End
  • Knight Terrors: Dark Knightmares
    Collects Knight Terrors: Batman #1-2, Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #1-2, Knight Terrors: Catwoman #1-2, Knight Terrors: Nightwing #1-2, and Knight Terrors: Robin #1-2
  • Knight Terrors: Knightmare League
    Collects Knight Terrors: Action Comics #1-2, Knight Terrors: Green Lantern #1-2, Knight Terrors: Superman #1-2, Knight Terrors: The Flash #1-2, and Knight Terrors: Wonder Woman #1-2.
  • Knight Terrors: Knockturnal Creatures
    Collects Knight Terrors: Harley Quinn #1-2, Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #1-2, Knight Terrors: Punchline #1-2, and Knight Terrors: Zatanna #1-2.
  • Knight Terrors: Terror Titans
    Collects Knight Terrors: Titans #1-2, Knight Terrors: Shazam! #1-2, Knight Terrors: Black Adam #1-2, Knight Terrors: Angel Breaker #1-2, and Knight Terrors: Ravager #1-2.

V. Back In Action with Power Girl, Green Lantern, Poison Ivy & Harley Quinn

The Superman Family continues to expand with Power Girl taking center stage with new powers and a new mission, while the duo of Fire and Ice seek a fresh start in Superman’s hometown.

It’s time to reconnect with the Green Lanterns! Spinning out of the events of Dark Crisis, the Guardians of Oa at the heart of the Green Lantern Corps have quarantined Sector 2814, home of the planet Earth—and its champion along with it!

The main Green Lantern title is penned by Jeremy Adams and illustrated by Xermánico. Meanwhile, John Stewart headlines Green Lantern: War Journal comic, written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and illustrated by Osvaldo Montos.

G. Willow Wilson’s run on Poison Ivy began in the previous era, and its success led to the series continuing and remaining ongoing. Meanwhile, Tini Howard took over the Harley Quinn series in this era. The Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn series run in parallel, with the characters appearing in each other’s stories!

VI. Justice Society of America: The New Golden Age

A New Golden Age for the Justice Society of America! Coming from writer Geoff Johns and artist Mikel Janín are the return of the world’s first and greatest superheroes with an exploration of the past, present, and future of the DC multiverse. More than just the team, this new (and short) age for the team was completed with several limited series focusing on a member of the JSA.

Wonder Woman Reading Order

VII. Wonder Woman, Outlaws and Amazons

Under writer Tom King and artist Daniel Sampere, Wonder Woman became an enemy of the state! It all started when the U.S. Congress passed the Amazon Safety Act, barring all Amazons from American soil. To carry out its new law, the government sets up the Amazon Extradition Entity (AXE) task force to remove those who don’t comply by any means necessary.

At the same time, the Birds of Prey are back in action under the leadership of Black Canary, and this group of formidable women will come face-to-face with Diana Prince! Also, we revisit the origin story of Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn goes back to her roots.

VIII. Gotham War, a Bat and Cat conflict

A few weeks after Knight Terrors, the Gotham Knights found themselves in the middle of a conflict between the Bat and the Cat. Joshua Williamson’s run on Batman and Robin seems to take place at the beginning of this conflict, before everything goes terribly wrong for the Batfamily. For more information on the event, see our Gotham War Comics Guide.

Batwoman Reading Order

Following Gotham War, Batwoman and Luke Fox start their next adventure, taking charge of a new version of the Outsiders. In this new series, they embark on an archaeological mission, ‘digging into all the forgotten corners of DC’s history to preserve, record, and better understand the true nature of the DC Multiverse.’ Written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, the title is described as ‘Planetary in the DC Universe’.

Merry Christmas!

Ho Ho Ho! Batman and Robin are teaming up with Santa Claus to investigate a brutal crime in the days leading up to Christmas! As a new year starts, the Joker takes center stage on Batman, while Jon Kent steps across dimensions to stop a killer.

