Dark Nights: Metal Reading Order

Dark Nights: Metal and its prequel Dark Days was a monthly crossover storyline published between June 2017 and April 2018 as part of DC Rebirth. Written and steered by the dream team of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo from their New 52 (check out the New 52 reading order here) run Dark Nights and its tie ins explored a dark multiverse that Batman has been investigating which has connections to certain metals he has been finding through the years. The rest we will keep a secret as to not spoil anything! Despite being mainly driven by Batman, Dark Nights is a storyline which involves Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Superman, Nightwing and more which makes it a proper crossover.

So popular, it got a sequel as big as the original called Death Metal.

At first glance, Dark Nights: Metal seems very confusing and perhaps without a reading order it can become difficult to know where to start and what you’ll need so we’ve done all the hard work for you wit two reading orders – the first is the full issue by issue reading order which includes tie ins and the other is the more convenient and cheaper Dark Nights: Metal trade reading order.

Background reading

Let’s start by looking at some recommended background reading order, this is completely optional and not at all essential.

1. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s New 52 work, especially the Owls storyline and Endgame storyline.
2. Grant Morrison’s run – Read the Grant Morrison reading order here.
3. The Darkseid War
4. Flashpoint

Full Dark Nights: Metal Reading Order

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The following is the full issue by issue reading order of Dark Nights: Metal including the tie-ins.

1. Dark Days: The Forge #1
2. Dark Days: The Casting #1
3. Dark Nights: Metal #1
4. Dark Nights: Metal #2
5. Teen Titans #12 | Gotham Resistance Part 1
6. Nightwing #29 | Gotham Resistance Part 2
7. Batman: The Red Death #1
8. Batman: The Murder Machine #1
9. Batman: The Dawnbreaker #1
10. Batman: The Drowned #1
11. Suicide Squad #26 | Gotham Resistance Part 3
12. Green Arrow #32 | Gotham Resistance Part 4
13. Batman: The Merciless #1
14. Dark Nights: Metal #3
15. The Flash #33 | Bats Out of Hell Part 1
16. Justice League #32 | Bats Out of Hell Part 2
17. Batman: The Devastator #1
18. Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #32 | Bats Out of Hell Part 3
19. Justice League #33 | Bats Out of Hell Part 4
20. Batman Lost #1
21. The Batman Who Laughs #1
22. Dark Nights: Metal #4
23. Hawkman Found #1
24. Dark Nights: Metal #5
25. Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt #1
26. Dark Nights: Metal #6

Dark Nights: Metal Trade Reading Order

A much easier and cheaper way to enjoy Dark Nights: Metal is to collect the various trade paperbacks

Note: To read the trade in the order of the issue by issue then purchase all 4 trades and read them all at the same time. 

Dark Days: Road to Metal

This trade collects Dark Days: The Forge #1 and Dark Days: The Casting #1 written by James Tynion, as well as classic DC stories that built the foundations of Metal, including Final Crisis #6-7, The Return of Bruce Wayne #1, Batman #38-39, Nightwing #17. So it’s a bit more than you need but has some of the recommended reading we mentioned at the start.

Dark Nights: Metal Deluxe

This trade collects all 6 Dark Nights: Metal issues in one. Collects Dark Nights: Metal #1-6. If you want to read the issues in a good order then you’ll need to pick and put down this book often.

Dark Nights: The Nightmare Batmen

This trade collects the Nightmare Batmen issues from The Nightmare which are Batman: The Red Death #1, Batman: The Murder Machine #1, Batman: The Dawnbreaker #1, Batman: The Drowned #1, Batman: The Merciless #1, Batman: The Devastator #1, The Batman Who Laughs #1 and Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt #1. Again, you’ll need to pick up and put down this trade to get the right order (if you wanted).

Dark Nights: Metal – The Resistance

This book collects the tie ins. Specifically: Teen Titans #12, Nightwing#29, Suicide Squad #26, Green Arrow #32), The Flash #33, Justice League#32-33, Hal Jordan and The Green Lantern Corps #32, plus Batman Lost #1 and Hawkman Found #1. Yup, you guessed it. For the 100% correct order this will need to be picked up and put down.

Last update on 2023-09-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API