Hello! I am new to DC comics and was wondering where I should start? I don’t want to go all the way back to the beginning of DC’s comics, so I am debating between starting at the New 52 or Rebirth. Which one is better for a beginner? Thanks!
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I’d say neither - just start at issue 1 of whatever character(s) you are interested in. If and when you come across a reference to something that happened previously (or parallelly), then use that as an excuse to fill in your backstory. Both eras (as well as all previous) involve many parallel stories that can be maddening to try and read 100% of. And it can be confusing if you’re truly 100% new, because even within a given continuity there are plenty of contradictions.
If you are talking about specific story arcs within these periods, then I (or others) might have different suggestions…
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Thanks for the advice! That sounds like a good plan!
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Hello @Amartinez2003, welcome to DC Universe Infinite! Hope you enjoy reading alot of great comics from DC. 
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Thank you! The comics and the community are great!
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just dive headfirst into a charcater your interested in or think is cool, start with the one that says one or looks like its a starting point. also I think there are a bunch of threads reccomending stuff for hope, or different moods which are pretty cool.
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Thanks!
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If you have to choose one or the other, go with Rebirth. You can always check out the New 52 stories later if you’re curious, but the Rebirth comics are generally better, and they offer their own convenient jumping-on points.
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Thank you!
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Well said!
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I’ve tried this. It can be maddening, you’re right… especially when you don’t stop to look at the crossover and you have NO CLUE what’s happening… happens to me too often. Though I still very much like this style of reading DC comics.
Ooh, thanks for this. I’ve been specifically staying away from Rebirth and going into older stuff but I might try it out now!
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I would counter that Rebirth is kind of a mess for a new reader, trying to restore classic continuity while maintaining the post-Flashpoint linear timeline (such that it is). New 52 has a lot of great “safe” runs that stay fairly isolated without needing to know anything about what’s going on in other series, even when they are setting one another up or taking part in a crossover. (e.g. Animal Man, DCUP, Frankenstein, Wonder Woman, Stormwatch, Demon Knights, The Movement, I, Vampire, Justice League Dark, Prez (though it got canceled half way)) and there are some great runs that picked up after the first wave (e.g. Green Arrow once Jeff Lemire took over, post-Lobdell Red Hood ATO, Bedard’s Supergirl). The post-Rebirth series, on the other hand, are really inconsistent about the impact of Rebirth (the event) and it can be confusing to follow who knows what, as different authors played it’s effects differently. That said, there are plenty of great runs there, as well, but I think for a new reader there are a lot more events and series that cross over with one another, albeit casually, and will tend to be a lot more “wait, how did this happen?” questions that just aren’t answered, so there’s no story to go back to…?
Probably depends on what character(s) you’re interested in starting with, and how much you care about minor backstories.
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While valid, I just have so many negatives associated with the n52’s creative choices and story quality and implications that I just don’t ever recommend it as a starting place for new readers. But then, I also think that you should just find a story that sounds cool, and read that, then follow the characters and creators that you liked as you build out your knowledge and experience. Wikis and fan forums exist to help out with questions!
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Absolutely. I think most critiques of N52 are centered around what was lost/removed, but there are a lot of weird choices that were never given good backstory. Personally, I enjoyed the novelty of a lot of it, but some were just painful. I’m thinking more from a new reader perspective, it has less “baggage” to jump in to, but you’re absolutely right that some some stories can just be discouraging for a reader.
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With The New 52, you can start with just one series, Justice League (2011), which officially was the debut New 52 title.
With Rebirth, you can start with the DC Universe: Rebirth one-shot, then go off into whichever franchises interest you the most, with The Flash, Superman and Titans being the best starting points, per what happens in DCUR.
So, what sounds more inviting to you, @Amartinez2003? One era (The New 52) that begins with one ongoing, or the subsequent era (Rebirth) that began with a one-shot, which then extended into assorted ongoing titles?
Whichever is of greater interest to you is where you should start.
Also, don’t worry about fitting any figurative puzzle pieces together immediately. Just make your choice and enjoy the ride as it unfolds.
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First of all, Welcome! Second, I would argue you do need to read some of the old material to understand what is going on. Characters like Batman and Green Lantern didn’t really get rebooted due to their stories being so highly regarded, so they make references to stuff that has already been established before the new 52. Rebirth is in a similar boat in that it connects to old material but it’s done in a slightly better way.
If I could ask, what kind of characters or stories are you interested in?
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Thanks for the advice! I am currently trying Rebirth, but I’ll probably go back and read the New 52 later on.
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Sounds good. Rebirth is my favorite modern era of DC, so I say that you have chosen wisely.
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Currently I am planning on reading the comics of the individual justice league members, however, I am open to trying out any other characters. Any character or story that is interesting and cool I am willing to try out!
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Ok, Here is a list of some great stories/series that are worth reading
Batman (He usually has the best stories)
Batman: Year One (Best Batman Origin Story)
Legends of the Dark Knight (#1-23)
The Long Halloween and Dark Victory
Robin: Year One
Batgirl: Year One
Batman Ego
Detective Comics #457 - There is No Hope in Crime Alley!
Detective Comics #500 - To Kill A Legend and other stories
Second Chances
The Cult
Arkham Asylum: A Serious House On Serious Earth
Death in the Family
Detective Comics by Alan Grant (#583 - #614)
A Lonely Place of Dying
Under The Red Hood
Batman New 52
Detective Comics Rebirth
The Dark Knight Returns
The Black Mirror
Detective Comics #1000
Detective Comics #1027
Others worth reading
Harleen
Mister Miracle by Tom King
Swamp Thing by Alan Moore (start at #20 or #21)
Doom Patrol by Grant Morrison (start at #19)
Kingdom Come
All Star Superman
Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow?
Zatanna by Paul Dini
Hellblazer
DC: The New Frontier
The Question by Dennis O’Neil
Batwoman: Elegy and Batwoman New 52
The New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman
Suicide Squad by John Ostrander
Wonder Woman by George Perez
Superman Rebirth by Peter J Tomasi and Patrick Gleason
Green Lantern/Green Arrow: Hard Travelin Heroes
The World’s Greatest Superheroes by Alex Ross and Paul Dini
Stories/Series worth looking up that are not on here
The Sandman by Neil Gaiman
Watchmen
Animal Man by Grant Morrison
The Killing Joke by Alan Moore
Green Arrow by Mike Grell
The Vampire Batman Trilogy (I think they have Red Rain which is part 1, but none of the others)
Black Orchid by Neil Gaiman
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