When I first wanted to get into reading the Batman books my first issue was where do I start? Is there an official reading order to the Batman books? Well, there isn’t an official one but I have found a couple of unofficial ones people have collected in the comic book community.

This timeline and suggested reading order is Batman specific and leads all the way to the beginning of New 52 where it essentially ‘reboots’ and then leads up into Rebirth, which is a continuation and not a reboot. I’ve also added some key notes under some of the entries if anything major has happen such as a death. This is the order to red Batman books if you want to follow the career of Batman from start to “end”.   What you might find is that the books switch in art all the time as well as the overall tone.

This is a personal chronology rather than one borrowed from other sources (other than the timeline itself) although I could list all key events now I would rather list them only after I’ve personally read them. Some segments may have another reading order within but it will be listed when this is the case.

As the modern age is ‘over’ and New 52/Rebirth have taken over this reading order is essentially finished.

Modern Age

Year One

Year one recounts the very beginnings of Bruce Wayne’s career as The Batman as well as James Gordon’s career in Gotham City.

Notable villains – Carmine Falcone, Sofia Gigante Falcone

• Originally released in 1987
• First appearance of Bruce Wayne as Batman (modern age)
• First appearance of Selina Kyle (Catwoman)
• First appearance of Harvey Dent

Click here to read our review of Year One

Shaman

Retells Bruce’s time before becoming the Batman which he returns to Gotham in the present to finally put an end to Chubala.

Notable villains – Chubala

• Originally released in 1989
• Explored the origin of the Batcave and Batman as an identity

Batman & the Monster Men

& The Monster Men is the retelling of the origins of Hugo Strange and his “Monster Men” and his fiendish experiments meeting a still very young Bruce Wayne.

Notable villains – Hugo Strange

• Originally released in 2006
• First appearance of Hugo Strange (modern age)

Batman & the Mad Monk

Bruce Wayne and the Batman encounter their very first encounter with a supernatural (metahuman) being – The Mad Monk.

Notable villains – The Mad Monk

• Originally released in 2006
• First encounter with a supernatural being

Prey

Prey is the sequel to The Monster Men. Batman continues on his young journey only to have his existence as Batman questioned by himself as he is tormented by Hugo Strange’s return and his smear campaign.

Notable villains – Hugo Strange

• Originally released in 1990
• Hugo Strange Returns (modern age)

Click here to read our review of Prey

The Man Who Laughs

The Man Who Laughs in the retelling of the first appearance of Joker (not Joker’s ‘origins’) and encounter with Batman. The Man Who Laughs mentions and is directly canon with Year One and Mad Monk.

Notable villains – The Joker

• Originally released in 2005
• First appearance of the Joker (modern age)

Click here to red our review of Gothic

Gothic

A figure from Gotham and Bruce Wayne’s past comes back to Gotham and begins murdering members of the crime families.

Notable villains – Whisper

• Originally released in 1990

Click here to read our review of Gothic

Venom

Venom is one of Bruce Wayne’s darker times which seems the introduction of the Chemical venom and Bruce Wayne/Batman’s struggle to conquer his addiction to it.

• Originally released in
• First mention and usage of the steroid Venom

Click here to read our review of Venom

Four of a Kind

Batman: Four of a Kind is a collection if four Year One annuals which is a retelling of Batman’s first encounter stories of Poison Ivy, Riddler, Scarecrow and Man-Bat.

• Originally released in 1995
• First appearance of Poison Ivy
• First appearance of Riddler
• First appearance of Scarecrow
• First appaearance of Man-Bat

Collected Legends of the Dark Knight

Collected Legends of the Dark Knight itself isn’t a storyline but a collection of 3 storyline across 6 issues still during Batman and Bruce Wayne’s early years in the timeline. Blades, Legends of the Dark-Mite and Hot House are the title of the stories. In Blades, we explore the burden of being a superhero. Dark-Mite is a silly filler issue and Hot House is a great reformed Ivy story.

