The following is a guide to the trade paperback reading order for the Brightest Day miniseries and its related crossover titles.
This list was completed 4/3/12. It was initially based on DC Comics's
After about Brightest Day #10, however, DC ceased to release an issue-by-issue reading order for Brightest Day, in part we speculate because Brightest Day does become more self-contained toward the end of its run, and also because the advent of the DC New 52 made some pieces of Brightest Day irrelevant.
This first list suggests how to read Brightest Day in order, completely in trade format. Bold items are essential reading. Italic items are very relevant tie-ins (I would not go so far as to say any Brightest Day tie-in is "essential"); plain type items are bannered as Brightest Day tie-ins or otherwise related, but not considered relevant. This list is similar to that on the DC Trade Paperback Timeline, but modified slightly in the absence of the greater DCU. The original issue-by-issue list follows after.
Brightest Day Vol. 1
Green Lantern Corps: Revolt of the Alpha Lanterns
Green Lantern: Brightest Day
Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors
Green Lantern Corps: The Weaponer
Justice League of America: The Dark Things
Birds of Prey: End Run
Titans: Villains for Hire
Titans: Family Reunion
Flash: The Dastardly Death of the Rogues
Wonder Woman: Odyssey Vol. 1
Justice League: Generation Lost Vol. 1
Power Girl: Bomb Squad
Booster Gold: Past Imperfect
Brightest Day Vol. 2
Green Arrow: Into the Woods
Justice League: Generation Lost Vol. 2
Power Girl: Old Friends
Wonder Woman: Odyssey Vol. 2
Brightest Day Vol. 3
Green Arrow: Salvation
Green Lantern Corps: Revolt of the Alpha Lanterns
Green Lantern: Brightest Day
Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors
Green Lantern Corps: The Weaponer
Justice League of America: The Dark Things
Birds of Prey: End Run
Titans: Villains for Hire
Titans: Family Reunion
Flash: The Dastardly Death of the Rogues
Wonder Woman: Odyssey Vol. 1
Justice League: Generation Lost Vol. 1
Power Girl: Bomb Squad
Booster Gold: Past Imperfect
Brightest Day Vol. 2
Green Arrow: Into the Woods
Justice League: Generation Lost Vol. 2
Power Girl: Old Friends
Wonder Woman: Odyssey Vol. 2
Brightest Day Vol. 3
Green Arrow: Salvation
The original issue-by-issue list for reading the first "act" of Brightest Day:
If you are not the kind who likes flipping back and forth between trades, we recommend starting with Brightest Day and Justice League: Generation Lost, and then picking up the related trades in the order listed. Unlike Blackest Night, the Brightest Day crossover issues don't necessarily follow one right after another, so you can allow yourself some leeway in how you proceed.
Speaking of Brightest Day, do you plan on reviewing the Birds of Prey: Endrun trade at some point? If so, I'm looking forward to it, and if not, I'd be glad to do another guest review! (Tomato here, by the way. I did the Astonishing X-Men review a while back.)
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Tomato
Hey, Tomato! Personally my wallet can't take Birds of Prey switching over to hardcover, but I think I've got a copy lined up to borrow soon after it comes out; if that falls through I'll let you know. If there's another book you might want to cover, send me an email and we'll talk. Thanks!
ReplyDelete> If you are not the kind who likes flipping back and forth between trades, we recommend starting with Brightest Day and Justice League: Generation Lost, and then picking up the related trades in the order listed.
ReplyDeleteThis sentence confuses me. "Order listed"? What order would you read, say, the following in:
- Brightest Day, Vol. 1-3
- Generation Lost, Vol. 1-2
- Green Lantern: Brightest Day
- GLC: Revolt of the Alpha Lanterns
- Emerald Warriors
I'd definitely love to do another review, as I think I've improved ages since then. I'll think about what to review, and get in touch. Are you planning on reviewing any more Secret Six, or is that fair game? Don't want to step on toes.
ReplyDeleteTomato
I was actually thinking of trying BoP with the relaunch, but I'm so wary about it now. Birds of Prey is quickly becoming a troubled series. Benes is gone after the first arc and the most recent arc - which DC has hyped to hell - consisted of four issues. Each issue of the arc had a different artist. That's... yeah.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear Birds of Prey is having troubles. I would otherwise trust Gail Simone's writing implicitly -- curious to see how this is.
ReplyDeleteGood question, Steve. Yes, I would start with the Brightest Day and JL: Generation Lost books, and then go down the list starting with the first book you come to -- that is, Green Lantern, GLC, Flash, Justice League of America, etc. Emerald Warriors didn't start until later on.
Cheers, thanks for the help!
ReplyDeleteIs there any news on where Brightest Day: The Atom Special #1 will be collected?
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard anything. Maybe the special would have been collected with Jeff Lemire's Atom Adventure Comics co-feature, but now that the co-features have been discontinued and a couple of Lemire's remaining stories were collected in a periodical issue, I don't foresee DC bringing the whole thing all together (nor Nick Spencer's Jimmy Olsen, for that matter). More's the pity; maybe we'll luck out.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see this on here! I talked about it on your Blackest Night post and was able to find this great list via Google. I look forward to reading this event :-)
ReplyDeletecan you please finish and update this!! i love the site and wanna read brightest day but can't!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for going back and finishing this off. I'm just about to start reading Brightest Day (got my last GL-related book from Amazon the other day - was waiting for the TPB, but broke down and got the HC so I wouldn't have to keep waiting), and will definitely be using this as my guide. Well, mostly, as I already went ahead and read JL: Generation Lost and JL: Dark Things. :-)
ReplyDeleteSure thing. You won't have to wait so long for the Flashpoint one ...
ReplyDeleteI know this is a super late comment, but is Brightest Day Aftermath collected anywhere?
ReplyDeleteThe Swamp Thing book? No. Basically killed by the advent of Flashpoint and the New 52.
DeleteWell that's disappointing.
DeleteFor completest purposes, sure, though the events were so quickly swept under the rug that you're not missing much necessarily.
Delete