Heroes in Crisis Reading Order

Overview

Heroes in Crisis (Review) is an event series involving numerous characters from across the DC Universe. The series starts with a murder at Sanctuary, a rehabilitation facility for heroes undergoing trauma. This leads to a murder mystery that every hero is desperate to solve, including the two prime suspects.

The main storyline in the Heroes in Crisis event is extremely straightforward. Readers can learn everything they need to know to understand the event simply by reading all nine issues of the main event series. There are a few tie-in comics that expand on emotions felt in the event but these are not necessary to understanding the plot.

Tie-Ins

The tie-ins to the Heroes in Crisis (Review) event have little to do with the actual mystery contained within the event and more to do with the event's emotional fallout. Each tie-in involves a heroes reacting to what happened at the beginning of the event.

1. This issue depicts what the Flash, Barry Allen, (Reading Order) did after discovering what happened in the first issue of Heroes in Crisis. In this way, it directly builds on his action in Heroes in Crisis #2.
2. This issue depicts Green Arrow's (Reading Order) reaction to what happened in the first issue of Heroes in Crisis. It provides a more in depth reaction to Arsenal's role in the main event.
3. These issues form "The Price" crossover. This story arc has Batman and the Flash (Reading Order) investigating a mystery. Though this mystery is tangentially related to the mystery found in the main Heroes in Crisis event series, it is more directly related to building on and further developing storylines running through the Batman and The Flash comics, such as Barry's relationship with his allies or the narrative surrounding Gotham Girl. The entire story arc also sees Batman and the Flash emotionally reacting to what happened in Heroes in Crisis #1.

Before Reading

In terms of direct preludes, Heroes in Crisis (Review) really only receives a few passing mentions, as the majority of the details behind Sanctuary are explained in the main event series. These are not necessary to understand the Heroes in Crisis storyline, instead they are simply small hints that the Heroes in Crisis storyline is on the horizon.

• Wally West officially decides to go to Sanctuary in The Flash #51, collected in The Flash Vol. 8: Flash War (Review).
• Arsenal mentions going to Sanctuary in Red Hood and the Outlaws Annual #2, collected in Red Hood: Outlaw Vol. 1: Requiem for an Archer, and in Green Arrow #43, collected in Green Arrow Vol. 7: Citizen's Arrest (Review).
• Batman mentions that Poison Ivy is going to Sanctuary in Batman #43, collected in Batman Vol. 6: Bride or Burglar (Review).

More significant preludes come from the storylines that directly explain characters' actions within the main Heroes in Crisis event. These storylines explain why specific characters are at Sanctuary and, thus, give additional context to what they say and do there.

• Wally West's problems start with his return in DC Universe: Rebirth (Review). However, the breakdown leading to his time at Sanctuary is detailed across the "Flash War" story arc from The Flash #46-51, collected in The Flash Vol. 8: Flash War (Review).
• Poison Ivy's actions across the "Everybody Loves Ivy" arc from Batman #41-43, collected in Batman Vol. 6: Bride or Burglar (Review), directly lead to her and Harley Quinn's appearances in the main Heroes in Crisis event.
• Booster Gold's actions across "The Gift" story arc from Batman #45-47, collected in Batman Vol. 7: The Wedding (Review) (Reading Order), lead to his appearances in the main Heroes in Crisis event.

After Reading

The aftermath of Heroes in Crisis (Review) is most significantly felt for the two Flashes, Wally West and Barry Allen (Reading Order), and for the two archers, Arsenal (Reading Order) and Green Arrow (Reading Order).

• Wally West's story continues in Flash Forward, which addresses the aftermath of Heroes in Crisis and could be seen as its most direct sequel.
• Barry Allen's story continues on in the rest of The Flash series, starting with The Flash #66, collected in The Flash Vol. 11: The Greatest Trick of All. The rest of the series begins to expand on what happened in "The Price" tie-ins.
• Arsenal's storyline and Green Arrow's reaction to it receive somewhat of an epilogue in the Green Arrow series. Specifically, Green Arrow #48-49, collected in either Heroes in Crisis: The Price and Other Stories (Review) or Green Arrow Vol. 8: End of the Road (Review).

Outside of the main event, few of the tie-in issues introduce new plot points that are expanded upon in other comics.

• Impulse’s story, from The Flash Annual #2, continues in the Young Justice series, which starts with Young Justice Vol. 1: Gemworld.
• Gotham Girl’s story, from "The Price", continues in Batman Vol. 11: City of Bane Part 1.
• The scene of Batman and Superman together, at the end of "The Price", is a prelude to the events of Batman/Superman Vol. 1: Who are the Secret Six? (Review).