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Below is my best attempt at creating a list of important tie-ins to the events of
Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis. The goal is to give readers a list
and order of books to read that will give them the
whole story
and still fit nicely on one shelf. I don't want
every major event in DC history
that happened between the Crises, just those that somehow tie in to the Crises
themselves.
I tried to group these logically while still keeping them in the correct reading
order. Bolded items would be considered essential reading while all others would
be considered important tie-ins or backstory. "Also suggested" books are
italicized. These books are generally less important tie-ins or are tie-ins to the
tie-ins and do not fall into my "fits on one shelf" concept.
Asterisks indicate books that I do not (yet) own, so my knowledge of their
contents is limited to online research and my memory of their individual issues.
If you're interested in Countdown and Final Crisis, keep this page bookmarked. I've
decided to add them as they start coming out in trade.
I hope you find this list useful. If you do, tell your friends!
-elfie
[notes |
author |
edition |
ownership]
full list |
no notes |
titles only
viewing by story-arc is a work in progress
Volume 1 of Team-Ups contains several very important events that would eventually lead to Crisis on Infinite Earths, including
the story that first introduced the concept of Multiple Earths, the original meeting of the Flashes of Earth-1
and Earth-2. Also found here are the origin of the Psycho Pirate and the original story of Krona of Oa, both of
which are central to the Crisis.
Volume 2 includes battles between Atoms, Green Lanterns, Flashes, and more.
Several volumes of Multiple Earths stories that team-up the Earth-1 JLA and the Earth-2 JSA, as well as introducing the
the heroes and villains of many other Earths.
The end of the Multiverse and the creation of the streamlined DC Universe. The Absolute Edition includes loads of extra information and cool stuff and
is highly recommended, though the companion book contains a lot of spoilers for post-Crisis events, so don't read it until you've read
ad least up to Identity Crisis.
History of the DC Universe, originally planned as issues 11-12 of Crisis on Infinite Earths, lays the groundwork for
Post-Crisis continuity.
(After the Crisis, many characters still remembered the events of the Crisis, which kind of hurt the idea of a complete reboot.
This was corrected later by explaining that two entities had, up to a point, been holding back the full effects of the Crisis. Unfortunately these stories
are not collected in any trade that I am currently aware of, but they are briefly described in the Absolute Edition companion book.)
New Teen Titans: Who is Donna Troy?
by Marv Wolfman
Donna Troy's multiple and contradictory origins have played a major role in Infinite Crisis
and are important backstory to her death and return below. The tales in this book also span both Pre- and Post-Crisis.
As you'll see mentioned later, DC makes it rather difficult to follow the story of Donna Troy and Titans in any sort of logical
order. Who Is Donna Troy? includes a few pages from The Death and Return of Donna Troy. It is interesting to read these
pages here, because characters who show up are fresh in your memory, but really the story doesn't take place until much
later in continuity. Up to you, but I highly recommend closing this book after reading the first page (and not
the second page) of "Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes..."
In Legends, Darkseid prompts a government ban on superheroes the dissolution of the
Justice League. This is the first major hero team-up since Crisis on Infinite Earths,
and is the book that launched Checkmate and the Suicide Squad under Amanda Waller.
The Post-Crisis Wonder Woman makes her first foray into "Man's World," and
the Enchantress, Captain Boomerang, Blue Beetle, the Joker, and Jason Todd also
make appearances in Legends.
In a New Beginning, under the leadership of Maxwell Lord, a new Justice League is born.
Grant Morrison's run on Animal Man reflects the Crisis's effect on his life
as he tries to cope with the feeling that all is not now how it once was. This is expanded upon
by Psycho Pirate, a major player in Crisis on Infinite Earths. The final chapter, Deus Ex Machina,
exposes major revelations for the entire DC Universe. In fact the Absolute Edition companion book mentioned above
puts enough importance on these events that they are referenced once as Crisis on Infinite Earths II.
Two classic and historically important Batman tales. Two allies lost.
Two villains created. The Killing Joke ends Barbara Gordon's run as Batgirl, while a
Death in the Family ends Jason Todd's run as Robin.
Hard to say which is the more tragic end. Also found here are the origins
of the Joker and the Red Hood.
