Batman Reading Order

Last Updated: June 3rd, 2012

Welcome to our Batman reading order, comic fans!

Like many of the most popular superhero comic families, jumping into Batman comics isn’t easy as it seems. Even keeping one’s collection organized can be extremely confusing. Not only did it contain multiple titles, such as Detective Comics, Batman as well as spin-offs such as Robin, but the order in which to read them are necessarily the same as the publication order.

This filterable Batman reading order list concerns the now complete post-crisis, pre-DCnU Batman books. It is my personal reading list that I will be using to read this franchise. It is based off of a few lists found online, though modified to remove most non-canon issues, such as company crossovers, and include most of the spin-off issues, even though Batman himself is not featured.  It will be constantly evolving as I read and find changes to the order.

Batman Reading Order Details

Batman Reading order Principles

batman reading order
The order is based on the following principles in order to choose the placement and inclusion of each issue; the issue must be canon, it must feature Batman or at least be a closely related spin-off, issues will be placed in the most appropriate order without splitting the multiple stories it could contain, and it will be placed in the order in which it should be read.  For that last point, we consider flashback issues to be read a the point that the tale is being told, though issues that take place in the past are placed at that particular point in time.

Batman Reading Order Search Tricks

Like most of our read orders, our Batman reading order is instantly filterable.  Here are a few keywords that we have currently included, though more will be added.  Place requests in the comments section, please.

Characters: Catwoman, Joker, Two-Face, Scarecrow, Ra’s Al Ghul, Bane

Titles: All titles available

Creators: Most artists and writers can be filtered

Basically, anything you see below can be filtered.  Now, onto the Batman reading order

The Batman Reading Order

For more lists like this Batman Reading Order, check out our Read Order Section

35 thoughts on “Batman Reading Order”

    1. I’ll try to get to it. I’m backed up with other lists at the moment. If you have any specific issues you want included, I might do just those.

      Reply

      1. Hi,
        Great job with the list! I too would like to see other issues here. The one I have on my mind (and have trouble putting into timeline) is Batman: Earth One Vol 1. (from 2012). Also Vol 2 was announced to be released in 2013.

        Any thoughts where Earth One would fit on the timeline?

        Thanks!

        Reply

        1. Well, since it is a modern retelling, it stand in parallel to a few issues, mostly surrounding Batman: Year One. As my philosophy is to not cut up books and sparse them into the reading order, I would recommend reading it either before or after Year One, though I’m still not considering officially adding to the list just yet.

          Reply

      2. sorry for the late reply.
        yeah i mean, people are talking about death of the family alot….maybe you could put that in somewhere? yeah and i can’t help but notice that you dont have the dark knight returns in here, would appreciate you putting that in somewhere. i hope i dont sound needy but i really like this list of yours. i have been following you now for a while and i’m on catwoman when in rome. so…thanks again for all your hard work but i would REALLY appreciate if you could add some more…ok? thank you sir

        Reply

        1. Really late to the party here, but maybe I can give you a bit of an answer to your question. I believe Dark Knight Returns is not included because it’s an Elseworlds tale, and not cannon, and can be read at any time, as it doesn’t follow any continuity. But, if one wanted to include it in the timeline, it would go at the very end, as it takes place in the future where Batman has been retired for 10 years I think? Anyways it can either be read whenever or last, depending on how you want to play it.

          Death of the Family is a New 52 tale, and this list (in its currant form, anyways) only pertains to Modern Era Batman stories (1987-2011). And since the New 52 was DCs big 2011 re-boot, it’s technically not cannon is relation to the Modern Era stories (until 2016s Rebirth, that is).

          I hope that was helpful 🙂

          Reply

  2. sorry for the late reply.
    yeah i mean, people are talking about death of the family alot….maybe you could put that in somewhere? yeah and i can’t help but notice that you dont have the dark knight returns in here, would appreciate you putting that in somewhere. i hope i dont sound needy but i really like this list of yours. i have been following you now for a while and i’m on catwoman when in rome. so…thanks again for all your hard work but i would REALLY appreciate if you could add some more…ok? thank you sir

    Reply

    1. I will, someday. I hope to use the numbering as a method to list changes to the read order (i.e. 379.02 moved to 380.01, etc.)

      Reply

    1. Unfortunately, there are no plans at the moment. The biggest reason being that I’m not up to speed with the new 52, and that what is considered canon for the new 52 is still a big mystery (or possibly in a constant state of flux), making keeping such a list together beyond my reach. I would love to have it though, because it sounds like it would be desperately needed. I would also like to get the books fit into the new “5 years ago” timespan, but as I mentioned, it’s beyond my current reach.

