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Batman: Endgame Reading Order (New 52)

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Batman: Endgame Reading Order

Written by Scott Snyder with art by Greg Capullo, Batman: Endgame is a crossover storyline from 2014 – part of the New 52 era. It’s about the return of The Joker after his disappearance at the end of the “Death of the Family” story arc. It’s an exploration of the violent dynamic between Batman and the Joker.

Here is the official synopsis: He is Batman’s greatest enemy, his deadliest threat, his opposite number. His bloody-minded madness is exceeded only by his twisted genius. He is the Clown Prince, the Pale Man, and his crimes turn the world into one big, sick joke. But today, the joke is over.

As The Joker plays his endgame with the 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.

What to read before Batman: Endgame?

Scott Snyder presented Batman: Endgame as a conclusion of the Joker story developed previously in the Zero Year and Death of the Family storylines. To know more about this era and the Batman stories leading up to Endgame, take a look at our Batman by Snyder and Capullo Reading Order.

  • Batman: Zero Year
    Collects Batman #21-27 and Batman #29-33.
  • The Joker: Death of the Family
    Collects the tie-in Catwoman 13-14, Batgirl 13-16, Suicide Squad 14-15, Batman and Robin 15-16, Nightwing 15-16, Detective Comics 15-16, Red Hood and The Outlaws 15-16, and Teen Titans 15-16.

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Barbara Gordon Reading Order (Batgirl and Oracle)

Barbara Gordon Reading Order

Created by television producer William Dozier, editor Julius Schwartz, writer Gardner Fox, and artist Carmine Infantino, Barbara Gordon first appeared in the pages of Detective Comics #359 published in January 1967 as Batgirl. As she was the by-product of the Adam-West Television show, following a request by Schwartz who wanted a new female counterpart to Batman, she was introduced into the television series in September of that same year, in the season 3 premiere of Batman.

Barbara Joan Gordon is the daughter of Gotham City police commissioner James Gordon and one of the most female iconic vigilante super-hero in the DC Universe. She began her career as Batgirl, working close to Batman and the first Robin. Quite a popular character during the Silver era thanks to her presence in the media, Barbara has a tumultuous history, filled with violence and tragedy but also reinvention and successes and love.

Following the events of Alan Moore’s Killing Joke, where the Joker paralyzed her from the waist down with a gunshot, Barbara lost everything and was changed forever. After that, Barbara reinvented herself as Oracle (created by Kim Yale and John Ostrander in the pages of Suicide Squad). Behind a computer, Babs as Oracle became one of the most valuable assets to Batman and other DC superheroes, using her above than normal intellect, eidetic memory, and hacking talents to fight crimes. She became one of the most emblematic characters for disabled people, regarded as a symbol of empowerment.

So, it was controversial when DC decided, as part of The New 52 relaunch, that Barbara had finally recovered from her paralysis following a surgical procedure and returned as Batgirl. The character was still affected by posttraumatic stress disorder and had difficulty asking for help. Barbara Gordon is as much Batgirl as she is Oracle, and now, she embodies her two vigilante identities.

As both Batgirl and Oracle, Barbara Gordon has gone through a lot and has one of the richest histories in the Batfamily. And to know more about it, here is a Barbara Gordon reading order:

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Robin Reading Order: Your Guide to Batman’s sidekicks (from Dick Grayson to Damian Wayne)

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Robin War - Robin Reading Guide Order

Robin. The Boy Wonder. Batman’s sidekick. Originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and Jerry Robinson, Robin is the alias for Batman’s crime-fighting partner in the DC Comic Universe.

The initial incarnation of the character first appeared in Detective Comics #38 (April 1940), just one year after Batman’s debut. As there was rarely a Batman published story without the Boy Wonder, Batman and Robin became known as the Dynamic Duo or The Caped Crusaders.

As Batman is a dark and brooding hero with a personal vendetta against crime and injustice, Robin is a more light-hearted, joyous, and spontaneous character. The two characters complement each other, and together, they created one of the most iconic comic book partnerships.

Robin began to live his own short adventures as soon as 1947, published in Star Spangled Comics (we will have to wait until 1992 for Robin to have his own title). He would also be a founding member of the superhero team Teen Titans (in 1964), and since then, Robin is almost always part of the team.

