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Batman by Scott Snyder Reading Order, Dark Knight’s stories from the New 52 to Rebirth, Metal and beyond

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The end of Grant Morrison’s famous run on the main Batman comics series in 2011 also marked the end of the long post-Crisis era, also known as the Modern Age. After that came the New 52 and Scott Snyder. With stories about The Court of Howls, Batman Eternal, the Dark Nights: Metal & Death Metal events, and more, Snyder became one of the major authors of the decade.

During that time, Scott Snyder mostly worked with artist Greg Capullo and writer James Tynion IV. He gave us one of the best Batmans and many great adventures. The impact of his work on the character is important, and there are many great stories to read.

But this didn’t end with that. In the fall of 2024, Snyder came back to the DC Universe to launch the Darkseid-fueled universe called the Absolute Universe and started writing a new type of Batman comics.

Also, even if this reading guide covers a lot of New 52 Batman, it’s not a full reading order for this era. For Snyder and everyone else’s Bat-titles reading order, follow that guide.

Batman by Scott Snyder Reading Order

  1. Before the New 52
  2. The New 52 Comics Era
  3. The DC You Era
  4. The Rebirth Era
  5. The DC Universe Era
  6. The Absolute Batman Era

Batman by Scott Snyder: Before the New 52

Like Grant Morrison did before him, Scott Snyder didn’t begin writing Batman with the main series. He worked on two stories:

Batman by Scott Snyder Reading Order

Batman by Scott Snyder: The New 52 Comics Era

This is when Scott Snyder became the main writer on the Batman comics series, working with Greg Capullo on 52 issues. You don’t have to read Grant Morrison’s run or all of Batman’s stories from The Modern Age. In fact, it’s the perfect entry point for new readers

Batman by Scott Snyder: The New 52 Omnibus Editions

Let’s start with the big hardcover that are collecting most of Scott Snyder’s work on Batman during the New 52 Era!

Batman by Scott Snyder: The New 52 Trade Paperback Editions

Let’s take a look at a more detailed reading order for the New 52 Batman comics written by Scott Snyder. We are starting with his famous introduction of the Court of Owls, probably his most popular addition to the Batman lore. His now-celebrated comic book run on Batman starts with that, but if you want to go further with the Court, I invite you to check out our CoH guide.

The Court of Owls Saga (Batman #1-11) is now available in a prestigious oversized Absolute edition but also in the DC Essential collection and the DC Compact collection (new).

Batman by Scott Snyder Reading OrderBatman: The Night of the Owls – Collects all of the tie-ins. Most of them take place after Batman #8, but some will spoil the ending. Better to read the book after. For more information, I redirect you to our full reading order of the Night of the Owls crossover.
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.

Joker Batman New 52 Reading OrderWhat’s coming next is another comic book event called Death of the Family which is about the Joker’s return to Gotham. He has a plan to get revenge on all the people Batman has come to rely on over the years, and then destroy the family. This is a 23-issue story arc published in 2012-2013 and you can find more information within our full Death of the Family Reading Order.

Batman by Scott Snyder Reading Order

The Riddler Batman New 52 Reading OrderBatman: Zero Year is a prequel storyline that was published after the Death of the Family storyline. The story takes place a few years before The Court of Owls. You can read it here or at another moment before. As usual, the trade collecting the tie-in comics put together all of the issues, whatever their order. Some contain spoilers, it’s preferable to read it after the main storyline, but if it doesn’t bother you, you can read it before Dark City.

Batman by Scott Snyder Reading Order

Batman Icon Reading OrderAs part of the 75th anniversary celebration of Batman, Batman Eternal was introduced as a year-long weekly limited series written by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Ray Fawkes, Kyle Higgins, and Tim Seeley. As seen earlier, this comics storyline has been collected in the Batman: Eternal Omnibus.

“In the wake of Forever Evil, the world looks at heroes in a different light, creating tension between Batman and his allies and the Gotham City Police Department. When a gang war breaks out and new villains arise, it’s up to the Dark Knight, Batgirl, and more to turn the tides as best as they can—but will the GCPD be a help or a hindrance?”

Joker Batman New 52 Reading OrderThis is time for Endgame storyline, the follow-up to Death of the Family. It’s about the return of The Joker after his previous disappearance. As he plays his endgame with Batman, citizens, villains, and heroes alike must survive his deadly antics and come to terms with who The Joker is and what he means to them. You can follow our guide to the Endgame crossover to know how to read with the tie-in comics published in The Joker: Endgame book.

  • Batman, Vol. 7: Endgame
    Collects Batman #35-40.
  • The Joker: Endgame
    Collects Batman Annual #3, Batman #35-39 backups, Gotham Academy: Endgame #1, Batgirl: Endgame #1, Detective Comics: Endgame #1, and Arkham Manor: Endgame #1.

Batman by Scott Snyder Reading Order

Batman by Scott Snyder: The DC You Era

Spinning out of the Convergence event, the DC You was a new direction that was about putting “story over continuity,” a way to allow more freedom in storytelling. It was not a full-blown reboot. Many notable characters also underwent status quo changes. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s run on the main Batman comics continued.

