I did this for myself and then I thought “hey, utilize your nerdiness and help others”. Of course, this shouldn’t have to be said buuuut, obviously I’ve missed some things here and there. Also, my order isn’t perfect. This is just a suggested reading order, but feel free to change it so it fits well for you.
A few things...
During the first 100 “episodes”, Jim Gordon will be referred to as “Lieutenant”, “Captain”, and “Commissioner”. No matter what it says in the actual comic, Gordon is a “Captain” from the end of Year One until Dark Victory. After Dark Victory, Jim Gordon is Commissioner.
Superman was a serious problem. John Byrne apparently was under the assumption that his entire run of Superman happens during Batman’s Year One and Two (and so on) so we’ll act accordingly.
Also, “Season 4”, aka “The Dark Knight Rises”, are “deleted” episodes from the first three “seasons”. You can skip it entirely if you want.
AZ = Azrael, NW = Nightwing, CW = Catwoman, TEC = Detective Comics, LOTDK = Legends of the Dark Knight, SOTB = Shadow of the Bat
And finally, yes, you’re correct, all my “season” titles are lifted from the Bat-flicks. Oh well.
Check out “The Real Batman Chronology Project”. It’s where I was able to decipher where most of these “episodes” go during the first “season”. Such a fantastic site. Naturally, and something I encourage you to do with your own order, I looked over this site and took it as a basis, but then did my own thing based on certain circumstances.
I will come back and explain my order, but for tonight, just wanted to get it out there.
Honestly, I hope this helps any new Bat fans trying to get into Batman OR I hope it helps current Bat fans with their chronology. Enjoy!
Aaaaand heeeeere we go!
The Dark Knight (1)
Ep 1 - “Gotham City” (Batman # 404-407)
Ep 2 - “Monsters” (Batman: Gotham Knights # 54 [pages 19-20], Batman & The Monster Men # 1-6)
Ep 3 - “The Mad Monk” (Batman and the Mad Monk # 1-6)
Ep 4 - “Prey” (LOTDK # 11-15)
Ep 5 - “The Man Who Laughs” (Batman: The Man Who Laughs # 1)
Ep 6 - “The Man Who Laughs Twice” (Batman Confidential # 22-25)
Ep 7 - “Multiply the Mystery” (TEC Annual # 8)
Ep 8 - “Shaman” (LOTDK # 1-5)
Ep 9 - “Gothic” (LOTDK # 6-10)
Ep 10 - “The Man of Steel” (Superman: The Man of Steel # 1-6, Superman # 11)
Ep 11 - “Furry Fury” (Catwoman Annual # 2)
Ep 12 - “Addendum” (LOTDK # 89-90)
Ep 13 - “Rules of Engagement” (Batman Confidential # 1-6)
Ep 14 - “Irresistible” (LOTDK # 169-171)
Ep 15 - “Turf” (LOTDK # 44-45)
Ep 16 - “Heat” (LOTDK # 46-49)
Ep 17 - “Hot House” (LOTDK # 42-43)
Ep 18 - “Testament” (LOTDK # 172-176)
Ep 19 - “Flyer” (LOTDK # 24-26)
Ep 20 - “Masters of Fear” (Batman Annual # 19)
Ep 21 - “Terror” (LOTDK # 137-141)
Ep 22 - “Choices” (LOTDK Halloween Special # 1)
Ep 23 - “Good Cop, Bad Cop” (Batman Confidential # 29-30)
Ep 24 - “Infected” (LOTDK # 83-84)
Ep 25 - “Vampire” (Action Comics Annual # 1)
Ep 26 - “The Sleeping” (LOTDK # 76-78)
Ep 27 - “Tao” (LOTDK # 52-53)
Ep 28 - “Terminus” (LOTDK # 64)
Ep 29 - “Blades” (LOTDK # 32-34)
Ep 30 - “Trail of the Gun” (Batman/Catwoman: Trail of the Gun # 1-2)
Ep 31 - “Snow” (LOTDK # 192-196)
Ep 32 - “Blink” (LOTDK # 156-158)
Ep 33 - “Pulp Hero” (LOTDK Annual # 7)
Ep 34 - “Gotham Emergency” (LOTDK # 200)
