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Batman Reading Order, The Modern Age (Post-Crisis)

Batman stands on a rooftop, looking at Gotham City | Comic Book Treasury

Do you really need an introduction? Created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger in Detective Comics #27 (1939), Batman is a vigilante who fights crime in the streets of Gotham City. Under the costume of the Bat is Bruce Wayne, a wealthy American playboy, philanthropist, and industrialist whose parents, Thomas and Martha, were murdered in front of him when he was a kid. That traumatic existence led him to train himself physically and intellectually in order to be able to fight for justice.

Introduced as a generic ruthless and murderous vigilante, Batman quickly evolved and acquired a strong moral code (he is against murder!) and a kid sidekick, the famous Robin (Dick Grayson at first in Detective Comics #38). He never got superpowers though. But that didn’t stop him from becoming one of the most iconic characters in popular culture.

As years go by, Batman’s stories evolved. After the war, they became bright and colorful, during the 1950s they became more science fiction-oriented, but went back to more detective stories in the 1960s (and got redesigned) to avoid cancellation. The campy TV Show also influenced the book for a while, but soon after it ended, it became necessary to go back to something grimmer.

The sales dropped anyway through the 1970s and 1980s. Then came the Modern Age. With the post-Crisis relaunch of the DC books came new instant-classic stories – also, a popular movie helped too.

This article does not cover all of Batman’s publication history. We are starting with what is called the Modern Age (aka Post Crisis). The Golden Age Years are collected in Omnibus editions and DC Comics is now doing the same with the Silver Age Years (and also the Batman & Superman: World’s Finest), the Batman: The Brave & the Bold (Bronze Age) — see our guide for the Batman Comics from the Golden Age through the Bronze Age to explore the Pre-Crisis Batman era.

DC Comics’ Modern Age started after the 12-issue miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths (see reading order). The event was used to retconned the histories of most of the characters. The idea was to clean up the timelines (something DC is still trying to do, in vain) and to update the superheroes in order to appeal to a contemporary audience. With the help of Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, Batman got a new origin story. The relaunch didn’t erase all of Batman’s past, but some significant alterations became canon (like the fact that Alfred Pennyworth raised Bruce Wayne).

Batman Comics in Order: The Modern Age in Chronological Order

To be clear, this reading order focuses on Batman stories from Batman: Year One (1987) to Flashpoint (2011). There are also a lot of stories that are not here because they are not in continuity. Here is the list of the Bat-series published during that era:

  • Batman: The main Bat-series. Not officially rebooted after “Year One“.
  • Detective Comics: The second of the main Bat-series. 
  • Batman: Shadow of the Bat: Published from 1992 to 2000, this series offered stories that took place in Batman’s then-current continuity along with Detective Comics and Batman. Canceled after No Man’s Land and was replaced by Batman: Gotham Knights.
  • Legends Of The Dark Knight: Original series launched in 1989. Most stories are “Year One” stories, set early in Batman’s career.
  • Batman Confidential: A Batman anthology series launched in 2007 in place of Legends Of The Dark Knight.
  • Batman and the Outsiders: Batman left the Justice League and founded his own team of “Outsiders”.
  • The Batman Chronicles: Published quarterly from 1995 to 2001, most issues contained three separate stories.
  • The Brave and the Bold: A team-up title revived multiple times, notably in 2007 with a focus on Batman.
  • Superman/Batman: New version of World’s Finest Comics, a monthly series that focused on Batman joining forces with Superman.
  • Trinity: A 2008-09 limited series featuring the superheroes Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. 
  • Batman: Streets of Gotham: A series of Batman stories told through the point of view of other characters in Gotham City.
  • And a lot of miniseries, limited series, and one-shots.