The Death of Superman chronicles Superman's death at the hands of a fierce new enemy, Doomsday.
World Without a Superman includes Kal-El's funeral and reactions from the super-hero community and the rest of the world.
The Return of Superman also includes the Reign of the Supermen story-lines in which four new heroes
attempt to take Superman's palce. Look here for the origins of Superboy, Steel, the Cyborg (of the
Superman variety, not the Vic Stone variety), and a new incarnation of the Eradicator. Their four
separate tales eventually converge upon the resurrection of the Man of Steel himself and the
birth of his stylish new 90's haircut.
There is a lot of talk in Infinite Crisis about Superman's return from the grave
being the event that first pushed open the door between life and death. The final events of
The Return of Superman also lead directly to Emerald Twilight and Zero Hour.
Emerald Twilight & a New Dawn brings us the end of Hal Jordan's career as
Green Lantern and the beginning of Kyle Rayner's.
Zero Hour was DC's attempt to clean up the continuity issues still left over from Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Time is unraveling due to the plotting of Extant, and all the heroes must band together to hold the timestream
together. But even if they defeat Extant, Parallax may help time to fully unravel, giving all of
DC continuity a fresh start. Also seen here is the origin of Impulse, the aging of most of the original JSA,
and Jack Knight's takeover of the Starman mantle.
Final Night concludes Parallax's story and alludes to the death of Green Arrow, which as far as I can find
is not collected in any trade.
Though not originally considered to be in-continuity, the Elseworlds tale of Kingdom Come was a groundbreaking work
featuring a dark alternative future with appearances by almost every DC character and their children.
The Kingdom brings the world of Kingdom Come into continuity by introducing the concept of HyperTime,
which is that any timeline that can exist or has ever been written about, does exist. The Kingdom
also subtly foreshadows Infinite Crisis and Red Son.
Superman: Red Son
by Mark Millar
Another often referenced Elseworlds tale. This one poses the question, What if Superman had landed in the
Soviet Union rathern than in Smallivlle, Kansas?
Earth 2 reintroduces several Pre-Crisis concepts by bringing back the Crime Syndicate of Amerika of Earth-3,
though this time as inhabitants of Earth-2, which now resides in the Anti-Matter Universe of Qward.
In Tower of Babel, Batman has concocted contingency plans to take out all of the other members of
the Justice League. You know, just in case.
Superman: Emperor Joker
by Jeph Loeb, J.M. DeMatteis, Joe Kelly, Mark Schultz
Wonderfully, amazingly, perfectly, awesomely, twisted story. By far one of my favorite Superman stories of all time.
The experience of reading this in single-issue form cannot be re-captured in this graphic novel if for no other reason
than because the halfway-through shocker is revelaed right in the title, but that just means that I can actually tell
you what it's about without worrying I'm ruining anything. Ready for this? The Joker has obtained nearly infinite
cosmic power. Period. The End. That's it. Just let your mind run wild with that one. Characters are introduced here
that last well into the pages of Infinite Crisis. Though not the main-character, Batman plays an absolutely essential
role in this twisted tale.
Superman: President Lex
by Jeph Loeb, Greg Rucka, et al*
In the 2000 election, the DC United States of America elected Lex Luthor as president,
"a murderous, scheming multimillionaire who'd sell out the helpless for his own glory."
Good thing we don't live in that kind of America, huh? Oh wait, nevermind.
In Lex's absence from Lexcorp, Ra's Al Ghul's daughter, Talia, takes over as CEO.
Green Arrow's return in Quiver is brilliantly written by Kevin Smith (yes, that Kevin Smith). The events
contained herein do not tie directly into the Crises per se, but they are referenced in several books
leading up to Infinite Crisis, including Under the Hood. (Also, if you want a way to tie
modern Superhero books back into the continuity of the books in the Vertigo line, look for it here.)
Sounds of Violence and Archer's Quest are less important than the first book, but do provide
a good follow-up to its story as well as alluding to Crisis on Infinite Earths in the latter. Incidentally,
you might notice that Archer's Quest is written by Brad Meltzer, the author of Identity Crisis.
