Bat Family Comics, A Beginner’s Reading Order Guide to the crimefighters of Gotham City

So, you want to read about the Bat Family? Maybe you are a new reader and want to know more about Batman and his many allies. Or you have seen an animated movie and would like to explore further the unique dynamics of the Batman Family. Or, yet, you already know quite a bit but would like to revisit the history of the Batfamily. Whatever your position, there are several ways to approach the Bat Family:

1. Focusing your reading on one member of the Batfamily! This is maybe the best and simplest approach. You like a character and go on reading many adventures featuring him/her. Along the way, you discover you have quite an interest in another member and do the same. All the main characters from the Batfamily (except Alfred, sorry Alfred!) have their own reading order on the website. Go check out our Batfamily Introduction Guide for this part.
2. Reading some Comic Books with the Whole Family! Thanks to many Batfamily events and many catastrophes affecting Gotham, the members of the Batfamily have to work together regularly, and you will find in those stories some great interactions between the characters, helping you have a better understanding of the family dynamics. For this part, we made a selection of comics to read.
3. A Batfamily Reading Order! For the most ambitious reader out there, Comic Book Treasury has just compiled a reading list of many comic books featuring the members of the Batfamily, from the beginning of Batman to the actual era. This is not a complete reading order, but a sort of essential/very long starter pack to know the most important facts there is to know and live some fun adventures with your favorite characters.

Where to Start with the Batfamily? Five Comics Starring the Whole Family

No Man’s Land (1999-2000) – Following a massive earthquake, the US government abandoned Gotham, deeming the city uninhabitable, and ordered the population to evacuate – abandoning those who chose to remain. Batman and his allies have stayed to fight and save Gotham during these dark times, from the isolation to the reconstruction and opening of the city. This whole event featuring the entire Batfamily also introduces Cassandra Cain, the new Batgirl.

Batman: Hush (2003) – A mysterious Hush is determined to destroy Bruce Wayne’s life and his alter ego, Batman. This classic Batman story is often presented as a great entry point for new readers as it features almost all the members of the Batfamily as well as all his rogues gallery (except Bane and Cassandra Cain).

Gates of Gotham (2011) –  Near the end of Dick Grayson’s tenure as Batman, the Dark Knight calls upon the help of Robin, Red Robin, and even Batman, Inc.’s Hong Kong operative, Black Bat, to unravel the sordid history of Gotham.

Batman: The Rise and Fall of the Batmen Omnibus (2016-2018) –  Tynion’s run on Detective Comics in the Rebirth era focused on several members of the Batfamily who don’t always find themselves under the spotlight. With Batwoman at his side, Batman leads a group featuring Spoiler, Orphan, Clayface, Red Robin, and Luke Fox to train them and build a team capable of facing anything.

Batman: Li’l Gotham (2013-2014) – Your out-of-continuity and all-ages comics featuring the whole Batfamily, smaller and cuter.

The Big Bat Family Reading Order

The following list is a non-exhaustive reading guide dedicated to the Bat Family, from Batman to the many Robins, Batgirls, and other allies of Batman. The idea is to offer a guide covering everything you need to know about all the members of the Bat Family, with their best stories, whether there are solo adventures, team-ups, as well as the most important event affecting them (unfortunately, not always good). This is a (mostly) Post-Crisis selection, meaning you will not find stories from the Golden or Silver Age.

There are many other tales out there for every character of the Bat Family, some that are quite good, some we maybe have forgotten. Don’t hesitate to leave a comment to tell us if you think we made a mistake or forgot an important issue!

Happy Readings to all of you!

Bat Family Comics Reading Order: The Menu

1. The First Year of the Batman
2. Batman no Longer Alone: The Introduction of Robin (and Batgirl)
3. Dark Times with Jason Todd, the second Robin
4. The Dark Years, From Knightfall to No Man’s Land
5. Haunted by The Past: From Hush to Under the Red Hood
6. The Damian Wayne Saga
7. A New 52 Batfamily
8. A Batfamily Rebirth
9. The Batfamily in Infinite Frontier and Beyond…
10. Other Batfamily Stories (Elseworlds, Out of Continuity, and more)

The collected editions highlighted in bold in the list below are regarded as the most important. The others can be viewed as more optional, although this is just relative.