Batman Reading Order: The BatMenu

  1. The “Batman: Year One” era
  2. Tim Drake, The New Robin
  3. Batman: Knightfall
  4. Batman: No Man’s Land
  5. Bruce Wayne: Murderer
  6. War Games
  7. Grant Morrison’s Batman
  8. What to read after

The Modern Age Bat-Omnibuses

Before getting to the full reading order, If you want to collect the omnibus editions of the Batman Modern Age stories, here is a listing in order:

  • Batman by Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale Omnibus
    Collects Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special, Batman: Madness–A Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special, Batman: Ghosts–A Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special, Batman: The Long Halloween #1-13, Batman: Dark Victory #0-13, Catwoman: When in Rome #1-6 and a short story from Superman/Batman Secret Files & Origins 2003.
  • Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 1
    Collects Batman #484-500, Batman: Shadow Of The Bat #16-18, Batman: Vengeance Of Bane #1, Detective Comics #654-666, and Showcase ’93 #7-8.
  • Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 2: Knightquest
    Collects Batman #501-508, Batman Legends Of The Dark Knight #59-61, Batman: Shadow Of The Bat #19-27, Catwoman #6-7 Detective Comics #667-675, Justice League Task Force #5-6, Robin #1-2 And 7, And Showcase ’94 #7.
  • Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 3: KnightsEnd
    Collects Batman #509-510 & #512-515, Batman: Shadow Of The Bat #29-30 & #32-35, Detective Comics #676-677 & #679-682, Robin #8-9 & #11-14, Catwoman #12-13, Batman: Legends Of The Dark Knight #62-63, Showcase ’94 #10, Nightwing: Alfred’s Return #1, Batman: Vegeance Of Bane #2.
  • Batman: Road to No Man’s Land Omnibus
    Collects Azrael: Agent of the Bat #40, Azrael: Agent of the Bat #47-50, Batman #554-562, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #73-82, Detective Comics #719-722, Detective Comics #724-729, Catwoman #56-57, Robin #52-54, The Batman Chronicles #12, The Batman Chronicles #14-15, Nightwing #19-20, Batman: Arkham Asylum – Tales of Madness #1, Batman: Blackgate – Isle of Men #1, Batman: Huntress/Spoiler – Blunt Trauma #1
  • Batman: No Man’s Land Omnibus Vol. 1
    Collects Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #116-121, Azrael: Agent of the Bat #51-57, Batman #563-568, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #83-88, Detective Comics #730-735, Catwoman #72-74, Robin #67, The Batman Chronicles #16-17, Nightwing #35-37, Batman: No Man’s Land (Collector’s) #1, Batman: No Man’s Land Gallery #1, and Young Justice In No Man’s Land #1.
  • Batman: No Man’s Land Omnibus Vol. 2
    Collects Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #122-126; Azrael: Agent of the Bat #58-61; Batman #569-574; Batman: Shadow of the Bat#89-94; Detective Comics #736-741; Catwoman #75-77; Robin #68-73; The Batman Chronicles #18; Nightwing #38-39; Batman No Man’s Land #0; and Batman: No Man’s Land Secret Files #1.
  • Gotham Central Omnibus
    Collects Gotham Central #1-40.
  • Batman: The Hush Saga Omnibus
    Collects Batman #608-619 and #685; Batman: Gotham Knights #50-55, #60-71, and #73-74; Detective Comics #846-850 and #852; a Hush interlude from Wizard #0; the Hush tales from Batman: Streets of Gotham #1-4, #14, and #16-21; and a brand-new short story from Batman: Hush: 20th Anniversary Edition.
  • 52 Omnibus
    Collects 52 #1-52.
  •  Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus Vol. 1
    Collects Batman #655-658, #663-683 and stories from DC Universe #0 and #30 and #47.
  • Batman by Paul Dini Omnibus
    Collects Batman #685 (1940-), Batman Annual #1 (2016-), Batman Black and White #3 (2013-), Batman: Gotham Knights #14 (2000-), Batman: Streets of Gotham #1-4, #7, #10-14, #16-21, DCU Holiday Special #1, Detective Comics #821-824, #826-828, #831, #833-834, #837-841, #843-850, #852, #1000 
  • Final Crisis Omnibus
    Collects Batman #676-683, #701-702, Birds Of Prey #118, Dc Universe #0, Dc Universe: The Last Will And Testament #1, Final Crisis #1-7, Final Crisis: Legion Of 3 Worlds #1-5, Final Crisis: Requiem #1, Final Crisis: Resist #1, Final Crisis: Revelations #1-5, Final Crisis: Rogues’ Revenge #1-3, Final Crisis: Secret Files #1, Final Crisis: Submit #1, Final Crisis: Superman Beyond #1-2, The Flash #240-241, Justice League Of America #21, Superman/Batman #76, Teen Titans #59-60 And Terror Titans #1-6.
  • Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus Vol. 2
    Collects Batman & Robin #1-16, Batman #700-702 and Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1-6.
  • 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 Icon Reading Order

