Post-Crisis Batman reading order and continuity

[wolverine7230]

Hi guys!

This is a splinted of the 'Post-Crisis Batman Questions' thread.

As we all know, many pre-crisis stories have been ret-conned to be part of post-crisis chronology, simply because of references galore in modern age comics.

I was wondering if anyone has a list, or would be willing to assist in the creation of one?

Anyway, the list (so far):
Batman #232, 235, 240, 242-244 - The Saga of Ra's Al Ghul

I know there are many others, but this is just off the top of my head.

Many Thanks!

wolverine

[nepenthes]

Hi guys!

This is a splinted of the 'Post-Crisis Batman Questions' thread.

As we all know, many pre-crisis stories have been ret-conned to be part of post-crisis chronology, simply because of references galore in modern age comics.

I was wondering if anyone has a list, or would be willing to assist in the creation of one?

Anyway, the list (so far):
Batman #232, 235, 240, 242-244 - The Saga of Ra's Al Ghul

I know there are many others, but this is just off the top of my head.

Many Thanks!

wolverine

There's no definitive list and if there was it would be fairly large. It's not really how comics work in the first place though.

[wolverine7230]

OK, then, if the list would be incredibly large and pointless, how about we narrow it down to a list of NECESSARY comics that have been retconned. The ones that you need to read alongside the rest of Post-Crisis continuity to fully understand the storyline? Surely that narrows it down a lot?

wolverine

[brandnewfan]

This would be awesome but I've never found anything that has a complete list of everything Bat-related.

I would also suggest adding certain issues of team books like Justice League or Teen Titans which prominently feature Bruce or someone else in the family, but that's just me. At least something to just establish the fact that they're part of those teams.

Like the Teen Titans Year One mini you could use just to show that Dick joined the team. If that makes sense (it's too early for me right now lol).

Also, there is this website which lists issues chronologically...but it's only for Bruce....

http://www.therealbatmanchronologyproject.com

[wolverine7230]

Thanks for your interest in the project!

Although I won't explicitly be including JLA/Teen Titans (at least at first), I will be including both of their 'Year One' series.

I am aware of the RBCP, but don't agree with the idea of the Long Halloween/Dark Victory being 'officially canon'. They make so many stories non-canon, I just prefer to use Batman Annual #14 for the first Two-Face, and Robin Annual #4 for the first Robin. Basically, I will be reading all of the 'Year One' era material in the order shown there, but will be making massive changes regarding placement.

Basically, I aim to include as much as possible!

Many thanks,

wolverine

[JBatmanFan05]

Hush very briefly references Long Halloween IIRC as does Two-Face Year One. So it's not like RBCP was just making it up.

And Long Halloween can viewed as not totally invalidating Batman Annual 14 and etc. The Klemper story could have still happened.

https://about-faces.dreamwidth.org/42387.html#cutid1

[wolverine7230]

Yeah, I know that it's referenced and all, but I guess it will come down to what it does, in the end.

When I start the re-read on the 'Year One' era, I guess that's when things will start to come together (or not), hopefully it will all make more sense as it will be fresh in my mind and I'll have made notes.

Many Thanks!

wolverine

[wolverine7230]

Hey guys,
I finally completed a (hopefully) complete list of Year One era stories. For series like LODK and Confidential, I’ve just included the entire series, even though the odd issue isn’t canon or is set in another time period. Also included is all of the Bat-Family Year One stuff, even though some of it doesn’t fit into this era. This includes everything referenced in the RBCP (including ret-conned issues) and a few of my own adding. As always, I’ve probably missed a lot and have added a lot that shouldn’t be there, but I guess this is a start.

Also, were all of the Gotham Knights B/W stories Year One era? I haven’t read them in a long time…

