It’s a new year. It’s a new DC continuity. It’s a new future! It was supposed to be a massive reboot named G5, but things changed and it’s now Future State a two-month event spinning out of the finale of Dark Nights: Death Metal (Reading Order) that takes us on a journey from the near future to the end of time to witness the destinies of DC’s heroes.
It’s a future full of surprises for Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Justice League, the Teen Titans, and so many more. A future that will see new and younger heroes taking the place of the ones we know. A future that will lead them to hostile territories. A future that will help define a different present.
DC Future State is a collection of 25 miniseries. Most of them are two-issue tales (but some are four-issue stories).
What to read before DC Future State?
As the Dark Nights: Death Metal event (Reading Order) is ending, a new future take form. At the end of Dark Nights: Death Metal #7, there is not one, but two epilogues that are leading us into a new world, one of them is the DC Future State world.
The DC Future State event is—in theory—self contained (a bit like Age of Apocalypse). You’re not really required to read anything outside of it.
DC Future State Reading Order
To be honest, I tried to make sense of the continuity between the different titles, but I failed. In fact, in some books with multiple stories, it’s sometimes hard to know when each story takes place. Sorry.
- Future State: The Next Batman #1-4
- Future State: Harley Quinn #1-2
- Future State: Robin Eternal #1-2
- Future State: Nightwing #1-2
- Future State: Catwoman #1-2
- Future State: Batman/Superman #1-2
- Future State: Dark Detective #1-4
- Future State: The Flash: Death Race #1-2
- Future State: Teen Titans: Dead of the Class #1-2
There’s a reference to The Flash #2 in Teen Titans: Dead of the Class #1. - Future State: Shazam!: The Death of William Batson #1-2
- Future State: Aquaman #1-2
- Future State: Suicide Squad #1-2
- Future State: Superman of Metropolis #1-2
- Future State: Green Lantern #1-2
- Future State: Justice League #1-2
- Future State: Superman: Worlds of War #1-2
- Future State: Superman Vs. Imperious Lex #1-3
- Future State: Wonder Woman #1-2
- Future State: Kara Zor-El, Superwoman #1-2
- Future State: Superman/Wonder Woman #1-2
- Future State: House of El #1
- Future State: Legion 5000 #1-2
- Future State: Swamp Thing: Obsidian Sun #1-2
- Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #1-2
DC Future State Collected Editions
- Future State: Dark Detective
Collects Future State: Dark Detective #1-4 (main story), Future State: Catwoman #1-2, Future State: Harley Quinn #1-2, Future State: Robin Eternal #1-2, Future State: Batman/Superman #1-2. - Future State: The Next Batman
Collects Future State: The Next Batman #1-4, Future State: Nightwing #1-2, Future State: Dark Detective #1 & 3 (select stories), and backup stories.- Future State: The Next Batman is also collected in Batman by John Ridley The Deluxe Edition.
- Future State: Justice League
Collects Future State: Justice League #1-2, Future State: Justice League Dark #1-2, Future State: Aquaman #1-2, Future State: Green Lantern #1-2, Future State: The Flash #1-2.
- Future State: Superman
Collects Future State: Superman of Metropolis #1-2, Future State: Superman vs. Imperious Lex #1-3, Future State: Superman: Worlds at War #1-2, Future State: House of El #1, Future State: Kara Zor-El, Superwoman #1-2, Future State: Legion of Super-Heroes #1-2. - Future State: Suicide Squad
Collects Future State: Suicide Squad #1-2, Future State: Teen Titans #1-2, Future State: Shazam! #1-2, Future State: Swamp Thing #1-2. - Future State: Wonder Woman
Collects Future State: Wonder Woman #1-2, Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #1-2, Future State: Superman/Wonder Woman #1-2.
After DC Future State
DC Future State started as an event but mostly became another reality. Once the main event concluded, DC launched its Infinite Frontier soft reboot, using Future State to tease what could come if Batman lose at the end of the Fear State event. The I am Batman, Wonder Girl, Aquaman: The Becoming series, and more were also influenced by the event.
Fear State stayed alive with new ongoing series set in its dystopic setting:
- Future State Vol. 1: Gotham
Collects Future State: Gotham #1-7 and stories from Future State: Dark Detective #2-4. - Future State: Gotham Vol. 2: The Next Joker
Collects Future State: Gotham #7-12. - Future State: Gotham Vol. 3: Batmen at War
Collects Future State: Gotham #13-18.