The Metal Wars (DARK NIGHTS: METAL and DARK NIGHTS: DEATH METAL) resulted in the rupturing of the Source Wall, the disappearance of the Flash (Barry Allen) and the Dark Multiverse being sealed off in order to save reality. But now, all signs point to the return of the Great Darkness. What will that mean for the heroes of Earth-Prime? And who will stand against the Darkness if the Justice League fall?
DARK CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS is about to hit the DC Universe!
Crossover: The prelude to ‘Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths’ stands as a crossover event in itself, revolving around the rise of the Great Darkness, Pariah and the Secret Society and building to the death of some of the biggest players in the DC Universe.
Overlap: Some stories from the ‘Road to Dark Crisis’ take place after the ‘Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths’ begins. How they fit together will be explained in a future reading order.
Must-Reads: Issues marked with a ✔are essential to the story.
Anthology Issues: When an issue contains multiple stories, the relevant story is denoted with square brackets. For example, [2/5] refers to the second story of the five stories in that issue.
Spoilers: The issue descriptions and fallout section contain spoilers, so be warned!
Previous events that directly impact this story:
- THE MULTIVERSITY (2014-2015) – Formation of Justice Incarnate
- JUSTICE LEAGUE INCARNATE (2021) – Darkseid is reborn
- THE GOLD LANTERN SAGA (2022) – The Great Darkness returns
Want to keep it simple? Here’s the chronological reading order without story descriptions, or spoilers:
- ✔ Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 [4/5]
- ✔ Justice League Incarnate #1-5
- Superman: Kal-El Returns Special #1 [4/4]
- ✔ Justice League #75
- Aquamen #6
- ✔ Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 [1/5]
- Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 [2/5]
- ✔ Free Comic Book Day – Dark Crisis Special Edition #0 [1/2]
- ✔ Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 [3/5]
- Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 [2/5]
| Must Reads | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 [4/5] Pariah is taunted by the ghosts of his family from the first universe to be erased by the Anti-Monitor (during CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS, 1985-1986). The Great Darkness comes to him, warning Pariah that only he can save the multiverse… |
| ✔ | Justice League Incarnate #1 Doctor Multiverse returns Machinehead’s head to his fellow Retaliators of Earth-8. Tartarus’ warriors attack, beginning their Eternity Conquest. On Earth-0 (Prime-Earth), the Flash of China (Avery Ho) is recruited by President Superman of Earth-23 and the Batman of the Flashpoint timeline. She joins the Justice League Incarnate to help save the Flash (Barry Allen) from the Crack in the Multiverse (see INFINITE FRONTIER INCARNATE / INFINITE FRONTIER). With Captain Carrot of Earth-26, Superman and Batman by her side, Avery jumps to Earth-8 where the Retaliators are being ripped apart by Tartarus. Darkseid breaks his deal with Tartarus to leave Earth-8 alone for him to conquer. He kills Tartarus while his Grandfather Box targets the Justice League Incarnate and Doctor Multiverse. Darkseid pursues the Crack in the Multiverse and the League go after him. In the JLI’s Hall of Heroes, Orion arrives to help oppose Darkseid, only to discover he was followed by his father’s army… 1st appearance: Doctor Multiverse/Maya Chamara, Tartarus New identity: Justice Incarnate as Justice League Incarnate |
| ✔ | Justice League Incarnate #2 Orion links his Astro-Harness to the Hall of Heroes tech and flies it into the Bleed. The rest of the JLI are on Earth-13 where the Superdemon and Annataz reveal Darkseid is attempting to claim the power of the Great Darkness. The JLI are suddenly transported to the Outer Edge of the Multiverse where Darkseid battles Asmodel. The corrupted Kathy Kane of Earth-11 emerges from the Crack as the Batwoman Who Laughs. Doctor Multiverse tries to teleport her to the cells in the Hall of Heroes while it’s moving through the Bleed, only for her to materialise on the main deck. Harbinger initiates the Hall’s self-destruct sequence. The JLI are scattered through the multiverse… New identity: Batwoman/Kathy Kane as the Batwoman Who Laughs |