In the Batman and Robin Eternal comics storyline, Bruce Wayne may no longer be Batman, but his legacy lives on. When an assassin begins targeting all of Batman’s past partners, the former Robins must join forces to untangle a mystery that stretches back to the early days of the Dark Knight’s career. As previously established, it was also collected in the Batman & Robin Eternal Omnibus

Batman by Scott Snyder Reading Order

Batman by Scott Snyder: The Rebirth Era

From that point on, Tom King is writing the main Batman comics series, but Scott Snyder still wrote Batman comics, but without Greg Capullo who’s been replaced by John Romita Jr. and Declan Shalvey. In the All-Star Batman comics, Batman finds himself trying to help old friend Harvey Dent…now known as the villainous Two-Face!

Previously collected in the trade paperback collection:

The following Batman/Shadow story is an out-of-continuity story and an intercompany crossover, and it’s really optional.

Created by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo in Batman (Vol 2) #21, Duke Thomas is now a vigilante this next comic book co-written with Tony Patrick with art by Cully Hamner, Declan Shalvey, and Francesco Francavilla establishes him as the daylight protector of Gotham. 

  • Batman and the Signal
    Collects Batman and The Signal #1-3 as well as “The Cursed Wheel” from All-Star Batman #1-4 and #6-9.

Batman who laughs Icon Reading Order

Dark Nights: Metal – Big Comics Event Alert. Beyond our universe, there is the Multiverse … and beneath the Multiverse is a nightmare realm where every fear that has ever been felt on our Earth becomes reality. Now an evil force as old as time wants to drag us down into the shadows, into the realm of never-ending terror. I you want to read it in its entirety or only get the important parts, I’d recommend you check out our Dark Nights: Metal reading order.

  • Dark Nights Metal Omnibus
    Collects Dark Nights: Metal #1-6, tie-in stories from Dark Days: The Forge #1, Dark Days: The Casting #1, Batman: The Red Death #1, Batman: The Devastator #1, Batman: The Merciless #1, Batman: The Murder Machine #1, Batman: The Drowned #1, Batman: The Dawnbreaker #1, Dark Nights: The Batman Who Laughs #1, Batman: Lost #1, Hawkman: Found #1, Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt #1, Nightwing #29, The Flash #33, Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #32, Green Arrow #32, Suicide Squad #26, Teen Titans #12, and Justice League #32-33.

Batman by Scott Snyder: The DC Universe Era

Justice League - Batman by Scott Snyder Reading OrderIn the aftermath of Dark Nights: Metal, the DC Comics Universe changed a little bit. Mostly, it was the end of the Rebirth era. At that point, Scott Snyder took charge of the main Justice League comics series, featuring Batman, of course, but also Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash (Barry Allen), Aquaman, Hawkgirl, Cyborg, Martian Manhunter, and Green Lantern (John Stewart).

Justice League by Scott Snyder comics in Trade Paperbacks

Scott Snyder and artist Jock went back to the Dark Multiverse’s standout character, The Batman Who Laughs with a comics miniseries. It was not the only return of the character, you can find more about that in our reading order dedicated him.

  • The Batman Who Laughs
    Collects The Batman Who Laughs #1-7 and the one-shot special issue The Batman Who Laughs: The Grim Knight.

Scott Snyder teamed up once again with Greg Capullo for Batman: Last Knight on Earth, a comic book miniseries set twenty years in the future. Bruce Wayne wakes up in Arkham Asylum. Young. Sane. And…he’s never been Batman. To piece together the mystery of his past, the Dark Knight embarks on a sprawling quest through this unknown world, meeting futuristic versions of former friends and enemies, including a grisly traveling companion–the Joker’s head. Somehow still alive, Joker’s decapitated head becomes Batman’s ghoulish guide through the landscape of the devastated DC Universe.

Batman who laughs Icon Reading OrderDark Nights: Death Metal – When the DC Universe is enveloped by the Dark Multiverse, the Justice League is at the mercy of the Batman Who Laughs. Humanity struggles to survive in a hellish landscape twisted beyond recognition, while Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman have all been separated and must fight to survive. This was for a time the last story by Snyder in the DCU, one that concluded a lot of things he had previously introduced. It’s an epic crossover and we have a guide to help you read it in order.

  • Death Metal Omnibus new
    Collects Dark Nights: Death Metal #1-7, Dark Nights: Death Metal Guidebook #1, Dark Nights: Death Metal Infinite Hour Exxxtreme! #1, Dark Nights: Death Metal Legends of the Dark Knights #1, Dark Nights: Death Metal Multiverse’s End #1, Dark Nights: Death Metal Rise of the New God #1, Dark Nights: Death Metal Robin King #1, Dark Nights: Death Metal The Last 52: War of the Multiverses #1, Dark Nights: Death Metal The Multiverse Who Laughs #1, Dark Nights: Death Metal The Secret Origin #1, Dark Nights: Death Metal Trinity Crisis #1, and Justice League #53-57!

Batman by Scott Snyder Reading Order

Batman by Scott Snyder: The Absolute Batman Era

After a long time away from the DC Comics Universe, Scott Snyder made a big comeback with the All In/Absolute Universe initiative, a soft relaunch that introduces the Earth-Alpha, an all-new continuity separate from the regular universe that is “influenced by Darkseid energy.” In it, new and different versions of the DC Superheroes are introduced as underdogs in this chaotic world.

Snyder supervises the line, but he also writes the new Absolute Batman comics with artist Nick Dragotta.

  • A lot of comics to come…
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