Welcome to Comic Book Reading Orders!
The goal of this site is to be the most extensive resource for comic book reading orders on the internet. We provide reading orders for characters and events from Marvel, DC, and other publishers. Looking at the enormous number of comics that have come out in the last 70+ years and not knowing where to start can be daunting. We hope with the orders provided on this site that we can make your comic reading experience easy and enjoyable.
News and the latest updates:
Kamala Khan, Miles Morales, Knight Terrors, Lazarus Planet, Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths
Reading Order Updates - Latest update October 30, 2024
You can download any reading order on the site in Excel or a .csv file HERE.
Current Patreon Exclusive Reading Orders: Absolute Power, Maestro, Dawn of DC, King Shark, Superman: House of Brainiac, Ultron, Carnage, Sinestro, Shang-Chi, Etrigan the Demon, Gotham War, Titans: Beast World, Kang the Conqueror, Blood Hunt, Marvel Master Reading Order Part 14, Eternals, Justice Society of America, Gang War, Batman Beyond, Spider-Gwen, Black Manta, Venom, X-Men: Krakoa Era.
MAY 16: Patreon Launch. This site launched 8 years ago and over the years I've received numerous messages from people asking how they can support the webpage. I've always resisted putting ads on the page and the only way I feel comfortable monetizing the website is if it is completely voluntary. Thus I have decided to open a Patreon page for the website. Going forward new reading orders will first debut on Patreon but eventually will be added to the website so no one misses out. Updates to existing reading orders will continue as normal. Exclusive to the Patreon will be Comic Book Guides, these aren't reading orders but extra guides I will be putting together on a variety of comic book topics. Also exclusive to the Patreon is a Discord community to chat about comics, the reading orders, ask questions, etc. More info can be found on the Patreon page.
I would like to take a moment and thank two groups of people who have contacted me over the years the site has been open. The first group is everyone who has used the contact form to send in corrections and suggestions. Your emails have helped fine tune the reading orders and ensured that we have some of the most accurate reading orders on the internet. The second group is everyone who has sent in thanks and said that the website has helped them read and enjoy comics. I haven't always responded to every email but they are humbling and motivate me to work even harder on the site. So thank you to these two groups and everyone else who has used and enjoyed the website.
Marvel Event Update Status
DC Event Update Status
Marvel Character Update Status
DC Character Update Status
Feedback Wanted: We are looking for all types of feedback for the various reading orders on the site. Did you use an order and like it? Hate it? Think it needs some changes? We would like to hear from you so we can continue to improve the experience with the site. Please use the Contact page and let us know.
Event Reading Orders
All tie-ins for each event are listed but if you're not enjoying the tie-ins you should feel free to just read the main series for the event or only read the tie-ins for characters you are interested in. Especially for older events, if you haven't been reading the tie-in series going into the event I suggest just reading the main series and skipping the tie-ins. The main series of an event is usually enough to give you a complete picture of what is going on. The event sections also include large "status quo" events, such as Dark Reign following Secret Invasion and Shattered Heroes following Fear Itself. These periods usually reveal the new status quo after a major event.
Character Reading Orders
The Character Reading Orders on this site are slightly different than usual. They do not contain every issue relating to the character. Some characters have 1000+ issues in their collective series and to be honest not all of them are worth reading. So the Character Reading Orders only contain issues that are important for that characters development and issues that are recommended reading. Don't worry though, all the important issues and legendary writer runs are still there. Simply choose a character and begin reading.
Master Reading Orders
The Master Reading Orders are meant to cover the entire history of a particular comic universe. We have Master Reading Orders for both Marvel and DC Comics. They contain all comics that are deemed important or are just enjoyable to read. Yes these orders start all the way at the beginning. Even with the "bad" comics removed these orders are still several thousand issues long. They encompass all characters and events. If you choose to read one of these reading orders you should feel free to skip characters and events you have no interest in and focus on the ones you do.