Reading-Order

[dademan]

Heyas.

I am preparing myself for Final Crisis in May. I've just picked up COIE today, and I was wondering what the reading order would be for the whole Crisis event. I know this has been done a dozen+ times, but if I remember right:

COIE
Infinite Crisis
'52'/'Identity Crisis' (from what I've heard, you don't need to read them, but are good).
Countdown
FC

And I know they are mostly self-contained. But still, it would feel like I am missing something if I didn't read them all.

But correct me on the order, thanks!

[BurningStarIV]

Heyas.

I am preparing myself for Final Crisis in May. I've just picked up COIE today, and I was wondering what the reading order would be for the whole Crisis event. I know this has been done a dozen+ times, but if I remember right:

COIE
Infinite Crisis
'52'/'Identity Crisis' (from what I've heard, you don't need to read them, but are good).
Countdown
FC

And I know they are mostly self-contained. But still, it would feel like I am missing something if I didn't read them all.

But correct me on the order, thanks!
52 is really the highlight of this whole list in my opinion, so definitely read that.

Identity Crisis actually takes place before Infinite Crisis. I really enjoyed it, and I think it's a pretty good read. Not the best thing ever, but certainly sets up things that happen later in the universe.

[Floyd The Barber]

Heyas.

I am preparing myself for Final Crisis in May. I've just picked up COIE today, and I was wondering what the reading order would be for the whole Crisis event.

Dude...honestly? The original Crisis is HIGHLY recommended, Crisis On Infinite Earths, and 52 are good reads.
But truthfully, none of it's probably necessary for you to enjoy Final Crisis.

Avoid Identity Crisis like the plague. Better off to read a quick Wikipedia style summary of it than the book itself. The book itself is a depressing soul-sucking voyage into misogyny and paranoia that I couldn't in good conscience recommend to anybody.

[carabas]

According to DC, Final Crisis will be pretty much completely stand-alone. Apparently even Countdwown To Final Crisis isn't required reading.

[ZombieHavoc]

I read about half of Countdown before getting bored out of my mind.

I plan to pick up Final Crisis, and maybe I'll buy Countdown 3, 2, and 1, just to kind of see what went on since #26 or where ever I left off.

[K26dp]

You probably could skip the lot of them and get more out of reading Morrison's Seven Soldiers Of Victory books.

[Choppa]

Yeah you don't really have to read anything to jump into FC. But it's supposed to be the third part of the "Crisis" trilogy (Identity, Infinite, Final), so if you want to get a little more out of it you can read those as well. However if you do I would say that 52 is important as well and comes between Infinite and Final.

[dademan]

Alrighty. Thank you for all the responces.

[Batman was taken]

Avoid Identity Crisis like the plague. Better off to read a quick Wikipedia style summary of it than the book itself. The book itself is a depressing soul-sucking voyage into misogyny and paranoia that I couldn't in good conscience recommend to anybody.

Whereas I greatly enjoyed it, and would recommend it. Different stokes, as they say.

[carabas]

It's better than average. It's just too bad that they got cold feet and switched the identity of teh killer at the last moment (as far as I can see anyway).

[Magneto Rocks]

For the record, Identity Crisis was a good idea with a rather horrendous execution (With some exceptions, like the very well done "Father's Day" issue) but I'd say it's definitely essential reading. It leads straight into the four "Countdown to Infinite Crisis" miniseires, and frankly, Infinite Crisis is incomprehensible without said series'.

[Super Buddies Forever]

COIE was groundbreaking in its day, but its kind of a tough read today. Historically interesting, sure, but make sure you go into it with Wikipedia at the ready.

I'd also like to bring up "Zero Hour: Crisis In Time," since it's the red-headed stepchild of DC's Crisis events. I loved it, but that was mostly for the tie-ins. Seriously, I'll argue that this event had some of the best tie-ins ever. Stuff like Superman being visited by various incarnations of Batman, Batman going back in time to the night of his parents murder (only to find that it was a reality where he was the victim), Cadmus clone Superboy meeting the Silver Age Superboy, and Tim Drake teaming with a young Dick Grayson. The tie-ins also added extra weight to the storyline, with characters actually stopping to consider that all of reality was being destroyed. If you get Zero Hour, make sure you get the issues that tie into it, especially the various Superman and Batman monthlies.

[Ullar]

I use a site called crisis2crisis.com and accoriding to that the essential books are

Crisis on Multiple Earths The Team Ups Vol 1
COIE
History of the DCU
Identity Crisis
OMAC Project
Villains United
Day of Vengeance
Rann-Thanagar War
Prelude to IC
The Return of Donna Troy
Power Girl (tpb)
JLA Crisis Of Conscience
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis Companion (tpb)
52
WWIII

[Angelo2113]

Yeah you don't really have to read anything to jump into FC. But it's supposed to be the third part of the "Crisis" trilogy (Identity, Infinite, Final), so if you want to get a little more out of it you can read those as well. However if you do I would say that 52 is important as well and comes between Infinite and Final.

Identity is supposed to be the first part of the Trilogy? I thought it was Crisis on Infinite Earths, Infinite Crisis, and then Final Crisis?