• Originally released in 1994
• First appearance of Bat-Mite (modern age)
• First appearance of the Cavalier (modern age)

Click here to read our review of Collected Legends of the Dark Knight

Other Realms

Released in 1996 and then collected in 1998 ‘Other Realms’ follows the Collected Legends in the reading order and the timeline and is also a part of Legends of the Dark Knight. Other Realms explores a time where a still young Bruce Wayne is in a car accident and the two short stories ‘Destiny’ and ‘The Sleeping’. As do many of the books and storylines in the early parts of the timeline Other Realms takes a look at what life could have been if Bruce had not put on the mantle. Other Realms is also quite the rare/expensive find.

• Originally released in 1995

Snow

Snow, which was released in 2005 is a retelling of the origins of Mr. Freeze for the Modern Age. Batman is around a year into his career her. A short collection with 5 issues and a part of Legends of the Dark Knight again. This is yet another rare/expensive find.

• Originally released in 2005
• First appearance and origins of Mr. Freeze in the modern age

The Long Halloween

The Long Halloween is the most significant and famous book in the timeline since Year One. Long Halloween is regarded as the time where Batman’s villains went from being simple crooks and thugs to ‘super villains’. Long Halloween is also notable for the origin story for Two-Face and Harvey Dent’s journey to becoming him/them. Long Halloween is also interconnected with Year One and work well one after the other.

Notable villains – Two-Face, Holiday Killer, Scarecrow, Joker, Mad Hatter, Poison Ivy, Riddler

• Originally released in 1996
• Limited Series one-shot
• First appearance and origins of Two-Face (modern age)
• Leads into Dark Victory and Catwoman: When in Rome

Click here to read our review of The Long Halloween

Year Two

Dark Victory

Batman: Dark Victory ran from 1999-200 and is the modern age retelling of the introduction of Dick Grayson as the first Robin. Dark Victory is also a direct sequel to The Long Halloween and is written and drawn by the same team. Dark Victory has been known to be in the shadow of TLH but that doesn’t mean it isn’t phenomenal tale and a deserving book on any Batman fan’s shelf.

• Originally released in 1999
• Limited series 14-part one-shot
• First appearance of Dick Grayson and as Robin
• Has a sequel – Robin: Year One

Click here to read our review of Dark Victory

The Gauntlet

Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet is the continuation of Dick Grayson’s time in training to be Robin before Year One. The Gauntlet shows Dick Grayson’s exceptional natural ability as he thwarts a crime before passing his “Batman exam” and officially becoming Batman’s sidekick by being introduced to James Gordon. This is a great book for fans of Dick and Robin alike.

• Originally published in 1997
• A part of Batman: Chronicles
• Robin’s first real solo test

Robin: Year One

Dick Grayson is significant character for Batman and as such Robin: Year one deserves to be in the Batman timeline. It’s also a key book as it’s the modern age introduction of a few heroes and vilains such as Blockbuster, Mad Hatter as well as a major reappearance of Two-Face. Robin: Year One is far more than just a retelling of Robin’s origins.

Batman himself is still very young in Robin: Year One

• Originally published in 2001
• Modern age first appearance fo Blockbuster and Mad Hatter
• Establishes Robin’s grudge with Two-Face
• Sequel to Dark Victory

Haunted Knight

Haunted Knight is a tricky book to place in the timeline but the consensus seems to be right here. Haunted Knight is another Loeb/Sale collaboration and the if you liked the others then you’ll love this. It has there stories included -“Fears”, “Madness” and “Ghosts”

• Originally published in 1996
• Bruce Wayne starts work on the Wayne Foundation with Lucius Fox
• Takes place on different halloweens

Click here to read our review of Haunted Knight.

Faces

You could have almost guessed from the nam e of the book that this was a Two-Face book. Written and drawn by Matt Wagner. In Faces, not long after Harvey Dent’s face was mangled by a vial of acid he is struggling big time to adjust. He is attempting to create his ow island of ‘freaks’ before Batman puts an end to it. This is a more modern book considering the story is based in the early days of both characters.

• Originally published in 2008

Click here to read our review of Faces.

Terror

Batman: Terror is a Legends of the Dark Knight story arc. Hugo Strange is back to torment Batman and he’s using Scarecrow to do it. Catwoman also features. Written by Doug Moench who was quite prominent at the time. Terror goes hand in hand while reading Prey and is considered a sequel.

