DC Metal Timeline
UPDATE: A more accurate Reading Order for this event is available. Click here to view our updated Reading Order.
DC’s Comics’ new Metal event is becoming larger and more complicated the more that we learn about it. With this in mind, we have combined everything we know about this event to present the most up to date and clear timeline that we possibly can. Explanations behind the various portions of this timeline are included directly below. As more information is revealed about DC’s Metal , we will be updating accordingly, so make sure to bookmark this page and check back in later.
| Dark Nights: Metal | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Main Series | Dark Multiverse Invades | Dark Knights | Other |
| 6/14/17 | Dark Days: The Forge #1 | |||
| 7/12/17 | Dark Days: The Casting #1 | |||
| 8/16/17 | Dark Nights: Metal #1 | Gotham Resistance | ||
| 9/13/17 | Dark Nights: Metal #2 | Teen Titans #12 | ||
| 9/20/17 | Nightwing #29 | Batman The Red Death #1 | ||
| 9/27/17 | Suicide Squad #26 | Batman The Murder Machine #1 | ||
| 10/4/17 | Green Arrow #32 | Batman The Dawnbreaker #1 | ||
| 10/11/17 | Dark Nights: Metal #3 | |||
| 10/18/17 | Justice Insurgence | Batman The Drowned #1 | ||
| 10/25/17 | The Flash #33 | Batman The Merciless #1 | ||
| 11/1/17 | Justice League #32 | Batman The Devastator #1 | ||
| 11/8/17 | Hal Jordan & the GLC #32 | Batman Lost #1 | ||
| 11/15/17 | Justice League #33 | The Batman Who Laughs | ||
| 12/13/17 | ||||
| 12/20/17 | Dark Nights: Metal #4 | |||
| 12/27/17 | Hawkman Found #1 | |||
| 1/31/18 | Dark Nights: Metal #5 | |||
| 2/14/18 | Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt #1 | |||
| 3/28/18 | Dark Nights: Metal #6 | |||
The Main Event
The main story for Metal starts with two prelude issues, Dark Days: The Forge (Review) and Dark Days: The Casting (Review). These issues are designed to introduce readers to the story and can together be viewed as a prologue to the main series. These two issues are, theoretically, not completely necessary to the overall story. However, they do provide a lot of information that makes later issues easier to understand.
The story will then continue as the Dark Nights: Metal series begins. This series began in August 2017 with Dark Nights: Metal #1 and will conclude in February 2018 with Dark Nights: Metal #6. Issues in this series will be released monthly, with November being skipped. Readers looking to just get the basics of this event should only have to read The Forge, The Casting, and the six issues of Metal to understand what is going on.
UPDATE: Dark Nights: Metal #4 will be delayed by a week and will be released on December 20th.
UPDATE: Dark Nights: Metal #5 will be delayed three weeks and will be released on January 31st, 2018.
UPDATE: Dark Nights: Metal #6 will be delayed until March 28th, 2018.
Gotham Resistance
In response to various “dark” versions of Batman invading our multiverse, heroes in Gotham City rise up to defend their home. These tie-in issues involve the main characters from individual series facing off against attacks from the Dark Multiverse.
The “Gotham Resistance” storyline should be read after Dark Nights: Metal #2 as they directly flow from the events of that issue.
Bats Out of Hell
These issues tell the story of the Justice League’s defense against the various evil versions of Batman that have invaded our reality. Each issue stars a member of the League and shows exactly what they are doing to defend the Earth.
Dark Knights
These tie-ins tell the story of seven different versions of Batman who have made their way over from the Dark Multiverse. Each of them features an amalgamation of Batman and a different DC hero/villain. Every individual issue details the origin of a dark version of Batman and their journey into the main DC Universe. We recommend reading these issues directly after reading Dark Nights: Metal #2 except for Batman: The Devastator, which should be read after Dark Nights: Metal #3.
ComicBookWire’s reviews of the Dark Knights tie-ins can be found here.
UPDATE 9/13/17: We now have a full color picture of all the Dark Nights. It can be seen right here.
Other
Batman: Lost explains exactly what happened to Batman between the events of Dark Nights: Metal #2 and Dark Nights: Metal #3.
Hawkman Found explains the events of Hawkman’s life that lead him to be where he is in Dark Nights: Metal #4. We suggest reading this issue after reading Dark Nights: Metal #4 so that the ending isn’t spoiled.
Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt details how the events of Metal are effecting the Multiversal order and how this is threatening to end all of reality. It is also a direct prelude to the events of Dark Nights: Metal #6.
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