The First Years of Batman

Embark on the journey of Batman’s origin and his relentless crusade against crime in the following tales, ranging from the iconic origin story from Miller and Mazzucchelli to the many (re) introductions of Gotham villains.

• Batman: Year One – The definitive origin story by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli chronicling Bruce’s first year as Batman. Also available in the Absolute collection.
• Catwoman: Her Sister’s Keeper – a companion piece to Year One, the miniseries that reintroduced Catwoman.
• Batman and the Monster Men – Introduces mad scientist Hugo Strange and his creatures, Batman and the Mad Monk has him fight an ancient vampire. Collected in Legends of the Dark Knight: Matt Wagner.
• Batman and the Mad Monk – Batman is battling the vampiric Monk in another Batman confrontation with supernatural crime and horror by Matt Wagner. Also Collected in Legends of the Dark Knight: Matt Wagner.
• Batman: Prey – More optional, this is a confrontation between Dark Knight and Dr Hugo Strange.
• Batman: The Man Who Laughs – This is Ed Brubaker and Doug Mahnke’s one-shot graphic novel featuring Batman’s first meeting with his greatest nemesis, the Joker.
• Batman: Gothic – From Grant Morrison and Klaus Janson. The Dark Knight Detective is faced with the challenge of overcoming a seemingly immortal adversary, all the while confronting a horror from his own youth.
• Batman: Venom – This classic Batman story penned by writer Dennis O’Neil introduces the drug Venom. Following Batman’s inability to rescue a young girl, he turns to the drug to overcome his limitations. Yet, as the Dark Knight succumbs to addiction, his life begins to spiral out of control.

Batman no Longer Alone: The Introduction of Robin (and Batgirl)

Batman’s solitary crusade against crime in Gotham City comes to an end as Dick Grayson, the original Robin, joins him in a formidable partnership, forming a dynamic duo. However, Dick is not the only one to put on a costume, as Barbara Gordon is determined o join the ranks of crime fighters to become Batgirl, against the wishes of her police-captain father

• Batman: The Long Halloween – One of the most iconic Batman stories by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale set in Batman’s earliest years revolving around the search for a holiday-themed serial killer, also serving as an introduction for Two-Face and the crime families. Also collected in Batman by Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale Omnibus.
• Batman: Haunted Knight – Continue to celebrate Halloween with Loeb and Sale with three chilling tales of horror and suspense in which Batman confronts his most twisted and malevolent adversaries.
• Batman: Dark Victory – The sequel to The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. The story revolves around a new serial killer in Gotham named the Hangman murdering police officers and features Dick’s introduction as Robin. Also collected in Batman by Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale Omnibus.
• Catwoman: When In Rome – Taking place in parallel to Dark Victory (and by the same team), this story centers on Catwoman on a trip to Rome trying to find information about her long-lost parents.
• Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet (one-shot) – Dick’s final challenge before he can go on patrol as Robin.
• Robin: Year One – Chuck Dixon and Scotty Beatty recounts the beginning of Dick Grayson’s career as Robin.
• Batgirl: Year One – The early days of Barbara Gordon as Batgirl by the same team behind Robin: Year One.
• Batman: Batgirl (one-shot) – Early in her career, Batgirl faces the Joker for the first time in this story written by Kelley Puckett.
• Batman: Tales of the Demon – Meet one of Batman’s most formidable adversaries; the founder of the League of Assassins known as Ra’s al Ghul in those tales by Dennis O’Neil

Not long after becoming Robin, Dick Grayson became one of the founding members of Teen Titans. If you want to know more about this team of sidekicks (at first), you can dive into the recent Teen Titans: Year One By Amy Wolfram and Karl Kerschl, retracing the early days of the Teen Titans.