JLA/JSA: Virtue and Vice
by Geoff Johns
(Hardcover)
An excellent story that highlights the modern JLA and JSA as well as several other characters
that will play an important role in the Countdown to Infinite Crisis.
Bruce Wayne is found with a dead Vesper Fairchild in his arms and is arrested for her Murder.
Unfortunately, the Batman is his only alibi. Rather than reveal his dual identity, Batman
decides that the only obvious course of action is to drop the Bruce Wayne persona alltogether,
since of course Batman is the real man and Bruce Wayne is the mask.
Batman is backed-up by bat-buddies in bulk, including Bruce's bodyguard, Sasha Bordeaux.
The final volume in this series tells of Sasha Bordeaux's departure from Batman and her induction into the
secret agency Checkmate.
Hush gives us a brilliant new Gotham villain. An amazing story that features a wide cast of DC characters,
including, perhaps, a brief glimpse of Jason Todd? Hush will play a major part in Batman's life from this
point forward. The Absolute Edition collects both Volume 1 and 2 in an oversized slipcase edition, which
looks just lovely beside the Absolute Edition of Crisis on Infinite Earths.
You may notice that The Death and Return of Donna Troy is mentioned twice. This is because DC decided it would be fun
to include two stories in one book that happen years apart just to make it dificult to place it in any sort of order.
I struggled over where to put this for quite a while and just decided that I should put it both places.
Having said that, the first half of the Death and Return of Donna Troy shows us the end of Young Justice and
The Titans. When this story is over, on the page that reads "Sometime later,"
close the book and put it away. We'll come back to it later.
A Kids game brings us the first of two new teams formed from the ashes of the old, the Teen Titans.
Looking for Trouble brings us the second such team, the Outsiders.
Batman: As the Crow Flies
by Judd Winick*
In As the Crow Flies, the Batman faces the terrifying Scarebeast, manifested by the partnership of Scarecrow
and Penguin. Under the Scarecrow's influence, Batman receives visions of Jason Todd.
Jeph Loeb's run on Superman/Batman was epic and amazing.
In Public Enemies, Superman and Batman work together with and against almost every current DC hero to conclude
the presdiential reign of Lex Luthor, who, with the final words of this book, foreshadows the coming of a Crisis.
Supergirl reintroduces Kara Zor-El as Superman's Kryptonian cousin and also brings us a return of Harbinger as
Supergirl struggles to find her place in the world, first being taken in by the Amazons of Paradise Island and then
by Darkseid!
In Absolute Power we are shown Superman and Batman on multiple Earths and in multiple timlines.
They begin the story as the ruthless rulers of a conquered Earth as an uprising of heroes joins together to battle them,
an uprising of heroes that includes Uncle Sam, the Human Bomb, Phantom Lady, the Ray, Doll Man, and Wonder Woman. But when
Wonder Woman kills Batman, and Superman kills her in return, the Superman of Kingdom Come must step in to help set things right.
The story contines with appearances by Kamandi and Tufta... Cinnamon, Bat Lash, El Diablo, Jonah Hex, and Scalphunter...
Darkseid, Metron, and Etrigan... Sgt. Rock, and the Easy Company... the Blackhawks... and even Ra's Al Ghul and the Legion
of Superheroes. Consider this a fantastic refresher on the breadth of the DC Universe as we lead into the beginnings of Infinite Crisis.
In addition to bringing together all of the stories that go back to the beginning of Public Enemies,
Vengeance brings us the extra special bonus of referring back to one of my favorite storylines of all time,
Superman Arkham / Emperor Joker. Vengeance also ushers in the return of Bizarro, Batzarro, and almost
every other incarnation of Superman or Batman that has ever existed or been imagined (including the Superman
of Red Son and the Batman of Batman Beyond).
One note I should make about Vengeance. At the point that the last chapters of this book were
originally released, Infinite Crisis was already well underway, so references are made to characters that
have not yet been introduced at this point in your reading. Don't get me wrong, this is definitely
where this book goes as far as continuity is concerned, but Jeph Loeb took advantage of characters that,
if you had been reading DC comics monthly, you would recognize when he brings them in.
