Following Blackest Night (go to the reading order for details), the massive DC Comics crossover event of 2009-10, Geoff Johns and Peter J. Tomasi gave us the follow-up: Brightest Day, a year-long comic book maxi-series depicting the aftermath of the events of the Blackest Night storyline on the DC Universe.
Once dead, twelve heroes and villains were resurrected by a white light expelled deep within the center of the earth. Now, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Firestorm, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Deadman, Jade, Osiris, Hawk, Captain Boomerang, and Zoom must discover the mysterious reason behind their return and uncover the secret that binds them all.
What to read before Brightest Day?
There’s a simple answer to this question: Blackest Night. You can find the reading order here.
Brightest Day Reading Order:
Brightest Day Collected Editions
- Brightest Day Omnibus
Collects Brightest Day #0-24.
- Brightest Day Vol. 1
Collects Brightest Day #0-7. - Green Lantern Corps: Revolt of the Alpha Lanterns
Collects Green Lantern Corps #21-22 and 48-52. - Justice League of America: Dark Things
Collects JLA #44-48 and JSA #41-42. - Titans: Villains for Hire
Collects Titans #24-27 and Titans: Villains for Hire Special #1. - Birds of Prey: End Run
Collects Birds of Prey #1-6. - Titans: Family Reunion
Collects Titans vol. 2 #28–32, Shazam! #1. - Flash: The Dastardly Death of the Rogues
Collects The Flash vol. 3 #1–8, The Flash Secret Files 2010. - Green Lantern: Brightest Day
Collects Green Lantern #53-62. - Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors
Collects Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #1-7. - Green Lantern Corps: The Weaponer
Collects Green Lantern Corps #53-57 - Justice League: Generation Lost Vol. 1
Collects Justice League: Generation Lost #1-12. - Power Girl: Bomb Squad
collects Power Girl #13–18. - Booster Gold: Past Imperfect
Collects Booster Gold #32-38.
- Brightest Day Vol. 2
Collects Brightest Day #8-16. - Green Arrow: Into the Woods
Collects Green Arrow #1-6. - Justice League: Generation Lost Vol. 2
Collects Justice League: Generation Lost #13-24. - Power Girl: Old Friends
Collects Power Girl #19–27.
- Brightest Day Vol. 3
Collects Brightest Day #17-24. - Green Arrow: Salvation
Collects Green Arrow #8-15.
Brightest Day Reading Order Issue by Issue:
- Green Lantern Corps #47
- Brightest Day #0
- Justice League – Generation Lost #1-2
- Green Lantern #53
- Green Lantern Corps #48
- Brightest Day #1
- Green Lantern #54-55
- Green Lantern – Emerald Warriors #1
- Brightest Day #2-3
- Green Lantern Corps #49-52
- Justice League of America #44-45
- Titans – Villains for Hire Special #1
- Justice League of America #46
- Justice Society of America #41
- Brightest Day #4-5
- Brightest Day – The Atom Special #1
- Flash #1-4
- Justice League of America #47
- Justice Society of America #42
- Titans #24-25
- Green Arrow #1-3
- Brightest Day #6-8
- Birds of Prey #1-5
- Justice League – Generation Lost #3-6
- Flash #5
- Justice League of America #48
- Justice League – Generation Lost #7
- Justice Society of America #43
- Flash #6
- Justice League – Generation Lost #8-9
- Brightest Day #9
- Green Arrow #4
- Brightest Day #10
- Untold Tales of Blackest Night #1
- Brightest Day #11-12
- Green Arrow #5-7
- Justice League – Generation Lost #10-14
- Titans #26-28
- Justice League – Generation Lost #15-16
- Green Lantern – Emerald Warriors #2-3
- Green Lantern #56-58
- Justice League – Generation Lost #17-20
- Brightest Day #13-14
- Justice League – Generation Lost #21-24
- Green Lantern #59
- Green Lantern – Emerald Warriors #4
- Green Lantern Corps #53-54
- Brightest Day #15-17
- The Flash #7
- Brightest Day #18
- Green Lantern #60-62
- Green Lantern – Emerald Warriors #5
- Green Lantern Corps #55
- Green Lantern – Emerald Warriors #6
- Green Lantern Corps #56
- Brightest Day #19-21
- Green Arrow #8-10
- Green Lantern Corps #57
- Brightest Day #22
- Green Arrow #11
- Brightest Day #23-24
- Green Arrow #12
After Brightest Day?
After Blackest Night and Brightest Day, the adventure continues for all these heroes. Except for one maybe… Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for Swamp Thing is a limited series (a 3-issue miniseries in fact) only collected in the hardcover Brightest Day Book Two in the Blackest Night / Brightest Day Box Set.
Here is the official synopsis: Following the events of Brightest Day, the new protector of Earth has been chosen. But one reluctant hero making his return to the DCU is trying to convince Batman, Superman, and the other heroes of the DC Universe that this may not be a good thing because he can see that things are not right and mankind’s brightest days are indeed over.