This website may help you out with a general outline:
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You can’t keep everything in order. There’s too many characters, alternate timelines and retcons. Most golden age and early silver age stories are not that relevant to character development and continuity either. They are allot of fun to casually read. I have vol 1 of Golden age Wonder Woman and its just fun to see the old artwork and crazy stories. 70s Batman and Superman are arguably even more ridiculous.
My advice would be read the characters you like and learn their history as you go. Branch out from there and read other characters from their story and you will start to learn what you like. For instance if you like Batman and Detective comics then checkout Nightwing and Batgirl. If you like suicide squad check out Harley Quin or Red hood and the outlaws.
The year one stories are a great intro for any character. Lately I’ve been really digging into rebirth because I want to read modern continuity and current artists/writers. I also regularly check the “get to know” section of the app for essential reading and storylines.
Reading large crossover events can be daunting and confusing but they’re usually good starting points because characters standalone comics generally have a clean slate after a crossover even if there is a life altering moment in that crossover with that character. For instance you can read Dark Knights Metal and right after jump into Hawkman (2018). After No Justice you can jump right into Justice League Odyssey.
I also follow specific writers and artists because I like what they’ve done. When it comes to Batman I love Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jeff Loeb, Tim sale and James Tynion IV.
Frank Miller, John Romatia jr, and Marv Wolfman for their work on Superman, Teen Titans, and Wonder Woman in the 80’s.
Mike Grell and Neal Adams Green Arrow.
Geoff Johns Flash and Green Latern stories are some of the best in the DC pantheon.
Tom King’s Batman run and Joelle Jones Catwoman are also amazing.
You can’t go wrong wrong starting at issue #1. I just finished the Man of steel miniseries and went right into Superman #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and I’m loving it. It’s very colorful and psychedelic.
Finally if you see a reference to an earlier story that you haven’t read in the story you’re reading now following that breadcrumb can help you fill your own timeline as a reader.
Newer and breifer version of elder post
Have new link of recomended titles
If you don’t know much about DC
Watch Secret Origins Siory of DC Comics. it covers DC Comics up to the the big three British Authors Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore and Grant Morrison
It only takes an hour and a half and gives you a solid background in the History of DC Comics
If you have favorite characters go to
in Comic Books
Browse
Get To Know
Sort Alphabetically
There are start Reading Guides
for
Batman
Dick Grayson
Supergirl
Superman
The Flash
The Teen Titans
Wonder Woman
Storylines in Browse can also be sorted
alphabetically
that makes it easier to find great Batman storylines among other characters.
The Encyclopedia may give you important titles and issues for the character you are interested in.
You can join.a Book.Club
A good link for Batman is
In general
Crisis events comics are the worst to start with
Too many unfamilar characters with little character development
My two lists of best DC stories, 13 historic and 52 comprehensive are found at
This is my
Batman for new readers
Just try to read first arc in a title
Then go to next title
Either by the timeline
Or by characters you are interested in
Emphsis was for coverage of most major characters and teams, while giving enough on these characters so could understand their basics.
The idea was that there are probably more than great ten Superman Origin Titles, so just pick one.
Coverage of Titles
Aquaman 2
Batman 3
Blue Beetle Jamie 1
‘Dark’ Solo characters 4
‘Dark’ Teams 3
Earth 2 2
Flash JLA Earth 2 Beginnings 1
Gail Simone 2
Hawkman 3
Jessica Cruz 2
Justce League 3
Justice Society 3
Legion of Super Heroes 1
Solo Female Super Heroes 5
Suicide Squad 1
Superman 2
Titans/ Young Justice 4
Vertigo Sandman Death 1
Wonder Woman 2
Warren Ellls 2
Other Titles
Legends by John Bryne
DC New Frontier
DC Universe Rebirth
Flintstones
Doomsday Clock
My Super Hero Genre History lists significant DC Titles and issues
It is by year
Look.at the start of each post for starting year to
Find issue or titles that might interest you
After Crisis on Infinite Earth is year 1986
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