'Dark Nights: Metal' reading order (and related stuff)

[Milk Tray Guy]

First time reading this, having just started Dark Days: The Road to Metal (which collects Dark Days: The Forge #1, Dark Days: The Casting #1, Final Crisis #6-7, Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1, Batman #38-39, Nightwing #17, and stories from Detective Comics #950).

According to Wikipedia the other collected editions are,

Dark Nights: Metal Deluxe Edition Hardcover (Collects Dark Nights: Metal #1-6)

Dark Nights: Metal: The Nightmare Batmen (Collects Batman: The Red Death #1, Batman: The Devestator #1, Batman: The Merciless #1, Batman: The Murder Machine #1, Batman: The Drowned #1, Batman: The Dawnbreaker #1, The Batman Who Laughs #1 and Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt #1)

Dark Nights: Metal - The Resistance (Collects Teen Titans #12, Nightwing #29, Suicide Squad #26, Green Arrow #32, The Flash #33, Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #32, Justice League #32-33, Batman: Lost #1, Hawkman: Found #1)

Thing is I've seen quite a bit of debate online about the reading order, with some fans saying just read the collections as they are and others saying that you need to jump about a bit between volumes for it to make chronological sense.

Does anybody here have any advice one way or the other?

Thanks.


Edit:

Okay...

I've finished reading the whole event - and just reading the volumes as published is definitely not the way to go!

Here is what seems to me to be the right reading order. I'm referring to the trades throughout (I've only read this event once; I'll read it again soon - in the following order this time - and if this needs any alteration I'll come back to it);

1. Dark Days: The Road to Metal. All of it, straight through.

2. Dark Nights: Metal (core series) #1 and 2

3. Dark Nights: Metal: The Resistance. All of it except all four parts of 'Bats Out of Hell'

4. Dark Nights: Metal: Dark Knights Rising (btw, this had a title change - it was originally listed as Dark Nights: Metal: The Nightmare Batmen). All of it, straight through.

5. Dark Nights: Metal (core series) #3

6. Now read all four parts of 'Bats Out of Hell' (that you skipped when you read Dark Nights: Metal: The Resistance - see point 3 above)

7. Dark Nights: Metal (core series) from #4 onwards.

Looking around online there are a few different suggestions on the placement of some issues that don't deal directly with core events. As I say, once I've tried it in this order I'll come back if it needs further work.

There are still some unanswered questions/things left hanging and some details definitely appear to be missing. I don't know if there were any other titles related to the event that haven't been collected yet . I'll look into that. Anyway, hope this is useful!



2nd Edit:

After a year's break from Dark Nights: Metal I kept my word and came back to it, trying the reading order I suggested above. It soon became apparent that it needed some more tweaking.

Soooo...

This is the full issue by issue reading order for the Dark Nights: Metal event including the tie-ins (but not the 'New Age of Heroes' spin-offs, which all came afterwards). After each entry I've included in brackets (and bolded) the trade that particular issue appears in. Underlined entries in red are the core series.

1. Dark Days: The Forge #1 (Dark Days: The Road to Metal)

2. Dark Days: The Casting #1 (Dark Days: The Road to Metal)

3. Dark Nights: Metal #1 (Dark Nights: Metal)

4. Dark Nights: Metal #2 (Dark Nights: Metal)

5. Teen Titans #12 | Gotham Resistance Part 1 (Dark Nights: Metal - The Resistance)

6. Nightwing #29 | Gotham Resistance Part 2 (Dark Nights: Metal - The Resistance)

7. Batman: The Red Death #1 (Dark Nights: Metal - Dark Knights Rising)

8. Batman: The Murder Machine #1 (Dark Nights: Metal - Dark Knights Rising)

9. Batman: The Dawnbreaker #1 (Dark Nights: Metal - Dark Knights Rising)

10. Batman: The Drowned #1 (Dark Nights: Metal - Dark Knights Rising)

11. Suicide Squad #26 | Gotham Resistance Part 3 (Dark Nights: Metal - The Resistance)

12. Green Arrow #32 | Gotham Resistance Part 4 (Dark Nights: Metal - The Resistance)

13. Batman: The Merciless #1 (Dark Nights: Metal - Dark Knights Rising)

14. Dark Nights: Metal #3 (Dark Nights: Metal)

15. The Flash #33 | Bats Out of Hell Part 1 (Dark Nights: Metal - The Resistance)

16. Justice League #32 | Bats Out of Hell Part 2 (Dark Nights: Metal - The Resistance)

17. Batman: The Devastator #1 (Dark Nights: Metal - Dark Knights Rising)

18. Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #32 | Bats Out of Hell Part 3 (Dark Nights: Metal - The Resistance)

19. Justice League #33 | Bats Out of Hell Part 4 (Dark Nights: Metal - The Resistance)

20. Batman Lost #1 (Dark Nights: Metal - The Resistance)

21. The Batman Who Laughs #1 (Dark Nights: Metal - Dark Knights Rising)

22. Dark Nights: Metal #4 (Dark Nights: Metal)

23. Hawkman Found #1 (Dark Nights: Metal - The Resistance)

24. Dark Nights: Metal #5 (Dark Nights: Metal)

25. Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt #1 (Dark Nights: Metal - Dark Knights Rising)

26. Dark Nights: Metal #6 (Dark Nights: Metal)

Reading it in that order there are occasional references to things we haven't seen, but that's actually intentional (they're subsequently shown in flashback).

I've crossed out my earlier suggested order at my first 'Edit' above.

Hope that helps someone - the whole series makes far more sense to me now!

 

[MMMMM...Pancakes]

Is the Road to Metal trade necessary?

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Can't really tell at the moment! I'm enjoying it though. Snyder certainly loves to retcon/reimagine DC history.

