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Batman White Knight Reading Order, exploring the Murphyverse

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Launched in 2017 with the book Batman: White Knight, The Murphyverse is a universe created by Sean Gordon Murphy (Punk Rock Jesus, The Wake) and published under the DC Black Label imprint.

As the imprint suggests, this is not a series set within the DC continuity—it could be considered an Elseworlds series. The first book introduced us to a world where the Joker is cured of his insanity and homicidal tendencies. Now a politician under his real name of Jack Napier, The Joker sets about trying to right his wrongs. First, he plans to reconcile with Harley Quinn, and then he’ll try to save the city from the one person he thinks is truly Gotham City’s greatest villain: Batman!

The success of Batman: White Knight was massive, and the trade paperback quickly became a best-seller (it has since been republished in multiple formats). A sequel was commissioned, Batman: Curse of the White Knight.

This second limited series confirmed the popularity of this alternate version of Batman. This prompted DC Comics to give Sean Murphy his own line of books to be published under its Black Label imprint. The Murphyverse was born.

When Sean Murphy revealed his project for the line, he also laid out rules for the writers and illustrators he recruited to work with him on the next books:

  1. Any character that dies cannot be revived.
  2. There can be no internal monologues.
  3. No series can be rushed.
  4. The authors of the books must have as their primary focus the goal of pleasing their readers.
  5. There must be at least one vehicle—such as the Batmobile—in each comic
  6. No series may crossover with another, despite taking place in the same shared universe.

For now, the plan is to focus on Batman and his overall cast of supporting characters, but Sean Murphy already hinted at comics based on other prominent DC characters like Superman and the Justice League. He wants his universe to be the equivalent of Marvel’s Ultimate Imprint.

Batman: White Knight Reading Order

I. Batman: White Knight (2017-18)

It all began with the original 8-issue Batman: White Knight miniseries. The story opens with the Joker seemingly cured of his insanity after being forced to take experimental medication by Batman. Regaining his sanity and adopting his real name, Jack Napier, he sets out to expose Batman and the Gotham City Police Department for their reliance on vigilantism and corruption.

Being a popular story, Batman: White Knight has been collected in multiple formats. Here is a list of what’s available:

Batman: Curse of the White Knight (2019-20)

This time, the Joker recruits Azrael, a knight of the Order of St. Dumas, to help him expose a shocking secret from the Wayne family’s legacy. As Batman rushes to protect the city and his loved ones from danger, the mystery of his ancestry unravels, dealing a devastating blow to the Dark Knight.

  • Batman: Curse of the White Knight
    Collects Batman: Curse of the White Knight #1-8 and Batman: White Knight Presents Von Freeze #1.

    • The one-shot “Batman White Knight Presents: Von Freeze” can be read between issues #6 and #7 of Curse of the White Knight.

Also available in: Batman: Curse of the White Knight The Deluxe Edition

Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn (2020-21)

Set two years after the events of Batman: Curse of the White Knight, the story finds Harley Quinn living a quieter life, raising her twin children. Gotham has entered a fragile peace, but that calm is broken when a series of murders targets the city’s golden-age film stars. Reluctantly drawn back into the world she tried to leave behind, Harley is recruited by the GCPD to consult on the case. As she investigates, she confronts her own history with Gotham’s criminal elite, her complex love for Jack, and her lingering guilt over the chaos they caused.

Also available in:

Batman: Beyond the White Knight (2022-23)

Taking place twelve years after the events depicted in Batman: Curse of the White Knight, the story opens with Bruce Wayne serving time in prison for his actions as Batman. Gotham has changed in his absence. Wayne Enterprises has been taken over by Derek Powers, who uses its technology to militarize the city under the guise of public safety. When a young man named Terry McGinnis steals an experimental Batsuit to uncover the truth behind his father’s death, Bruce breaks out of prison to stop him—only to discover that Powers is manipulating events from the shadows. Guided by the digital ghost of Jack Napier, Bruce must confront his own legacy and mentor Terry, even as Gotham turns further against him.

  • Batman: Beyond the White Knight
    This collection includes Batman: Beyond the White Knight #1-8; Batman: White Knight Presents: Red Hood #1-2.
  • Batman: White Knight Presents: Red Hood is both a spin-off and a prequel to Batman: Beyond the White Knight.

Batman: White Knight Presents: Generation Joker (2023)

Set after Beyond the White Knight, this story centers on Jack Napier and Harley Quinn’s twin children, Bryce and Jackie. After discovering a digital copy of their father’s consciousness preserved in one of Bruce Wayne’s old AI systems, the twins embark on a reckless cross-country journey to revive him.

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