The young team entered their glory days in the eighties, thanks to Marv Wolfman and George Perez, and If you had one run to read for the team, this is this one! This is during that period that Dick Grayson has a falling out with Batman, leading to an estrangement that would last for years. It will also grow out of his role as Robin became Nightwing for the first time in the classic Teen Titans story, The Judas Contract. The (Almost) Complete run has been collected in Omnibus:

• The New Teen Titans Omnibus Vol. 1
• The New Teen Titans Omnibus Vol. 2
• The New Teen Titans Omnibus Vol. 3 – Dick Grayson transitions to Nightwing in issue #45, collected in this omnibus. See below to know more about Dick’s first year as Nightwing!
• The New Teen Titans Omnibus Vol. 4
• The New Teen Titans Omnibus Vol. 5

Dark Times with Jason Todd, the second Robin

Dick Grayson decides to pursue his crime-fighting solo as Nightwing, and Batman recruits Jason Todd to be the New Robin. This is a dark and difficult period for Batman, marked by several tragedies – from Barbara Gordon’s horrific encounter with the Joker in Killing Joke to the tragic loss of Robin II (also at the hands of the Joker).

• Batman: EGO and Other Tails – Darwyn Cooke’s vision of Batman and Catwoman is beautifully revealed in this collection. 
• Nightwing: Year One – Dixon/Beatty revisits Dick’s first year as Nightwing and Jason’s Robin training era. This story retcon Second Chances that you can read as an alternative (or as a complement, your choice). 
• Nightwing: Old Friends, New Enemies – Nightwing and Speedy team up as they hunt the villain Cheshire and Roy’s daughter

Did you know The Outsiders were founded by Batman? Well, the Dark Knight left the Justice League to create his own team of “Outsiders”. He then left the group in issue #32, and the title was changed to The Adventures of the Outsiders. If you want to explore that part, you can read:

• Batman and the Outsiders Vol. 1
• Batman and the Outsiders Vol. 2
• Batman and the Outsiders Vol. 3

• Batman: The Killing Joke – I share Alan Moore’s view on the fact that The Killing Joke is one of the worst things he has ever written. But it’s also one of the most influential and impactful Batman Books, and Brian Bolland’s art is fabulous.
• Batman: The Cult – One of the greatest stories of Jason Todd during his time as Robin.
• Batman: A Death in the Family – Should the Boy Wonder die? A page of Comic book (and Batman)’s history was written when readers were given the choice to vote to decide Robin’s fate. Also collects A Lonely Place of Dying, in which Tim Drake is introduced.

The Dark Years, From Knightfall to No Man’s Land

Batman needs a Robin and this new Robin is Tim Drake, who is introduced in A Lonely Place of Dying (see above!). As Tim Drake took on the mantle, Batman faced many events, from an enemy determined to break him, physically and mentally, to the many disasters hitting Gotham City – with a virus and an earthquake. The Bat Family expands noticeably in those times, with the introduction of Azrael, Stephanie Brown/Spoiler, The Huntress and Cassandra Cain/The New Batgirl.

• Robin Vol. 1: Reborn – Covers Tim’s training period and his first encounter with Lady Shiva
• Robin Vol. 2: Triumphant – Tim Drake meets the Joker and Helena Bertinelli aka The Huntress who had recently started her vigilante career.
• Batman: The Demon Trilogy – Another collection to explore the connection between Batman and the villain Ra’s al Ghul taking place in three different times.
• The Batman Chronicles #5 – aka “Oracle: Year One”, the story of Barbara’s recovery and transformation into Oracle.
• Azrael Vol. 1: Fallen Angel – There’s a new hero in Batman’s world, whether the Dark Knight likes it or not! This is Jean Paul Valley’s introduction aka Azrael.
• Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 1
• Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 2: Knightquest
  • Robin Vol. 3: Solo – Tim’s solo run starts during this event, with Stephanie Brown aka Spoiler as a recurring character.
• Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 3: KnightsEnd
  • This Omnibus contains the aftermath of Knightfall with Prodigal, the first time that Dick dons the cowl and takes over for Bruce as Batman, and Troika.

