So I'm undertaking what I'm calling my Ultimate Knightfall Mapping to hopefully soon custom bind, but I'm struggling at little bit. When it comes to the Prelude to a Fall/Knightfall/Knightquest/Knightsend/Prodigal?Troika issues to be included and the order, I think I'm where I want to be. I'm including almost everything one could include (even things such as Turning Point #4, Legend of the Dark Knight #28 and Batman: Mitefall, Secret Files and Origins, Batman v. Punisher, etc.). However, what I'd like advice on is what I'm tentatively calling the Prelude to the Prelude (title definitely subject to change).
The real impetus for this is the inclusion of Legend of the Dark #16-20, Venom. Not only is it a really neat story, but it essentially kicks off Knightfall in a way. It introduces the drug and Santa Prisca, as well as the theme of Batman not being up to the physical demands of being the hero he wants to be - which is certainly a major theme of the Knightfall Saga. While I can neatly put it at the beginning of my Prelude to a Fall, I feel like there are enough compelling stories that give context to the Knightfall Saga proper to justify a volume dedicated to them. But I need suggestions, here's a general idea of what I have, but note I don't own a lot of the issues in this general time period and so I legitimately don't know if I'm missing issues that fit what I'm looking for.
Prelude to a Prelude 1
1. Detective Comics #604 (Mudpack: Part 1 - Clayface)
2. Detective Comics #605 (Mudpack: Part 2 - Clayface)
3. Detective Comics #606 (Mudpack: Part 3 - Clayface)
4. Detective Comics #607 (Mudpack: Part 4 - Clayface)
5. Detective Comics #608 (First Anarky)
6. Detective Comics #609 (Anarky)
7. Detective Comics #610 (Penguin)
8. Detective Comics #611 (Penguin)
9. Batman #448 (The Penguin Affair: Part 1)
10. Detective Comics #615 (The Penguin Affair: Part 2)
11. Batman #449 (The Penguin Affair: Part 3)
12. Detective Comics #618 (Rite of Passage: Part 1 - Obeah Man)
13. Detective Comics #619 (Rite of Passage: Part 2 - Obeah Man)
14. Detective Comics #620 (Rite of Passage: Part 3 – Obeah Man)
15. Detective Comics #621 (Rite of Passage: Part 4 – Obeah Man)
16. Batman #455 (Tim’s mother’s funeral)
17. Batman #456
18. Detective Comics #625 (Abattoir)
19. Detective Comics #628 (Abattoir again)
20. Batman #457 (Tim becomes Robin)
21. Batman #458 (Batman saves Harold, Gordon invites Sarah Essen back)
22. Batman #459 (Gordon chest pain)
Prelude to a Prelude 2
1. Batman #462 (Spirit of the Beast: Part 1) ??
2. Batman #463 (Spirit of the Beast: Part 2) ??
3. Batman #464 (Spirit of the Beast: Part 3) ??
4. Batman #465 (Jack Drake wakes up, Sarah says yes to Gordon)
5. Batman #467???
6. Batman #668???
7. Batman #469???
8. Batman #471 (Killer Croc comes to Gotham)
9. Batman #475 (The Return of Scarface: Part 1 – Ventriloquist)
10. Detective Comics #642 (The Return of Scarface: Part 2 – Ventriloquist)
11. Batman #476 (The Return of Scarface: Part 3 – Ventriloquist)
12. Detective Comics #647 (First appearance Stephanie Brown - Cluemaster)
13. Detective Comics #648 (Cluemaster)
14. Detective Comics #649 (Cluemaster)
15. Detective Comics #650 (Harold discovers subway system)
16. Detective Comics #651???
17. Detective Comics #652 (Huntress team up)
18. Detective Comics #653
19. Batman #480 (Jack Drake comes home)
20. Batman #481
21. Batman #482
22. Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #1
23. Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #2
24. Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #3
25. Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #4
26. Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #5
27. Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #6
I'm breaking the volumes up into 25 (no more) issues, so that's why they are numbered. The goal of these is to set up context for Knightfall (such as Jack Drake being kidnapped, Tim's mother dying, and Jack coming home), or a decent story that sets up a villain that appears in Knightfall (like Killer Croc or the Ventriloquist). If there are any suggestions for some more stories in this general time period I should check out, or if some of these really aren't a good fit, please let me know. Really, any suggestions are more than welcome!