If you really want to see every character's first appearance at the point that it actually happened,
you could save Vengeance until just prior to Infinite Crisis, but by then you'll have forgotten the previous
three Superman/Batman books and it just won't make as much sense. However, these characters are used in a way
that does not actually reveal anything about them, so it is still perfectly safe to read this book right here,
where it belongs.
Identity Crisis is an incredible story that shakes the foundation of much of the DC Universe and
sets forth events that pave the way for Infinite Crisis. A hero's wife is murdered and the members of
the Justice League, old and current, must band together to find the killer before their own spouses are next.
But as the investigations continue, a potentially more sinister crime is revealed.
The Secret of Barry Allen contains events transpiring
before and during Identity Crisis. It is not required reading, but it does provide a good companion
piece to Identity Crisis. This story follows Wally West's exploration of Barry Allen's role in some of the events exposed
in Identity Crisis as well as exploring the direct affect Identity Crisis had on Wally. To be more accurate, more than half
of this book actually takes place prior to Identity Crisis. If these were two separate books, I would have rated the first half
a lower priority than the second (and might have left it off entirely). Unfortunately there are no page numbers, so if you want the best reading experience
possible, read the Secret of Barry Allen up to the point where Wally is in a garage and says "I made a horrible mistake"
and do not read the rest of that page. If you're flipping through, this is a page and a half prior to the page with
the title "The Secret of Barry Allen Part One." Pick up with the second half of this page after reading Identity Crisis.
Unconventional Warfare begins the three-part story of Ruin, a new villain out to destroy Superman
through his friends and family. Lois is shot while on location in Umec. Could Ruin be responsible?
That Healing Touch, the second part of Ruin's tale, ties into the aftermath of Identity Crisis,
including a good look at differing moralities of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Pete Ross
takes over as President in Luthor's absence and we get some hints of Checkmate.
Myxzptlk also makes several appearances during these first two chapters, warning the Man of Steel of an upcoming Crisis.
These warnings are my biggest reason for including the Ruin story.
The third pard of this story, Ruin Revealed, takes place during OMAC Project, so look for it a bit later.
JLA: Syndicate Rules*
Take no stock in my opinion that (with the possible exception of Crisis of Conscience) every JLA series
collection since John Byrne's absolutely aweful Tenth Circle has been
infinitely below the par set by Morrison and Waid. Syndicate Rules is still relevant for its inclusion of the
Crime Syndicate of Amerika, which was reintroduced to continuity in Morrison's Earth 2.
Rebirth frees Hal Jordan from his role as the Spectre, a role that was given to him as a chance to redeem himself
for his actions during Zero Hour. (Sadly there is not yet a trade for Day of Judgement in which Hal Jordan first
becomes the Spectre.)
In Recharge, Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner help rebuild the Green Lantern Corps that was destroyed
in Emerald Twilight.
Teen Titans: The Future is Now
by Geoff Johns, Mark Waid
The Teen Titans get a glimpse of their possible future selves and warnings
of an upcoming Crisis.
The OMAC Project includes the original Countdown to Infinite Crisis one-shot that leads into the other Countdown books
and therefore into Infinite Crisis itself. Maxwell Lord leads Checkmate and has unleashed an army of OMACs upon the
superhuman community.
Superman: Sacrifice expands upon the events of The OMAC Project and is
in fact intended to be read about halfway through finishing that book. When reading The OMAC Project, switch to Sacrifice
when you get to the page that says "Previously in Sacrifice" at the top. These books overlap during one chapter, so after
reading sacrifice, you can skip ahead in The OMAC Project to the page that starts "Part four..." Complicated, I know.
Birds of Prey: The Battle Within
by Gail Simone
Oracle is infected with the Brainiac virus, Booster Gold asks for help looking into the Blue Beetle, and Brother Eye briefly
considers Oracle as its next target.
Batman: Under the Hood - Volume 1
by Judd Winick
In Under the Hood, a new vigilante has appeared in Gotham who does
not share Batman's opposition to killing criminals. The Red Hood pits himself directly against the Black Mask, the new crime
head of Gotham City. Shocking revelations and Hush tie-ins abound.