Zero Hour: A Crisis in Time – Set before Batman #512 during Batman: KnightsEnd. All of reality comes under attack when a mysterious force of entropy begins slowly erasing time itself—making its way from both the past and future toward the present! As history itself unravels around them, the heroes of the world—including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, The Justice Society, and the Titans—scramble to fix the broken timestream. But even if they stop the true source of the chaos, the world they save will never be the same! For this event, check out the tie-in Batman: Zero Hour!

• Batman: Contagion – A deadly plague strikes Gotham, and the whole Batfamily must race to contain the chaos while finding a cure.
• Batman: Legacy Volume 1 – the sequel to Contagion with Batman and his allies who race to solve a riddle from the distant past that threatens to erase all of mankind’s tomorrow
• Batman: Legacy Volume 2 – The race continues and leads Batman to confront the man who broke the Bat.

Following his stint as Batman, Nightwing stars in his first solo series with a new costume. It starts with the Nightwing miniseries, scripted by Dennis O’Neil and illustrated by Greg Land, followed by the renowned Chuck Dixon’s run with arts by Scott McDaniel. Those stories are all collected in trade paperbacks.

• Nightwing: A Knight in Bludhaven Compendium Book One

While Nightwing is flying solo, Tim Drake continues to live his own adventures but also starts his own team with his friends Superboy and Impulse: The Young Justice! An iconic run penned by Peter David and Todd Nauck.

• Young Justice Omnibus Vol. 1
• For more Young Justice readings, click here.

The Justice League of America (with Batman, obviously!) sets up headquarters on the moon to protect the Earth for one of the most transformative runs in the history of the team! Under the creative team of Grant Morrison and Howard Porter, they face classic threats including the White Martians, the Injustice Gang, and the Key, along with new foes like Prometheus and Mageddon.

• JLA: The Deluxe Edition, Vol. 1
• JLA: The Deluxe Edition, Vol. 2
  • DC One Million is an event written by Morrison that take place after JLA #23.
• JLA: The Deluxe Edition, Vol. 3
  • JLA #32 is a tie-in to Batman: No Man’s Land.
• JLA: The Deluxe Edition, Vol. 4

• Batman: Road to No Man’s Land Omnibus – Azrael returns to Gotham, accompanied by an unexpected presence – none other than Bane. Azrael’s carefully laid plan to put Bane in custody, Azrael’s plan is halted when an earthquake provides the perfect escape for Bane.
• Batman: No Man’s Land Omnibus Vol. 1 – Cassandra Cain makes her first appearance in Batman #567, introduced as the daughter of David Cain, a lethal assassin who try to kill Commissioner Gordon.
  • Harley Quinn is introduced into the main DC universe with the 1999 one-shot graphic novel Batman: Harley Quinn, written by Dini and illustrated by Yvel Guichet, right in the middle of the “No Man’s Land” storyline. 
• Batman: No Man’s Land Omnibus Vol. 2

• Nightwing: A Knight in Blüdhaven Compendium Book 2 [2025]
  • issues #35-37 also appears in Batman: No Man’s Land

Under the tutelage of Barbara Gordon—the original Batgirl herself—, Cassandra Cain must find a new purpose and make amends for her violent past in her solo series while Bruce Wayne is accused of murder and The Huntress’s origins are revisited.

