Favorite LoadingAdd to favorites

The post-Crisis era officially ended in 2011 as the New 52 launched, and the conclusion of Grant Morrison's Batman Inc. run allowed fans to put a cap on Post-Crisis Batman, and come up with a "finished product". I'm not going for complete here by any means, but I do try to hit all of the major events. Everyone has their own different Batman chronology, especially when it comes to the first few years of his career. A lot of people try to include Loeb and Sale's The Long Halloween and Dark Victory. However, those two epics prevent a lot of other issues from fitting in. Instead, I used Batman Annual #14 for the first Two-Face, and Robin Annual #4 as the first Robin, and built a map around those issues.

Some volumes contain links to other maps that might provide more detail and explanation.

Year One (Deluxe HC)
Batman #404-407

Dark Moon Rising
Batman and the Monster Men #1-6
Batman and the Mad Monk #1-6
The Man Who Laughs #1

Legends of the Dark Knight
LOTDK #1-10 (Shaman and Gothic)

Batman/Catwoman (DCP 100-Page Spectacular)
Batman/Catwoman: Trail of the Gun #1-2

Venom (TPB)
LOTDK #16-20

Year Two
LOTDK #0
Batman Annual #14
LOTDK #21-23 (Faith)
LOTDK #32-34 (Blades)
LOTDK #42-43 (Hot Hands)
LOTDK Annual #7 (Pulp Heroes)
LOTDK #80-82 (Idols)
Batman Annual #19 (Scarecrow: Year One)
Detective Annual #8 (Riddler: Year One)
LOTDK #159-161 (Loyalties)
Long Halloween #4 (Joker pages only)

There are some minor potential continuity issues with Batman Annual #19 and Detective Annual #8, but I have chalked those up to unreliable narrators. It wasn't worth throwing out entire issues for one panel. Regarding The Long Halloween #4, I had a copy of the Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told that had the Joker scenes excerpted from that issue. Since I was cutting up the trade for other projects, I opted to include the story at the end of this book. Any scenes not involving the Joker are not included in this reprint.

Faces (TPB)
LOTDK #28-30

The Dynamic Duo
Robin Annual #4
Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet
Turning Points #2
Robin: Year One #1-4
Legends of the DC Universe #6
Superman #700 (second story)

Times Like These
Batman Confidential #49
Gotham Knights #3, 29 (B/W)
LOTDK #38
Legends of the DC Universe #10-11
Batman: Hidden Treasures #1
Swamp Thing #7 (as reprinted in Hidden Treasures #1)
Gotham Knights #25 (B/W)
Detective Comics #411 (as reprinted in the Saga of Ra's Al Ghul mini-series)
Batman #232, 235, 240, 242-245 (as reprinted in the Saga of Ra's Al Ghul mini-series)
LOTDK Annual #1
LOTDK #132-136

Changing of the Guard
Nightwing #101-106
Batman #410-411
Girlfrenzy: Batgirl
Batman #416
Batgirl Special #1

The Killing Joke

Death in the Family
Batman #414
Batman #421-430
Turning Points #3

Blind Justice (TPB)
Detective Comics #598-600

A Lonely Place of Dying (TPB)
Batman #440
New Titans #60
Batman #441
New Titans #61
Batman #442

Heroes and Madmen
Batman #448
Detective #615
Batman #449
Detective #617
Batman #450-451
Detective #622-624

Just for fun, as a bonus feature, I included the Joker story from Batman #66, as reprinted in the Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told.

Dark Knight, Dark City (DCP 100-Page Spectacular)
Batman #452-454
Detective Comics #633

Rites of Passage
Detective #618-621
Batman #455-457
Detective #625
Batman #458-459
Detective #626
Batman #460-461
Detective #628
Batman #465-466

Art of Gotham
Batman #474
LOTDK #27
Detective #641
Batman #475
Detective #642
Batman #476
Detective #643
Batman #477-478, 480
Detective #651-653
LOTDK Annual #2

Shadow of the Bat
SOTB #1-15

Sword of Azrael (TPB)
Sword of Azrael #1-4

Sword of Azrael could be added to the beginning of the Prelude to Knightfall volume if you are so inclined.

