I'm usually more of a Marvel guy than a DC guy. But the beauty of DC is that they publish way more standalone, evergreen stories that allow you to dip back into beloved characters like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman over the years without having to do a ton of catchup. For those who might be in the same boat of wanting some low-commitment-but-high-quality books to explore, I've put together 5 must-read DC graphic novels that you might want to consider picking up.
Must-Read Graphic Novel #1 - Catwoman: Lonely City
There are a surprising number of great superhero books that take place in hypothetical futures – something about catching up to what became of our favorite heroes is a trick that just never gets old. The most recent spin on this was Cliff Chiang's magnum opus, Catwoman: Lonely City. Set in a future Gotham City where Batman is long dead and Two-Face has become mayor, the book follows an older, world weary Catwoman as she puts together a crew (including Killer Croc, the Riddler, and more) to execute one massive final heist: robbing the Batcave.
Written and illustrated by Chiang, the book is just a lovely, singular vision that's as much a Gotham City book as a Catwoman book. Presented in an oversized hardcover format, this DC Black Label is for mature readers only.
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Must-Read Graphic Novel #2 - All-Star Superman
Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's epic maxi series has already been cited by James Gunn as a primary inspiration for the upcoming Superman reboot, and it's easy to see why. This out of continuity story is bright, optimistic, and playful while also packing in lots of the big, heady sci-fi concepts that Morrison is known. In it, Superman gets overexposed to radiation from the sun and discovers he's dying, and goes on a quest to complete the Twelve Labors of Superman as his final acts.
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Must-Read Graphic Novel #3 - The Human Target Vol 1 and 2
A superhero-adjacent story, this whodunnit refurbishes the classic Human Target concept and blends it with a Justice League murder mystery. Christopher Chance is a private investigator who takes on the identities of the people who hire him to be a literal human target and solve their cases. After going undercover as Lex Luthor to foil an assassination attempts, Christopher discovers he accidentally drank a poison intended for Lex and now only has a few days to uncover which Justice League superhero committed the crime. This is technically a cheat, because it's two volumes, but this is very much one big story to read all together. It's another great example of writer Tom King taking a C or D list character and turning them into something special (much as he did with Mister Miracle, The Vision, etc).
Check out The Human Target Vol 1 on our store
Check out The Human Target Vol 2 on our store
Must-Read Graphic Novel #4 - Batman Universe
Superstar writer Brian Michael Bendis's first Batman story is also one of the most fun Batman stories I've read. And I know "fun" isn't always the word you'd use to describe Batman, but that's what makes this mini series so unique – Bendis isn't afraid to take Batman into space with the Green Lantern, or back to the wild west to meet Jonah Hex. It's a tour through the areas of the DC Universe that you don't usually get to see Batman play in, and the colorful artwork by Nick Derington helps offset it from your standard dark and brooding Gotham City adventure.
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Must-Read Graphic Novel #5 - Superman's Pal: Jimmy Olsen: Who Killed Jimmy Olsen?
I know, okay? Bold move putting a book starring Superman supporting player Jimmy Olsen in a must-read list, but this one's something special. Written by superstar Matt Fraction and featuring classic comics art from Steve Lieber, this is a densely plotted puzzle box of a comic, featuring 12 one-and-done stories that somehow all tie together into an overarching plot about someone trying to kill Jimmy Olsen and the many weird, wild, sci-fi-tinged ways he eludes assassination and attempts to solve his own (attempted) murder. It's a tour through some of the weirdest corners of the DCU that never lets up.