• Batgirl Vol. 1: Silent Knight
• Batman: New Gotham vol.1
• Batman/Huntress: Cry for Blood – Written by Greg Rucka, Cry for Blood is a retelling of Helena’s origin after the events of No Man’s Land and her stint in the JLA. Helena is framed for murder and she must revisit her childhood to discover the truth.
• Batman: Turning Points – To explore Batman’s relationship with Commissioner James Gordon, this five-issue limited series delves into their history as they work together to combat crime in Gotham, from Year One to post No Man’s Land. This also was conceived as a prologue to Officer Down, making it a good read before this particular story.
• Batman: Officer Down – When Commissioner Gordon is shot, Batman embarks on the trail to apprehend the assailant. However, the journey takes an unexpected turn, revealing a web of intrigue beyond Batman’s anticipation.
• Batman: New Gotham vol.2
• Batman: Joker’s Last Laugh
• Bruce Wayne: Murderer? / Bruce Wayne: Fugitive – While Ed Brubaker would tell you you shouldn’t read it, you can always count on him to deliver great characterization. As Bruce Wayne gets accused of murdering his ex, The Bat family tries to find the real murderer and clear his name.
• Nightwing: A Knight in Blüdhaven Compendium Book 3 – The end of Chuck Dixon’s run on Nightwing after 70 issues. Dick’s adventures in Bludhaven continue under Devin Grayson.
• Batgirl Vol. 2: To the Death
• Batgirl Vol. 3: Point Blank
• Issues Batgirl #38-#52 are not collected for now sadly, with the exception of #45, reprinted in Batgirl: A Celebration of 50 Years.

Gotham Central starts here. From Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka. This series only featured Batman as a background player, but it’s still one of the greatest series in the Batverse.

• Gotham Central Omnibus

Haunted by The Past: From Hush to Under the Red Hood

The Past comes to haunt Bruce Wayne as he faces a mysterious enemy who wants to destroy him and is confronted by a figure from the past.

• Catwoman of East End Omnibus – Catwoman is back with her new solo series, from Darwyn Cooke and Ed Brubaker. The most celebrated run of the character in one big book!
• Batman: Hush – This modern classic penned by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by Jim Lee unveils a conspiracy involving nearly every member of Gotham’s rogues’ gallery, designed to strike at the very core of Bruce Wayne’s existence.
• Birds of Prey: Murder and Mystery – Gail Simone’s famous run on the Birds of Prey starts here. 

We will not expand too much on War Games, known as the Worst Batfamily Event Ever. Unfortunately, it is a story needed to understand later events. At this stage, you can still read it (maybe you will like it) or go on a Wiki to read about it. Maybe one day, we’ll write about it!

• Batman: War Games Vol. 1
• Batman: War Games Vol. 2
• Robin/Batgirl: Fresh Blood – In the aftermath of War Games, Robin and Batgirl goes to Blüdhaven, joining forces to tackle the city’s criminal underworld and to take down Penguin
• Batgirl: Kicking Assassins
• Batgirl: Destruction’s Daughter

Identity Crisis – After the spouse of a member of the Justice League of America is brutally murdered, the entire superhero community searches for the killer, fearing their loved ones may be the next targets. But before the mystery is fully solved, long-buried secrets of the heroes rise to the surface, threatening to tear apart and divide the heroes before they can bring the mysterious killer to justice.

• Batman: Under the Red Hood –  Batman is confronted with a figure from the past— the vigilante Red Hood who appears to be Batman’s one-time partner Jason Todd, the same Jason Todd that died many years ago. A Classic Jason Todd’s story written by Judd Winick, also quite famous for his celebrated animated adaptation. Infinite Crisis takes place concurrently with the story.
• Red Hood: Lost Days – After bringing him back, Winick explores the missing years from Jason Todd’s life.

Infinite Crisis –  OMAC robots are rampaging, magic is dying, villains are uniting, and a war is raging in space. And in the middle of it all, a critical moment has divided Earth’s three greatest heroes: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. It’s the DCU’s darkest day, and long-lost heroes from the past have returned to make things right in the universe… at any cost. Heroes will live, heroes will die, and the DCU will never be the same again! It’s a big event, but not heavy for Batman or the Batfamily. So you can simply read the main event.

• Batman/Two Face: Face the Face – After a year of absence, the Dynamic duo is back in Gotham City and Batman must ask himself if the man he entrusted to carry on in his place has confused justice with vengeance.

