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Batman New 52 Reading Order, from The Court of Owls to the end of the DC You

In 2011, DC Comics launched the New 52 initiative, a company-wide relaunch that redefined the status quo of its characters, presenting new origins and updated continuity for many heroes. Some characters received a complete reboot, while others experienced more subtle revisions. Batman was among the latter.

When writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo assumed creative duties on Batman (Vol. 2), they did not discard the core elements of the character’s history from the Post-Crisis era. Instead, they integrated much of that history while introducing a revised backstory and developing a new mythology around Gotham City. Their run became one of the most influential of the modern era, beginning with the acclaimed “Court of Owls” storyline and continuing through major arcs such as “Death of the Family” and “Endgame.”

During the New 52 period, Batman appeared in multiple ongoing series, reflecting his central role in the DC Universe. These included: Batman, Detective Comics, Batman Incorporated by Grant Morrison, Batman and Robin by Tomasi and Gleason, Batman Eternal and Batman & Robin Eternal, and Batman: The Dark Knight.

What comics should you read before Batman New 52?

The DC Universe was rebooted as the New 52 following the events of Flashpoint (2011), which is not a necessary read before going into this era of Batman stories (but it’s still a good book to read). 

Although the New 52 was designed as a new entry point for readers, Batman’s continuity was not fully rebooted. Key elements of his Post-Crisis history were retained, and several storylines launched before Flashpoint remained relevant. In particular, you’ll need to take a look at Grant Morrison’s Batman Incorporated volume 1 before jumping into volume 2 and Batman and Robin by Tomasi.

Also, while optional, Batman: Gates of Gotham by Scott Snyder, Kyle Higgins, and Trevor McCarthy is a miniseries that explores Gotham’s history and acts as a thematic prelude to Snyder’s run on Batman. And if you want more, you can go through our guide to reading the Batman: The Modern Age comics in order.

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Batman New 52 Comics Reading Order

Before getting into a more detailed reading order for Batman’s comics published during the New 52 era, you’ll find a list of the omnibus collections made available by DC Comics.

All the New 52 Batman Omnibuses

Not every Batman series from the New 52 era has been collected in omnibus format. However, the most significant runs are available, making it possible to experience the core of this period through these large collections. If you want to read the New 52 Batman era using omnibuses, here is a list of what is currently available:

  • Batman by Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo Omnibus Vol. 1
    This is the first of two omnibuses collecting Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s run on Batman. This volume collects The Court of Owls storylines and Year Zero, from Batman #0-33, #23.2, and Batman Annual #1-2. Only Batman issues.
  • Batman by Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo Omnibus Vol. 2
    This second volume collects Batman #34-52; Detective Comics #27; Batman Annual #3-4; Batman: Futures End #1; DC Sneak Peek: Batman #1; Detective Comics #1000 and Batman: Last Knight on Earth #1-3.
  • Batman: Detective Comics: The New 52 Omnibus Vol. 1 new
    Collects Detective Comics #0-26; Detective Comics Annual #1-2.
  • Batman: Detective Comics: The New 52 Omnibus Vol. 2 [2026]
    Collects Catwoman #27-28, Batgirl #27, Birds of Prey #27-28, Detective Comics #25-52, Batwing #27, Detective Comics Annual #3, Secret Origins #2 and #10, Detective Comics: Futures End #1, Convergence: Justice League #1, and Detective Comics: Endgame #1.
  • Batman & Robin by Tomasi & Gleason Omnibus
    Batman and Robin. The Dynamic Duo. The Dark Knight and the Boy Wonder. Father and son. This is the omnibus collecting Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason’s run. This volume collects Batman & Robin #20-22, Batman & Robin #0-40 from The New 52 Series, Batman & Robin Annual #1-3, Robin Rises: Omega #1, Robin Rises: Alpha #1, and a story from Secret Origins #4.
  • Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus Vol. 3
    Collects Batman Incorporated #1-8, Batman: The Return #1, Batman Incorporated #0-13, Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes #1, Batman Incorporated Special #1.
  • Batman Eternal Omnibus [2023 Edition]
    Collects Batman Eternal issues #1-52 and Batman #28.
  • Batman & Robin Eternal Omnibus
    Collects Batman & Robin Eternal #1-26 and Batman: Endgame Special Edition #1.

