Before Watching Justice League Dark

What comics would be best to read before watching the new JL dark movie… other that the 15 comics in JL: Dark…Looks like what I needed was under get to know justice league dark, but if there is any other suggestions I’m all ears…

A couple of things you should know

You can watch it as a standalone movie

This movie is the last of a series of movies
That are somewhat and only somewhat based on.the New 52 series of comics that were produced in 2011

Although.these characters exist in the Rebirth era of 2016 and latter they are not based on the stories of that era

The main characters in this movie

Are
Superman
Raven
Damien Wayne Robin
Constantine
Etrigan the Demon

Followed
By
Lois Lane
Lex Luthor
Harley Quinm
Batman
Wonder Woman
Flash
Captain Boomerang
King Shark
Zatanna
Swamp Thing
Cyborg
Darkseid
Trigon
Green Lantern Corp and its headquarters of Oa

And
Many more characters

Of the three major couples
Only
Lois Lane and Superman
Are sumilar
They have no.son like in the current series

Raven and Damien Wayne
Have no romantic relationship in the comics

Only a few of the previous novies are in our library Most are at HBO Max but Batman Bad Blood and Justice League Dark are not there

The previous New 52 animated movies are

NEW DCAU NEW 52

18 01 Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)

19 02 Justice League: War (2014)

20 03 Son of Batman (2014)

22 04 Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015)

23 05 Batman vs. Robin (2015)

25 0y Batman: Bad Blood (2016)

26 07 Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016)

28 08 Justice League Dark (2017)

29 09 Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017)

32 10.Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018)

34 11 The Death of Superman (2018)

35 12 Reign of the Supermen (2019)

37.13 Batman Hush (2019)

38 14 Wonder Woman: Bloodlines (2019)

40 15 Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013) Edit
Main article: Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
Barry Allen wakes up in an alternate timeline, later known as Flashpoint, where he isn’t The Flash and meets Thomas Wayne, who is the Batman of the timeline. As he works his way to restore his old timeline, Barry must also contend with Professor Zoom, who appears to be behind everything.

The film was released on DVD and Blu-Ray July 30, 2013 and is based on the comic book series “Flashpoint” by Geoff Johns.

Justice League: War (2014) Edit
Main article: Justice League: War
When the Mad Dark and Demon Titan and New God Darkseid comes to invade Earth, Batman, Green Lantern, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Shazam and Cyborg come together to save the Earth.

The film was released on January 21, 2014 and is based on the comic book “Justice League: Origin” by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee. It features the voice talents of Jason O’Mara as Batman, Alan Tudyk as Superman, Michelle Monaghan as Wonder Woman, Christopher Gorham as The Flash, Justin Kirk as Green Lantern, Shemar Moore as Cyborg, Sean Astin as Shazam, Steven Blum as Darkseid, and Rocky Carroll as Dr. Silas Stone.[6] A sequel to the film, Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, was released January 13, 2015.

Son of Batman (2014) Edit
Main article: Son of Batman
Gotham City-based vigilante Batman discovers he has a son Damian Wayne trained by the League of Assassins as Slade Wilson vows revenge on Damian for being chosen to be the heir of the League instead of him.

The film was released on April 22, 2014 and is based on the comic book “Batman and Son” by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert. The film introduces Damian Wayne to the universe. A sequel to the film, Batman vs. Robin, was released on April 22, 2015.

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015) Edit
Main article: Justice League: Throne of Atlantis
Arthur Curry, the half-Atlantean Prince of Atlantis, teams up with the newly found Justice League to stop his brother Orm from going to war with the surface world after blaming them for the death of his father it was Orm’s lies after he attacked Atlantis killed his mother and Darkseid who killed Orm’s father.

The film was released on January 13, 2015 and is based on comic book “Throne of Atlantis” by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. The film introduces Aquaman to the universe. A tie-in film titled Nightwing and Robin was released set during the events of the film.[7]

Batman vs. Robin (2015) Edit
Main article: Batman vs. Robin
Damian Wayne, Bruce’s son and now the current Robin, becomes angered at his father’s moral code. He trains with the mysterious assassin Talon to become a member of the Court of Owls, a secret organisation lurking in the shadows of Gotham.

The film was released on April 7, 2015. The film features the Court of Owls. The film is loosely based on the comic book “Batman: The Court of Owls”,[8] as well as sharing influences from “Batman and Robin: Born to Kill”.[9] A sequel to the film, Batman: Bad Blood, was released in January 2016

Batman: Bad Blood (2016) Edit
Main article: Batman: Bad Blood
With Batman missing, Damian returns from his isolation, Dick Grayson takes up the mantle of Batman and an aspiring Batwoman emerges, while a new enemy called the Heretic and Damian’s mother Talia al Ghul plots to destroy Gotham.

The film was released on January 20, 2016. It features an original story by J.M. DeMatteis. It introduces Batwoman and Batwing to the universe.[10][11] Batgirl (Barbara Gordon in the Burnside costume) also makes a non-speaking cameo appearance at the very end of the movie, right before the end credits.

Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016) Edit
Main article: Justice League vs. Teen Titans
Following a demonic attack on Earth, the demon Trigon re-emerges prompting the Teen Titans to team up with the Justice League.

The film premiered at WonderCon in Los Angeles on March 26, 2016. It introduces the Teen Titans to the universe.[12] It features an original story by Bryan Q. Miller.

Justice League Dark (2017) Edit
Main article: Justice League Dark (film)
Batman is sent to find John Constantine after a supernatural threat occurs in Metropolis, who recruits a group of other magical heroes to fight the being Doctor Destiny, revealed to be behind the threats.

The film was released digitally on January 24, 2017 and on DVD and Blu-ray on February 7, 2017.[13][14][15] It is an adaptation of Peter Milligan’s “Justice League Dark” series and introduces the team of the same name to the universe.[16]

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017) Edit
Main article: Teen Titans: The Judas Contract
Cult leader Brother Blood hires Deathstroke to capture the Titans, who have been spied on by a mole revealed to be their new member Terra, to be part of an experiment that will supposedly make Blood a god.

The film was released April 4, 2017 and is based on the comic book “The Judas Contract” by Marv Wolfman and George Perez.

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018) Edit
Main article: Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay
Amanda Waller recruits a group of criminals led by Floyd Lawton to retrieve a magical “Get Out Of Hell Free” card which is also being hunted by immortal being Vandal Savage and speedster Professor Zoom, who survived his death in the alternate timeline Flashpoint.

The film was announced at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con and was released on DVD and Blu-ray on April 10, 2018. It features an original story by Alan Burnett.

The Death of Superman (2018) Edit
Main article: The Death of Superman (film)
After a monster crash lands on Earth and severly weakens the Justice League, Superman becomes their only hope in defeating it but at a life threatening cost.

Despite the story being previously adapted in the first DC Universe Animated Original Movie (though not in the DCAMU), Superman: Doomsday, this said, the movie greatly altered and condensed the original comic story to fit it within a 75-minute runtime. The Death of Superman was written to be much more faithful to the original story; according to DC’s Tim Beedle, the film is “much less condensed and will include many of the fan-favorite moments from the story that were left out of Doomsday”.[17]

Reign of the Supermen (2019) Edit
Main article: Reign of the Supermen (film)
Six months following the death of Superman, four new Supermen have emerged and become controversial to the world as they battle to become the next Superman. One of the Supermen - Cyborg Superman is being controlled by Darkseid from Apokolips to invade the world.

Reign of the Supermen is the second part of a two-part film that started with The Death of Superman and was released in January 2019. The film is based on the comic storyline of the same name which was a follow up to The Death of Superman comic. The film features Superboy, Steel, the Eradicator and Cyborg Superman.[18] It was released digitally on January 15, 2019 and was released on Blu-ray and DVD January 29.[19]

Batman: Hush (2019) Edit
Main article: Batman: Hush (film)
A mysterious vigilante calling himself “Hush” threatens Batman’s life as he develops a romantic relationship with low life thief Catwoman.

The film was announced at San Diego Comic-Con on July 20, 2018, it was released digitally on July 19, 2019 and was released on Blu-ray and DVD on August 6, 2019.[20][21][22] It stars Jason O’Mara as Batman, Geoffrey Arend as Hush, Jerry O’Connell as Superman and Jennifer Morrison as Catwoman.[23][24] The film is based on the comic book of the same name.

Wonder Woman: Bloodlines (2019) Edit
Main article: Wonder Woman: Bloodlines
Wonder Woman has become an aspiring superheroine and goes up against a criminal organisation known as Villainy Inc consisting of villains from her past who plot to destroy the island of Themyscira.

The film was announced at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2018. It was released October 5, 2019 on digital platforms and was released October 22, 2019 on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray. Rosario Dawson reprises her role as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman from previous films.[25]

Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020) Edit
Main article: Justice League Dark: Apokolips War
After Darkseid sucessfully conquers Earth, the remaining heroes and villains unite to kill Darkseid once and for all.

The film was announced July 2019 during San Diego Comic-Con.[26] Previous DCAMU voice actors are set to reprise their roles from previous films with Hynden Walch replacing Tara Strong as Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay.[27] It released on digital platforms on May 5, 2020, and is scheduled to be released on 4k/Blu-Ray DVD on May 19, 2020.[28] Christina Sotta and Ernie Altbacker provided the script while Matt Peters and Sotta directed the film. It is the final film in the DC Animated Movie Universe.[29]

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Thanks for the quick and thorough response. I just realized the is a JL;Dark movie and a JL:dark Apokolips War. Do those build upon each other?

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There is a death in Justice League Dark that carries over to the later film

Constantino Zatanna Jason Blo0d Deadman and Batman are in the major characters in the older film.

I am not sure anymore whether Zatanna and Constantino have a romantic relationship or not but it wasn’t a major plot point

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yeah a little bit, there are characters introdiced in JL Dark that show up prominently in JL:DAW, but if you have a moderate knowledge of dc comics, i.e. know who Constantine and zatana are, you’ll be fine not watching JL Dark, but personally I would recommend you watch JL:DAW

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