Modern YEAR FIVE

1993

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–Batman: Dark Victory #4 Part 2 by Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale (2000)
January 1. On New Year’s Day, Alfred makes Bruce a bag of pastries and drops him off at Selina Kyle’s apartment. There, Bruce apologizes for having missed their New Year’s Eve date the night prior, making up a phony excuse about a missed flight. Selina is furious, but she just can’t help loving the guy, inviting him inside to continue their ongoing romance. Meanwhile, Commissioner Gordon officially forms a professional partnership with District Attorney Janice Porter.

–“Ghosts” by Sam Kieth (Batman Confidential #40-43) March to June 2010
Winter. When several homeless people are slaughtered by a monstrous creature, Commissioner Gordon arranges for Batman to meet Callie Dean, a blind social worker that knows the victims well. Batman and Callie soon learn that they are dealing with a supernatural force that manifests itself in the form of a sulfurous monster with razor-sharp teeth. Batman confronts the monster, which temporarily blinds him and then delivers a premonition that Batman will grow to love Callie, but then the latter will die. In the end, the creature vanishes, and Batman does form a platonic love for Callie, only to watch her slip in the snow, hit her head, and die. Weird story.

–REFERENCE: In The Batman Files. Batman takes on Joker yet again, during which the villain uses the pseudonym “Jack White.” This is a cute nod to the popular video games Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009) and Batman: Arkham City (2011).

–REFERENCE: In Batman #416, DC Universe Legacies #4, and JLA: Year One #1. Batman meets Hawkman (Carter Hall). Hawkman is a winged warrior from the planet Thanagar. The first ever Hawkman/Batman meeting does not have a specific reference in the Modern Age, but a meeting between them should occur before Hawkman’s upcoming appearances in both DC Universe Legacies #4 and JLA: Year One #1. (In the Golden Age, Batman and Hawkman first met to fight Nazis as a part of the Justice Society. In the Silver Age, Hawkman first met Batman when the former was officially inducted into the JLA. Because the Modern Age is a weird fusion of Golden and Silver Age stuff, that version doesn’t hold up—Batman has to meet a JSA Hawkman before the JLA teams up with the JSA and before Hawkman eventually joins the JLA next year.)

–Batman: Dark Victory #5 by Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale (2000)
February 14-15. Batman, fearing that former police sergeant Frank Pratt may be the next target of the Hangman, seeks him out, but gets shot at by Pratt for his trouble. Pratt ultimately winds up hanged like all the other dead cops. Catwoman then starts poking around trying to find Carmine Falcone’s corpse, but gets knocked-out, tied-up, and put into a death trap (by persons unknown) for her trouble. Batman locates her (thanks to Riddler) and saves her at the last second. Batman and Catwoman then have a chat about their relationship. The conversation doesn’t go very well. Elsewhere, Barbara Gordon (Senior) returns to Gotham with James Junior and she gets back together with Jim! (They are still divorced but attempting to reconcile their differences.) The next day, Bruce, having stood-up Selina the night before, tries to make amends, but Selina has packed up her things, moved out of her apartment, and left a Dear John letter for Bruce. It’s over between them.^[1]

–REFERENCE: In Robin Vol. 2 #70 and Green Arrow Vol. 2 #134. Batman fills one of the few remaining gaps in his combat skills, starting a training course in how to use the bow and arrow with Green Arrow. The course will occur for at least a few weeks (invisibly on our timeline), moving forward.

–REFERENCE: In Detective Comics #818. Batman begins watching private eye Roy Raymond‘s reality TV show, immediately regarding Raymond as one of the top detectives in the world. Batman will always hold Raymond in high regard, despite thinking that he’s wasting his talents for entertainment purposes.

–Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight: Jazz #1-3 by Gerard Jones/Mark Badger (April to June 1995)
This is a strange homage to jazz music that reads more like a James Baldwin novel than a Batman comic… except for The Brothers of Bop, a bizarre jazz-themed criminal gang that challenges Batman as he investigates the life of Blue Byrd (a Charlie Parker/Louis Armstrong analogue).

–“Engines” by Ted McKeever (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #74-75) August to September 1995
This is one of my personal favorite LOTDK stories. Do yourself a favor and read everything Ted McKeever has ever done. He’s a real poet and wonderful artist to boot. In “Engines,” we bear witness to the existential hell that Eustace Marker views the world as. Marker’s vision is so distressing that he becomes a vigilante serial killer and Batman is forced to apprehend him.