Manhunter - Volume 2: Trial by Fire
by Marc Andreyko
DA Kate Spencer takes on the trial of the year, prosecuting the Shadow Theif, who was responsible for the apparent muder of Firestorm during
Identity Crisis. By the end of this book, Manhunter finds herself the target of an OMAC attack.
Countdown to Infinite Crisis: Villains United
by Gail Simone
The Villains of the DC Universe have United against the heroes, but not all of the
villains are interested in embracing this new Society.
In Villains United, a new Secret Six oppose the rule of the Society, mysteriously led by the unknown "Mockingbird."
Superman: Ruin Revealed
by Greg Rucka
Ruin Revealed is the third part of the Ruin story and this book does just what it says.
In the first several pages, we finally learn the true face behind Ruin. Or do we?
OMAC attacks abound in this Countdown tie-in. The first two issues contained here actually
take place before Sacrifice, but there's not really any need to flip back and forth
between the two.
Rebirth left the Spectre open to ouside influence from the new Eclipso, who convinces the Spectre that the only way to
rid the universe of evil is to rid it of magic. The Shadowpact is formed to attemp to stop him.
Meanwhile, the JSA battles Per Degaton through time, making reference
to JSA members who never existed in this universe. On the way back to the present, they notice a bit of an anomily in
the timestream in 1985, though they don't particularly note that this was the year of Crisis on Infinite Earths. Upon
their return, they must face off against the new duet of the Spectre and Eclipso.
Adam Strange discovers that the planet he calls his home, Rann, has vanished.
In an attempt to return Rann to its correct location in the Universe, Thanagar is destroyed and its people are relocated to Rann.
Peace does not last long in the new merged world of Rann and Thanager. Hawkman and Hawkgirl join Adam Strange
on a quest to end the Rann-Thanagar War.
The latter half of Wanted leads directly into the opening of the Insiders as Nightwing
accuses one of the team's members of being a traitor.
Insiders is a major Villains United tie-in in which both teams discover that the enemy is amongst them.
Prelude to Infinite Crisis
Contains snippets of stories leading up to and foreshadowing all of the Countdown to Infinite Crisis books.
Consider this a refresher course before digging into the Infinite Crisis tie-ins. Most of the stories
referenced here have already been included elsewhere on the list, so this book is only Essential if
you are sticking to JUST reading the essentials, but I still recommend it for anyone who whants to make
sure they haven't missed anything up to this point.
Teen Titans/Outsiders: The Death and Return of Donna Troy
If this is the second time you've seen The Death and Return of Donna Troy on this list, puck up the book
at the page that says "Sometime later..." for the Return of Donna Troy. I can't tell you how much I wish DC had
split The Death and Return of Donna Troy into two books.
Donna will play a major role in the events of Infinite Crisis just after Rann-Thanagar War.
Much of her conflicting origin story is finally resolved here. (Or made more complicated depending
on your viewpoint.)
JSA: Mixed Signals
by Geoff Johns, Keith Champagne
Following the Events of all of the Countdown books, Mordru attacks, Atom Smasher goes to court for his crimes,
and Green Lantern and Airwave are drafted by Donna Troy. This book is actually mostly about Jakeem Thunder, but the
"extra" issues before and hafter his story are crisis-related.
Supergirl: Power picks up right where Superman/Batman: Supergirl left off and even includes an appearance by Harbinger!
Lex Luthor appears in his classic green suit, somehow separating Supergirl into both a good half and
an evil half. But which is the real Supergirl?
And who is Superman's Kryptonian cousin? Is it Supergirl or is it Power Girl? Why do their powers
fluctuate when they are in close proximity to one another?
Power Girl is an immediate precursor to Infinite Crisis, in which she attempts to correlate her
conflicting origins, just as we have seen previously with Donna Troy. Yet another major player from
the original Crisis returns as Power Girl battles with the Psycho Pirate. Not only does this book
include the Infinite Crisis lead-up story from JSA Classified, but it also includes Power Girl's
two much older origin stories. If you want to read those in the absolutely correct order, pages
1-57 should be read prior to Crisis on Infinite Earths (yes, that far back), pages 58-74 should be
read just after History of the DC Universe, and the rest should be read here. There is nothing wrong
with reading the entire book right here though. You won't give anything away, I promise, and it'll
keep all of her history fresh in your memory to read it all together.