Prelude to Knightfall
Sword of Azrael #1-4
Vengeance of Bane
Batman #484-487
Detective #654-656
Detective #657 (p. 1-2)
Batman #488
Detective #657 (p. 3-22)
Detective #658
Batman #489-490

This book is where the subplot of Batman starting to get run down begins.  LOTDK Annual #2 (marriage of Gordon and Essen) probably should have gone in this volume, because the wedding is mentioned as upcoming in the earlier issues, and in the past in later issues.  However, since that story doesn't directly tie into Knightfall and slows the pacing of this book down, I fudged it a little and included it in the Art of Gotham book above.

Knightfall
Batman #491
Batman #492
Detective #659
Batman #493
Detective #660
Batman #494
Detective #661
Batman #495
Detective #662
Batman #496
Detective #663
Batman #497
Detective #664
Showcase '93 #7-8 (lead stories only)
Batman #498
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #16-18
Detective #665
Batman #499
Detective #666
Batman #500

Contrary to what DC has tried to say since the original TPB publication, this is the correct placement of SOTB #16-18. They try to place it based on the bat signal on the cover, but if you read the comics, you'll see why it can't work between Detective #665 and Batman #499.

KnightQuest 1
Turning Points #4 (optional, published in 2000)
Justice League Task Force #5-6 (Search)
Detective #667-668
Robin #1 (pgs 1-5)
Detective #669
SOTB #19-20
Batman #501-502
SOTB #21-23 (Search)
Detective #670
Catwoman #6
Batman #503-504
Catwoman #7
SOTB #24
Detective #671-673

KnightQuest 2
Batman #505
SOTB #25
Batman #506-507
Legends of the Dark Knight #59-61 (Search)
SOTB #26-27
Detective #674
Batman #508
SOTB #28
Detective #675
Robin #7

KnightQuest may or may not fit into one book, depending on your binding preferences. It's 36 issues, but with the thicker newsprint of the early 1990s. The main reason I kept the Search and Crusade issues integrated is because Az-Bats shows up in his latest costume in the LOTDK arc. I chose this uneven breakpoint, because Batman #505 starts the Abbatoir and new costume subplots, which make the stories thereafter much more consistent. Prior to that, the only main theme of KnightQuest was "the adventures of Azrael as Batman".

Knightsend
Batman #509
SOTB #29
Detective #676
LOTDK #62
Robin #8
Catwoman #12
Batman #510
SOTB #30
Detective #677
LOTDK #63
Robin #9
Showcase '94 #10 (first story)

The original printing of the Knightsend TPB works fine.  It does not include the Showcase story, and it cuts out a few pages of Robin #9 that are not completely relevant to the Batman plots.  It is not necessary to include any other Catwoman issues (even #13 which was labelled as Aftermath).

Zero Hour
 Showcase '94 #8-9 (lead stories)
Batman #511
Superman: Man of Steel #37
Zero Hour #4
Superboy #8
Superman #93
Zero Hour #3
Zero Hour #2
Adventures of Superman #516
Action Comics #703
Guy Gardner: Warrior #24
Zero Hour #1
Zero Hour #0
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #31
Detective Comics #678
Robin #10
Showcase '94 #10 (last story)

This DCU crossover volume stays with my Superman collection.  The map linked in the title explains the order of the issues contained within.

Prodigal
Batman #0
SOTB #0
Detective #0
Robin #0
Batman #512
SOTB #32
Detective #679
Robin #11
Batman #513
SOTB #33
Detective #680
Robin #12
Batman #514
SOTB #34
Detective #681
Robin #13
Batman #515
SOTB #35
Detective #682
Robin #14
Nightwing:  Alfred's Return
Vengeance of Bane 2

I put Vengeance of Bane absolute last to mirror it's placement as the first issue in the Prelude to Knightfall volume.

Shadows Over Gotham
SOTB #36-43
Catwoman #26
SOTB #44-47

As I mentioned in the Shadow of the Bat map, I wanted to include more of the Batman and Detective issues regarding the mayoral election that rounded out this volume.  However, I am not a fan of Kelley Jones' art, hence not getting any of those issues.  When I got the Detective issues, they didn't fit in well with the story arc in SOTB.  Both series were running two-parters that should have been taking place on the same night, but the chronology just did not fit.

