Since beezy asked, here's my trade/run recommendations (mostly) from Infinite Crisis to the present day. Titles in
red are my tippy-top favorites.
CrossoversInfinite Crisis (2006)Geoff Johns penned this "middle crisis," which ended up being my favorite crossover ever. Exploring the contrast between the silver and modern ages of the DC Universe and what being a hero today really means, it pushed the trinity of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman further. There's a little lead up you might have to read for the full context (such as Brother Eye and Maxwell Lord), but for the most part you can go into it without many problems.
52 (2006-2007)I admittedly haven't read most of it, but the central gimmick - exploring in "real time" (each issue is a week) what happened after Infinite Crisis, when the rest of the universe jumped forward a year - made for a very engaging hook. You get to see heroes you thought you'd never care about doing cool things, and it opens you up to how well the (massive) DC universe can function, even the smaller players, when in the right hands.
Final Crisis (2008)Didn't care for it nearly as much as Infinite Crisis, and it's confusing in that trademark Grant Morrison way, but it's still a hallmark and full of great hero moments.
Flashpoint (2011)If you've never quite "gotten" the Flash, this story will probably do it for you and is one of the few examples of a "darker alternate universe" done right.
Forever Evil (2013-2014)I seem to disagree with the mainstream on this one, but this is the (only) crossover I think is truly great in the New 52. Focusing on Lex Luthor and a group of ostensible "super villains" as they battle evil alternate-dimension versions of the Justice League, the series served as a fantastic character piece for Lex and even got me caring about fucking Captain Cold and Bizarro. In a word, masterful.
Convergence (2015)Or rather, certain miniseries of Convergence. I've never read the full thing or the framing story (about Brainiac and the multiverse and blah blah blah.) Convergence was fun and important because it brought back pre-New 52 stories and characters for the first time since it launched, opening the door to Rebirth.
BatmanRed Robin (2009-2011)I'm biased as this is my favorite character, but I still recommend it to everyone because it's: 1. steeped in Batman lore, 2. focused on a sympathetic and well-written protagonist, 3. paced super tight and never wastes your time, 4. is pretty clever with its story "twists", and most importantly 5.
features fucking revelatory art from my favorite comic book artist of all time, Marcus To.
Batman and Robin (2009-2011)This is probably my favorite thing Grant Morrison's ever done. With Bruce Wayne "dead" after
Final Crisis, original-Robin Dick Grayson steps into the cape and cowl opposite Bruce Wayne's newfound assassin son, Damian, as Robin. It's super fun and crazy and still somehow so very Batman at the end of the day, even though it never features Bruce Wayne himself. One of the most satisfying runs of any Batman comic I've ever read. Damian would later say, "We were the best, Grayson, no matter what anyone thinks," and he's entirely right.
Batman Incorporated (2010-2011 and 2012-2013)Grant Morrison's Bat-magnum opus is larger than life, to its benefit and hindrance. Grant is great at globe-trotting bombast, but misses the mark frequently in this series when it comes to quieter character moments (which it must be said, are few and far between.) A massively important Batman story that culminates over 7-years of setup from Morrison himself, the series doesn't quite sustain itself dramatically, frequently taking long asides to characters and events that Grant very much cares about - whether or not you do.
Batman: The Black Mirror (2011)A great Batman side-story featuring Dick as Batman, there's not much else to say other than strap in for a great ride.
Batman and Robin (2011-2015)Peter J. Tomasi had big Morrison-shaped boots to fill after the series relaunched for the New 52, and while it never reaches the heights of its predecessors it's still a very solid book. The first couple arcs are a little shaky, and it almost feels like the entire floor beneath the series collapses after the events of
Batman Incorporated, but it pulls itself up in the latter half of its run. It also features, in my opinion, the best Two-Face story outside
The Long Halloween (which is my favorite non-canon Batman trade.)