IX. Titans: Beast World

The world is in peril, and it seems that the only superhero who can save it is… Beast Boy! But that’s just the beginning, as things take a turn for the worse, transforming all-powerful heroes and villains into ferocious beasts! This is Titan: Beast World, the first event in a trilogy where Amanda Waller manipulates and takes advantage of the crisis in the shadows! For more information on the event, see our Titans: Beast World Comics Guide.

  • Titans: Beast World
    Collects Titans: Beast World #1-6 and Titans (2023) #6-7.
  • Titans: Beast World Tour
    Collects Titans: Beast World: Waller Rising #1, Titans: Beast World Tour: Metropolis #1, Titans: Beast World Tour: Gotham #1, Titans: Beast World Tour: Central City #1, Titans: Beast World Tour: Atlantis #1, Titans: Beast World Tour: Star City #1, And Stories From Nightwing (2016) #109-110 And Action Comics #1060.
  • The Flash Vol. 1: Strange Attractor
    Collects The Flash #1-6, Titans: Beast World Tour: Central City #1, and a story from The Flash (2016) #800.
  • Speed Force
    Collects Speed Force #1-6.

    • Set during The Flash and before Beast World.

X. Superman: House of Brainiac

A Kryptonian virus is spreading rapidly along the coast. The Man of Steel is challenged when a menace called ‘The Chained’ is released from beneath Supercorp. A mysterious young villain suddenly appears in Metropolis, where strange things then start happening to the Kryptonians living there.

There’s no rest for the Superman family, who will soon find themselves at the heart of a crossover event. In House of Brainiac, Brainiac’s army of Czarnian invaders attacks Metropolis. The Super-Family and all of Metropolis’s superheroes join the fight — but will they be enough to hold off Brainiac’s lethal, crazed soldiers? Can Superman and Lex Luthor discover what Brainiac is searching for? And still lurking in the shadows, ready to act, is Amanda Waller… For more information, go check out our House of Brainiac Comics Guide.

DC Comics wants you to kneel before Zod as the disgraced General of the doomed planet of Krypton returns to stand center stage in a new series from writer Joe Casey and artist Dan McDaid. Running parallel to the series is Sinister Sons, starring the son of General Zod and the son of Sinestro.

  • Kneel Before Zod
    Collects material from Action Comics #1060 and Kneel Before Zod #1-8
  • Sinister Sons #1-6.
    Uncollected

XI. The Calm Before The Wall

Things are heating up for the Penguin! After retiring to Metropolis following his “death,” Oswald Cobblepot finds himself forced back into the unpredictable and violent Gotham City underworld as a pawn for the United States intelligence community in Tom King and Stefano Gaudiano’s maxiseries.

This is the calm before the storm… Before Amanda Waller achieves her goal. First, though, Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo conclude their run on Nightwing, as does Tini Howard on Catwoman. Elsewhere, the Birds of Prey go on a new mission and Billy’s found family discover that their fabulous new home is hiding some monstrous dangers!

XII. Absolute Power

Amanda Waller has won! With the help of the unstoppable android Failsafe and the otherworldly Brainiac Queen, she has stolen the metahuman abilities of every hero and villain on planet Earth. A massive misinformation campaign helps her sways public opinion to her side and take on the biggest superheroes! But a resistance is quickly forming, ready to fight back!

This is Absolute Power, from Mark Waid and Dan Mora, the event that concludes the Dawn of DC Era. Most books contain spoilers for the other, and we invite you to check out our Absolute Power Comics Guide for an issue-by-issue reading order!

XIII. Into the Future With Trinity

Created by Tom King and Daniel Sampere, Trinity has made her first appearance in Wonder Woman #800. Her real name is Elizabeth “Lizzie” Marston Prince and she is the daughter of Wonder Woman from a possible future and the leader of the Justice League. You can discover her adventures now!

  • Trinity: Generation S
    Collecting stories from Wonder Woman #800, #3-6, #8-13, Trinity Special #1, and Trinity: World’s Finest Special #1.

Next in the DC Universe: DC All In!
(sorry, no guide for the moment)

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