The Dark Crisis Reading Order Checklist
By Zack Quaintance — Welcome to our Dark Crisis reading order checklist. This is, essentially, a reference page for DC Comics’ upcoming summer superhero event. I’ve said this a lot, but I am an absolute sucker for big silly superhero events. And these checklists almost always appear in the back of the physical comics. I, however, feel like I can never find them online, so here I am compiling it here for easy reference.
On top of that, I’m going to use this page as a centralized locale for any Dark Crisis reviews, previews, and Very Important takes we might run as it unfolds. Check out the full schedule in the image below, as well as all the solicit info for the books released so far, and a set of advanced reading recommendations if you want to read the early hints at this event. It’ll be updated as the event progresses, so be sure to bookmark this page.
And enjoy!
The Dark Crisis Reading Order Checklist
APRIL
Death of Justice League - Justice League #75 - On Sale April 26, 2022
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Pencils: Rafa Sandoval
Inks: Jordi Taragona
Colors: Matt Herms
Letters: Josh Reed
Publisher: DC Comics
Oversize special issue! Superstar writer Joshua Williamson pens the beginning of the next big DCU event! It all starts here! A new Dark Army made up of the DCU's greatest villains has formed on the edges of the Multiverse! The DCU's best and most powerful heroes are pulled together in an epic war to push the darkness back! But in the end, they are no match for it! That's right, you heard it here first: the Justice League are killed by the Dark Army, with only one survivor to warn the remaining heroes of Earth about what is coming for them! FINAL ISSUE!
Buy It Here: Digital / Physical
Read our full Justice League #75 review!
MAY
Dark Crisis FCBD Special Edition 2022 #1 - On Sale May 7, 2022
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Jim Cheung
Colorist: Jay David Ramos
Letterer: Tom Napolitano
Witness the rise and fall of the Justice League! The event years in the making is here with Dark Crisis! The Justice League is comics' greatest super-team—made up of DC Comics' legendary heroes, they have saved the world countless times. No crisis was too much for them to handle...until now! The Justice League has been defeated by the Great Darkness and its army of DC's most dangerous enemies—now a new generation of heroes must rise to protect not only the Multiverse…but also the legacy of the DCU!
A prelude to DC Comics' biggest story of 2022! Includes a preview and art from Dark Crisis #1 coming, in June! Don't miss out on this Free Comic Book Day special featuring the blockbuster talents of Joshua Williamson, Jim Cheung, and Daniel Sampere! For free!
Price: Free
Get It Here: Digital
Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 - On Sale May 31, 2022
Writers: Joshua Williamson, Jeremy Adams, Brandon Thomas, Chuck Brown, Stephanie Phillips, and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Artists: Clayton Henry, Fico Ossio, Emanuela Lupacchino, Leila Del Duca, and more
The Justice League has tragically fallen in battle, and now we see the aftermath.
How does the world react to the Justice League being gone? Which heroes rise up…and which villains try to take advantage? And what dark forces are lying in wait to attack?
An all-star roster of DC talent showcases a world without a Justice League and sets the stage for next month's Dark Crisis event!
Price: $5.99
Read our full Justice League - Road to Dark Crisis #1 review!
JUNE
Dark Crisis #1 - On Sale June 7, 2022
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Art: Daniel Sampere
Crisis on Infinite Earths. Infinite Crisis. Final Crisis.
And now…Dark Crisis!
The epic event years in the making is finally here! Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of the Justice League are dead. The remaining heroes are left to protect the world from an onslaught of violent attacks by DC's greatest villains! Can the legacy heroes step out of the shadows of the classic heroes to form a new Justice League? And will that be enough to stop a darkness greater than anything they've ever faced from destroying everything?
Don't miss out on the first issue of the blockbuster event of the summer!
Price: $5.99
Dark Crisis: Young Justice #1 - On Sale June 21, 2022
Writer: Meghan Fitzmartin
Artist: Laura Braga
Crises have always had devastating impacts on the generation of heroes that make up Young Justice, and Dark Crisis will hit them even harder. Tim Drake, Impulse, and Superboy go missing during the Justice League's funeral. The only person concerned enough to find them? Cassie Sandsmark, a.k.a Wonder Girl. But...the three boys of Young Justice aren't on this Earth anymore...they're on the world of their dreams, one they may never want to leave!
Price: $3.99
The Flash #783 - On Sale June 21, 2022
Writer: Jeremy Adams
Artist: Amancay Nahuelpan
A Dark Crisis tie-in: the search for Barry Allen! With the Justice League gone, Wally gathers the entire Flash Family in a desperate attempt to search the Speed Force and finally locate the missing Barry Allen. But does Barry want to be found? This three-issue story ties directly into this summer's event. Dark Crisis continues here!
Price: $3.99
JULY
Dark Crisis #2 - On Sale July 5, 2022
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Daniel Sampere
THE HOUSE OF NIGHTWING BURNS!
As the good people of the world mourn the loss of the Justice League, the forces of evil have seized the opportunity to wreak havoc in a world without its heroes! Leading the charge is a super-powered Slade Wilson…but this time there's something dark fueling his rage. With a massive army laying siege to Titans Tower, only Nightwing will have what it takes to stand in the way of Deathstroke's forces—but is this a fight Dick Grayson can win? Look, up in the sky—reinforcements are on the way! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's…uh-oh...it's Cyborg Superman. The world burns as Pariah and the Great Darkness make their play for planet Earth in this jaw-dropping second issue!