–Batman: Dark Victory #6 by Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale (2000)
March 17. A bloody gang war has erupted between Penguin and the Falcone mob. Batman captures Penguin and delivers him to Gordon, who has just formed an elite squad of cops to deal with the recent escalation of mob violence. The team is comprised of officers Julia Lopez, Mark O’Connor, Henry Gustavson, Lauren Wilcox, and David King. Concurrently, Mario Falcone, bending the volatile situation to his advantage, executes a coup. Using his clean legal reputation to distance himself from his sister Sofia, Mario takes complete control of the Falcone organization and all of its assets, much to the chagrin of Sofia. Later, Watch Commander Stan Merkel is found hanged by the Hangman outside of the former Dent home.

–Batman: Dark Victory #7 Part 1 by Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale (2000)
March 17—picking up directly from Dark Victory #6. Batman examines Stan Merkel’s body, but is confronted by Commissioner Gordon’s new elite crime-fighting squad. Not knowing any better, they shoot at the Dark Knight until an angry Gordon orders them to cease fire.

–REFERENCE: In Batman #682. Eraser debuts versus Batman.

–REFERENCE: In Batman & Superman: World’s Finest #4. Late March. While large chunks of Batman & Superman: World’s Finest are out-of-continuity, the first annual Springtime meeting between the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel to commemorate the death of Harrison Grey still takes place now.

–Batman: Dark Victory #7 Part 2 by Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale (2000)
April 1. Two-Face holds a mock trial in order to determine the identity of the Hangman. Calendar Man, Joker, Scarecrow, Mr. Zero, Poison Ivy, Mad Hatter, and Riddler are in attendance. Solomon Grundy plays the bailiff role. Back at Wayne Manor, Bruce trains and begins to doubt his abilities to catch the Hangman. Alfred pries a bit and discovers that Master Bruce has been running with traces amounts of Fear Gas in his system for exactly three months now! After a quick session with Dr. Pennyworth, all’s well again. Later, the Hangman tries to kill Commissioner Gordon, but both Batman and Two-Face are there to protect him—(Two-Face doesn’t want to get blamed for crimes he isn’t committing). Elsewhere, Tony Zucco and Edward Skeevers plot a sinister money-making scheme against Haly’s Circus. Uh oh.

–REFERENCE: In a flashback from Batman Confidential #52. Early April. Bruce Wayne is named People Magazine‘s “Sexiest Man Alive.” Amazing!

–“Mask” by Bryan Talbot (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #39-40) November 1992 to December 1992
Early April-Early May. “Mask” originally took a whopping seven weeks to wrap, during most of which Batman is detained. Of course, due to sliding-time and retroactive compression, this must be cut down to about five weeks instead. In “Mask,” Batman is heading home after finishing up a routine bust when he passes out unexpectedly. When he awakes, he is in a hospital, weak and malnourished, pumped full of a pharmacopeia of debilitating drugs. The staff tells him that he is Bruce Wayne, an alcoholic wreck that has lived a life of failure and misery. His doctor tells him that Batman isn’t real and all of his adventures to date have been a construct of his own mind. Bruce is confused, scared, and keeps having nightmares and hallucinations. Finally, with a little help, Bruce is able to escape his room and realize the horrible truth. His “doctor” is actually Steven Gallagher, son of Raymond Gallagher, a small time money launderer who’s life was ruined by Batman less than a year ago. In order to get revenge, Gallagher has unleashed a radical scheme. First, he set up a fake break-in to attract Batman’s attention. Once occupied, Gallagher then shot Batman with a tranquilizer rifle and dragged him to a set made up to look like a hospital. Bruce was then put into a controlled coma for four weeks (again, retconned down to fit on our timeline), during which Gallagher inserted a ton of post-hypnotic suggestion and heavily drugged him. After the four week period, Gallagher revived Bruce. Now, Bruce, doubting whether or not he ever really was Batman, falls to pieces. Gallagher starts disassembling Bruce’s fragile mind bit by bit, which is easy, especially since he knows that Batman is really the famous Bruce Wayne and has access to a wealth of information regarding the well-documented case of his parents’ murders. After a week of psychological torture, the hospital’s “nurse,” a sex worker hired to play the part, helps Bruce to free himself. In the end, the “nurse” and Gallagher wind up shooting each other dead and Bruce escapes with his secret identity intact. I should also note a very important snippet of information. The 1996 TPB Batman: Dark Legends contains a bunch of collected LOTDK stories, including Bryan Talbot’s “Mask.” However, DC editors, in the trade, curiously included an extra splash page to “Mask,” which was originally omitted from the original 1992 single issue. This splash definitely shows that Bruce, in this tale, is actually not Batman, but simply a person having delusions. Obviously, the inclusion of this splash page would change the entire narrative and render this tale non-canon. For the purposes of these annals, I will go with the more open-texted original 1992 version of “Mask.”^[2]