The “Batman: Year One” era

A new beginning. This is a period full of retelling of origin stories. Everything starts with “Batman: Year One.” After that, the main story takes place ten years later, but within the “Legends of the Dark Knight” series, multiple authors wrote stories taking place in the Year One continuity (and keeping the adult tone).

Some are really good, but if you only want the essentials of the Year One era, you can simply read “Batman: The Man Who Laughs,” and Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s work (“The Long Halloween” and “Dark Victory“) and jump to the famous “Killing Joke.”

As the Crisis on Infinite Earths event is the starting point of the guide, it would be logical to read it at the start. But the exploration of the “new” past introduced by Batman: Year One pushed this story to that point in the guide. For more information, go to our Crisis on Infinite Earths Reading Order.

Justice League International Reading Order Giffen DeMatteisWhen Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis took over the Justice League International, Batman was one of the rare big names associated with the title, and just for a little while. To know more about the series, take a look at our reading order.

Millennium DC Comics EventMillennium (Optional Event) – After the Guardians and Zamarons exile themselves from this dimension, one of each remains and seeks out 12 Chosen to become the New Guardians. The robotic Manhunters aim to prevent this and several supporting characters are revealed to be Manhunters.

Invasion! (Optional) – Resilient. Overpowering. Unstoppable. By their very nature, our planet’s superheroes have become a threat to the rest of the universe. Now, an alliance has formed between the fiercest, most calculating alien races to pursue a single goal: the elimination of Earth’s guardians. As war erupts all over the world, Superman leads the charge against these would-be alien conquerors. Here is the full reading order.

Robin Letter Icon Reading Order Damian Wayne

Tim Drake, The New Robin

To know more about Tim Drake, the third Robin, take a look at our Tim Drake Reading Order.

Batman Reading Order - Knightfall Logo

Batman: Knightfall

In the ’90s, DC Comics killed Superman and broke Batman’s back! In Knightfall, the inmates of Arkham Asylum have broken free and Batman must push himself to the limits to re-apprehend the Joker, Poison Ivy, the Riddler, Killer Croc, and more. Pushed to the limits, he comes face-to-face against the monstrosity known as Bane, who delivers a crippling blow destined to change the Caped Crusader forever!

This guide is big enough already, so I choose to only put here the Omnibus editions. For more choices, go to our Knightfall reading order.

  • Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 1
    Collects Batman #484-500, Batman: Shadow Of The Bat #16-18, Batman: Vengeance Of Bane #1, Detective Comics #654-666, and Showcase ’93 #7-8.
  • Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 2: Knightquest
    Collects Batman #501-508, Batman Legends Of The Dark Knight #59-61, Batman: Shadow Of The Bat #19-27, Catwoman #6-7 Detective Comics #667-675, Justice League Task Force #5-6, Robin #1-2 And 7, And Showcase ’94 #7.
  • Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 3: KnightsEnd
    Collects Batman #509-510 & #512-515, Batman: Shadow Of The Bat #29-30 & #32-35, Detective Comics #676-677 & #679-682, Robin #8-9 & #11-14, Catwoman #12-13, Batman: Legends Of The Dark Knight #62-63, Showcase ’94 #10, Nightwing: Alfred’s Return #1, Batman: Vegeance Of Bane #2.

Batman Reading Order - Knightfall Logo

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!