Batman (2011-2016)Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo reshape The Dark Knight inside and out, from his origin to his villains and even much of his personality, and they succeed wildly. The argument is never whether their run is good or not, it's about which arcs inside the run were best. Many cite the debut storylines "Court of Owls" and "Night of Owls" as the best, and while they were fantastic (introducing us to a completely new villanous organization that feels like it's been part of Bat-mythos from the start), my favorite was "Death of the Family." One of the best Joker stories ever, this arc had more tension in a few scant pages than most entire runs ever come close to. "Zero Year" was fun but overstuffed, "Endgame" was a little over-ambitious yet still satisfying, and "Superheavy" was batshit (sorry) off-the-wall craziness that somehow works (and I'm sad that incarnation of Batman didn't get to continue a little further.)
Batman: Li'l Gotham (2012-2013)Most of the entries on this list are full cuts of prime steak, but this one is more like a light, sweet sorbet. Give a couple issues a read and I guarantee you'll be grinning from ear-to-ear most of the time, as I was. Dustin Nguyen (of
Descender fame) contributes confectionery art to go along with the for-kids-but-still-enjoyable-for-adults writing. This was the only series at the start of the New 52 to keep the continuity and costumes of the previous DC Universe, and that added another layer of endearment for me personally.
Grayson (2014-2016)One of the freshest, funnest, well-written titles I've ever read. Former-Robin and former-Nightwing Dick Grayson becomes an international superspy for
Batman Incorporated's Spyral after the events of
Forever Evil. You wouldn't think such a concept would work, but it does on the back of inventive and clever writing by Tim Seeley and Tom King, of whom I am a massive fan thanks to this series.
Batman Eternal (2014-2015)A fucking all-star cast of Batman writers join forces in this year-long weekly series about the framing and exoneration of Jim Gordon and the team-up of every Batman family member, while also re-introducing fan favorites to the New 52. A brilliant series that I've gone on record as saying "this is everything I want out of a Batman story."
Batman and Robin Eternal (2015-2016)The half-year sequel to
Batman Eternal was a little more muddled than its predecessor but still featured the Bat-family in action and the re-introduction of fan favorites at a weekly clip. It also gets points for showing the early years of Dick as Robin, a first for the New 52's continuity, and despite his
horrid horrid horrid new costume, it's compelling enough to keep you engaged to the end.
Robin: Son of Batman (2015-2016)A character study of Damian, and if you don't like him then I'd still suggest giving this series a shot before writing him off. Damian is more vulnerable than ever before and you finally get to see inside his preteen-sized brain to see what makes him tick. A coming-of-age story combined with themes of atonement and honor,
Robin: Son of Batman makes the best case for Damian Wayne since Morrison's run on
Batman and Robin.
Detective Comics (2016-)Detective Comics returns to its original numbering post-Rebirth, starting with issue #934. One of Rebirth's bimonthly series, it sees Batman assemble a team comprising of himself, Batwoman (Kate Kane), Red Robin (Tim Drake), Orphan (Cass Cain), Spoiler (Steph Brown), and former-villain Clayface (Basil Karlo) to fight a war against crime in Gotham. This series brings back vivid, fond memories of
Batman Eternal with its strong team dynamics. This run is entering its fourth arc now, and I've never been more excited for new issues of
Detective Comics.
SupermanSuperman: Lois and Clark (2015-2016)This follows from
Convergence: Superman, where it's revealed the Superman from before the New 52 and his wife Lois Lane have escaped to find refuge in the New 52 universe. Also with them is their half-Kryptonian young son Jonathan Kent. Required reading for the below series, which is why I'm including it here.
Superman (2016-) and Superman: Rebirth (2016)Superman's son Jon Kent has grown a few years and he assumes the mantle of Superboy (though his parents are much more trepidatious about this than he is, of course.) A story about growing up (with super powers) and finding your way under the shadow of your father's legacy, Rebirth's
Superman series is at its core well-written and fun. Just a
whole lot of fun and
heart. And that's what
I want in a Superman story, goddamnit.
Superman: American Alien (2016)Internet vagabond and prolific screenwriter Max Landis puts his money
where his mouth is and writes this six-part Superman comic, each issue set during a different era of Clark's life and superhero career. And to be certain, this series is about
Clark Kent, not Superman (necessarily.) In all honesty, this series should have been Clark's origin story in the New 52 and not an extra-canon side-story.