The Damian Wayne Saga

Grant Morrison starts his iconic Batman run by introducing a new member into the family and he is quite a little brat! Meet Damian Wayne, who just has been dropped off at Wayne Manor by his mother Talia, to be raised now by his father, Batman!

• Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus Vol. 1
  • Taking place during that time is Gotham Underground, Stephanie’s return story.
  • This is also during this time that Peter Tomasi had his short but great run on Nightwing
  • Hush made also a dramatic return in Batman: Heart of Hush
  • This period concludes with Final Crisis, an important event for the Batman continuity.
• Batman: Battle for the Cowl is a mediocre story dealing with who’s gonna take on the mantle of Batman. Honestly, quite optional.
• Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus Vol. 2 – Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne are the new and unique Dynamic Duo, Batman and Robin.
  • Explore the origins of the latest member of the Batfamily, Batwoman, in Batwoman by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III
  • Stephanie Brown shines as the new Batgirl in Batgirl: Stephanie Brown Vol. 1
  • Read some good Tim Drake’s stories by Chris Yost in Red Robin: The Grail and Red Robin: Collision
  • Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn team up in Gotham City Sirens: Book One and Book Two
    
• Batman by Paul Dini Omnibus – Running in parallel to Grant Morrison’s run is a more classic but quite celebrated Batman by Paul Dini. 
  • Except for the Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul tie-ins, most of Dini’s Detective run is made of episodic 1-3 issue arcs that can be read independently.
  • Streets of Gotham is a follow-up to Hush and happens before, during, and after the return of Bruce Wayne (collected in Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus Vol. 2).
• Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus Vol. 3 – Bruce Wayne takes his war on crime to a new level by creating Batman Incorporated, establishing a worldwide franchise of Batman that will protect the entire globe. Warning! The second Batman Incorporated series is set during the New 52 era. Don’t read it here or risk massive spoilers!
  • Batgirl: Stephanie Brown Vol. 2 takes place during that time.
• Batman and Robin: Dark Knight, White Knight –  The last hurrah of your favorite dynamic duo (Dick and Damian) before DC’s relaunch.
• Batman: The Black Mirror – As Batman, Dick has to fight several villains, one of which operates an underground black market where he sells different supervillain weapons and accessories in this now classic Batman story.
• Batman: Gates of Gotham – Batman (still Dick) assembles a team of detectives to try to unravel a conspiracy.

Flashpoint – This is the end of the Modern Age/Post-Crisis era. Flashpoint is ending the continuity of New Earth and leading into the New 52 relaunch. It’s a Flash event, but it introduced Thomas Wayne as Batman in an altered DC Universe that will have an impact in the future. You’ll find the reading order here.

• Flashpoint
• Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint Featuring Batman

A New 52 Batfamily

Everyone is younger, a little bit edgier and darker in DC’s New 52 era, as Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s run on Batman introduces us to the Court of Owls and revisit Batman’s early days while Bruce must learn to work with his son Damian in Tomasi & Gleason’s run on Batman and Robin.  Before completely leaving Batman, Morrison will left with a bang – or mostly a tragedy that will shake the Batfamily. All of the most important stories of this era are collected in omnibus!

• Batman by Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo Omnibus Vol. 1 – This is the first of two omnibus collecting Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s run on Batman. This volume collects The Court of Owls storylines and Year Zero.
• Batman & Robin by Tomasi & Gleason Omnibus – Batman and Robin. The Dark Knight and the Boy Wonder. This is Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason’s emotional run about the relationship between Bruce Wayne and his son.

