Geoff Johns’ first major event for DC Comics took place before the new millennium, a few years before his tenure on the Green Lantern and his grand-scale DC Universe events. But you can already see his affection for Hal Jordan and the wider DCU in DAY OF JUDGMENT, as well as the universe’s lengthy history.
Now let’s take a look at the stories that led us to the event that would put the Spectre, magic users and more back at the forefront of the DC Universe…
Must Reads: Story arcs marked with a ✔are must-read stories from this time period, along with any key related stories and often-forgotten tales that are worth a read.
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, so you don’t need to read the other four.
References: Titles in square brackets refer to the Day of Judgment issues they relate to.
Spoilers: It mostly goes without saying that there’ll be big clues here that’ll spoil Day of Judgment to a degree.
Want to keep it simple? Here’s the chronological reading order – just the essential from the Full Reading Order below – without story descriptions, or spoilers:
- Blue Devil (1984) #1
- Last Days of the Justice Society of America Special #1
- Superman (1987) #80
- Green Lantern (1990) #48-50
- Zero Hour #4-0
- The Final Night #1-4
- JLA #6-7
- The Spectre (1992) #60-62
- JLA: Paradise Lost #1-3
- Starman (1994) #38
- JLA #16
- JLA #28-31
| Must Reads | Title, Issue, Synopsis & First Appearances | Event/Crossover |
| More Fun Comics #52 [1/9] (1940) The Spectre first appears, taking Detective Jim Corrigan as its host. [Day of Judgment] | ||
| G.I.Combat #87 (1961) The crew of the Haunted Tank make their debut on the battlefields of World War II. 1st appearance: Arch Asher, Haunted Tank, Rick Rawlins, Slim Stryker, General JEB Stuart, Lt Jeb Stuart [Anarky] | ||
| ✔ | Blue Devil #1 (1984) Not to be confused with a demon of the same name who once slashed with Swamp Thing, the demon Nebiros is freed after 6000 years of captivity; he attacks stuntman Dan Cassidy, believing him to be a true demon in his film character’s suit; Nebiros inadvertently grants Dan demonic powers, turning him into the heroic Blue Devil. 1st appearance: Nebiros [Day of Judgment] | |
| Crisis on Infinite Earths #9 (1985) Aquagirl dies when she’s poisoned by Chemo’s toxic waste. [Aquaman] | CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS | |
| The New Teen Titans #21 (1986) Speedy (Roy Harper) finally meets his infant daughter Lian Harper, who he fathered with the assassin Cheshire. 1st appearance: Lian Harper [Titans] | ||
| ✔ | Last Days of the Justice Society of America Special #1 (1986) It’s revealed that Adolf Hitler obtained and tainted the Spear of Destiny until he was defeated by the Spectre. 1st appearance: Aesir, Fenris, Midgard Serpent, Surtur [Day of Judgment] | |
| Justice League of America #258-260 (1986) Vibe and Steel are murdered by the robotic minions of Professor Anthony Ivo. [Martian Manhunter] | LEGENDS | |
| Infinity Inc #51 (1988) Solomon Grundy hurls Mister Bones at Skyman (Sylvester Pemberton, the original Star-Spangled Kid), killing him with his cyanide touch. [Stars and STRIPE] | ||
| Detective Comics #608-609 (1999) Lonnie Machin makes his debut as the vigilante Anarky. 1st appearance: Arnarky/Lonnie Machin [Anarky] | ||
| Atlantis Chronicles #7 (1990) The history of King Trevis of Atlantis is revealed. 1st appearance: King Trevis [Aquaman] | ||
| ✔ | Superman #80 (1993) Hal Jordan’s home town Coast City is destroyed by Mongul, using its remains to create Engine City. [Day of Judgment] | REIGN OF THE SUPERMEN |
