Top 10 DC Comics To Get Started
Ten DC books you can read in any order, with zero continuity homework. Batman, Superman, the Joker and Sandman — the stories everyone means when they say 'read DC'.
10 picksGrab any pick — one click
Tap Buy to open Amazon, or the title for the full review.
- 1Batman: Year OneThe cleanest Batman origin ever put on paper — the perfect first comic.Buy
- 2
The Dark Knight ReturnsOld, angry Batman — still the most influential run in comics.Buy - 3
Batman: HushThe best-looking Batman book ever drawn, full stop.Buy - 4
Batman: The Killing Joke DeluxeThe definitive Joker story in a proper hardcover.Buy - 5
All-Star SupermanThe definitive Superman story, and it stands completely alone.Buy - 6
Superman For All SeasonsThe warmest, most human Superman story on the shelf.Buy - 7
WatchmenThe book that made comics grow up, in the edition worth shelving.Buy - 8
The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes & NocturnesThe gateway into the greatest fantasy comic ever published.Buy - 9DC Starter PackBatman, Superman and the best Joker story in one order.Buy
- 10
Absolute Kingdom ComeAlex Ross painted every page — oversized is the only fair format.Buy
Why this packRead the explainerHide
Why these picks belong together
DC's back catalogue is 90 years deep, which is exactly why most people bounce off it. Every book here is a self-contained story with a beginning and an end — no crossover tie-ins, no issue #247 of anything. Together they cover the four pillars of the universe (Gotham, Metropolis, the wider DCU and Vertigo's weirder side), so whichever one clicks for you points straight at what to read next.
How to start
- 1
Pick the hero you already like from a film — Batman or Superman — and start with their book on this shelf.
- 2
Read it end to end before buying anything else. One story is enough to tell you if DC is for you.
- 3
Loved it? Move up the list to the darker picks, then graduate to an Absolute edition in the Collector Grails pack.