batfam recommended readings by sam

carrd updating regularly

the main ongoing series of batman are detective comics and batman.

batman run has three volumes to date and detective comics has two volumes. the 1st volume of batman runs from issue #1-713 (1940-2011) while detective comics runs from issue #27-881 (1939-2011). in the 1st volume run, there's also a reboot famously called as the "post-crisis" in 1985. it is set after the storyline of "crisis on infinite earths". batman #401 and detective comics #568 mark the start of the post-crisis era.

volume 2, which is called new 52, rebooted 52 dc titles in 2011; meaning there were new backstories and the characters were redesigned and all titles were renumbered back to issue #1. new 52 is set after the "flashpoint" storyline. batman and detective comics vol. 2 both have 57 issues (1-52, 0, 23.1-23.4). this had a short run because it was written poorly and a lot of characters were just treated really bad.

volume 3, or rebirth, started in 2016 when dc once again rebooted their titles. this is the current ongoing run. batman was renumbered again back to issue #1 while detective comics resumed the original numbering and starts at issue #934 (vol. 1 + vol. 2 = 934). but the current ongoing detective comics is still considered as part of volume 1 even if the issues are under rebirth.

artist credit: @kel

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bruce wayne

the robins/batboys

damian wayne • duke thomas • jason todd • richard grayson

timothy drake

the batgirls and batwoman

barbara gordon • cassandra cain • kate kane • stephanie brown

batfam recommended readings by sam

crossover storylines
these storylines span across different titles, not only just within the batman and detective comics run. you can search them up online for the full reading order. i'll just list down my favorite long and complex storylines that have the batfam together!

• batman: r.i.p.
• bruce wayne - murderer/fugitive
• contagion -> legacy - > cataclysm -> aftershock -> road to no man's land -> no man's land
• knightfall saga
• night of the monster men
• robin war
• war games
• zero year

(batfam recommended readings by sam)

damian wayne
robin

batman vol.1
• #655–658, #663-669 (batman and son)

batman and robin vol. 1
• #1-16

batman and robin vol. 2
• #1-8 (born to kill)
• #0, 9-14 (pearl)
• annual #1-2

batman incorporated vol. 2
• #1-10
• #12-13

robin: son of batman
• #1-13

one-shots, limited/mini series
• batman: li'l gotham
• batman: son of the demon -> bride of the demon -> birth of the demon

(batfam recommended readings by sam)

duke thomas
the signal

batman vol. 2
• #21-27, #29-33 (zero year)
• #35-40 (endgame)
• #41-43, #45-50 (superheavy)

all-star batman
• #1-4, #6-9 (the cursed wheel)

one-shots, limited/mini-series
• batman and the signal
• dark days: the forge -> dark days: the casting -> road to metal
• we are... robin

(batfam recommended readings by sam)

jason todd
robin, red hood

batman vol.1
• #402-403
• #408-#425
• #426–429 (a death in the family)
• #635-641, #645-650 (under the red hood)
• annual #25

tec vol. 1 / rebirth
• detective comics #569-570
• annual #11

batman and robin vol. 1
• #23-25 (the streets run red)

one-shots, limited/mini series
• the cult
• the lost days

(batfam recommended readings by sam)

richard "dick" grayson
robin, nightwing

tec vol.1 / rebirth
• detective comics #38 (robin)
• detective comics #871–881 (the black mirror)

nightwing vol. 2
• #101-106 (year one)
• #140-146 (freefall)
• #147-153 (the great leap)

legends of the dark knight vol. 1
• #100 (the choice)

one-shots, limited/mini series
• convergence: nightwing/oracle #1-2 (birds of rage)
• robin: year one
• gates of gotham

(batfam recommended readings by sam)

timothy "tim" drake
robin, red robin

batman vol.1
• #440-442 (a lonely place of dying)

robin vol. 1
•#1-5

robin vol. 2
• #1-4 (flying solo)
• #121-125 (unmasked)
• #134-139 (to kill a bird)

red robin
#1-26

tec vol. 1 / rebirth
• detective comics #940, #962-968 (a lonely place of living)

