DC Comics was a total mess in 1985. You had three different versions of Flash, two versions of Superman, and a multiverse so cluttered that even the writers were tripping over their own continuity. Marv Wolfman and George Pérez decided to fix it. They didn't just write a story; they nuked the status quo. If you're looking for crisis on infinite earths comics in order, you aren't just looking for a reading list. You're looking for a map of how the modern superhero era was born.
It's massive.
Honestly, the sheer volume of tie-ins is enough to make any casual reader quit before they start. Back then, "event fatigue" wasn't a thing yet, so DC went all-in. They didn't just stick to the main twelve-issue limited series. They dragged every single title—from Wonder Woman to The Fury of Firestorm—into the cosmic blender. Trying to read it all can feel like trying to drink from a firehose, but there is a logic to the madness.
The Core Twelve: Your Essential Foundation
Forget the fluff for a second. If you just want the meat of the story, you read Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 through #12. That’s it. That is the spine. Wolfman wrote it with the intention that you could follow the Anti-Monitor’s path of destruction without buying every single book on the rack.
Issue #1 kicks off with the destruction of Earth-3. It’s brutal. You see the Crime Syndicate—the evil versions of the Justice League—getting erased by a wall of white antimatter. It set the stakes immediately. By the time you get to issue #7, things get heavy. This is where the legendary death of Supergirl happens. George Pérez’s art here is haunting; that cover of Superman holding her body is burned into the brain of every comic fan alive.
Then comes issue #8. Barry Allen. The Flash. His sacrifice is probably the most famous moment in DC history. For decades, he stayed dead. That’s something modern comics rarely have the guts to do anymore. The "order" here is chronological by issue number, and it flows perfectly. But if you stop there, you miss the emotional weight of how the rest of the world reacted to the end of everything.
Navigating the Tie-Ins Without Getting Lost
This is where the crisis on infinite earths comics in order conversation gets tricky. DC didn't have a standardized "Checklist" in every book like they do now. Some stories happen simultaneously. Others are just "Crisis Crossovers" in name only, featuring a few red skies and a character looking worriedly at the horizon.
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If you want the full experience, you have to weave.
Take All-Star Squadron #50 to #56. These are essential because they deal with the Golden Age heroes of Earth-2. While the main series shows the big cosmic battles, these issues show the ground-level panic. You see the Justice Society of America realizing their entire history is being rewritten in real-time. It’s existential horror disguised as a caper.
Then you have the "Aftermath" books. Legends #1 technically follows the fallout, but within the Crisis itself, Superman #414 and DC Comics Presents #87 are vital. They introduce Superboy-Prime. At the time, he was just a tragic kid from "our" world. Nobody knew he’d eventually become a reality-punching villain years later. Reading these in the middle of the main event adds layers of irony you can't get otherwise.
The "Red Skies" Problem
You’ll hear fans talk about "Red Skies" tie-ins. It’s a bit of a joke now. During the original run, editors told writers to put red skies in their books to show the Crisis was happening, even if the plot had nothing to do with the Anti-Monitor.
Batman #389 is a prime example. Bruce is busy dealing with Catwoman and a guy named Film Freak. The skies are red, sure, but the Crisis is basically background noise. You can skip these. You really can. If you’re a completionist, go for it, but don't feel like you’re losing the narrative thread if you ignore Green Lantern #194 or Detective Comics #558. They don't move the needle.
On the flip side, Swamp Thing #46 by Alan Moore is a masterpiece. It’s a tie-in that actually feels like literature. It looks at the Crisis from a mystical, gothic perspective. It’s one of the few books that captures the sheer cosmic dread of a multiverse dying. If you’re following a strict order, slot this in right after Crisis #4.
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The Post-Crisis Clean Up
The event ended with issue #12, but the story didn't "stop." The multiverse was gone. One single Earth remained. This created a massive headache for DC because suddenly, characters had no backstories.
- The Last Days of the Justice Society Special #1: This is the literal funeral for the Golden Age era. It explains why the Earth-2 heroes didn't just stick around. It’s a heartbreaking "thank you" to the characters that started the industry.