The Journey follows Superman's life just before the opening chapter of Infinite Crisis. But just to confuse matters,
the first part of the book (up to page 25) actually takes place before OMAC Project.
It is not imperative that it is read prior to OMAC, but that's where it goes chronologically.
Just make sure not to read page 26, "Our Story Continues," before
reading OMAC Project and Sacrifice. Also found here are two of my favorite characters that were introduced
during Emperor Joker, plus a new Blackrock.
Strange Attractors happens somewhat concurrently with the Journey, and is also pre-OMAC up to page 51.
In this story, Superman faces off against Black Adam, Satanus, Livewire, and the Doctors Polaris and Psycho.
Captain Atom: Armageddon
by Will Pfeifer*
You may be confused by the fact that this is a Wildstorm book, but your eyes do not decieve you. Between the events of
Identity Crisis and Infinite Crisis, Captain Atom spent a year in the Wildstorm Universe. Though not directly
important to the Infinite Crisis story, this book tells the tale of where he's been.
While Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers of Victory does not tie-in directly, the Soldiers do show
up in Infinite Crisis. Morrison has stated that Seven Soldiers takes place in the week prior to
Infinite Crisis, which makes sense based on the references in Seven Soldiers to a crisis that is
keeping most of the other heroes busy. This is really a fantastic set of books, though not required
Crisis reading.
Birds of Prey: Perfect Pitch*
The Calculator determines that the best way to flush out Oracle is through her allies, and so he has the Society kidnap Savant.
The second half of this book may actually take place after Infinite Crisis. I'll clarify if needed once the book is released.
JLA: Crisis of Conscience
The events of Identity Crisis finally come full-circle in Crisis of Conscience,
driving the Justice League of America to disband. The last page of this book leads directly
to the first page of Infinite Crisis.
Twenty years after Crisis on Infinite Earths, a true sequel is finally published. I cannot
possibly give a proper synopsis of this book without giving too much away, but if you've made
it this far, you probably already know enough about this book to know that you need it.
The Infinite Crisis Companion contains all of the Infinite Crisis Specials that were released alongside
Infinite Crisis. These are the final chapters of each of the Countdown to Infinite Crisis books.
It is good that these have been collected in trade, but collecting
them separately from Infinite Crisis itself makes it impossible to read everything in the
proper order without skipping back and forth. Don't get be wrong, Infinite Crisis can be read
by itself without reading the Companion, but if the only book you wanted to read was Infinite Crisis,
you wouldn't be here, would you? So here's what you do: read Infinite Crisis (IC) to page 105, Infinite Crisis
Companion (ICC) to page 44, IC to page 137, ICC to page 84, IC to page 209, ICC to to end, and finally IC to the end.
[o]During Infinite Crisis
Of course none of the above takes into account the other books that took place during Infinite Crisis.
Around the fifth issue of Infinite Crisis, all of the books in the DC universe closed up
their storylines in preparation for the One Year Later jump. The following books all either
include their title's final issue prior to the jump or otherwise take place during
Infinite Crisis.
As you can imagine, this makes reading these books in the "correct" order difficult, though not impossible.
I will try to lay out within each of these books how to read them alongside Infinite Crisis by skipping around,
however, it may be less confusing for you if instead you simply read all of Infinite Crisis first, then read
the following books as a look at different viewpoints regarding the same story. Entirely up to you, but as
long as you're flipping back and forth to Infinite Crisis Companion, why not read all of these in exactly
the correct order as well?
Wonder Woman: Mission's End
by Greg Rucka
The first half of Mission's End yet again reprints the cross-over portion of OMAC Project and Superman: Sacrifice.
However, it also expands upon the ramifications of these events within Wonder Woman's life and the lives of all of
the Amazons of Themiscyra. The second half takes place during the pages of Infinite Crisis itself. Unfortunately, there are
no page numbers, so get ready for some confusing instructions. The first half of Mission's End can be read right after OMAC Project
and Sacrifice (skipping the parts you've already read) up to the page that ends with the line "It has killed my name."