| ✔ | Green Lantern #48-50 (1994) Driven mad by the loss of Coast City, Hal Jordan uses his abilities as the Green Lantern to try and recreate it; when the Guardians of the Universe inform him that doing so is a violation of protocol, Hal kills the Green Lantern Corps and the Guardians; Hal takes all the power from the Central Power Battery and emerges as Parallax; Ganthet, the last-surviving Guardian of the Universe, gives the final Green Lantern Ring to Kyle Rayner, making him the sole Green Lantern. 1st appearance: Alex DeWitt (unnamed), Hannu, Ke’Haan, Kyle Rayner (unnamed) New identity: Green Lantern/Hal Jordan as Parallax [Day of Judgment, Green Lantern] | EMERALD TWILIGHT |
| Justice League Task Force #14 (1994) Ice is murdered by the Overmaster. [Martian Manhunter] | JUDGMENT DAY |
| Must Reads | Title, Issue, Synopsis & First Appearances | Event/Crossover |
| ✔ | Zero Hour: Crisis in Time! #4-0 (1994) Parallax conspires with Extant in an attempt to ‘set things right’ by restarting the universe; the Justice Society of America are rapidly aged during the conflict. 1st appearance: Alpha Centurion/Marcus Aelius, Jack Knight, Wild Huntsman, Power Girl’s baby New identity: Monarch/Henry Hall as Extant; Cosmic Boy/Rokk Krinn as Time Trapper [Day of Judgment] | ZERO HOUR: CRISIS IN TIME! |
| Green Lantern #59 (1995) Kyle Rayner begins a relationship with Donna Troy. [Green Lantern] | ||
| The Flash #101 (1995) Max Mercury becomes Impulse’s mentor [Impulse] | RUNS IN THE FAMILY | |
| Batman/Demon (1996) The demon Baal-Hadad battles Batman and Etrigan. 1st appearance: Baal-Hadad [Impulse] | ||
| ✔ | The Final Night #1-4 (1996) Parallax redeems himself by sacrificing his life destroying the Sun-Eater to save Earth from destruction. [Day of Judgment] | THE FINAL NIGHT |
| ✔ | JLA #6-7 (1997) The angel Zauriel discovers a secret alliance between Asmodel, King-Angel of the Cherubim Alpha Battalion, and Hell’s ruler, Neron; Zauriel and the Justice League stop this initial plan. 1st appearance: Asmodel, Zauriel [Day of Judgment] | |
| Hitman #20 (1997) The demon Mawzir was last seen facing down the barrel of the one weapon that can kill him, in the hands of Tommy Monaghan. [Impulse] | ||
| ✔ | The Spectre #60-62 (1997-1998) Jim Corrigan learns the Spectre was once a rebel angel named Aztar; Jim Corrigan and the Spectre stand before God; Corrigan is freed from the Spectre and given his final rest. [Day of Judgment] | |
| ✔ | JLA: Paradise Lost #1-3 (1998) Asmodel and Neron continue their plan to conquer Heaven and are almost successful until Zauriel explains the true nature of God; Asmodel is banished to Hell by God. [Day of Judgment] | |
| ✔ | Starman #38 (1998) The Mist (Nash) kills Blue Devil using holy water; she also murders Crimson Fox and Amazing Man. 1st appearance: Kyle Knight [Day of Judgment] | |
| Supergirl #17-18 (1998) Supergirl exhibits flaming angel wings during a clash with Despero, hinting at her true role as the Earth-Born Angel of Fire. [Supergirl] | ||
| ✔ | JLA #16 (1998) Zauriel officially joins the Justice League. [Day of Judgment] | |
| Batman: Shadow of the Bat #73 (1998) An earthquake hits Gotham City, destroying numerous buildings. [Azrael, Batman] | CATACLYSM | |
| Wonder Woman #136 (1998) To resolve Donna Troy’s lost memory, Wonder Woman uses Wally West’s memories of her to restore as much of what she’s forgotten as possible. [Green Lantern, Titans] | ||
| Green Lantern #103 (1998) Kyle Rayner and Jenny Hayden begin a relationship. [Green Lantern] | ||
| ✔ | JLA #28-31 (1999) The Spectre is imprisoned on the astral plane by Triumph and mind-controlled members of the former Justice League Task Force; the Spectre is freed by Sentinel (Alan Scott) and Zauriel, though he has no host. 1st appearance: Lkz [Day of Judgment] |
| Must Reads | Title, Issue, Synopsis & First Appearances | Event/Crossover |
