Back in 2017, the creators Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo crafted the hugely successful Dark Nights: Metal. Massive in scale and bombastic in attitude, it has gone onto be one of the most well-received comic book events in a very long time. In 2020 the creative team is back for yet another helping in the indirect sequel known as Dark Nights: Death Metal.
This time around, readers bare witness to a world in which the Justice League has been defeated. The Batman Who Laughs now rules the world and shaped it into his image. Will the heroes stop him? You’ll have to read to find out!
This Dark Nights: Death Metal Reading Order Checklist has been put together so you don’t miss out on any of the action. It’s got all of the issues involved, their recommended reading order, as well as background reading, release dates and much more.
Happy reading!
Background Reading
Looking to read the stories that build-up to Dark Nights: Death Metal? These are the comics you should check out.
Dark Nights: Metal
Written by Scott Snyder. Art by Greg Capullo.
Dark Nights: Death Metal will be a thematic and spiritual sequel to Dark Nights: Metal. This bombastic comic book event was a lot of fun and introduced many of the concepts that can be found in Dark Nights: Death Metal. Find out all about it in this handy reading order.
This story introduced The Batman Who Laughs character.
Scott Snyder’s Justice League Run
Snyder’s Justice League run picked up on threads from the conclusion of Dark Nights: Metal and ran for 39 issues. If 39 issues is too much to read then the final story, Justice/Doom War, helps set up Dark Nights: Death Metal. Read Justice League #27-39.
Year of the Villain
A lot of the build-up to Dark Nights: Death Metal happens in Year of the Villain, a year-long meta-story which has two major threads involving Lex Luthor and The Batman Who Laughs. You can find out all about it in this this detailed reading order.
If that is too much reading for your liking then I recommend reading Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen #1-4, which is the conclusion of Year of the Villain and sets up Dark Nights: Death Metal.
Flash Forward
Written by Scott Lobdell. Art by Brett Booth.
This is a 6-part miniseries which sets up what has been going on with Wally West. He will appear in the Speed Metal one-shot. If you want, you could also add the Wally West story that was in Flash #750.
Previous DC Comics Events
At the Super Heroes of DC panel at C2E2 2020, writer Scott Snyder hinted that there will be plenty of easter eggs and references to past stories. Some of the the stories we know are referenced in some way include:
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Blackest Night
Doomsday Clock
Infinite Crisis
Don’t worry if you haven’t read these previous stories as the easter eggs and references won’t be essential knowledge in order to follow Dark Nights: Death Metal.
https://www.howtolovecomics.com/2020/06/08/dark-nights-death-metal-reading-order/