STORIES:
Azrael Annual #1 – Azrael: Year One
Batgirl: Year One #1-9 – Batgirl: Year One
Batman #404-407 – Year One
Batman #408-409 – Did Robin Die Tonight?
Batman #410-411 – Two of a Kind/Second Chance
Batman #436-439 – Year Three
Batman #600 – The Mystery of the Black Bat / Joker Tips His Hat!
Batman and the Mad Monk #1-6 – Dark Moon Rising: The Mad Monk
Batman and the Monster Men #1-6 – Dark Moon Rising: The Monster Men
Batman Annual #19 – Scarecrow: Year One
Batman: Batgirl #1 – Batgirl
Batman: Batgirl – Girlfrenzy! #1 – Scars
Batman/Catwoman: Trail of the Gun #1-2 – Trail of the Gun
Batman Chronicles #8 – Secrets of the Batcave: Dinosaur Island
Batman Chronicles #9 – Photo Finish
Batman Chronicles #19 – Got a Date with an Angel / The Penny Plunderers
Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet #1 – The Gauntlet
Batman: Confidential #1-54
Batman: Dark Victory #0, 1-13 – Dark Victory
Batman: Gordon of Gotham #1-4
Batman: Gotham After Midnight #1-12 – Gotham After Midnight
Batman: Gotham Knights #3 (B/W) – Broken Nose
Batman: Gotham Knights #10 (B/W) – Guardian
Batman: Gotham Knights #25 (B/W) – Last Call at McSurley’s
Batman: Gotham Knights #27 (B/W) – Never Say Die
Batman: Gotham Knight #29 (B/W) – No Escape
Batman: Hidden Treasures #1 – Hidden Treasures
Batman: Journey Into Knight #1-12 – Journey Into Knight
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #1-214
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Annual #1-7
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special #1-3
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight – Jazz #1-3
Batman: Night Cries #1
Batman/Ra’s Al Ghul: Year One #1-2
Batman/Scarecrow: Year One #1-2
Batman: Shadow of the Bat Annual #3 – Poison Ivy: Year One
Batman: The Judas Coin #1 – The Judas Coin
Batman: The Long Halloween #1-13 – The Long Halloween
Batman: The Man Who Laughs #1 – The Man Who Laughs
Batman: Turning Points #1 – Turning Points
Batman: War on Crime #1
Catwoman Annual #2 – Catwoman: Year One
Catwoman: Defiant #1 – Defiant
Catwoman: Her Sister’s Keeper #1-4 – Her Sister’s Keeper
DC Retroactive: Batman – The 70s #1 – Dark Messenger of Mercy / Terror Times Three
DCU Halloween Special #2009 – Halloween Past: Trick and Defeat
Detective Comics #575-578 – Year Two
Detective Comics #598-600 – Blind Justice
Detective Comics Annual #8 – Riddler: Year One
Huntress: Year One #1-6 – Huntress: Year One
JLA: Year One #1-12 – JLA: Year One
Legends of the DCU #6 – Robin/Superman: Fear of God
Legends of the DCU #10-11 – Folie a deux
Legends of the DCU #13 – Critical Mass
Legends of the DCU #26-27 – The Fishy Laugh/Reign of the Joker
Man of Steel #3 – One Night in Gotham City (First Meeting Batman/Superman)
Nightwing #101-106 – Nightwing: Year One
Robin Annual #4 – Robin: Year One
Robin: Year One #1-4 – Robin: Year One
Solo #3 – Teenage Sidekick
Solo #5 – Déjà vu
Solo #7 – Batman-A-Go-Go
Superman #700 - Geometry
Superman/Batman #85-87 – The Secret
Teen Titans: Year One #1-6 – Teen Titans: Year One
The Creeper #1-6 – The Creeper
‘The Man Who Falls’ from Secret Origins TPB
Two-Face: Year One #1-2
World’s Finest #1-6 – World’s Finest

