I've spent the last few months catching up on DC comics after not reading comics of any kind for the last 6 years. My goal was to jump into the New 52. From trades and digital I read through most of Grant Morrison's Batman stuff, Final Crisis and Geoff Johns' Green Lantern from Rebirth through Blackest Night. It took me longer than expected to catch up but after about a year I've finally jumped into the New 52. I've began about 20 different titles through issue 2 or 3 digitally from the Batman Family, The Dark, Green Lantern and The Justice League. My question is should I keep reading each of my almost 20 titles by the month they are released or will I get more out of a series if I read a story arc all the way though. I worry that I might miss some cross over events like the Court of Owls if I follow a single single arc instead of month by month as I have been. With the first trades out and through digital I've been reading about 15-20 books a week and its awesome. But with juggling that many books at a time, I find it hard to stay invested in each individual story arc like Snyder's Batman and try not to mix it up with whats happening in Detective Comics. What is the optimal way to read when I'm trying to catch up? Should I just read all of Batgirl because thats what I'm most interested in and then move on to Animal Man, Demon Knights, Batman and so forth?

edit- dont bash me because its my first post, I lurk here and Giant Bomb quite a bit, listen to both podcasts like its my job and was a subscriber.

You know I had not even thought of waiting and reading one arch at a time. I read Digitaly too and honestly it sounds like a good Idea, In theory it would be cheaper since price drops after the next issue comes out. Maybe read Batgirl (since you said you liked that one, I do too) monthly and knock chuncks of other titles arch by arch. Only problem is I'd get impatient...

If it's a character I really love I'll get the monthly, otherwise if it's someone like Wonder Woman or Green Lantern I'll just pick up the trade. The only exception is if I really like the artwork.

Thanks for the feedback. What I've done is read the Batman Vol 1 trade (first 7 issues) and now I've purchased and started reading the surrounding Gotham characters first trades like Nightwing and Batgirl because of their tie ins to the Court of the Owls. I think instead of trying to read all the number 1's for like 20 different books, and then all the number 2's and 3's, I'll just read a story arc and try to catch up on the other books. I'm going to buy the rest of the trades for books I like first like Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Batman and Robin, Justice League, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Demon Knights, Suicide Squad, Green Lantern and New Guardians as I find deals. I've never been current in whats coming out weekly in comics ever, but I'm trying to get to that point where I can get excited when the latest issue is released. I really want to be up to date with current stories, so I can be involved with discussions about books and characters. I don't like spoilers, so I am trying to avoid reading too far ahead in any one book. I'm noticing though that the New 52 DC universe doesn't connect across the universe the way I've known Marvel used to, and I never really read DC prior to this year. All in all, there are so many good books, and I'm just going to read what I like until I get to a major cross over and then try to catch up with all my other favorites until I'm at the same point. I'll probably stick with Batman Family and Animal Man/Swamp Thing books because I know they have events that I don't want to miss like the Court of Owls and Rotworld. AHHHHH so much to read.

@TRAYNREK: My advise is dount read 20 titles each mounth pick the ones you really like and read them then later once some of the ones you have droped have came out in trade you can get them

Personally, I just read them by the story arc. If I know the next arc is gonna be awesome (Snyder's upcoming Joker story), then I'll pick it up monthly.

@TRAYNREK said:

I've spent the last few months catching up on DC comics after not reading comics of any kind for the last 6 years. My goal was to jump into the New 52. From trades and digital I read through most of Grant Morrison's Batman stuff, Final Crisis and Geoff Johns' Green Lantern from Rebirth through Blackest Night. It took me longer than expected to catch up but after about a year I've finally jumped into the New 52. I've began about 20 different titles through issue 2 or 3 digitally from the Batman Family, The Dark, Green Lantern and The Justice League. My question is should I keep reading each of my almost 20 titles by the month they are released or will I get more out of a series if I read a story arc all the way though. I worry that I might miss some cross over events like the Court of Owls if I follow a single single arc instead of month by month as I have been. With the first trades out and through digital I've been reading about 15-20 books a week and its awesome. But with juggling that many books at a time, I find it hard to stay invested in each individual story arc like Snyder's Batman and try not to mix it up with whats happening in Detective Comics. What is the optimal way to read when I'm trying to catch up? Should I just read all of Batgirl because thats what I'm most interested in and then move on to Animal Man, Demon Knights, Batman and so forth?

edit- dont bash me because its my first post, I lurk here and Giant Bomb quite a bit, listen to both podcasts like its my job and was a subscriber.

If you dont mind waiting several months go trade.

If you can't wait to read stuff right away, go digital. Plus you get more freedom to pick and choose which issues you want to read. you can get them one month after they are released, it'll be a dollar cheaper, that way you're paying about the same price as trade and you get to buy single issues that are tied into a story that you're reading but yet don't want to jump into that series.

I tend to read them monthly but of course with so many comics I'm following it can be easy to get lost or overwhelmed. Once a big story arc is over though, I tend to go back and read the whole arc or re-read 6 or 7 issues again to keep on the story. Works well because sometimes I miss stuff.