      Reply

    1. I tend to consider books like the Dark Knight Returns as Alternate/Elseworlds stories, which aren’t included in this reading order. Though that particular one basically falls at the end of the reading order, some years later.

      Reply

  6. This list is amazing! Thank you! I’m a little curious, though, about Turning Points #2, which is missing from the list. All other Turning Points issues are included except for that one (a story involving Batman, Robin, and Mr. Freeze). Does this issue simply exist outside the universe, just not fit, or was left behind?

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  8. What about legends and the batman legends crossover in batman 401? Are you not considering this as part of the continuity?

    Great job!

    Reply

  9. Question regarding Nightwing “A Knight in Bludhaven” and “Rough Justice”.

    I have yet to read that far in to the chronology however I am trying to acquire and organize the comics well in advance.

    I see that you have issues # 1-15 labeled as “A Knight in Bludhaven” and issues # 16-18 as “Rough Justice”.

    Other wikia’s and websites state that the first story line is only issues #1 – 8 and the second story line being #9 – 18.

    In your reading order principles you state that you would refrain from splitting up story arcs.

    Was this a mistake or is there a specific reason for splitting the “Rough Justice” story arc in two?

    Thanks in advance.

    Reply

    1. I truly cannot find the reference I used to split it up the way I did; perhaps it is just a mistake on my part.

      I will probably, in my next update, correctly identify the storylines and group the issues together by story.

      So in this case, keep 1-8 together, and place 9+ with the rest of Rough Justice.

      Reply

  10. Hello,

    Just wondering if you will be putting out an update for the Batman Reading Order soon or is it complete. I noticed you updated the Superman Reading Order recently so was just curious.

    Great work by the way.

    Thanks

    Reply

    1. No plans yet. Batman and Green Lantern are at the far ends of my expertise. Unless I get some significant leads on some important changes, it will probably stay as it is for a while yet.

      Reply

  11. Hey, just wanted to thank you for the time and effort that must have went into this list. it’s by far, the most thorough and logical list I’ve come across and has helped me a lot in tracking down some lesser known stuff. Quick question though: I’ve noticed that Batman:Snow isn’t included in your list. Do you not consider it canon, or is it one you’ve missed?
    Thanks again for the list, awesome job!

    Reply

  13. Hi ! First thing first, thanks A LOT for this chronology you’ve given us. That’s a fantastic job you’ve done here, honest. I wanted to start reading comics from the Year One to the beginning of New 52 and without you it would have been impossible to do so. So thank you again. Please keep updating it and adding things, it’s a precious resource you’ve got here.

    Reply

  14. Hello ! Me again sorry !
    I think there is an error I’ve spotted about the story City of Crime (2005) that you have put between Batgirl : War of the Soul and City of Light (that’s maybe the source of the confusion?). It should probably be later in the chronology as it spoiled me about Stephanie Brown becoming the next Robin. And I’ve seen it placed here nowhere else on the internet too.
    I hope you’ll see this message and that I’ve been helpful ! 🙂
    (I might be back if I notice other problems if that’s fine with you)

    Reply

  15. Many thank you’s for this extensive list. I might not have started these otherwise.

    Quick observation, Batman Annual 1989 #13 Waiting in the Wings (ninth on your list) is out of place chronologically. It seems to be very late in his career. Mentioned in the book are many encounters with Two-Face, Oracle being shot, etc.

    Reply

    1. The Waiting in the Wings story takes place on page 40, and it’s only about 8 pages. Pages 1-39 are NOT Waiting in the Wings.

      Reply

  16. Hello! I really want to thank you for this list and for all of the hard work that went into making it! (I would know, I’m attempting to do basically the same thing, although I might give up and just use yours!). Like others have said, this is by far the most correct timeline out there on the web.

    But (there’s always a “but”, isn’t there), I have noticed a few of your placements I personally disagree with.

    The Man Who Laughs, from my understanding, takes place a mere 5 minutes or so after Mad Monk. I would think it might go next in the reading order.

    Also, Gothic takes place after Four of a Kind. You can tell because a certain, “Mr. Cain” appears in one of Batman’s dreams, and unless I’m remembering incorrectly, Batman did not know who that was until Four of a Kind.

    And one final thing, why so little Batman Confidential?

    Reply

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