Contagion
SOTB #48
Detective #695
Robin #27
Catwoman #31
Azrael #15
Batman #529
SOTB #49
Detective #696
Batman Chronicles #4
Catwoman #32
Azrael #16
Robin #28

The original TPB only includes the last two stories from Batman Chronicles #4, skipping the Hitman story.  It also cuts the last page of Robin #28, which has a bit of a cliffhanger that leads into the next two issues of Robin.  The "big cliffhanger" is that Tim's girlfriend dyed her hair.  Eventually, I bound my own version which included the full Batman Chronicles #4 and also scans of the first two pages of Robin #29 to resolve the "big cliffhanger".

Legacy
SOTB #50-52
Detective #697-699
Robin #31
SOTB #53
Batman #533
Detective #700
Catwoman #36
Robin #32
SOTB #54
Batman #534
Detective #701
Robin #33
Detective #702

I have Final Night mapped in my Superman collection, but the only Batman issue included is Detective #703.

Knight Out (HC)
Detective Comics #703-718

This hardcover covers all of the Detective issues between Legacy and Cataclysm.  Since the individual series were so self-contained in this period, this book and the three following could probably go in any order.  I have placed it immediately after Legacy since the first issue is the Final Night tie-in.

Pulp Heroes
Nightwing Annual #1
SOTB Annual #5
Batman Annual #21
Azrael Annual #3
Detective Annual #10
Robin Annual #6

These can go in just about any order. I grouped them by category.

Gordon of Gotham (TPB)
Batman: Gordon's Law #1-4
Batman: GCPD #1-4
Batman: Gordon of Gotham #1-4

These three minis come from the mostly self contained era of 1996-1998, and I don't see any reason they can't fit together here.

Shadow of the Mind
SOTB #55-72

Cataclysm (TPB)
Detective #719 (last 4 pgs)
SOTB #73
Nightwing #19
Batman #553
Detective #720
Catwoman #56
Blackgate: Isle of Men #1
Batman Chronicles #12 (Two-Face)
SOTB #74
BC #12 (Ra's/Penguin)
Nightwing #20
BC #12 ("Trapped")
Huntress/Spoiler: Blunt Trauma #1
Batman #554
Detective #721
Robin #53
BC #12 (Orphan Andy)

This is one case where the TPB — and I'm referring to the original version, not the 2015 expanded edition — offers a better reading experience than the original release of the crossover. Several of the secondary series and one-shots slowed down the main narrative. The original TPB release omitted the non-quake subplot pages from Nightwing #19.

Aftershock
Arkham Asylum: Tales of Madness #1
SOTB #75
Batman #555
Detective #722
Robin #54
SOTB #76
Batman #556
Batman Chronicles #16 (first story)
Batman Chronicles #14
Green Arrow #134 (Brotherhood of the Fist part 1)
Detective #723 (Brotherhood of the Fist part 2)
Robin #55 (Brotherhood of the Fist part 3)
Nightwing #23 (Brotherhood of the Fist part 4)
Green Arrow #135 (Brotherhood of the Fist part 5)
SOTB #77
Batman #557
Detective #724
SOTB #78-79
Batman #558
Detective #725
Batman #559
Detective #726
BC #15

Yes, the Arkham one-shot was labeled as part 16 of Cataclysm. However, the TPB skipped it for good reason. It was completely self contained, and had no effect as the penultimate chapter. In fact, it completely halts the momentum building towards the conclusion, and would have been better served as a release during the first month of the crossover. It does not affect continuity as the lead story in this Aftershock volume. The events of that issue are referenced in the Shadow of the Bat chapters of Road to No Man's Land.

DC One Million
DC1M #1
Action #1M
SOTB #1M
Nightwing #1M
GL #1M
DC1M #2
Batman #1M
MoS #1M
Starman #1M
Superman #1M
Superboy #1M
Detective #1M
JLA #1M
DC1M #3
Martian Manhunter #1M
AoS #1M
Resurrection Man #1M
Catwoman #1M
Robin #1M
MoT #1M
DC1M #4
Chronos #1M

Again, another DCU crossover that sits with my Superman collection.

Road to No Man's Land
Azrael #47
SOTB #80
Batman #560
Detective #727
Azrael #48
SOTB #81
Batman #561
Detective #728
Azrael #49
SOTB #82
Batman #562
Detective #729
NML #0
Batman Chronicles #16 (stories 2-3 / first story is included in "Aftershock")

NML #0 could be a tough one, since it does spoil some of the mysteries of the first half of NML.  But that goes to personal preference.  If you've read it all before, there's no reason not to put it there.