–Batman: Dark Victory #8 by Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale (2000)
May 8. Mother’s Day. Joker kills a bunch of Sal Maroni’s top men then kills a bunch of Mario Falcone’s business associates. Later, the Hangman murders Commissioner Gordon’s appointed bodyguard. Later still, Joker attacks Sofia Falcone Gigante in her home, but gets warded off by a gun-wielding Alberto Falcone and Batman. Batman thrashes Joker and puts him back in Arkham. Back at Wayne Manor, Alfred sets out tickets (given to Bruce for a donation his company made a while ago) to Haly’s Circus.

–Batman: Dark Victory #9 Part 1 by Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale (2000)
May 9.^[3] Bruce and Alfred attend CC “Pop” Haly‘s “Greatest Show on Earth” at Haly’s Circus only to watch a tragedy unfold. Tony Zucco, who was refused by the circus after offering a bogus protection/insurance racket, gets his revenge by sabotaging the act of the famous trapeze artist family, the Flying Graysons. The Grayson parents (John and Mary Grayson) fall to their deaths as the distraught audience watches. Eleven-year-old Dick Grayson is left orphaned. (While Devin Grayson’s Gotham Knights series and Mark Waid’s JLA Secret Files and Origins #3 Part 2 both say Dick is eight-years-old at the time of his parents’ homicide, multiple other sources place his age at twelve when he becomes Robin, marking him at age eleven during his parents’ tragedy.) The terrible death of the Flying Graysons is also chronicled through flashbacks from Batman #436, Batman #682, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #34, Nightwing Vol. 2 #101, and the second feature to 52 #25.^[4] Not only is Bruce present (making appearances as both Batman and Bruce Wayne), but so is a two-year-old Tim Drake as well. (Tim will be turning three in less than a month.) Accompanying the child are his parents Jack Drake and Janet Drake. The Flying Graysons death scene is also shown through flashback from Secret Origins 80-Page Giant #1. (Tim is shown to be seven-years-old here, but we’ve retconned his age to two-going-on-three in order to jibe with the rest of our timeline. For reasoning behind this change, see “How Old is Tim Drake?”.) Secret Origins Vol. 2 #50 also contains a Denny O’Neil prose version of the death of the Flying Graysons.^[5]

–FLASHBACK: From Batman #436 and the second feature to 52 #25. May 9. Immediately following Dick’s parents’ deaths, Batman swoops down to speak with Dick and examine the scene. Dick mentions Tony Zucco as a suspect, but no one really listens.

–FLASHBACK: From Secret Origins Vol. 2 #13. May 9. Dick’s parents have just died. Dick overhears Tony Zucco talking to Pop Haly about the Flying Grayson deaths. Before he can recklessly act, Dick is stopped by Batman, who tells him to have patience for justice. (Secret Origins Vol. 2 #13 continues directly onward from this scene, having Batman take Dick into the Batcave to swear an oath of allegiance. Obviously, this part of Secret Origins Vol. 2 #13 cannot occur and must be summarily ignored.)

–FLASHBACK: From Robin Annual #4. May 9. From the shadows, Batman watches over Dick as he says his sad goodbyes to Pop Haly and his friends before going with a state agent to be placed into the rough-and-tumble Gotham Youth Center (as seen in the 55-page flashback “Robin: Year One” issue of Robin Annual #4). Batman #436-439 calls Gotham Youth Center by the name of St. Jude’s Orphanage, so we must assume they are one and the same. We see Dick leave with the shrewish state agent, but a flashback from Batman #436 shows that Commissioner Gordon is the one who actually escorts him to Gotham Youth Center/St. Jude’s Orphanage. Therefore, we must surmise that the agent delivers him over to Gordon first. Batman #436 also introduces us to the loving, caring headmistress Sister Mary Elizabeth, who once looked over Tony Zucco when he was a young man. We should note that, while Sister Mary Elizabeth may be loving and caring toward Dick, Gotham Youth Center/St. Jude’s Orphanage is a very bad place (as detailed in Robin Annual #4) where Dick gets beaten up almost every day by other kids.

–FLASHBACK: From Robin Vol. 2 #0. Bruce (as Bruce) visits Dick for the first time to tell him he will be filing to legally adopt him. This flashback from Robin Vol. 2 #0 shows Bruce chatting with a teary-eyed Dick at Haly’s Circus, which means that Bruce likely spent a day with Dick, returning with him to the circus one last time.