Throughout the years, several characters have held the mantle of Robin, from the most popular Dick Grayson to our favorite little brat Damian Wayne. Discover all the Robins with the following guide.

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Stephanie Brown Reading Order (Spoiler, Robin, Batgirl)

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Stephanie Brown Reading Order (Spoiler, Robin IV, Batgirl III)

Created by Chuck Dixon and Tom Lyle as a plot device in Detective Comics #647–649, Stephanie Brown is a DC superheroine considered part of the Batfamily. She is first introduced as the vigilante Spoiler, had a brief stint as Robin, and has also taken the mantle of Batgirl.

Pre-New 52, Stephanie Brown had a difficult life, one with some similarities with Jason Todd. Her mother was an addict and her father was the third-rate villain Cluemaster. It was in order to stop him that Stephanie Brown became the vigilante named Spoiler (as she was trying to ‘spoil’ things for her abusive father). She lived in poverty and didn’t have a great track record when it comes to her love life.

She served almost immediately as the love interest/girlfriend for Tim Drake/Robin II, which she didn’t know his real name for a long time. Stephanie’s relationship with Batman was a difficult one, a sort of reflection of the way some people at DC seemed to perceive her– leading us to some mistreatment of her character.

In the New 52 era, Stephanie Brown’s story has been rewritten, making her past and her relationship with Batman way less harsh and complicated than it has been before. Right now, Stephanie Brown is protecting Gotham City as one of the Batgirls, alongside Cassandra Cain, while being guided by Oracle/Barbara Gordon.

The Following is Stephanie Brown’s reading order to discover all her adventures.

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Batman: War Games Reading Order

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Batman War Games Reading Order

Published in 2004-2006, the Batman: War Games Saga is a Batman crossover event that spanned every Batman Family title being published at the time. Part of the Batman Modern Age (check out our reading order), the story was written by Devin Grayson, Andersen Gabrych, A.J. Lieberman, Bill Willingham, Dylan Horrocks and Ed Brubaker, with illustrations by Ramon Bachs, Pete Woods, Brad Walker, Mike Lilly, Al Barrionuevo, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Sean Phillips, Paul Gulacy and Kinsun Loh. 

Taking place after No Man’s Land and Bruce Wayne: Murderer, Batman: War Games tried to be a sort of mix of those two stories, with stakes on a street level as it is an all-gang war, but still on a big full scale like No Man’s Land. It’s also an event happening when Tim Drake had given up on his Robin role and Stephanie Brown had taken his place — and for her fans, this story is simply her character assassination.

But what is really Batman: War Games about? 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.

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Dick Grayson as Robin Reading Order (Pre-Crisis)

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Dick Grayson Robin Reading Order (Pre-Crisis era)

Despite the fact that Batman has a reputation as a solo vigilante, Batman’s readers know the truth is quite different. Just under a year after Batman’s first adventure, Dick Grayson, the first Robin debuted in Detective Comics #38 (April 1940). Created by writer Bill Finger, artist Bob Kane and illustrator Jerry Robinson (who also came up with the character’s name inspired by Robin Hood), Dick was designed to appeal to younger readers. It was a success, as sales doubled and critics were overwhelmingly positives.

Dick Grayson was the son of John and Mary Grayson and part of the “Flying Graysons”, a family of trapeze artists working at Haly’s Circus and famous for always working without a net. As tragedy is never far away, Dick’s parents are killed following the sabotage of their trapeze by Tony Zucco, a mafia leader. Present that day at the circus was billionaire Bruce Wayne who choose to take little under his care and train him as his sidekick. Dick became his crime-fighting partner Robin. Batman and Robin became known as the Dynamic Duo, and there was rarely a Batman published story without the Boy Wonder. From 1947 through 1952, our original Robin appeared in Star-Spangled Comics, in stories devoted to him. Our original Robin also stars alone in Star Spangled Comics for nearly five years (1947-1952), and was a founding member of the Teen Titans team, created in July 1964.

Before becoming Batman’s sidekick, Dick Grayson was already a young talented athlete with amazing acrobatic skills. Batman trained him to become an expert tactician and field commander, as well as a martial artist, hand-to-hand combatant, and a highly skilled detective. Not to mention the use of all Batman’s gadgets.

To know more about Dick Grayson’s time as Robin, the iconic Batman’s sidekick, check out the following reading order!