No Man's LandVolume 1
NML #1
SOTB #83
Batman #563
Detective #730
Azrael #50-51
LOTDK #116
SOTB #84
Batman #564
Detective #731
Azrael #52-53
LOTDK #117
SOTB #85
Batman #565
Detective #732
Batman Chronicles #17
LOTDK #118
SOTB #86
Batman #566
Detective #733
Young Justice in NML
Azrael #54-55
LOTDK #119
SOTB #87
Batman #567
Detective #734

No Man's LandVolume 2
LOTDK #120
JLA #32
Azrael #56-57
SOTB #88
Batman #568
Detective #735
Nightwing #35-37
Batman Chronicles #18
Nightwing #38-39
JLA #33
LOTDK #121
SOTB #89
Batman #569

No Man's LandVolume 3
Detective #736
LOTDK #122
SOTB #90
Batman:  Harley Quinn
Batman #570
Detective #737
LOTDK #123
SOTB #91
Azrael #58
Batman #571
Detective #738
LOTDK #124
SOTB #92
Batman #572
Detective #739
LOTDK #125

No Man's Land Volume 4
Catwoman #72-75
Azrael #59
SOTB #93
Azrael #60
Batman #573
Detective #740
Catwoman #76-77
LOTDK #126
Batman #574
Detective #741
Azrael #61
SOTB #94

Additional commentary can be found in the full NML map.

New Gotham 1
Detective 742
GK 1-2
Detective 743-746
GK 3-5
Detective 747
GK 6-7
Detective 748-750

The B&W backups from GK 4-7 can all go in place. #1 could probably go in published order. #2 is a John Byrne Generations story, and #3 takes place earlier in Batman's career.

New Gotham 2
GK 8-11
Detective 751-753
Batman 582-586
Turning Points 5
GK 13 (B&W)
GK 17 (B&W)
LOTDK #168

None of the GK B&W backups from the issues in this volume actually go in place. I opted to skip GK 12, since it was a fill-in. It would have gone before or after Turning Points 5.  The story originally scheduled for GK #12 was finally published in a Zsasz TPB in 2020.  The LOTDK issue is from a few years later, placed here due to costume details and Commissioner Gordon.  I only included it because I obtained it from a TPB for a different issue.

Officer Down
Batman 587
Robin 86
Birds of Prey 27
Catwoman 90
Nightwing 53
Detective 754
GK 13
Detective 755

Unknowing
GK 14-15
Superman 168
Detective 756-757
GK 16-17
Batman 591-592
Detective 758 (backup – Oracle)
Detective 758-760
GK 18-19
Batman 593-594
Detective 759-762 (backups – Slam Bradley/Catwoman)

The backup in GK #16 can go before the main story. Other than that, none of the other backups fit in this book.

Family Business
Detective 761-762
GK 20-21
Batman 595
GK 22
Detective 763
Batman 596
Detective 764
GK 23
Batman 597
Detective 765
GK 24
Batman 598

None of the GK B&W backups from the issues in this volume actually go in place.

Bruce Wayne:  Murderer?
Batman: The Ten Cent Adventure #1
Detective #766
Batgirl #24
Nightwing #65 (pg 1-8, 12-14, 18-21)
Gotham Knights #25
Birds of Prey #39 (pg 8-9, 11-16, 18-22)
Batman #599
Detective #767
Nightwing #66 (pg 1-6, 10-18)
Gotham Knights #26
Birds of Prey #40 (pg 1-4, 9-10, 19-22)
Batman #600

The cut pages and issues are mostly due to Chuck Dixon continuing his own subplots that did not intersect with the Batman storyline.  Even though they are labelled as official chapters, Robin #98 and #99 barely tie into the storyline and actually contradict some of the internal continuity of the story, which is why I left them out.  I only included the main feature of Batman #600, saving the backups for Batman Through the Ages.

Bruce Wayne:  Fugitive
Gotham Knights #27
Birds of Prey #41 (pg 1-3, 6-7, 9-10, 12-17, 21-22)
Batman #601-602
Batgirl #27
Detective #768-771
Nightwing #68 (pg 1-5, 7, 9, 11-12, 14-16, 20-22)
Gotham Knights #28-29
Nightwing #69 (pg 1-7, 10-11, 13-14, 16-17, 19, 21-22)
Birds of Prey #43 (pg 1-3, 7, 17)
Batman #603
Batgirl #29
Gotham Knights #30
Azrael #91
Azrael #92 (pg 1-9)
Batman #604
Detective #772
Gotham Knights #31
Batman #605
Detective #773-774
Gotham Knights #32
Batman #606-607
Detective #775

Fugitive was a status quo/subplot that marketing turned into a crossover.  Part numbers should largely be ignored.