Warning! Both series need to be stopped at issue #17 to avoid any major spoilers. At this point, you need to conclude Morrison’s run on Batman with the second Batman Incorporated series, collected in Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus Vol. 3

• You can resume your reading of Snyder and Capullo’s run with the Zero Year storyline in which Duke Thomas (destined to become The Signal) is introduced.
• You can resume your reading of Tomasi and Gleason’s run on Batman and Robin.
• Batman by Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo Omnibus Vol. 2 – The second part and conclusion of Snyder and Capullo’s run with a new Batman.
• After more than 20 years as Oracle, DC reestablished Barbara Gordon as Batgirl with Gail Simone as the helm of the series, in which Babs is struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. The whole run has been collected in Batgirl Returns and takes place in parallel to Snyder and Capullo. you can read it after to avoid any Batman spoilers.
• J.H. Williams’s solo work on Batwoman is gathered in the Batwoman Omnibus (also collecting her origins). It’s important to note that he unexpectedly stopped working on the books due to a disagreement with DC’s editors, and there isn’t a clear ending to his story.
• In this era, Steph was reintroduced in Batman Eternal, while Cass made her return in Batman & Robin Eternal, but we think those are still optional (and not that compelling) reading.
• For some good Catwoman stories in this period, turn your attention towards Genevieve Valentine’s run collected in The Keeper of the Castle and Inheritance
• Robin: Son of Batman Vol. 1 – Damian goes on a journey to atone for his past crimes.
• Grayson The Superyspy Omnibus – the high-octane, acclaimed superspy thriller featuring ex-Nightwing Dick Grayson as Agent 37.
• We are Robin and Robin War are passable stories but help define Duke Thomas and his future place in the Batfamily.
• Gotham Academy – Coming from Becky Cloonan and Brenden Fletcher is a teen-focused series blending mystery, friendship, and light romance, at Gotham’s most prestigious prep school, Gotham Academy. 
• Robin: Son of Batman Vol. 2 – Follow-up and conclusion to Damian’s first solo series.

A Batfamily Rebirth

• Tom King became Batman’s main writer for the Rebirth era. His run focused in part on Bruce/Selina’s relationship with all that failed wedding arc, for those interested to know more about it. We mostly gave up quickly this run, so we don’t recommend it, but you are free to explore this part if you want. It’s also during the first arc (see Batman Vol. 1: I Am Gotham) that Duke receives his suit.
• Batman: The Rise and Fall of the Batmen Omnibus – Batman and Batwoman train young vigilantes in James Tynion’s run on Detective Comics, collecting also the first Batman crossover event of the Rebirth era (Batman: Night of the Monster Men).
  • Batman & the Signal – A miniseries focusing on Duke’s training and the duo fighting crimes as Batman and Signal.
  • It can be hard to be a Jason Todd fan, as great stories are few and far between. The first four volumes of Red Hood and the Outlaws, set during the first part of the Rebirth era, delivers some decent stories.
  • For the first five volumes of Nightwing, Tim Seeley was in charge of rebuilding Nightwing’s identity for the Rebirth era. A mostly enjoyable run, delivering some solid storylines and some less good. You can stop after his departure – and avoid as much as possible the ‘Ric’ period.
• Gotham Academy: Second Semester (Vol. 1 and 2) – The adventures of Maps and Olive at Gotham Academy continue for a second semester.
• Batman forms a new team consisting of Katana, Orphan (aka Cass), The Signal. And their leader Black Lightning in the new Batman and the Outsiders
• Batman: City of Bane is Tom King’s last story arc on Batman, and he left after killing a dear member of the Batfamily!
• Batman and the Outsiders continues in A League of Their Own and conclude with The Demon’s Fire.
  
• Batman by James Tynion IV Omnibus Vol. 1 – Following Tom King’s departure, James Tynion took over the Batman main title for a run that will continue in the Infinite Frontier era. It is not as popular as his time on Detective Comics and is generally lost between two divisive runs. If you are not suffering from Joker over-exposure, you can give it a try!

The Rebirth era concluded with Dark Nights: Metal and its follow-up, Dark Nights: Death Metal, which introduces the villain The Batman Who Laughs and goes on to explore the Dark Universe of DC Comics. Those stories are not my cup of tea, but some people dig them, so I let you decide if you want to take that wacky journey.