This is also the last page of the middle section of the book where every page has a black background, making it a relatively
easy point to find. From here, read Infinite Crisis up to page 67, then pick up Mission's end up until the end of the chapter
titled "Marathon Part One" which ends with the line "Doom for ourselves." Then pick Infinite Crisis back up until page 79.
Now get back to Mission's End and read the "Marathon Part Two" chapter, which ends on the line "a very long time to be absolutely
alone." Then go back again to Infinite Crisis up to page 94 for some repeating of what you just read in Mission's End, but with
a little more detail at the end. Now you can finally come back and finish up Mission's End.
JSA: Ghost Stories
by Paul Levitz
I struggled with the inclusion of Ghost Stories, because only the very first issue contained in this collection actually
takes place during Infinite Crisis, but it is a very important part of the story, at least for a couple of the characters,
so here you have it. Power Girl receives a gift on page 84 of Infinite Crisis. The first chapter of Ghost Stories is an
exploration of that gift. Just be sure to read this before page 101 of Infinite Crisis. Anywhere inbetween 84 and 101 would
be perfectly fine. The rest of the story takes place One Year Later and actually does have some rather interesting pre-Crisis
(on Infinite Earths) ties, so it is definitely worth reading within in the scheme of this whole story, just don't read it until
after you've finished up with the rest of IC.
Outsiders: Crisis Intervention
by Judd Winick
Due to the early events of Infinite Crisis, Sabbac now has the power of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Also, Donna Troy recruits half the team, along with other heroes, for an important
mission in space, while the rest must contend with the Society. This book takes place just after
the Day of Vengeance Special, which ends on page 44 of the Infinite Crisis Companion.
Robin: Days of Fire and Madness
by Bill Willingham
The first have of this book takes place prior to the start of Infinite Crisis and is mostly about
Robin joining up with a military group.
There's nothing really Crisis-related going on until page 75 when we get a visit from some OMACs
and the Shadowpact. Their appearance here seems to place this part of the story at least after page 44 of
the Infinite Crisis Companion and prior to page 108 of Infinite Crisis. Thefore, if you choose to read this
book, I would suggest reading it immediately after page 44 of IC, but prior to Under the Hood Volume 2
(if you're reading that as well).
JLA: World Without a Justice League
by Bob Harrass
Batman has dissolved the Justice League of America, but with the impending Crisis,
heroes still need to band together to battle countless foes, including the embodiment
of Envy itself. This book also takes place after the Day of Vengeance finale and should
therefore be read after page 44 of Infinite Crisis Companion. There is no chronology
between Crisis Intervention and World Without a Justice Leage, but this book
definitely takes place prior to Heading Into the Light, below.
Batman: Under the Hood - Volume 2
by Judd Winick
Continues the battle between Batman, the Red Hood, and Black Mask, while also throwing in the Joker just for a laugh.
This book presents a bit of a conundrum. Much of its story seems to take place absolutely prior to Infinite Crisis,
because no references are made to anything that is going on in IC up until the end of Chapter 5, which parallels
page 108 of Infinite Crisis. Of course things happen prior to page 108 of IC relating to Batman, none of which are
mentioned in Under the Hood Part Deux. Hence the conundrum. My advice is to read IC up to page 105 and Infinite
Crisis Companion up to page 44 as mentioned above, then read Under the Hood Volume 2 up to the end of Chapter 6.
Do NOT read the chapter titled "The Return of Jason Todd," where the Red Hood's true origin is finally
revealed, until after you've read Superman: Infinite Crisis, listed below.
Teen Titans: Life and Death
by Geoff Johns
The door between life and death has been creeking open ever since the return of Superman after his battle with
Doomsday. Since then, we've seen the returns of Green Arrow, Hal Jordan, and others, and now the Teen Titans must face
off against Brother Blood's resurrected Titans West, as Superboy must battle... Superboy. These Superboy battles
take place concurrently with Infinite Crisis, pages 115-208. That's a long concurrency, so here's how you
can properly skip back and forth to get the whole story approximately in the order that it was intended to be read.