| Young Justice #4-5 (1999) Empowered by a demon, Harm attacks Young Justice in his first step towards becoming the world’s greatest murderer; Harm is shot dead by his father when he discovers his son’s intentions. 1st appearance: Harm/William Hayes [Day of Judgment] | ||
| Batman: Shadow of the Bat #82 (1999) Batman #562 (1999) The US Government declare Gotham City a ‘no man’s land’. [Batman] | ROAD TO NO MAN’S LAND | |
| Martian Manhunter #3-6 (1999) Martian Manhunter is framed by his brother, Malefic, for the death of his people; disguised as J’onn J’onzz, Malefic attacks the Justice League to further damage his reputation. 1st appearance: Bette Noir [Martian Manhunter] | ||
| DCU Villains Secret Files & Origins #1 [4/10] (1999) Etrigan and Neron meet for the first time, taunting each other. [Day of Judgment] | ||
| Aquaman #55 (1999) Aquaman’s mother, Atlanna, returns. New identity: Deep Blue/Deborah Perkins as Indigo, Charybdis as Piranha-Man [Aquaman] | ||
| Superboy #61-64 (1999) The Superboy clone Black Zero makes his full debut, emerging from a stream of Hypertime in which Superman remained dead and he continued to develope with both tactile telekinesis and Kryptonian powers; Black Zero refuses to let the true Superboy die in case it affects his own existence. 1st appearance: Black Zero (full appearance) [Superboy] | ||
| The Titans #3-4 (1999) The Titans battle the teenage demon Goth who lures the disaffected to Dis – his section of Hell. 1st appearance: Goth [Titans] | ||
| Stars and STRIPE #1 (1999) Courtney Whitmore puts on a costume and belt she finds in her stepfather’s garage and gets super-charged as the new Star-Spangled Kid. 1st appearance: Cindy Burman, Joshua Hamman, Travis Thomas [Stars and STRIPE] | ||
| The Titans #5 (1999) Vandal Savage begins forming his villain team Tartarus. 1st appearance: Red Panzer III, Siren [Titans] | IMMORTAL COMBAT | |
| Aquaman #59-60 (1999) Aquaman defeats Kingfish; Tempest and Dolphin are married. [Aquaman] | ||
| Hourman #5-7 (1999) Hourman’s trip to England is more eventful that he expected due to a run-in with Amazo, delaying his return home. [Hourman] | THE HUMAN LEAGUE | |
| Supergirl #37 (1999) Supergirl and Young Justice are fighting the human/demon hybrid Dante when Hell freezes over. [Day of Judgment, Young Justice] | HECK’S ANGELS |
The story continues in DAY OF JUDGMENT (1999)
| Collected Edition Title | Includes… |
| Last Days of the Justice Society of America | Last Days of the Justice Society of America Special #1 |
| Superman: The Death and Return of Superman Omnibus Superman: The Return of Superman | Superman #80 |
| Green Lantern: Emerald Twilight Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner vol.1 Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner Rising Compendium vol.1 | Green Lantern #48-50 |
| DC Finest – Events: Zero Hour, Part 1-2 Zero Hour: Crisis in Time Zero Hour: Crisis in Time Omnibus | Zero Hour #4-0 |
| The Final Night | The Final Night #1-4 |
| JLA Book One [compendium] JLA vol.2: American Dreams JLA by Grant Morrison Omnibus JLA: New World Order Essential Edition JLA: The Deluxe Edition vol.1 JLA vol.1 tpb | JLA #6-7 |
| JLA Book One [compendium] | JLA: Paradise Lost #1-3 |
| Starman vol.5: Infernal Devices Starman Omnibus vol.3 Starman Compendium vol.1 | Starman #38 |
| JLA Book Two [compendium] JLA vol.4: Strength in Numbers JLA by Grant Morrison Omnibus JLA: The Deluxe Edition vol.2 JLA vol.2 tpb | JLA #16 |
| JLA vol.5: Justice for All JLA by Grant Morrison Omnibus JLA: The Deluxe Edition vol.3 JLA vol.3 tpb | JLA #28-31 |
Reading Order © Omniverse Comics Guide 2025
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