| ✔ | Justice League Incarnate #3 Captain Carrot finds himself on Earth-41 where he reunites with Spore of the Nimrod Squad (having met before during THE MULTIVERSITY). The Hall of Heroes has crashed on Earth-7, the dead Earth the Thunderer called home. On Earth-31, the Flash is rescued from the undead Captain Blackbeard by Captain Wonder and her Amazons. Blackbeard’s ‘special maps and tomes’ turn out to be comic books about their lives. The Flash pulls Batman out of the cartoonish Earth-26, just as he’s made a member of the Zoo Crew. Superman and Doctor Multiverse are stranded, powerless on Earth-33 (our Earth). With time moving more slowly here, they have a failed relationship but convince DC Comics editor Ulrich Saxman to help them make a comic. Ulrich proves to be Darkseid in disguise. Their fight breaks through to Earth-41 where the Annihilator has control of the Crack in the Multiverse. Doctor Multiverse closes the Crack, saving reality but dooming Barry Allen. She knows Darkseid needs to win. On Earth-7, the rest of the JL Incarnate realise they can’t escape this reality because of the Gentry’s Oblivion Machine. And the Machine is Earth-7 itself… |
| Must Reads | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Justice League Incarnate #4 The Right Hand of the Great Darkness became the Empty Hand and formed the Gentry by plucking the darkest souls from the old multiverse. Darkseid recently took control of Earth-Omega (during INFINITE FRONTIER INCARNATE / INFINITE FRONTIER) but the third central reality, the Elseworld, remains undiscovered. Now, standing on Earth-Omega, Doctor Multiverse declares Darkseid must win as only he can stop the Great Darkness. When the Darkness takes control of Batman, Darkseid kills him and steals the Crack from Doctor Multiverse and departs. Leaping to Earth-7, Darkseid and his forces tackle stab the Empty Hand with the Crack, but it doesn’t kill him. The Empty Hand gains the Crack in the Multiverse while Darkseid is crushed beneath his heel. Superman, Doctor Multiverse, Flash and Captain Carrot arrive on Earth-7 and are attacked by their own teammates under the influence of the Great Darkness… Identity revealed: The Monitor’s real name is Mar Novu |
| ✔ | Justice League Incarnate #5 Doctor Multiverse frees the JLI by synching them with their home realities. The Empty Hand uses the Crack to open a wound in the multiverse. He and the Gentry pass through. As Darkseid follows them, the Darkness reveals to him that he has always been the Left Hand of the Great Darkness. On Earth-7, Grail declares Orion as Darkseid’s successor. The JLI enter the wound and find Barry Allen on Earth.Flash.1 which appears to be a fictional world created by Pariah. Barry refuses to leave with them. The JLI escape Earth-7, allowing the Thunderer to destroy it before the wound gets bigger. They head for Earth-0 to find the Justice League. In the Darkness, the chained Darkseid meets Pariah’s Dark Army… 1st appearance: Dark Army, Wallace West, Earth-Flash.1 |
| Aquamen #6 (pp.1-12) (tie-in) Rogue Atlantean sleeper agent Bob Moss was behind a kamikaze attack on American soil by other sleepers. Moss then killed himself and the Atlantean Council with a suicide bomb. After siding with the original Aquaman (Arthur Curry) against the sleepers, the new Aquaman (Jackson Hyde) and his father Black Manta pick up the pieces. America decides whether or not to retaliate against Atlantis. Arthur shows Mera the Atlantean armoury and leaves her to decide its fate while he’s called away on Justice League business… Also see AQUAMEN | |
| Superman: Kal-El Returns Special #1 [4/4] Following the events of THE WARWORLD SAGA and WALK AMONG US, Superman finally returns to the Hall of Justice, reuniting with the Flash (Wally West) and Martian Manhunter. After giving Powerhouse (Naomi McDuffie) some advice, Superman departs and is teleported away against his will… Also see KAL-EL RETURNS | |
| ✔ | Justice League #75 The Justice League are transported to the Justice League Incarnate’s damaged House of Heroes where they learn of the rise of the Great Darkness. They jump to the ruins of Multiverse-2 where Pariah pits a shadow version of his Dark Army against them. Next the Spectre – now the Spirit of Darkness – kills the Green Lantern (John Stewart). Green Arrow destroys Pariah’s Antimatter Chamber, so Doomsday kills him. Pariah kills Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the rest of the League and JL Incarnate with a wave of his hand. Black Adam survives and comes crashing down into the Hall of Justice on Earth-0 where mutters to the current Flash (Wally West) and the new Superman (Jon Kent) that the Justice League are all dead… |
| Must Reads | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| Aquamen #6 (pp.13-23) (tie-in) Mera utilises the Healing Gauntlet from the armoury to restore a handful of Atlanteans. She then hears the news that the Justice League – including Aquaman – are dead. Word spreads through Atlantis. Also see AQUAMEN | |
| Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 [1/5] Nightwing defends a Gotham City without Batman. Superman (Jon Kent) swoops in, expressing his fears after the death of the Justice League. But Nightwing isn’t worried because Batman and Superman have died and come back before! Jon convinces Nightwing to stop denying that the League may actually be gone for good, this time. | |
| Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 [2/5] The Flash (Barry Allen) reminds Kid Flash of the importance of giving people hope, taking down villains in multiple cities with a smile! | |
| ✔ | Free Comic Book Day – Dark Crisis Special Edition #0 [1/2] Clayface is sent to steal Darkseid’s Mother Box from the Hall of Justice, now that there’s no Justice League to protect it. The Flash (Wally West) uses his super-speed to heat Clayface’s form until it’s solid. The Flash gives some kids a tour of the Hall. |
| ✔ | Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 [3/5] The Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) returns to Earth, pursuing an alien Viro. The Justice League don’t answer his call for help and the creature hits the ocean, mutating and multiplying on impact. The new Aquaman, Jackson Hyde, joins the fight and reveals the League are dead. Jackson calms the alien. Hal takes it back out to space. |
| Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 [2/5] After a confrontation with Batgirl (Stephanie Brown) at Gotham Museum, Nocturna gets an offer from Firefly to join the new Secret Society of Super-Villains… |
| Must Reads | Issue & Fallout | Event/ Crossover |
| Batman/Superman: Authority Special #1 (2022) Despite Flashpoint Batman’s claims that the Dark Multiverse is closed off, the Batman and Superman of Earth-0 discover that’s not the case. | THE WARWORLD SAGA | |
| Suicide Squad #11 (2022) The fate of the Retaliators is revealed when the Suicide Squad of Prime-Earth jump over to Earth-8. | THE WAR FOR EARTH-3 | |
| Action Comics #1048-1049 (2022-2023) Orion’s first act as successor to Darkseid’s throne is an attempt to take Superman’s adopted son, Osul-Ra, back to Apokolips when he learns the child has been imbued with the Fire of Olgrun. | KAL-EL RETURNS | |
| ✔ | Black Adam #7 (2023) How Black Adam deals with the fallout of the death of the Justice League is revealed. | |
| ✔ | Dark Crisis #1-2 (2022) The world deals with the loss of the Justice League; Deathstroke’s Secret Society of Super-Villains make their move against the remaining heroes. The Flash #784-785 (2022) Barry Allen finally breaks free from Earth-Flash.1 with help from his family. Dark Crisis #3 (2022) The Secret Society are infected with the Great Darkness. Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #4-6 (2022-2023) The fate of the Justice League is revealed; the truth about Pariah’s connection to the Great Darkness is uncovered; Pariah’s Dark army face a legion of heroes. | DARK CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS |
| Dark Crisis: War Zone #1 (2023) Nocturna is seen among the Secret Society of Super-Villains; Jim Corrigan becomes the Spectre’s host once again to free him from the Great Darkness. | DARK CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS | |
| ✔ | Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 (2023) The fate of the Justice League Incarnate is revealed; the Justice League and Justice League Incarnate return to face the Dark Army and the Secret Society of Super-Villains; the Justice League disband. | DARK CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS |
| ✔ | Flashpoint Beyond #0 (2022) Flashpoint Batman returns to life on his own Earth. | THE GOLDEN AGE |
| ✔ | Nightwing #100 (2023) With the Justice League disbanded, the Titans step up as the premiere super-team. | THE LEAP |
| Flashpoint Beyond #1-6 (2022) Flashpoint Batman gets a chance to stabilise his own timeline, making it part of the multiverse. | THE GOLDEN AGE | |
| ✔ | Unstoppable Doom Patrol #7 (2023) The Batwoman Who Laughs of Earth-11 is trapped in Danny the World in the Bleed. | DAWN OF DC UNSTOPPABLE |
| Absolute Power #1 (2024) Amanda Waller forms Task Force VII – formed from seven Amazo androids – who steal the Justice League’s powers and likenesses to form her very own ‘Justice League’. | ABSOLUTE POWER |
| Collected Edition Title | Collects… |
| Justice League Incarnate | Justice League Incarnate #1-5 |
| Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths | Dark Crisis #0, 1-3 Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #4-7 Free Comic Book Day – Dark Crisis Special Edition #0 Justice League #75 |
| Tales from Dark Crisis | Dark Crisis: Big Bang #1 Dark Crisis: The Dark Army #1 Dark Crisis: The Deadly Green #1 Dark Crisis: War Zone #1 Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 |
| Collected Edition Title | Includes… |
| Superman: Kal-El Returns | Superman: Kal-El Returns Special #1 |
| Aquamen | Aquamen #6 |
Reading Order © Omniverse Comics Guide 2024
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