Ep 35 - “Wings” (LOTDK Annual # 5)
Ep 36 - “Venom” (LOTDK # 16-20)
Ep 37 - “Don’t Blink” (LOTDK # 164-167)
Ep 38 - “Idols” (LOTDK # 80-82)
Ep 39 - “Dark Knight Over Metropolis” (Superman # 44, Adventures of Superman # 467, Action Comics # 654)
Ep 40 - “Pain and Prejudice” (Penguin: Pain and Prejudice # 1-5)
Ep 41 - “Faith” (LOTDK # 21-23)
Ep 42 - “Auteurism” (LOTDK # 162-163)
Ep 43 - “Freakout” (LOTDK # 91-93)
Ep 44 - “The Long Halloween” (Batman: The Long Halloween # 1-13)
Ep 45 - “Steps” (LOTDK # 98-99)
Ep 46 - “Werewolf” (LOTDK # 71-73)
Ep 47 - “Duty” (LOTDK # 105-106)
Ep 48 - “Bad” (LOTDK # 146-148)
Ep 49 - “Mask” (LOTDK # 39-40)
Ep 50 - “Engines” (LOTDK # 74-75)
Ep 51 - “The Secret” (Superman/Batman # 85-87)
Ep 52 - “Dark Victory” (Batman: Dark Victory 0-13)
Ep 53 - “When in Rome” (Catwoman: When in Rome # 1-6)
Ep 54 - “The Gauntlet” (Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet # 1)
Ep 55 - “Loyalties” (LOTDK # 159-161)
Ep 56 - “The Boy Wonder” (Robin: Year One # 1-4)
Ep 57 - “The Wrath” (Batman Special # 1)
Ep 58 - “The Joker’s Five Way Revenge” (Batman # 251)
Ep 59 - “A New Dawn” (Batman Confidential # 26-28)
Ep 60 - “Super Sidekick” (LOTDCU # 6)
Ep 61 - “Batgirl Begins” (Batgirl: Year One # 1-9)
Ep 62 - “Batgirl Returns” (Batman Confidential # 17-21)
Ep 63 - “Night Cries” (Batman: Night Cries # 1)
Ep 64 - “The Demon’s Head” (TEC # 411, Batman # 232, 235, 240, 243-245)
Ep 65 - “War on Crime” (Batman: War on Crime # 1)
Ep 66 - “The Hunted” (Huntress: Year One # 1-6)
Ep 67 - “Batgirl Rising” (Batman: Batgirl # 1)
Ep 68 - “Trinity” (Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity # 1-3)
Ep 69 - “Justice League” (Secret Origins # 32, JLA: Year One # 1-12)
Ep 70 - “Strange Apparitions” (TEC # 469-476)
Ep 71 - “The Fishy Laugh” (LOTDCU # 26-27)
Ep 72 - “Made of Clay” (TEC # 478-479)
Ep 73 - “Batgirl Forever” (Batman: Batgirl - Girl Frenzy # 1)
Ep 74 - “Siege” (LOTDK # 132-136)
Ep 75 - “The Emerald Archer” (LOTDK # 127-131)
Ep 76 - “Teen Titans” (Teen Titans: Year One # 1-6)
Ep 77 - “World’s Finest” (World’s Finest # 1-3)
Ep 78 - “Duel” (LOTDK Annual # 1)
Ep 79 - “Faces” (LOTDK # 28-30)
Ep 80 - “Robin Reborn” (Solo # 3 [pages 38-48], Batman # 408-409, NW # 102-104)
Ep 81 - “Fever Break” (TEC # 583-584)
Ep 82 - “Rat Trap” (TEC # 585-586)
Ep 83 - “Night People” (TEC # 587-589)
Ep 84 - “Diary of a Madman” (TEC # 592-593)
Ep 85 - “Wounded Soldier” (TEC # 596-597)
Ep 86 - “Mad Love” (The Batman Adventures: Mad Love # 1)
Ep 87 - “Son of the Demon” (Batman: Son of the Demon # 1)
Ep 88 - “The Last Batgirl Story” (Batgirl Special # 1)
Ep 89 - “Going Sane” (LOTDK # 65-68)
Ep 90 - “Two of a Kind” (Batman # 410-411)
Ep 91 - “The False Face Society” (Batman # Batman 386-387, TEC # 553)
Ep 92 - “Dynamic Duo” (Batman # 414, 416)
Ep 93 - “Ten Nights of the Beast” (Batman # 417-420)
Ep 94 - “A Serious House on Serious Earth” (Batman: Arkham Asylum - A Serious House on Serious Earth # 1)
Ep 95 - “The Cult” (Batman: The Cult # 1-4)
Ep 96 - “Rules of the Game” (Batman # 421-422)
Ep 97 - “Fables” (TEC Annual # 1, Green Arrow Annual # 1, The Question Annual # 1)
Ep 98 - “Wrath Child” (Batman Confidential # 13-16)
Ep 99 - “The Diplomat’s Son” (Batman # 424-425)
Ep 100 - “The Killing Joke” (Batman: The Killing Joke # 1)