First, read Life and Death (LD) up to page 61, the end of Kid Eternity's story, then read Infinite Crisis (IC) up to
page 105, then LD to page 84, IC to page 137, LD to page 136, IC to page 173, then back to LD to finish up to page
190, then back again to finish up the rest of IC. There's no need to read Life and Death passed page 190. Those last
pages reprint material from Infinite Crisis, which is best read alongside Infinite Crisis itself.
Green Arrow: Heading Into the Light
by Judd Winick
Heading into the Light opens as Oliver Queen, Connor Hawk, and Mia discover that their home has been destroyed,
which begs the question: How did anyone know that it was their home?
As the Crisis mounts, Green Arrow joins with Black Lightning to face Dr. Light in
a battle that ultimately pits the Emerald Archer against the deadly Merlin.
The opening chapter takes place prior to the close of Crisis of Concience, but
if you just treat that as a bit of a flashback, you should be able to read this in its entirety
after reading Infinite Crisis Companion page up to page 84. However, unless you're worried about absolute
ordering, I'd just save this until after reading the rest of IC and treat it as a "meanwhile" type of story.
Superman: Infinite Crisis
Superman: Infinite Crisis looks at the lives of two Supermen as they may have played out had their roles been
reversed. This Earths-shattering event takes place in the cracks in the Multiverse between pages 143 and 160 of
Infinite Crisis, as Superman battles Superman. My suggestion is to read this book in its entirety after reading
Infinite Crisis up to page 150.
Supergirl: Candor
by Joe Kelly, Greg Rucka
Up to page 56, this book simply reprints material already found in other collections
(Power Girl, Superman: The Journey, and JLA: World Without a Justice League). However, pages 57-80 take place
between the cracks in reality during Infinte Crisis. The second half of the book takes place One Year Later, but
is noteworthy as a rather interesting followup to stories from JLA: Earth Two, Superman/Batman Absolute Power, and
of course Supergirl: Power.
The year following Infinite Crisis was a year without Superman, a year without Batman, a year without Wonder Woman,
but not a year without heroes. In this unique series, the lives of the inhabitants of the DC universe are chronicled
in a weekly "real-time" basis. Where each chapter represents one week of these characters' lives. 52 stars nearly the
entire cast of the DC Universe, most notibly: The Question, Steel, Ralph Dibney, Booster Gold, Renee Montoya,
Lobo, Starfire, Animal Man, Lex Luthor, Adam Strange, and Black Adam. World War III expands upon events that take place within the pages of Week 50.
The Companion contains older background stories about 52's main characters: Adam Strange, the Metal Men, Booster Gold, Steel, Black Adam, The Question, and others.
After Infinite Crisis drew to a close, two mini-series were plublished under the Crisis Aftermath moniker. I had
expected these to take place immediately after the Crisis, which they do, briefly, before taking the One
Year Later jump that all other titles in the DC Universe have taken. However, since they do contain important follow-up
or back-story to Infinite Crisis, they are included here. As it turns out, other books that were released near the close
of Infinite Crisis also follow this pattern, so I will be adding those as I get my hands on them.
Blue Beetle: Shellshocked
by Keith Giffen
The first two issues of the six contained in this volume tell the story of how Jaime became the new Blue Beetle
during Infinite Crisis. The remaining four take place One Year Later and explore the beginnings of the
Tenth Age of Magic with a visit from the Phantom Stranger.
Crisis Aftermath: The Battle for Blüdhaven
by Jason Gray
Following the destruction of Blüdhaven in Infinite Crisis, the area is now a radioactive disaster zone.
The government has quarrantined the area and noone may leave or enter. Well, not without being sneaky
or forceful anyway, and when has that ever been a problem for the Teen Titans? This story starts off
just after the end of Infinite Crisis, but quickly jumps to One Year Later to tell the tale of what
has happened to the citizens of Blüdhaven since the disaster.
Crisis Aftermath: The Spectre
by Will Pfeifer, David Lapham*
Detective Crispus Allen, the new Spectre via the events of Infinite Crisis, must come to terms
with his role as the Spirit of Vengeance. In addition to collecting the Crisis Aftermath mini-series,
this book also collects lead stories from the first three issues of Allen's second mini-series, Tales of the Unexpected.