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Tim Drake Reading Order (Robin III, Red Robin, Drake)

Tim Drake (Robin) Reading-Order

After Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, Timothy Jackson Drake is our third Robin. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Pat Broderick, Tim Drake made his first appearance in Batman #436 in August 1989. He introduced himself to Dick Grayson in the storyline Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying, and is convinced that “Batman needs Robin.”

Having great detective skills and Genius-level intellect, Tim Drake had discovered the real identity of Batman and the original Robin (though, I’m not convinced you need to be Sherlock Holmes to arrive at this conclusion!). As Dick refuses to become Robin again, Tim was the perfect young boy to take the mantle and become the third Robin. Though Batman will make him go through a rigorous training program for his own safety (to avoid history repeating itself), Tim Drake will obviously rise up to the challenge.

Recognized as the most intellectually gifted of the Robins, he speaks several languages, excels in computer science, and possesses a large knowledge in other scientific fields, including biology, engineering, and genetics. He is also the most calculated of all Robins in combat, and of course a great martial artist.

What to read before?

Though Tim is not present in this storyline, we invite you to read the now classic ‘A Death in the Family’, marking the end of Jason Todd as Robin, offering a better context about where Batman stands when Tim enters the scene and explaining some of his choices.

  • Batman: A Death in the Family
    Collects the original Death in the Family tale from Batman #426-429 plus “A Lonely Place of Dying” from Batman #440-442 and The New Titans #60-61.

Read More »Tim Drake Reading Order (Robin III, Red Robin, Drake)

Batman RIP Reading Order

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Batman RIP Reading Order

Some storylines are more complicated than you can think – or they just seemed weirdly confusing for no reason. In the case of Batman R.I.P., the complication (and confusion) comes from the fact that it’s connected to the Final Crisis event. This story concluded the first third of Grant Morrison’s Batman run (full reading order here), leading to a new status quo as the series was renamed Batman and Robin for a time.

Here is the official synopsis: The troubled life of Bruce Wayne seems to spin out of control when his relationship with the mysterious Jezebel Jet deepens. Soon Bruce Wayne drops out completely, having seemingly become the victim of mental illness and abandoning his Batman identity for a life on the streets of Gotham City. Capitalizing on the fall of their greatest foe, the Club of Villains begins a crime spree through the streets of Gotham that threatens to bring the city to its knees.

What to read before Batman R.I.P.?

  • Batman: The Black Casebook
    Collects Batman #65, 86, 112, 113, 134, 156 And 162, Detective Comics #215, 235, 247 And 267, And World’s Finest Comics #89.
  • Batman and Son (collects previous editions Batman & Son and The Black Glove in one volume)
    Collects Batman issues #655-658, #663-669 and #672-675.
  • Batman: Heart of Hush
    Collects Detective Comics #846-850.
  • Grant Morrison’s run and Batman R.I.P. take place during the Modern Age period. For more Batman’s adventures during this time, check out our Batman reading order, the Modern Age.

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Shadow War Reading Order, a Batman, Robin & Deathstroke, Inc. crossover event

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Since James Tynion IV stopped writing Batman, Joshua Williamson is the main writer of the series. He also writes Robin, Deathstroke, Inc., and everything linked to Infinite Frontier. This summer, he will be in charge of the Dark Crisis event, but before that he organized another crossover event in the Batmanverse called Shadow War—illustrated by Viktor Bogdanovic.

Here is how it starts: When Deathstroke assassinates Ra’s al Ghul, Talia al Ghul demands revenge and sends her League of Shadows to kill Deathstroke and Deathstroke Inc.! Batman and Robin must team up to track down Deathstroke and bring him to justice … but do they?

Expect over-the-top fights, action, mystery, and betrayal as this crossover event creates a major impact on the DCU!

What to read before Shadow War?

With this kind of event, it’s always better to be up-to-date, especially with Joshua Williamson’s writing. First, we’ve got Batman, the first story after the Fear State event, then Damian Wayne in Robin (see Damian Wayne Reading Order for more info), and Deathstroke in the new Deathstroke, Inc. series.

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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 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 went by, Batman’s comic book stories evolved. After the war, they became bright and colorful. During the 1950s, they became more science fiction-oriented, but they 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 return to something grimmer.

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

This article does not cover all of Batman comics’ 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 comics), the Batman: The Brave & the Bold comics (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 Comics is still trying to do, in vain) and to update the superheroes 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).

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