- Batman: Year One: Frank Miller’s reimagining. This is the direct result of the Crisis.
- The Man of Steel: John Byrne’s reboot of Superman.
- Wonder Woman: Gods and Mortals: George Pérez taking over Diana and making her relevant again.
If you read the crisis on infinite earths comics in order and then stop, you’re missing the "Why." The whole point was to pave the way for these reboots. The ending of the main series isn't a "The End" sign; it's a "Construction Ahead" sign.
Why Chronology Actually Matters Here
In most modern events, like Dark Nights: Metal or Civil War, the order is just a suggestion. In Crisis, the order is a countdown.
The story is built on the tension of disappearing worlds. If you read the tie-ins out of sequence, the stakes vanish. You might see a character mourning a death that hasn't happened yet in the main book. Or worse, you see a character who was supposed to be erased from existence just hanging out at a bar in a B-tier title.
The most effective way to consume this is the "Sandwich Method." Read the main issue, then read the corresponding tie-ins for that month.
The Mid-Point Shift
Around issue #5 and #6, the scale shifts from "Earths are dying" to "We are fighting back." This is the best time to read The Omega Men #31 and The Fury of Firestorm #41. These issues deal with the cosmic entities and the villains trying to take advantage of the chaos. Lex Luthor and Brainiac gathering a villain army is a subplot that runs parallel to the heroes' struggle, and it’s actually pretty fun to see the bad guys realize that if the universe dies, they have nothing left to rule.
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Common Misconceptions About the Reading Order
A lot of people think Infinite Crisis or Final Crisis should be read alongside the original. Don't do that. Those are sequels written decades later. They rely on nostalgia for the 1985 event. If you mix them in, you will be hopelessly confused.
Another mistake is trying to read all the "Pre-Crisis" stuff first. You don't need to read every Justice League comic from 1963 to 1984. The first two issues of Crisis do a decent job of explaining the Multiverse. All you really need to know is:
- Earth-1: The main heroes (Silver Age).
- Earth-2: The old-school heroes from the 40s (Golden Age).
- Earth-3: The evil versions.
- Earth-S: The Shazam family (formerly Fawcett Comics).
- Earth-X: Where the Nazis won (formerly Quality Comics).
The comic is literally about these worlds colliding. If you know that, you’re ahead of the game.
Making the List Work for You
If you’re ready to dive in, don’t aim for 100% completion on your first pass. It’s too much. Start with the "Essential Path."
- Crisis on Infinite Earths #1-2
- All-Star Squadron #50-51
- Crisis on Infinite Earths #3-4
- Swamp Thing #46
- Crisis on Infinite Earths #5
- DC Comics Presents #87 (First Superboy-Prime)
- Crisis on Infinite Earths #6-7 (The Big Death)
- Legends of the DC Universe: Crisis on Infinite Earths (A later addition, but fits here)
- Crisis on Infinite Earths #8-9 (The Second Big Death)
- Crisis on Infinite Earths #10-12
- The Last Days of the Justice Society Special #1
This sequence preserves the emotional beats while giving you enough context to understand why the world felt so different on the other side.
The 1985 Crisis remains the gold standard for "event" storytelling because it actually had consequences. It wasn't a marketing gimmick that got reversed six months later. It changed the DNA of DC for twenty years. When you read it in order, you aren't just reading a comic; you're watching an entire fictional universe die and be reborn.
Start with the Crisis on Infinite Earths trade paperback that collects the main twelve issues. Once you've processed the ending—and you’ll need a minute—go back and hunt for the Swamp Thing and All-Star Squadron issues to see the shadows in the corners. It makes the whole experience feel less like a product and more like an epic.
To get the most out of your reading, track down the "Compendium" editions or use a digital service like DC Universe Infinite, where you can search by publication date. Focus on the core twelve first, then branch into the Earth-2 tie-ins if you want more heart, or the cosmic books if you want more spectacle. Grab a copy of issue #7 specifically—even a cheap reprint—just to appreciate Pérez's ability to draw five hundred characters in a single panel without it looking messy. It’s a feat of human skill that we rarely see in the age of digital shortcuts.