RET-CONNED STORIES:
Batman #8 (r in Infinite Crisis Aftermath: The Battle for Bludhaven #4)
Batman #9 (r Detective Comics #850)
Batman #14 (Diary Visible in Trophy Room)
Batman #56 (r in Batman Incorporated #3)
Batman #64 (r in Batman: Shadow of the Bat #8)
Batman #69 (r in Seven Soldiers: Bulleteer #3)
Batman #105 (FB in Batman #682)
Batman #113 (r in Batman #679 & 700)
Batman #120 (RBCP Doesn’t Provide a Reason)
Batman #134 (FB from Batman #673-674)
Batman #156 (RBCP Doesn’t Provide a Reason)
Batman #162 (r in Batman Incorporated #4)
Batman #180 (r in Batman Incorporated #2)
Batman #181 (FB in Batman #670)
Batman #217 (FB in Batman #600 & 682)
Batman #225 (FB in Batman #683)
Batman #235 (FB in Batman Incorporated #2)
Batman #237 (r in Batman #692)
Batman #240 (FB in Batman Incorporated #2
Batman #242-245 (FB in Batman Incorporated #2)
Batman #251 (FB in Batman #683)
Batman #307 (r in DC Retroactive: Batman – The 70s #1)
Batman #330-335 (r in DC Retroactive: Batman – The 70s #1)
Batman #386 (FB in Catwoman #83)
Batman and the Outsiders #1-2 (FB in Secret Origins #6)
Batman and the Outsiders #3 (FB in Batman: Shadow of the Bat #47)
Batman and the Outsiders #17-18 (FB in The Outsiders #21)
Batman and the Outsiders #22-23 (FB in Secret Origins #6)
Batman and the Outsiders #25-27 (r in The Outsiders Annual #1
Batman and the Outsiders Annual #1 (FB in DCU Legacies #5)
Batman Special #1 (r in Batman: Confidential #15)
DC Special Series #1 (r in Faces of Evil: Kobra #1)
Detective Comics #29-30 (FB in Batman #682)
Detective Comics #33 (FB in Batman #682)
Detective Comics #39 (Buddha Statue in Trophy Room)
Detective Comics #42 (Portrait Visible in Trophy Room)
Detective Comics #134 (r in Batman and Robin #16)
Detective Comics #253 (r in Detective Comics #832)
Detective Comics #275 (r in Outsiders #22)
Detective Comics #294 (r in Outsiders #22)
Detective Comics #296 (r in Outsiders #22)
Detective Comics #311 (r in Superman/Batman #31)
Detective Comics #319 (r in 52 #?)
Detective Comics #328 (FB in Batman #682)
Detective Comics #331 (r in Secret Origins #30)
Detective Comics #355 (r in Superman/Batman #70)
Detective Comics #410 (FB in Shadowpact #6)
Detective Comics #411 (FB in Batman Incorporated #2)
Detective Comics #437 (RBCP Doesn’t Provide a Reason)
Detective Comics #441 (Gavel Visible in Trophy Room)
Detective Comics #469-470 (r in Batman #600 & Detective Comics #825)
Detective Comics #475 (r in Legends of the DCU #26-27)
Detective Comics #485 (r in Batman Incorporated #4)
Detective Comics #511 (r in Batman: Shadow of the Bat #15)
Detective Comics #526 (r in Batman #703)
Detective Comics #553 (FB in Catwoman #83)
Star Spangled Comics #123 (r in Flash #210)
Superman #76 (r in Superman #710)
The Brave and the Bold #78 (r in Batgirl: Year One #9)
The Brave and the Bold #86 (r in Deadman #1)
The Brave and the Bold #89 (r in Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #5)
The Brave and the Bold #115 (r in Justice League of America #58)
The Brave and the Bold #170 (r in Wonder Woman #2)
The Brave and the Bold #193 (r in Wonder Woman #2)
World’s Finest Comics #28 (r in Robin #153)

Of these ‘ret-conned’ stories, the only ones that I would say fully happened are the Ra’s Al Ghul issues (Detective Comics #411, Batman #232, 235, 240, 242-245, 330-335) as these are so heavily referenced. As for the rest, the events portrayed in those issues happened in some way or another, but not necessarily everything in those issues happened.

So that’s it, I believe. As per usual, any comments would be appreciated, and any comments on where to start with the re-read would also help (I’ll probably start with Year 1-3, then add the rest of the Year 1 flashbacks, then take a closer look at Long Halloween/Dark Victory, before slowly adding the rest).

Many Thanks,

wolverine

[Android998]

Thanks for your interest in the project!

I am aware of the RBCP, but don't agree with the idea of the Long Halloween/Dark Victory being 'officially canon'. They make so many stories non-canon, I just prefer to use Batman Annual #14 for the first Two-Face, and Robin Annual #4 for the first Robin.

I don't know if this is still active but I've been working on a chronology for years myself. I like Legends of the Dark Knight #100 for a Dick Grayson introduction. Maybe that's something you haven't seen! Best of luck.

[frizb]

Wow thats a lot of work! Nice job!

[AlexanderLuthor]

This site is a treasure that lists the reading order on an issue by issue basis for post-COIE and the New 52: http://www.therealbatmanchronologyproject.com