https://www.dcuniverse.com/collections/edt-rebirth-1s
DC created a collection for where to start with DC Rebirth. I figured as I write the Rebirth Reading Order it might be fun to compare.
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Restart with Trinity.
I have no complaints with this list. All of these are great. It should be noticed of the batch that all but Detective Comics are accessible to newer readers. -
Lead up to Justice League.
Uh Oh, they decided to advertise reading of Justice League (2016) which is widely agreed upon by DC to be one of the worst versions of the justice league series ever written. On top of that Justice League (2016) and Justice League of America (2017) aren’t required reading for 2018’s Justice League. This list is also is a confusing order which will trip up new comers. The list should just show: Justice League: No Justice, Justice League (2018), Justice League Odyssey (2018), and Justice League Dark (2018). -
Rebirth Essentials: I’m going to score each title on how essential/good they actually are.
Aquaman (4/5) - Amazing Series but not very important.
Batgirl (3/5) - Fun but there is only one clear moment of crossover with Rebirth which is an annual
Batman Beyond (1/5) - Good, but literally 1 line of dialog in total tying in Rebirth
Batwoman (2/5) - Not bad, some connection to Night of the Monster Men
Blue Beetle (1/5) - Bad series and not very important
Cyborg (1/5) - Bad Series and not very important
Deathstroke (4/5) - Strong, intense title that participates in crossovers in a big way
Green Lanterns (5/5) - One of the biggest developments in Rebirth
Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps (3/5) - For the most part it’s self contained. Does crossover with Green lanterns though.
Harley Quinn (1/5) - Very hit or miss with NO continuity ties to Rebirth PERIOD.
Red Hood and the Outlaws - 2/5 Good series but self-contained and unimportant
Suicide Squad (4/5) -Starts strong before getting weaker. Important for Justice League vs. Suicide Squad.
Super Sons - (5/5) The fan favorite addition to Rebirth
Supergirl - (2/5) Ties in the least with the superman line’s direction.
Teen Titans (3/5) Some crossover with Super Sons.
The Flash (4/5) One of the best Rebirth Series and participates in the biggest small crossover of rebirth The Button
Hellblazer (1/5) Why is this title “essential?”
Titans (4/5) Though not the best series, Wally’s story is really important and good.
Trinity (2/5) This series is hit or miss and very unimportant though some cool things happen in it.
Missing: All Star Batman, Superman, Detective Comics, New Super-Man (The best hidden gem of rebirth), Superman, Batman, etc.
This list is WEIRD. Many titles I would not recommend to a new reader as the essentials. Too many titles and a couple of them are bad.
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Feedback
Ask fans to curate some list like that. There are many fans who would’ve said to add this, don’t use that one. The biggest what? addition is making Justice League (2016) seem big, important, and popular when in reality it really isn’t any of the three. Also lean into newer content. I would be more than happy to curate a list of most recent starting points for each series. I could list them right now if I wanted to (I call it phase 2). DC has some wonderful starting points which can get fans “caught up” faster that they aren’t leaning into. There are definitive do’s and don’ts. Of course DC shouldn’t say Don’t read this title. They should instead feature other titles and let Justice League (2016) just exist in the library.
TL;DR DC’s recommendations are weird and ignore some great titles and recommend some widely agreed upon bad ones. They also exclude featuring newer titles and creative team soft reboots for some reason. I would LOVE to help curate the content as I try through my Rebirth Reading Order.
-Nathan.Payson