Zero Year is a yearlong crossover event published between June 2013 and July 2014 and written by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV.
This story takes us back six years in the past and redefines the origin of Batman in The New 52 version of the DC Universe (go to The Batman New 52 Reading Order for more details).
Everything begins with Bruce Wayne’s return to Gotham City. He starts fighting the Red Hood gang. Those events will lead to the birth of the Batman and to a flood in Gotham that will leave him for dead. When he comes back, he has to free the city that has fallen and is now under the control of one of his worst enemies.
What to read before Batman: Zero Year?
Zero Year is a prequel storyline that was published after the Death of the Family storyline (go to Death of the Family Reading Order for more). The story takes place a few years before The Court of Owls.
You can read it here or at another moment before. Some people recommend reading it before The Court of Owls, but I think that being familiar with the style and direction of Snyder’s Batman is better to appreciate this story.
Batman: Zero Year Reading Order:
Batman: Zero Year Reading Order, the Collected Editions:
As usual, the trade collecting the tie-ins put together all of the issues, whatever their order. Some contain spoilers, it’s preferable to read DC Comics: Zero Year after, but if it doesn’t bother you, you can read it before Dark City.
- Batman, Vol. 4: Zero Year – Secret City
Collects Batman #21-24. - Batman, Vol, 5: Zero Year – Dark City
Collects Batman #25-27, #29-33. - DC Comics: Zero Year
Collects Batman #24-25, Detective Comics #25, Batgirl #25, Batwing #25, Batwoman #25, Birds of Prey #25, Catwoman #25, The Flash #25, Green Arrow #25, Green Lantern Corps #25, Nightwing #25, Red Hood and The Outlaws #25 and Action Comics #25)
Also in Batman: Zero Year New
Collects Batman #21-27 and Batman #29-33.
Batman: Zero Year Reading Order, Issue by Issue:
This storyline mostly takes place in the main Batman series by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. If you only read the issues from this series, you’ll understand the story. But you are here for more than that. Here are all the tie-ins:
- Batman (vol. 2) #0 – The beginning of the New 52’s Batman with 2 stories. The first is a prologue of sort to the issue #21
- Batman (vol. 2) #21 – Zero Year: Secret City starts here
- Batman (vol. 2) #22
- Batman (vol. 2) #23
- Batman (vol. 2) Annual #2 – quite optional, there’s a flashback set during Zero Year.
- Batman (vol. 2) #24
- Detective Comics (vol. 2) #25 – a Jim Gordon story
- Batwing #25
- Action Comics (vol. 2) #25
- Green Arrow (vol. 5) #25
- Batman (vol. 2) #25 – Zero Year: Dark City starts here
- Nightwing (vol. 3) #25
- Batgirl (vol. 4) #25
- Green Lantern Corps (vol. 3) #25
- Red Hood and the Outlaws #25
- Batwoman (vol. 2) #25
- Birds of Prey (vol. 3) #25
- Catwoman (vol. 4) #25
- The Flash (vol. 4) #25
- Batman (vol. 2) #26
- Batman (vol. 2) #27
- Batman (vol. 2) #29
- Batman (vol. 2) #30
- Batman (vol. 2) #31
- Batman (vol. 2) #32
- Batman (vol. 2) #33
After Batman: Zero Year
Once again, it’s a prequel published in the middle of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s run on Batman. It depends on what you read before. In publication order, you’ll need to jump into The Graveyard Shift.
For more, I’m redirecting you to the Batman New 52 Reading Order.