OtherSecret Six (2006 and 2014-2016)These are two different series but they're both worth reading. Gail Simone got a lot of (deserved) praise for this team-up book, which for my money is far
far better than anything with "Suicide Squad" in its title has
ever been.
Justice League (2011-2016)All of the story arcs for the New 52 Justice League were really solid, but my favorite was The Darkseid War (even if it felt a bit rushed.) The five-year build-up from Darkseid's initial attack at the start of the New 52 until now explodes into all-out war, with all players getting a chance to shine. (Also ties up some loose ends from
Forever Evil.)
Shazam! (2014)Geoff Johns worked overtime to re-tell Billy Batson’s origin story in extra pages of
Justice League, but it’s hard to tell that from the collected volume. This is a wonderful take on the character, and while I originally wasn’t on-board with Billy’s new bratty demeanor, it ends up working for the story as written. If only Johns had enough time for another go at the character…
Teen Titans: Earth One (2014 and 2016)I haven't ready the other Earth One books (which exist in their own completely-separate continuity, similar to Ultimate Marvel), and like Ultimate Marvel the Earth One books "streamline" and update the origins of heroes to make a little more plausible sense in a modern setting.
Teen Titans: Earth One pulled this off to great effect, tying all the eventual-Titans together with a believable shared origin. Earth One books are also in "graphic novel" form - no monthly issues, the "trade" is released all at once! This format allows the writers a lot of breathing room and you can really see that with Teen Titans, as the individual characters' personalities and group interplay dynamics shine. I haven't gotten around to the recently-released second volume but I'm sure it's top notch too.
Midnighter (2015-2016)Foil to Agent 37,
Grayson's standout antihero gets his own short-lived series. Not much to say about the plots, but the character and power set of
Midnighter feels fresh enough that you don't have to stop and think about things too hard.
DC Universe: Rebirth (2016)The New 52 has ended. (Caucasian) Wally West from pre-
Flashpoint returns to warn everyone about the perils the DC universe now faces: someone or something has stolen an entire decade from the heroes, and the signs point toward something you might not expect. More of a "woops, sorry" for the New 52 than anything, this extra-large one-shot sets up the current state of the DC universe and packs a couple fan favorite moments.
Titans (2016-) and Titans: Rebirth (2016)Following on directly from
DC Universe: Rebirth, this series involves the "original" Teen Titans as they seek to solve the mystery of New 52's "lost time." Seeing Nightwing, Roy Harper, (Caucasian) Wally West, Donna Troy and others back together as adults will warm the cockles of any fan of George Pérez's legendary Teen Titans run.
So WTF/Bad They're EntertainingIdentity Crisis (2004)DC gets DARK and SERIOUS to hilarious effect. Plot holes and melodrama abound, and while some of it is effective (the Tim and Jack Drake subplot was well done, but I might be biased there) the end result is a vapid stain on the once-proud cape of the DC universe.
All Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder (2005-2008)Frank Miller goes fucking insane (again) and gives us a Batman that fucks Black Canary in public (with their costumes on) and forces Robin to eat rats to survive. Once you get over Batman not being Batman, you get some best-of-decade art courtesy Jim Lee and some truly LOL-worthy moments - including half an issue where Batman paints a room yellow just to fuck with Hal Jordan. Not kidding.
Countdown to Final Crisis (2007-2008)DC head honcho Dan DiDio reportedly hated the brilliant
52 for specious reasons, and hailed
Countdown as "
52 done right." Karma was never a bigger bitch than with this series.
OngoingsThese are post-Rebirth titles that are now going, which I think are worth reading and keeping up with. Slightly biased since I'm so into Bat-stuff.
- Superman (2016)
- Batman (2016)
- Detective Comics (2016)
- Titans (2016)
- Nightwing (2016)
- Teen Titans (2016)
Maybe, haven't read the issues yet but I have faith in the team (heard good things about Ben Percy's Green Arrow Stuff), and I'm a Damian fan.
Edit- Reordered by date and added Shazam.