 

[Babillygunn]

I read all trades and tie ins, and still was pretty confused. Lol. That’s why I find the question “is ______ necessary?” a tough question.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Okay, thanks!

 

[MMMMM...Pancakes]

I read all trades and tie ins, and still was pretty confused. Lol. That’s why I find the question “is ______ necessary?” a tough question.

Interesting.

 

[MMMMM...Pancakes]

Any updates Milk Tray Guy?

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Any updates Milk Tray Guy?

I bought the three remaining trades today! I think I'll just read them book by book. But if it doesn't make sense I may have to rethink that. Either way once I'm done I'll post back as to what seemed the best way

 

[MMMMM...Pancakes]

I bought the three remaining trades today! I think I'll just read them book by book. But if it doesn't make sense I may have to rethink that. Either way once I'm done I'll post back as to what seemed the best way

Awesome! Thanks!

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Update:

Okay, half-way through. I read Dark Days: The Road to Metal and I've just finished Dark Nights: Metal which is the core series. No real problems so far, although once or twice DNM does seem to make a bit of a leap in its storytelling. Hopefully that'll be clarified in the other two volumes.

Next up is Dark Nights: Metal: Dark Knights Rising (which is shown on Wikipedia as being titled Dark Nights: Metal: The Nightmare Batmen; they must have had a rethink about that, as I've checked and the content/ISBN are identical.)

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

I read all trades and tie ins, and still was pretty confused. Lol.

Any updates Milk Tray Guy?

Okay, I've finished Metal and updated my OP with what I think is the reading order that makes the most sense. If you have any observations/suggestions please let me know!

 

[MMMMM...Pancakes]

Okay, I've finished Metal and updated my OP with what I think is the reading order that makes the most sense. If you have any observations/suggestions please let me know!

Thanks man!

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Thanks man!

You should have seen me sitting on the floor, surrounded by the trades and umpteen scraps of paper with notes and queries!

 

[sirmarkus]

Is the Road to Metal trade necessary?

At least read "The Forge" and "The Casting", they lay a lot of groundwork for the event.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Hi @Babillygunn @MMMMM...Pancakes. You're both probably way past caring about this now, but as promised I did go back to Dark Nights: Metal and I've re-done the reading order in the OP (2nd Edit) as a result. Apologies it took so long, but I needed a break before tackling Metal again!

 

[guitarsingerguy]

Man this is EXACTLY why I can't read comics anymore. It's too difficult to keep up with all the crossovers and where the stories are actually being told. I just end up waiting for the trades.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Man this is EXACTLY why I can't read comics anymore. It's too difficult to keep up with all the crossovers and where the stories are actually being told. I just end up waiting for the trades.

I wait on the trades 99% of the time now as well. What doesn't help is when you get a situation like this this one, where even when you get the trades you still have to hop around between volumes!

 

[guitarsingerguy]

I wait on the trades 99% of the time now as well. What doesn't help is when you get a situation like this this one, where even when you get the trades you still have to hop around between volumes!

Oh...wow...the Dark Metal trades aren't even straight forward? That's lame...

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Oh...wow...the Dark Metal trades aren't even straight forward? That's lame...

I've never encountered it as confusingly done as with the Metal trades. There's been talk of an omnibus edition. I'd like to think they'll put the chapters/issues in sequential order for that - but I won't hold my breath!

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

For reference

Links to my SHH reviews of Metal related stuff, along with ratings. Will be updated as and when.


The Unexpected: Call of the Unknown -- 7.5/10 -- Review What's your latest read?

New Challengers -- 6/10 -- Review What's your latest read?

The Immortal Men: The End of Forever -- 6.5/10 -- Review What's your latest read?

The Terrifics: Vol 1 - Meet the Terrifics -- 8/10 -- Review What's your latest read?

Damage: Vol 1 - Out of Control and Damage: Vol 2 - Scorched Earth -- 7.5/10 -- Reviewed together What's your latest read?

The Silencer: Vol 1 - Code of Honor -- 8/10 -- Review What's your latest read?

The Silencer: Vol 2 - Hell-iday Road -- 8/10 -- Review What's your latest read?

The Silencer: Vol 3 - Up in Smoke -- 8.5/10 -- Review What's your latest read?

All the above were launched under DC's 'New Age of Heroes' initiative, spinning out of the Dark Nights: Metal event,
with 'New Age of Heroes' and 'Dark Nights: Metal' labels displayed on the front covers.​

Tales From the Dark Multiverse (Dark reimaginings of Batman: Knightfall, The Death of Superman, Blackest Night, Infinite Crisis, and Teen Titans: The Judas Contract) -- 8/10 -- Review What's your latest read?

Hawkman: Awakening -- 8/10 -- Review What's your latest read?
(The cover states that this 'flies out of Dark Nights: Metal' so I've included it here for now in case of any direct tie-in to those events)

Supergirl: Infectious -- 5.5/10 -- Review What's your latest read?

Tales From the Dark Multiverse II (Dark reimaginings of Batman: Hush, Flashpoint, Wonder Woman: War of the Gods, Crisis on Infinite Earths, and Dark Nights: Metal) -- 7/10 -- Review What's your latest read?

The Batman Who Laughs -- 5/10 -- Review What's your latest read?

 

[Karelia]

Man I read just the main comics and really enjoyed them, but I'm definitely going to reread it and collect the side stories as well.

I'm a big metalhead so this comic just does it for me lol.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Man I read just the main comics and really enjoyed them, but I'm definitely going to reread it and collect the side stories as well.

I'm a big metalhead so this comic just does it for me lol.

Good luck! Btw, if you come across anything that contradicts my reading order please let me know!

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

[Post #20 updated]