90s Joker Batman Reading OrderUnderworld Unleashed – When the demon Neron boosts the powers of the DC Universe’s villains, Earth’s heroes struggle to save humanity! Neron makes DC’s villains–and heroes–an offer they can’t refuse, dangling serious power upgrades at the cost of their souls. Collects The Unexpected #1, Underworld Unleashed #1-3, Underworld Unleashed: Abyss–Hell’s Sentinel #1, Underworld Unleashed: Apokolips–Dark Uprising #1, Underworld Unleashed: Batman–Devil’s Asylum #1, and Underworld Unleashed: Patterns of Fear #1. 

Flying superman Reading Order IconThe Final Night (see the reading order) – The Sun-Eater, an interstellar entity that consumes stars and all sentient life within its path, has come to Earth. As the sun goes dark, the Justice League must quell the planetwide rioting and fight to preserve life where they can. Heroes and villains alike must band together to destroy the Sun-Eater, but does one person have the will to reignite the sun?

Batman Reading Order - Logo 1998

Batman: No Man’s Land

Another major Bat-event and, like with Knightfall, I only put the Omnibus Editions here. For more information about other editions, go to Batman’s No Man’s Land reading order. After suffering a cataclysmic earthquake, the U.S. government has deemed Gotham City uninhabitable and ordered all citizens to leave.

It is now months later and those that have refused to vacate “No Man’s Land” live amidst a citywide turf war in which the strongest prey on the weak. Batman and his allies including the enigmatic new Batgirl, Nightwing, Oracle, and Robin must fight to save Gotham during its darkest hour and return Justice to the destroyed city. Note: Cassandra Cain is introduced during this event. She became the official Batgirl after that. For more about her, go to Cassandra Cain Reading Order.

Batman No Man’s Land

  • Batman: Road to No Man’s Land Omnibus
    Collects Azrael: Agent of the Bat #40, Azrael: Agent of the Bat #47-50, Batman #554-562, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #73-82, Detective Comics #719-722, Detective Comics #724-729, Catwoman #56-57, Robin #52-54, The Batman Chronicles #12, The Batman Chronicles #14-15, Nightwing #19-20, Batman: Arkham Asylum – Tales of Madness #1, Batman: Blackgate – Isle of Men #1, Batman: Huntress/Spoiler – Blunt Trauma #1

  • Batman: No Man’s Land Omnibus Vol. 1
    Collects Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #116-121, Azrael: Agent of the Bat #51-57, Batman #563-568, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #83-88, Detective Comics #730-735, Catwoman #72-74, Robin #67, The Batman Chronicles #16-17, Nightwing #35-37, Batman: No Man’s Land (Collector’s) #1, Batman: No Man’s Land Gallery #1, and Young Justice In No Man’s Land #1.
  • Batman: No Man’s Land Omnibus Vol. 2
    Collects Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #122-126; Azrael: Agent of the Bat #58-61; Batman #569-574; Batman: Shadow of the Bat#89-94; Detective Comics #736-741; Catwoman #75-77; Robin #68-73; The Batman Chronicles #18; Nightwing #38-39; Batman No Man’s Land #0; and Batman: No Man’s Land Secret Files #1.

Batman Reading Order - Logo 1998

CatwomanCatwoman: Trail of the Catwoman
Collects Catwoman #1-9 and material from Detective Comics #759-762. For more information about the new Catwoman series, reading order here.

Batman Reading Order - Logo 1998

Bruce Wayne: Murderer

After being found with the dead body of Vesper Fairchild in his arms, Bruce Wayne is arrested for her murder. Looking to prove Bruce’s innocence, Nightwing, Robin, and Batgirl quickly begin an investigation to discover the true killer.

But as the mystery unfolds, evidence of Bruce’s guilt mounts and even his closest allies begin to question their mentor’s innocence. Tired of portraying himself as someone he is not and further embracing the freedom of his masked identity, Bruce decides to lay his millionaire playboy alter ego to rest and live life only as the Batman.