Your Classic Batman New 52 Reading Order, Paperback Edition

During the New 52 era, multiple Batman series were published simultaneously, making it easy for the reading order to become confusing. To help navigate this period, we have organized the stories according to their collected editions, arranging them in a way that follows the overall chronology of events.

Here is our recommended Batman New 52 reading order, based on the trade paperback collections.

Batman The Court of Owls Reading Order LogoThe “Court of Owls” storyline (Batman #1–11) is one of the most acclaimed arcs of the New 52 era. In addition to its original trade paperback and deluxe hardcover editions, it has also been collected in other formats, including an Absolute Edition and a DC Compact Edition. You can find a lot more information about all of that in our guide exploring the Court of Owls.

“Night of the Owls” is a crossover event tied to the “Court of Owls” saga. Serving as a companion story, it expands the conflict to include the wider Bat-Family — Nightwing, Robin (Damian Wayne), Batgirl, Red Hood, Red Robin, and others. When the Court of Owls unleashes its army of Talons across Gotham City to assassinate key political and social figures, each member of the Bat-Family must protect their assigned targets, resulting in a citywide battle to stop the coordinated attacks. Most of those tie-in issues take place after Batman #8, but some will spoil the ending. Better to read The Night of the Owls after The Court of Owls. For more details, check out the full reading order of the event.

  • Batman: The Night of the Owls
    Collects Batman #8-9, Batman Annual #1, Detective Comics #9, Batman: The Dark Knight #9, Batwing #9, Batman and Robin #9, Red Hood and the Outlaws #9, Birds of Prey #9, Batgirl #9, Nightwing #8-9, and All-Star Western #9.

Batman Icon Reading Order

Batman New 52 Reading Order Icon

Joker Batman New 52 Reading OrderWhat’s coming next is another event called Death of the Family. This time, Joker is back in Gotham with a plan to get revenge on all the people Batman has come to rely on over the years. He wants to destroy the Bat-Family. We are recommending that you go check out our guide to reading the Death of the Family comics in order.

Batman Icon Reading OrderWhile set in the New 52 continuity, the following Batman, Incorporated book was written by Grant Morrison with art primarily by Chris Burnham, and continues Morrison’s long-running Batman saga from the pre-Flashpoint era, following Bruce Wayne’s public announcement of the Batman Incorporated initiative. You may want to read Batman Incorporated volume 1, but the best way to go at it is to read Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus Vol. 3.

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The Riddler Batman New 52 Reading OrderZero Year is a prequel storyline (covered in detail in our Batman: Zero Year Reading Order article) that was originally published after the “Death of the Family” event. Set several years before “The Court of Owls,” it reimagines Batman’s early career and presents a modern retelling of his origin in the New 52 continuity. Although you can read it at almost any point, most readers prefer to experience it after “Death of the Family,” since that reflects its publication order. The collected edition gathers all the main issues and tie-ins, but be aware that some of the tie-ins include minor spoilers for later storylines. If spoilers are not a concern, you can also choose to read it before the “Dark City” arc.

(Optional) Batman/Superman begins with a prequel storyline set before the formation of the Justice League, exploring the first meeting between the two heroes in the New 52 continuity. The subsequent arcs are only loosely connected to the Batman mythos, focusing more on Superman’s world and team-ups, making this series optional for a strictly Batman-focused reading order.

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Batman Icon Reading Order

As part of Batman’s 75th anniversary celebration, DC Comics launched Batman Eternal, a year-long weekly maxiseries running from 2014 to 2015. Written by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Ray Fawkes, Kyle Higgins, and Tim Seeley, the series explored a sprawling mystery that reshaped Gotham City’s status quo.

The story follows Commissioner Gordon’s downfall after a catastrophic event, the rise of new threats in Gotham, and the return of iconic villains. Featuring a large ensemble cast — including Batgirl, Red Hood, Batwing, and Stephanie Brown — Batman Eternal expands the scope of the Batman mythos beyond the core Batman title. The entire series is collected in trade paperback format as well as in a single omnibus edition.

