DC Comics boasts a long and iconic history in print, and houses some of the most popular and beloved heroes in all pop culture. However, with events cropping up on an annual basis, complicated story arcs and crossovers, jumping in can feel like a daunting challenge for new readers. To compound this issue, there are few guides on where to start, and sometimes older series can actually be the best way in.

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The current DC universe has been years in the making, and readers have their work cut out for them in getting up to speed on who some of these heroes are. There is an abundance of great series, such as classics like Dark Knight Returns or new series like World's Finest, that make the perfect entries into current DC events. New readers love a helping hand to point them in the right direction when it comes to entering the world of comics.

10 Ram V's Swamp Thing Brought A New Protector Of The Green

The Superman/Swamp Thing Hybrid Hero in DC Comics

Ram V and Mike Perkins's The Swamp Thing brought readers a brand new Swamp Thing for the post-Future State era. The series embraced Swamp Thing's horror nature, and delved into supernatural terror and combined this with other DCU heroes.

With new villains, locations, stories and a Swamp Thing all put in place, this is a good place for fans of horror in particular to get started. Swamp Thing is one of DC's best characters, and having a clean slate that's related to the current DCU events is a great jumping on point.

9 Morrison's JLA Helped Define The Justice League

Grant Morrison's JLA header

Grant Morrison's JLA is one of the best series for new readers to explore to understand the Justice League team dynamic. Although the series was tied in with other events at the time - like a confusing Blue Superman - these don't derail the story and are easy to adjust to.

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The series is told in easy-to-follow arcs and spotlight some fan-favorite heroes and villains, as well as being the series with some particularly memorable JLA moments. It also helps get readers acquainted with some DC legacy heroes like Wally West and Kyle Rayner.

8 Justice League Dark Showcases The Magical Side Of DC Comics

Wonder Woman with Justice League Dark

Under writers James Tynion and Ram V, Justice League Dark served as a simple magical superhero comic, one that combined fantasy and horror. It tells the story of a mystical Justice League, led by Wonder Woman as they battle Lords of Order and other-dimensional horror.

The series also gives readers a good look at some of DC's lesser known heroes, like Etrigan, Blue Devil and Detective Chimp. The series had a few tie-ins, but remained easy to follow, and built up one of DC's coolest new villains in the Upside Down Man.

7 Hal Jordan And The Green Lantern Corps Is The Ideal Entry To The Galactic Force

Hal Jordan and other members of the Green Lantern Corps

Beginning with Rebirth, Robert Venditti's Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps is an incredibly simple and very affordable run of the GLC. Except for a single issue, the series was an unbroken run that doesn't have any crossovers or tie-ins, making it a simple place to start.

The series was a great breakdown of the Green Lantern universe, and requires little existing knowledge of the space cops to enjoy. The series is also a nice, linear story that follows a standard beginning, middle and end, yet does this through the use of simplified arcs.

6 Kingdom Come Is Essential Reading For Every True Fan

Superman stands before a realistically rendered Justice League in DC Comics, Kingdom Come.

Mark Waid and Alex Ross's beloved Kingdom Come series is important reading for a number of reasons. The series showcases a future where young and reckless heroes run amok and must be reined in by the original JLA and JSA members.

The series has also continued to have ripple effects on the DCU for years to come, and "Kingdom Come Superman" has been known to show up in continuity. One of the publisher's most widely discussed and iconic stories since release, Kingdom Come is essential reading for newcomers.

5 All-Star Superman Tells Fans All They Need To Know About The Man Of Steel

all-star Superman #1 cloud cover - Superman sits above the clouds in the skies over Metropolis,

Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's All-Star Superman is something of a counterpart to The Dark Knight Returns, serving as the definitive take on Superman. After Superman becomes ill, he encounters a number of challenges and trials that represent the general tone of his stories.

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All-Star Superman gave fans a rundown of the basics of Superman's world, his history and place in the DC universe. The series is one of the most timeless Superman comics available for readers, and gives them the perfect window into who the character is and why they should read him.

4 The Dark Knight Returns Remains The Definitive Modern Batman Story

Batman punches Superman in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns in DC Comics

Since its creation in 1986, The Dark Knight Returns has been considered the definitive modern Batman story, with Frank Miller's take resetting the tone of Batman. It follows an aging Batman as he comes out of retirement to save the city from a crime wave when it reaches boiling point.

Thanks to Miller's storytelling, The Dark Knight Returns is always relevant and accessible to new readers, and requires no prior reading. To date, this is one of Batman's most epic tales and, all else aside, is well worth the read for the Batman/Superman showdown alone.

3 Superman Rebirth Established Clark Kent As The Ultimate Family Man

Superman flying during DC's Rebirth era by Jorge Jimenez

Following the New 52 going off the rails, DC restarted their comic line back to fresh first issues and new creative teams on key books. One of the best of these was Peter J. Tomasi's Superman series, which followed contained arcs that saw the best of Superman represented on the page.

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While a few things may seem odd to a new readers - namely a convoluted two Supermen story - it's easy enough to follow from the outset. The series reintroduced plenty of Superman's villains in the wake of the New 52, and presented the wholesome, family man Superman readers now love.

2 Zdarsky's Batman Is A Fresh Start On The Dark Knight

Batman 125 Chip Zdarsky Jorge Jimenez Header

Beginning in 2022, Chip Zdarsky took over the Batman title, bringing readers a fresh new story arc to begin his take on The Dark Knight. The series has been a simplified run, cooling off the event-heavy period that led up to it and has fixated on simpler arcs instead.

The opening "Failsafe" arc, although a callback to a previous story, would make an especially good jumping on point. Zdarsky has brought his gritty, street-level action that made him a household name on Daredevil to the Dark Knight, and it has paid off excellently with fans.

1 World's Finest Is DC's Current Runaway Hit

Batman and Superman are the World's Finest Team

Written by comic book legend Mark Waid and drawn by Dan Mora, World's Finest has returned the fan-favorite Batman/Superman team-up book. Taking place some years before current DC continuity, World's Finest is an independent series not affected by other events.

World's Finest spotlights other heroes, both old and new, such as the Doom Patrol and newly revealed former sidekick, Boy Thunder. It also sets up new villains and brings in heroes from across the DCU, such as Green Lantern, giving new readers entry points to other characters too.

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