(batfam recommended readings by sam)

barbara "babs" gordon
batgirl, oracle

tec vol.1 / rebirth
• detective comics #359-397

batgirl vol. 3
• #1-3 (batgirl rising)
• #9-12 (the flood)

batgirl and the birds of prey
• #1-22

birds of prey vol. 1
• #8 (on wings)
• #56-108
• #69-75 (between dark and dawn)
• #121-124

nightwing vol. 2
• #101-106 (year one)

suicide squad vol. 1
• #23 (weird war tales)
• #26 (stone cold dead)
• #48-49 (in control; out of control)

batgirl new 52
• #1-34

rebirth
• batgirl: annual #1

one-shots, limited/mini series
• batman: batgirl (1997)
• batman incorporated: leviathan strikes
• batgirl: year one
• birds of prey: batgirl
• birds of prey: manhunt
• birds of prey: wolves
• black canary/oracle: birds of prey
• convergence: nightwing/oracle #1-2 (birds of rage)
• nightwing vol. 1, #2
• secret origins vol. 2, #20
• showcase '96 vol.1, #3 (birds of a feather)
• the batman chronicles #5 (oracle: year one)

(batfam recommended readings by sam)

cassandra "cass" cain
orphan, batgirl, black bat

batman vol.1
• #567 (mark of cain; + part of no man's land saga)

tec vol. 1 / rebirth
• detective comics #734
• detective comics #950-956

batman & robin eternal
• #1-26

batgirl vol. 1
• #1-6 (silent running)
• #7-14 (a knight alone)
• #15-28 (fists of fury)

batgirl vol. 2
• #1-6 (batgirl: redemption)

one-shots, limited/mini series
• gates of gotham
• red robin #17

(batfam recommended readings by sam)

katherine "kate" kane
batwoman

tec vol.1 / rebirth
• detective comics #854-860 (batwoman: elegy)
• detective comics #934-939 (rise of the batmen)

batman incorporated vol.1
• #4-5

batman & robin vol.1
• #7-9

batwoman vol. 2 (new52)
• #0
• #1-12
• #13-24
• #35-40

batwoman vol. 3
• #1-5
• #6-12

batgirl and the birds of prey
• #15-17 (manslaughter)

one-shots, limited/mini series
• batwoman #0 (j.h. williams iii)
• batwoman: futures end
• batwoman: rebirth #1 (marguerite bennett)

(batfam recommended readings by sam)

batfam recommended readings by sam

stephanie "steph" brown
spoiler, robin, batgirl

batman vol.1
• #631-34 (war games; + crossover with other titles, this storyline is super long. u can search for it online)

tec vol. 1 / rebirth
• detective comics #647-649
• detective comics #796 (...and red all over)

batgirl vol. 3
• #1-8 (batgirl rising)
• #9-14 (the flood)
• #15-24 (the lesson)

red robin vol. 1
• #9-12 (collision)

robin vol. 2 (1993)
• #3-5
• #25-26
• #35-45
• #64-65
• #100-120
• #126-128
• #170-174

one-shots, limited/mini series
• batman: huntress & spoiler
• batman incorporated: leviathan strikes
• gotham underground #1-9
• robin/spoiler special

(batfam recommended readings by sam)

bruce wayne
batman

batman vol.1
• #404-407 (year one)
• #560-574 (no man's land. + crossover with other titles, u can search for it online)
• #608-619 (hush)
• #686 (whatever happened to the caped crusader?)
• #821-826

tec vol.1 / rebirth
• detective comics #27 (the case of the chemical syndicate)
• detective comics #168 (the man behind th red hood)
• detective comics #469-479 (strange apparitions)
• detective comics #575-578 (year two)
• detective comics #853 (whatever happent to the caped crusader?)
• detective comics #958-962 (intelligence)
• detective comics #1027
• batman & detective comics: the knightfall saga (+crossover with other titles, this storyline is super long. u can search for it online)

batman new 52
• #1-12 (the court of owls)
• #13-17 (death of the family)
• #21-27 (zero year)

batman rebirth
• #9-13 (i am suicide)
• #14-15 (rooftops)
• #25-32 (the war of jokes and riddles)
• #33-35 (rules of engagement)
• #36-37, #39-40 (superfriends)
• #45-50 (the wedding)

shadow of the bat
• #1-4 (the last arkham)

one-shots, limited/mini series
• batman: li'l gotham
• battle for the cowl
• child of dreams
• earth one
• gotham by gaslight
• jla #43-46 (tower of babel)
• noel
• the dark prince charming
• the dark knight returns
• the cult
• the killing joke
• the long halloween -> dark victory
• the man who laughs
• the return of bruce wayne

(batfam recommended readings by sam)