• Originally published 2003
• Hugo Strange’s second appearance

Monsters

Monsters is a Legends of the Dark Knight series where the link between the stories are ‘monsters’ – Werewolves, Bio Engineered Soldiers and finally Clayface’s modern age origin story. This is a fairly weak book with some lesser known writers but if you’re wanting to read the Batman timeline in full and want to read Clayface’s origin then you can’t miss it.

• Originally published in 1996
• First appearance of Clayface (modern age)

Rules of Engagement

A part of Batman: Confidential, Rules of Engagement chronicles Batman’s early days the modern age origins and explanations of some of his most famous technology and gadgetry as he comes up against Lex Luthor for the first time in the timeline. A lot of firsts in this issue even if the quality isn’t quite there.

• Originally published in 2007
• Batman’s first encounter with Lex Luthor (modern age)
• Explored Batman’s technological origins

Night Cries

This is book which is significant as it covers the sensitive topic of child abuse. One of the darkest Batman tales and one many avoid.

Batman The Cat and the Bat

Not a great book to be honest, we’ve reviewed it here – it’s a bit of a caper involving Batgirl and Catwoman.

• Originally published in 2008
• A part of Batman Confidential
• Batgirl’s first encounter with Catwoman
• Contains mild female nudity

Batman King Tuts Tomb

More Batman Confidential. It’s another caper with an ancient Egypt storyline with a bit of a twist. Collected edition includes some short stories not involving King Tut. We’ve reviewed it here.

• Originally published in 2009
• First appearance of King Tut

Batman Tales of the Demon

Batman Ten Nights of the Beast

Batman The Killing Joke

— Barbara Gordon paralysed by the Joker —

Click here to read the review of the Killing Joke Deluxe edition

Arkham Asylum A Serious House on Serious Earth

Batman Death in the Family

— Jason Todd is killed by Joker —

Contains A lonely place of dying

Tim drake comes 3rd robin

Batman Blind Justice

The Sword of Azreal

Batman Knightfall Volume 1

— First appearance of Bane —

— Bane breaks Batman’s back —

— Azrael becomes Batman —

View the Batman Knightfall reading order.

Batman Knightfall Volume 2 KnightsQuest

— Azrael kills Abattoir —

Batman Knightfall Volume 3 KnightsEnd 

— Bruce Wayne returns to reclaim the mantle of Batman —

Batman Prodical

— Dick Grayson becomes Batman for the first time —

— Prodical is included in Volume 3 KnightsEnd new edition) —

Batman Anarky

Batman Contagion

Batman Legacy

Batman Cataclysm

Batman No Mans Land Vol 1

Read the full Batman No Man’s Land Reading Order.

Batman No Man’s Land Vol 2-4

Batman Evolution

Batman Officer Down

Bruce Wayne Murderer?

Bruce Wayne Fugitive Vol 1 – 3

Hush

— First appearance of Hush —

Read the full Hush reading order.

Batman Death in the Maidens

Batman Broken City

Batman As the crow Flies

Batman War Drums

Batman War Games (Book 1 and Book 2)

— Stephanie Brown dies —

Batman Hush Returns

Batman City of Crime

Batman Under the Red Hood

— Jason Todd returns —

Batman War Crimes

— War Crimes comes included in War Games Book 2 new edition —

Batman Face the Face

Batman Detective

Batman and Son

Batman Death in the City

Batman The Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul

Batman and the Black Glove

Batman Private Casebook

— Peyton Riley starts and ends being the new Ventriloquist —

Batman Heart of Hush

Batman R.I.P.

Batman What Ever Happened To The Caped Crusader

Batman Battle of the Cowl

Batman Battle of the Cowl Companion

Batman Reborn

Batman Vs Robin

— Damian is disowned by the League of Assassins —

— Bruce Wayne is discovered to be alive and lost in time —

Batman Long Shadows

Batman Hush Money

Batman Life After Death

Batman Arkham Reborn

Time and the Batman

Batman Must Die

Batman The Road Home

House of Hush

Gates of Gotham

Batman The Return of Bruce Wayne

Batman Eye of the Beholder

Batman: The Black Mirror

 

Last update on 2023-09-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API