The Batfamily in the Infinite Frontier/Dawn of DC era

The DC Multiverse has expanded into a larger “Omniverse,” plunging us into an inconsistent and creatively messy era where Batman goes through some difficult times, as other members of the Batfamily were clearly better suited for the spotlight in those periods.

• James Tynion IV concludes his run with the Fear State event.
• Started in the previous era, dive into Ram V’s run on Catwoman, collected in three volumes: Come Home, Alley Cat, Valley of the Shadow of Death, and Fear State.
• Red Hood is back in Gotham for a simple and good story where he investigates a new drug in Gotham City called Cheerdrops in Chip Zdarsky’s ‘Cheer’ story, collected in Batman: Urban Legends Vol. 1.
• Nightwing by Tom Taylor Omnibus Vol. 1 – One of the most celebrated runs in the Batfamily during this era was not Batman but Nightwing by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo. A fun, light, and new reader-friendly run following Dick trying to do good in Blüdhaven with the help of Barbara Gordon.
• Damian is going solo to prove his worth under Joshua Williamson, a run collected in three volumes: The Lazarus Tournament, I Am Robin, and Secrets and Shadows.
• Batman / Superman: World’s Finest – Coming from Mark Waid and Dan Mora is a Batman/Superman team-up title set in the early years of their careers (when Dick was Robin), with some links to the modern continuity. It became one of the most celebrated titles of this era and is still ongoing!
• Nightwing by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo Omnibus Vol. 2 – Taylor and Redondo’s celebrated run continued and concluded in the Dawn of DC era.
• Tim Drake: Robin Vol. 1: Mystery at the Marina – Reconnect with the third Robin at the start of Dawn of DC, and learn more about the new developments in Tim Drake’s life right now. 
• Chip Zdarsky took over as Batman’s main writer in the Dawn of DC era, introducing the villain Failsafe, featuring Zur-En-Arrh, and putting the Batfamily through the wringer (and really bad events such as Gotham War!)
• Around the same time, Ram V’s run on Detective Comics delivers a slow-burn story that is best enjoyed without worrying about the messy continuity of the time. It has been collected in several volumes: Gotham Nocturne: Overture, Act I, Act II, Intermezzo: Batman, Outlaw, and Act III.
• Launched after the events of Fear State, Poison Ivy by G. Willow Wilson was supposed to be a miniseries mixing body horror and ecoterrorism, but was expanded and became an ongoing series thanks to good sales and positive feedback. And it’s still ongoing!
• A new Birds of Prey team emerged, under Kelly Thompson’s writing pen and Leonardo Romero’s art, led by Black Canary and featuring Cassandra Cain and Barbara Gordon in the two volumes Megadeath and Worlds Without End.

Amanda Waller was orchestrating a nefarious plan during this time that came into fruition in Absolute Power and put an end to the Dawn of DC era. An event filled with all the DC Comics characters!

The Batfamily is All In!

Coming Soon!

Dawn of DC was not that long ago before DC started the “DC All In” Initiative. This section will be updated at a later date. Thank you for your patience!

Other Batfamily Stories (Elseworlds, Out of Continuity and more)

• We didn’t talk about Terry McGinnis, aka Batman Beyond as his interactions with the main continuity are quite limited. See our Batman Beyond Comic Book Reading Order to read more about the Batman of the Future.
• Batman: The Dark Knight Returns – Frank Miller’s 1986 classic set in a future where Bruce Wayne has retired, and finally made his return when his city needs him most.
• Batman: Gotham by Gaslight – A classic Elseworlds story that reimagines the Dark Knight in Victorian England, confronting Jack the Ripper and a mad prophet.
• Catwoman: Lonely City – A celebrated Catwoman story from Cliff Chiang that explores a world without Batman, but a world with a woman searching for purpose and vengeance!
• Batman: Li’l Gotham – An all-ages webcomic featuring the whole Batfamily, smaller and cuter.
• Wayne Family Adventures – A slice-of-life Webtoon for all the family featuring interactions between the loving members of the Batfamily!
• More Coming Soon! This section is still a work in progress.