In 2017, Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment partnered with Random House Books for Young Readers to publish young adult novels naturally set outside DC Comics’ main continuity. Those are coming-of-age stories centered on the characters when they are younger and discovering who they are and what it means to be a hero.
Those are all original stories, and not retellings of classic origin stories, written by some of the most famous young adult novel writers right now. And if this all began in the book format, some of those stories have also been adapted into graphic novels (it’s DC Comics after all!).
The DC Icons Series is one of the lines developed by DC Comics to attract a younger and new audience to the world of superhero comics and for them to become more familiar with those pop culture icons that everybody knows by name.
Below you’ll find a list of the DC Icons book series, with Batman, Catwoman, Wonder Woman, and more…
The DC Icons Series Reading Guide
All of those books/graphic novels are standalone works and can be read in no particular order.
The DC Icons Book Series
When the DC Icons Series for Young Adult Readers was announced, the four first titles were also revealed. The first book released was centered on Wonder Woman, or to be more precise on Diana, Princess of the Amazons who longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters.
It was followed by Batman: Nightwalker, telling the story of Bruce Wayne, a reckless boy willing to break the rules for a girl who may be his worst enemy; then Catwoman: Soulstealer, about Selina Kyle as Catwoman who finds herself entangled with Batwing. And of course, the last of the fourth book was about Clark Kent, who has secrets of his own and is also determined to discover what evil lies below the surface of Smallville.
- Wonder Woman: Warbringer
Written by Leigh Bardugo, author of the Shadow and Bone trilogy. - Batman: Nightwalker
Written by Marie Lu, author of the Legend series. - Catwoman: Soulstealer
Written by Sarah J Maas, author of A Court of Thrones and Roses series.
The first three books in the DC Icons Series are available in a boxed set.
- Superman: Dawnbreaker
Written by Matt de la Pena, author of Last Stop on Market Street.
DC Icons continues after that with a YA origin story for Black Canary. Taking place in a near-future world where the Court of Owls has taken over Gotham and stropped women of everything, Dinah Lance’s voice is her weapon…
- Black Canary: Breaking Silence
Written by Alexandra Monir, author of Timeless
A trilogy in the DC Icons universe was launched, this time to explore the backstory of Harley Quinn to trace ‘Harleen’s journey from a precocious, revenge-obsessed teenage girl to a hardcore justice-seeker on her way to becoming the most captivating supervillain of all time.’
- Harley Quinn: Reckoning
Written by Rachel Allen - Harley Quinn: Ravenous
Written by Rachel Allen
The DC Icons Graphic Novel Adaptation
The first three books have been adapted as graphic novels
- Wonder Woman: Warbringer (Graphic novel)
Adapted by Louise Simonson. Illustrated by Kit Seaton. - Batman: Nightwalker (Graphic novel)
Adapted by Stuart Moore. Illustrated by Chris Wildgoose. - Catwoman: Soulstealer (Graphic novel)
Adapted by Louise Simonson. Illustrated by Samantha Dodge.
What to read after DC Icons?
Want to continue to read more DC Stories? we invite you to check out the following guides:
- For more about Diana, explore one of the most celebrated runs of the Princess with our Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka Reading Order,
- If you are new to The Dark Knight, we have a selection of the Best Batman Stories For Beginners
- You’ll find more cat and mouse stories with our Complete Catwoman Reading Order
- Up, Up, and Away! with our Superman Reading Order for The Modern Age
- Dive more into the confusing history of Dinah Lance with our Black Canary (Dinah Laurel Lance) Reading Order
- Check out our Harley Quinn Reading Order, for stories in main or out-of-continuity.
Want to stay completely out of continuity and in the YA world? See our Complete list of the DC Comics Young Adult Graphic Novels!