Get ready to go to the 853rd Century! DC One Million was a 1998 event written by Grant Morrison and drawn by Val Semeiks set a million issues in the future – meaning, in the 853rd Century
In this possible future, Earth remains safe, thanks to the heroics of the JLA of the future. The descendants of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and others remain united in combating forces of evil but perhaps have never met anything as deadly as the sentient super-computer Solaris, the Tyrant Sun. As this villainous threat becomes too much to handle, these heroes of the future turn to the only group they know can help: the original JLA.
The core of the event was a four-issue mini-series, and the thirty-four other series then being published by DC also put out a single issue numbered #1,000,000, which either showed its characters’ involvement in the central plot or gave a glimpse of what its characters’ descendants/successors would be doing in the 853rd century.
What to read before DC One Million?
DC One Million is a stand-alone event, meaning that you don’t need any pre-plot knowledge before diving into it.
It takes place during Grant Morrison’s run (see reading order) and more precisely, after JLA #23, as the final two pages of this issue lead into the story. But, those famous two pages have almost never been included in the several reprints (from JLA: Strength in Numbers trade paperback to the digital version available on ComiXology to even the DC One Million Omnibus hardcover or trade paperback collections).
If you want to read those two pages (which includes the return of Diana as the team’s Wonder Woman), you will have to get hold of JLA Deluxe Edition Vol. 3 hardcover.
DC One Million Reading Order
DC One Million Reading Order: Collected Editions:
- DC One Million Omnibus
Includes The Following Issues: DC One Million #1-4, And Tales From The Following: Action Comics 1,000,000, Adventures Of Superman 1,000,000, Aquaman 1,000,000, Azrael 1,000,000, Batman 1,000,000, Batman: Shadow Of The Bat 1,000,000, Catwoman 1,000,000, Chase 1,000,000, Chronos 1,000,000, Creeper 1,000,000, Detective Comics 1,000,000, Flash 1,000,000, Green Arrow 1,000,000, Green Lantern 1,000,000, Hitman 1,000,000, Impulse 1,000,000, Jla 1,000,000, Legion Of Super-Heroes 1,000,000, Legionnaires 1,000,000, Lobo 1,000,000, Martian Manhunter 1,000,000, Nightwing 1,000,000, Power Of Shazam 1,000,000, Resurrection Man 1,000,000, Robin 1,000,000, Starman 1,000,000, Superboy 1,000,000, Supergirl 1,000,000, Superman 1,000,000, Superman: The Man Of Steel 1,000,000, Superman: The Man Of Tomorrow 1,000,000, Wonder Woman 1,000,000, Young Justice 1,000,000, Jla In Crisis Secret Files, Dc One Million 80-Page Giant #1, Booster Gold 1,000,000, And Superman/Batman #79-80!
In the past, the event has also been reprinted in a trade paperback (the latest edition being from 2004):
- JLA: One Million
Collects DC One Million #1-4, Green Lantern #1,000,000, Resurrection Man #1,000,000, Starman #1,000,000, JLA #1,000,000, Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #1,000,000, Detective Comics #1,000,000
DC One Million Reading Order: Issue by issue
What’s coming next is the full list of issues from the event. We will not pretend we can do a better reading order than the Bring Back Wendell Vaughn Tumblr, and we invite you to visit him for more details.
Core issues:
- Chronos #1000000
- JLA #23
- DC One Million #1
- Young Justice #1000000
- Action Comics #1000000
- Batman #1000000
- Catwoman #1000000
- Robin #1000000
- DC One Million #2
- Impulse #1000000
- Superman: Man of Steel #1000000
- Superman #1000000
- Superboy #1000000
- Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1000000
- Nightwing #10000000
- Detective Comics #1000000
- Green Lantern #1000000
- Starman #1000000
- JLA #1000000
- DC One Million #3
- Aquaman #1000000
- Power of Shazam #1000000
- Flash #1000000
- Wonder Woman #1000000
- Martian Manhunter #1000000
- Adventures of Superman #1000000
- Resurrection Man #1000000
- Superman: Man of Tomorrow #1000000
- DC One Million #4
The following can be read at any point and even totally separate, as they don’t have any consequences for the main story at all.
- Azrael #1000000
- Chase #1000000
- Creeper #1000000
- Green Arrow #1000000
- Legionnaires #1000000
- Legion of Super-Heroes #1000000
- Lobo #1000000
- Supergirl #1000000
The following are revisits of the DC One Million timeline or story:
- DC One Million 80-Page Giant #1 (1999)
- Hourman #1-25 (1999-2001)
- Martian Manhunter #11 (1999)
- JLA 80-Page Giant #2 (1999)
- All-Star Superman #6 (2007)
- Booster Gold #1000000 (2008)
- Superman/Batman #79 (2011)
- Superman/Batman #80 (2011)
After DC One Million
As a stand-alone event, DC One Million told a complete story, but a few references have been made to the miniseries since then:
- You can check out Grant Morrison’s All-Star Superman where the Superman from DC One Million makes an appearance (as well as Solaris).
- Morrison’s Batman #700 contains a cameo from One Million Batman and his sidekick, Robin, the Toy Wonder.
Also, don’t forget to read or finish reading Morrison’s run on the JLA!