Dead Reckoning
Detective Comics #777-782
Detective Comics #782 (backup)
Detective Comics #784-786
Gotham Knights #28 (B&W backup)
Gotham Knights #32 (B&W backup)
Detective #763-772, 784 (Josie Mac backups)

The Gotham Knights backups were left over from Fugitive, and were some of the few that could fit into regular Batman continuity. As for the Detective backups, #777-780 continued a story started in #776, so I left them out. #782 stayed in because it shared a page with the lead story. #781 also shared a page, but since it was the middle of the arc, I had to scan and print anyway. I used the reprint from "Man Who Laughs" for #784-786, so had to make copies of the Josie Mac story in #784.

Hush (TPB)
Batman #608-619

Also includes the two page origin sequence and a six page interlude from Wizard also by Loeb and Lee.

Death and the Maidens (TPB)
Detective #783 (backup)
Death and the Maidens #1-9

City of Crime
Detective #800 (b/u), 801-808, 811-814

As the Crow Flies (TPB)
Batman #626-630

War Drums (TPB)
Detective Comics #790-795
Detective Comics #795-796 (back-ups)
Robin #126
Detective Comics #796
Robin #127-128

War Games
Batman:  The 12 Cent Adventure
Detective #797
LOTDK #182
Nightwing #96
GK #56
Robin #129
Batgirl #55
Catwoman #34
Batman #631
Detective #798
LOTDK #183
Nightwing #97
GK #57
Robin #130
Batgirl #56
Catwoman #35
Batman #632
Detective #799
LOTDK #184
Nightwing #98
Robin #131
GK #58
Batgirl #57
Catwoman #36
Batman #633

Identity Crisis occurs between these volumes.

War Crimes
Detective #800
Gotham Central #25
Batman #634
Detective #809
Batman #643
Detective #810
Batman #644

Under the Hood
Batman #635-641, 645-650, Annual #25

Infinite Crisis occurs around this time.

Face the Face (TPB)
Detective #817
Batman #651
Detective #818
Batman #652
Detective #819
Batman #653
Detective #820
Batman #654

Batman: Detective
Detective #821-826
Batman #659-662
Detective #827-837

If I were to redo this book, I would probably just focus on the Dini issues, which would be Detective #821-824, 826-828, 831, 833-834, and 837.

Batman and Son
Batman #655-658, 663-669

Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul
Batman Annual #26
Batman #670
Robin #168
Nightwing #138
Detective #838
Batman #671
Robin #169
Nightwing #139
Detective #839-840
Detective #842

Detective #840 is labeled as the epilogue. #842 was a fill-in by Peter Milligan about the Suit of Sorrows.

Heart of Hush
Detective #841
Detective #843-850

R.I.P.
Batman #672-675
DC Universe #0 (pg 8-10)
Batman #676-681

Final Crisis
DC Universe 0
JLA 21*
FC 1
FC: Requiem*
FC 2-3
Superman Beyond 1-2
FC Secret Files*
FC: Resist*
FC: Submit
FC 4-5
Batman 682-683
FC 6-7

* denotes issue not written by GM, although he did contribute a text piece to FCSF, and only co-write DCU 0

Last Rites
Detective Comics #851
Batman #684
Nightwing #152
Detective #852
Batman #685
Nightwing #153
Gotham Gazette: Batman Dead?
Battle for the Cowl #1
BFTC: Commissioner Gordon #1
BFTC #2-3
Batman #687
Gotham Gazette: Batman Alive
Batman #686
Detective #853

Batman and Robin: The Hole in Things
Batman and Robin 1-12
Batman 700-702
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne 1-6
Batman and Robin 13-16

The Black Mirror (HC)
Detective #871-881

The Gates of Gotham (TPB)
Gates of Gotham #1-5

Batman, Incorporated
Batman: The Return #1
Batman Inc #1-8
Batman Inc: Leviathan Strikes! #1
Batman Inc (volume 2) #0-10, 12-13

And with that, the post-Crisis Batman saga ends.