  • Bruce Wayne: Murderer?
    Collects Batgirl #24, #27, Batman #599-602, Batman: Gotham Knights #25-29, Batman: The 10-Cent Adventure #1, Birds Of Prey #39-41, Detective Comics #766-770, Nightwing #65-66, #68-69, and Robin #98-99.
  • Bruce Wayne: Fugitive
    Collects Batman #603-607, Detective Comics #768-775, Batman: Gotham Knights #29-32 And Batgirl #29, #33.

For a more detailed reading order of that event, go to our Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive page.

Batman Reading Order - Logo 1998

Batman Reading Order: Gotham CentralGotham Central starts here. This series only featured Batman as a background player, but it’s still one of the greatest series in the Batverse. You can find the omnibus edition here.

Batman Reading Order - Logo 1998

War Games

In 2004-05, DC Comics organized a Bat-crossover. Tensions escalate and war comes to Gotham City when Batman is drawn into a skirmish between rival gangs. As Gotham’s biggest gang battle ignites, Batman must call on all his available allies—Oracle, Batgirl, Nightwing, Orpheus, Onyx and Tarantula—to preserve life and contain the chaos while trying to determine who started this outbreak of violence. For more information, go to the Batman: War Games Reading Order.

Batman Reading Order - Logo 1998

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. For more information, take a look at the Reading Order.

Infinite Crisis Logo Reading Order

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. It’s not the place for details because there’s already an article about it. The essential is:

Batman Icon Reading Order

Batman Logo (pré New 52)

Grant Morrison’s Batman

This is where the famous Grant Morrison’s Batman run starts. There’s already a reading order dedicated to Morrison’s work on the Dark Knight. What you need to know:

  • If you want to start reading Batman from here, I recommend reading Batman: The Black Casebook (Collects Batman #65, 86, 112, 113, 134, 156, and 162, Detective Comics #215, 235, 247, 267, And World’s Finest Comics #89).
  • Grant Morrison’s run is now available in three omnibuses (see at the beginning of the article).

If you don’t go with the omnibuses, here is a detailed version of that era, including Morrison’s work but also the other Batseries of that period.

Final Crisis – An Important event for the Batman continuity. Using the soul-destroying Anti-Life Equation, Darkseid is remaking the heroes, villains and everyday people of Earth in his dark image … and destroying the very fabric of reality itself in the process. Now superheroes from around the world—and across the Multiverse—must make a last, desperate stand against the forces of Anti-Life. Will Earth endure? And when the Crisis reaches its climax, who will make the ultimate sacrifice? The full reading order is here.

Blackest Night Reading Order

Blackest Night – A Green Lantern event that affected all of the DCU, but it’s not a Batman event. It’s been years since the death of Hal Jordan and the end of the Green Lantern Corps. But as the Torchbearer Kyle Rayner is about to find out, the adventure of epic and mythological proportions is about to begin as the former Lantern returns to the land of the living to atone for his sins. And the cosmos will never be the same as Sinestro wages his war against the Green Lanterns with his newly founded, Sinestro Corps! You’ll find the reading order here.

Batman Logo (pré New 52)

Flash Barry Allen - Flashpoint Reading Order

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.

Batman Icon Reading Order

What to read after Batman: The Modern Age

Since the end of The Modern Age/Post-Crisis era, DC Comics soft rebooted its universe more than once. But nothing can stop The Batman in his fight against Gotham’s criminals. If you want to continue, here are the orders:

  1. Batman New 52 Reading Order, from The Court of Owls to the end of the DC You
    • If you only want Scott Snyder’s Batman, it’s here
  2. Batman Rebirth Reading Order, From the Monster Men to Batman’s Wedding, City of Bane, The Joker War and more.
  3. Batman Infinite Frontier Reading Order
  4. Batman Dawn of DC Reading Order

We also wrote reading orders for Nightwing, Jason Todd/Red Hood, Cassandra Cain/Batgirl, Damian Wayne, Azrael, and Catwoman. More to come.

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