Joker Batman New 52 Reading Order

Next is the Endgame storyline, the follow-up to Death of the Family. In this arc, the Joker executes his ultimate plan against Batman, forcing the citizens, villains, and heroes of Gotham to confront the full extent of his chaos. For a detailed breakdown of the issues and recommended reading order, see our guide to reading the Endgame comics in order.

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Batman Icon Reading OrderWe are entering the “DC You” era that technically marks the end of the New 52 era, beginning in the aftermath of the Convergence (out-of-continuity) event. This initiative was presented as a new editorial direction, emphasizing “story over continuity” to allow writers and artists greater freedom in their storytelling. Unlike the New 52, DC You was not a full reboot, but it did feature notable changes to the status quo for several key characters, while maintaining the existing continuity of the DC Universe. Though for readers of Batman, the shift was barely noticeable.

Batman Icon Reading OrderA successor to Batman Eternal, Batman & Robin Eternal is a weekly maxiseries published from 2015 to 2016. Written by James Tynion IV, Tim Seeley, Marguerite Bennett, and Steve Orlando, with art by Rafa Sandoval and others, the series focuses on the next generation of Gotham’s heroes.

The story explores the relationship between Batman, Robin (Damian Wayne), and the wider Bat-Family, while introducing a mysterious new threat from the past that forces them to confront secrets long buried. Spanning one year of weekly issues, the series goes into the origins and early experiences of several characters, including Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain, and examines how their pasts shape their roles in Gotham’s present. The full run is available in trade paperback form as well as a single omnibus edition.

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Batman New 52: The Out of Continuity Stories

As always, Batman’s universe extends beyond the core ongoing series. The following titles are stories published during the New 52 era that are not considered part of the main continuity, offering alternate takes, standalone adventures, or experimental narratives within Gotham and the wider Bat-Family.

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What Should You Read After Batman New 52/DC You?

This is the end of another era for Batman and all the other heroes of the DC Comics Extended Universe. We are entering the Rebirth Era. For The Dark Knight, this came with a new writer taking over the main Batman comics as Tom King replaced Scott Snyder.

If you want to explore a lot more of Batman’s adventures, we’ve got you covered. Just follow the guides or visit our page dedicated to all of our Batman coverage:

We also wrote reading orders for Nightwing, Jason Todd/Red Hood, Barbara Gordon, Cassandra Cain/Batgirl, Damian Wayne, Azrael, Stephanie Brown, Batwoman, Alfred Pennyworth, The Signal (Duke Thomas), Catwoman, Batwing, and Huntress (Helena Bertinelli). More to come.

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8 thoughts on “Batman New 52 Reading Order, from The Court of Owls to the end of the DC You”

  1. Joanna
    Reply

    This is fantastic! Every other reading order on the internet that I could find leaves off the batman and robin series so I wasn’t sure where it fit in the chronology, thank you for including it here!

  2. adzero
    Reply

    I don’t understand why would you put “Batman – Detective Comics Vol. 1: Faces of Death” between “Batman, Vol. 1: The Court of Owls” and “Batman, Vol. 2: The City of Owls”. It doesn’t make any sense.

    2. Carole
      Reply

      Hi adzero,

      I recently updated this reading order, and following some research, I think we put it there because of some connections with other collected editions not listed here (I suppose based on the work done for the global New 52 era reading order).

      So I checked it out and moved “Detective Comics Vol. 1: Faces of Death” before “Batman, Vol. 1: The Court of Owls” here. If you think it should be placed somewhere else, do tell me! We are open to suggestions to help and improve our reading orders!

    1. Fabien
      Reply

      It’s not really a Batman event (except if you are into Batman Beyond), but if you want to read it, starts before “Batman, Vol. 6: The Graveyard Shift.”

  6. Jason
    Reply

    Emperor Penguin takes place before/during the Death of the Family Arc, wouldn’t it make more sense to put it after Cycle of Violence?

    1. Fabien
      Reply

      A big part of the book is affected by the event of Death of the Family, so it’s better to put it after. And in the last story, there’s a reference to events taking place in Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 – it’s anecdotical, so you can read it after Cycle of Violence if you want.

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