Joe Molotov

After reading Blackest Night #0, I kinda wanted to get back into DC comics. I've been out of the loop for a while, the last series I read was Identity Crisis. I've missed Infinite Crisis and Final Crisis, and now Batman's dead apparently. Are the two Crises worth reading or should I just wiki the details? What about the periphery stuff like 52 or Countdown to Final Crisis? What current series are the best to pick up?

Dmacsg1

Man! You have quite a bit to catch up on. It would be certainly cheaper just to go to The Wiki to update yourself! As for Infinite Crisis, I enjoyed it a bunch! As for Final Crisis.....well I have found that how good it is depends on who you ask!! If you ask one of the Morrison sycophants then they will tell you it is the best thing since wonderbread! IMHO, it was just "alright". It certainly wasn't the best thing I've ever read. At this point I wouldn't worry about 52 or Countdown. Right now I think the two Green Lantern series are the best thing DC is putting out. With Green Lantern I would track down Green Lantern:Rebirth and Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps war. After that get the past few months of back issues to get you up to speed on the different Lantern Corps. Then you should be good to go for "The Blackest Night"!!

Good luck and enjoy!!

fujishig

Absolutely do not waste your time on "Countdown to Final Crisis" which directly contradicts Final Crisis anyway. It in no way serves as a proper lead in to Final Crisis, and I can't say that it's worth it for the lackluster story either. Also stay far away from Death of the New Gods, which also contradicts both Countdown and Final Crisis. It'll make you wonder what the heck the editors at DC are paid to do.

On the other hand, I really enjoyed 52, which basically takes place in the year-long gap after Infinite Crisis, when all the regular books jumped ahead. Not sure if it reads as well now (I actually collected it on a weekly basis as it was coming out) but I enjoyed it. I can't think of any major ramifications that came out of it, though.

I actually recommend collecting all of John's Green Lantern, from the beginning. He lays out bits and pieces slowly but surely, and while it culminates in the Sinestro War, I think it reads even better if you read it sequentially. I also highly recommend John's JSA (though he is leaving the book soon). Most of this stuff is thankfully largely kept separate from the crossover events... for example, Sinestro War is largely self contained.

Batman is dead and there's the Battle for the Cowl going on in those books. Superman is wrapped up in the New Krypton storyline, and I really have no idea what that's about. I honestly can't recommend any mainstream DC Universe title that's currently out there beyond Green Lantern, Lantern Corps, and JSA. I'm sure there are others out there, but I'm not reading/collecting them.