Price: $4.99
Dark Crisis: Worlds Without a Justice League — Superman #1 - On Sale July 12, 2022
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Chris Burnham
Backup Written By: Brandon Thomas and Chuck Brown
Backup Art By: Fico Ossio
When Pariah and his forces of the Great Darkness laid waste to the most powerful superheroes of all time, all hope was lost…with the Man of Steel suffering the same fate as that of his comrades, join us for a look at a world of dreams he would never have thought possible while alive. Where there's life there's hope, and with that hope comes a deeper unraveling of the tapestry of DCU's biggest event of 2022!
Price: $4.99
Read our news item about the announcement of this Worlds Without a Justice League — Superman #1!
Dark Crisis: Young Justice #2 - On Sale July 19, 2022
Writer: Meghan Fitzmartin
Artist: Laura Braga
TALE OF TWO WONDER GIRLS!
Impulse, Superboy, and Tim Drake were just saved by Cassie Sandsmark, Wonder Girl in the strange fantasy word they're trapped in. And she's here to help them navigate their retro surroundings. But…Cassie Sandsmark is back on our Earth searching for her friends alongside Red Tornado and the superhero formerly known as Arrowette. Which Cassie is lying and who's about to get burned?!
Price: $3.99
The Flash #784 - On Sale July 19, 2022
Writer: Jeremy Adams
Artist: Amancay Nahuelpan
The search for Barry Allen! Wally and Wallace have arrived on the planet Pariah has trapped Barry on—but it's not quite a happy reunion among the Flashes. The Dark Crisis tie-in storyline continues!
Price: $3.99
AUGUST
Dark Crisis #3 - On Sale Aug. 2, 2022
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Daniel Sampere
THE BATTLE OF THE EMERALD ARMY HAS BEGUN!
Hal Jordan has launched all-out war on Pariah and the Dark Army to avenge his fallen Justice League teammates—but how can one man stand in the way of the Great Darkness? Meanwhile back on Earth, Titans Tower has burned and Deathstroke's army has continued its scorched-earth march across the planet. To stop Slade Wilson, the young heroes of the DCU might have no other choice than to turn to the brutal tactics of Black Adam…
Price: $4.99
Dark Crisis: Worlds Without a Justice League — Green Lantern #1 - On Sale Aug. 9, 2022
Writer: Philip Kennedy Johnson
Artist: Fernando Blanco
When Pariah and his forces of the Great Darkness laid waste to the most powerful superheroes of all time, all hope was lost…but the spirit of the Justice League can never truly die. John Stewart takes flight to defend his planet as the Emerald Knight of Justice alongside allies Red Hood and the blind prophet Kyle Rayner! Plus: Hawkgirl takes to the skies in her own unique world!
Where there's life there's hope, and with that hope comes a deeper unraveling of the tapestry of the DCU's biggest event of 2022!
Price: $4.99
Dark Crisis: Young Justice #3 - On Sale Aug. 16, 2022
Writer: Meghan Fitzmartin
Artist: Laura Braga
Sins of the old! In response to their lack of gratitude, the world holding Superboy, Impulse, and Tim Drake captive has brought back the three villains who have
caused them the most pain to keep them in their place: Deathstroke, Captain
Boomerang, and Lex Luthor. Old wounds will open. Wonder Girl and her search
team will have to hurry up before there's no Young Justice left to save!
Price: $3.99
The Flash #785 - On Sale Aug. 16, 2022
Writer: Jeremy Adams
Artist: Amancay Nahuelpan
A Dark Crisis tie-in: the search for Barry Allen! Just when the speedsters seem to have snapped Barry out of Pariah's clutches, Wallace seems to be falling in… and the creator of Barry's mind prisons isn't about to let the team of speedsters just run off. And even if they could, where exactly would they run to…?
The Dark Crisis tie-in storyline races to its conclusion!
Price: $3.99
SEPTEMBER
Dark Crisis #4
Dark Crisis: Worlds Without a Justice League — Wonder Woman #1
Dark Crisis: Young Justice #4
The Flash #786
Writer: Jeremy Adams
Artist: Amancay Nahuelpan
Wally West is exhausted, and has been running nonstop since even before he had to step up in the wake of the loss of the Justice League. But, as he's figured out what he needs to do to free Barry (while also keeping Wallace from falling into Pariah's plans), he's also long overdue for a chat with Linda.
OCTOBER
Dark Crisis #5
Dark Crisis: The Deadly Green #1
Dark Crisis: Worlds Without a Justice League — Green Arrow #1
Dark Crisis: Young Justice #5
NOVEMBER
Dark Crisis #6
Dark Crisis: The Dark Army #1
Dark Crisis: Worlds Without a Justice League — Batman #1
Dark Crisis: Young Justice #6
I Am Batman #15
DECEMBER
Dark Crisis #7
Dark Crisis: War Zone #1
Dark Crisis - Advanced Reading
Being as this is superhero comics and all, this event is (obviously) not taking place in a vacuum. In fact, there have been several stories and series that have laid track for this one. You can certainly jump right into this event at the Death of the Justice League / FCBD Dark Crisis #0 one-two punch, but if you want to do all the advanced reading, we’ve got some suggestions below:
Finally, the Shadow War crossover playing out in the pages of Batman, Deathstroke, and Robin right now is also connected loosely to what’s happening here. And hey! We just so happen to also have a Shadow War Reading Order Checklist.
Read more from the Comics Bookcase Features section!
Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He has written about comics for The Beat and NPR Books, among others. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.