–NOTE: In Secret Origins Vol. 2 #20 and Batgirl: Year One #1-2. Fourteen-year-old (soon to be fifteen-year-old) super-genius Babs Gordon graduates high school early, gaining acceptance to university for computer science and pre-law. Babs will continue living at home with Captain Gordon, but will soon start college on a fast track to gain both graduate and post-graduate degrees in a mere handful of years.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman #439 and Secret Origins Vol. 2 #13—and referenced in Batman #682. Mid June. A custody hearing for Dick is held. Bruce, Sister Mary Elizabeth, and Pop Haly all speak before a judge, after which Dick is legally adopted by Bruce as his ward. At one point, “Batman: Year Three” tells us that Dick stay at Gotham Youth Center/St. Jude’s Orphanage lasted for two months, yet it later says he was only there for one month. Either way, we can split the difference since Dick was actually there for a little less than a month-and-a-half. Similarly, Robin Annual #4 tells us that Dick was in Gotham Youth Center/St. Jude’s Orphanage for one month—again, close but no cigar.

–FLASHBACK: From Robin Annual #4. Mid June. Alfred accompanies Dick to Wayne Manor for the first time. There, Bruce (along with supermodel Brittany St. James) settles him in and shows him the lay of the mansion. (An alternate version of this scene is shown via flashback from both Batman #437—however, it is totally non-canon. In Batman #437, Bruce immediately reveals his secret to Dick, gives him his Robin costume, and starts training him. Obviously, this is not how things go down.)

–REFERENCE: In Batman: Gotham Knights #8. Mid June. Bruce frames a newspaper article about his adoption of Dick and hangs it on the wall of his office at Wayne Enterprises.

–REFERENCE: In Robin Annual #4, Nightwing Secret Files and Origins #1, and Robin: Year One #1. Mid June. Robin’s five month training program begins. Nightwing Secret Files and Origins #1 has a Robin timeline that specifically says that Robin’s training period is six months long, but for things to jibe neatly with Robin: Year One later this year, Dick’s training should begin now and actually last about five months. How does this work since Batman hasn’t yet revealed his secret to Dick, you ask? Not to worry. I have a perfectly good explanation. Since Batman has just made contact with Dick (in the second part of Dark Victory #9), we can assume that Batman tells Dick to start training on his own right away, in order to prepare for Zucco’s arrest. Thus, if he starts now, in mid June, he will finish in December, right in time for Robin: Year One, which begins around then.

–Batman: Dark Victory #9 Part 2 by Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale (2000)
June 20—Father’s Day. A dour Dick chats with Alfred at Wayne Manor. The Falcones are brought in for police questioning and Batman listens in. Concurrently, Gordon’s driver becomes the next victim of the Hangman. Later, Batman talks to Dick and lets him know that his parents’ murderer will be brought to justice. Later still, Bruce muses in front of his parents’ graves and lays down a single rose.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman #512. Bruce hosts a dinner party, which Dick spies on from the stairwell. Alfred catches Dick and makes him go back to bed.

–Batman: Dark Victory #10 by Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale (2000)
July 4. While a bored Dick lounges at Wayne Manor, Batman, Gordon, and his elite squad go hunting in the sewers. The heroes fight Two-Face, Joker, Mad Hatter, and Mr. Freeze. (Mr. Zero has officially changed his name!) They realize that the Hangman is down there too, finding one of Gordon’s squad hanged. The villains scatter, but Gordon arrests and jails Two-Face. Later, Dick sneaks out to Haly’s Circus to witness Edward Skeevers and another hood roughing up Pop Haly. Dick tries to intervene but gets knocked-out. Batman shows up, sends the bad guys packing, and takes Dick to the Batcave to recover. Dick wakes up, surprised at his surroundings. Batman unmasks and reveals his secret. Notably, when Dick asks where he is, Batman says, “I never thought to give it a name.” However, it’s already been called the “Batcave” multiple times by this juncture, so we should ignore that line. Robin Annual #4 also details the very same night as Dark Victory #10, although significant additions have been made. First, we get a scene showing Bruce and Dick talking about how he won’t go to school—Alfred will tutor him instead. Bruce mentions that it’s too late in the year to sign him up for a real school, which doesn’t make sense and should probably be ignored. Second, Bruce takes Dick upstairs into Wayne Manor from the Batcave before unmasking. Third, Skeevers and a few other hoods (not just one) are roughing up Pop Haly and they wind up shooting him dead! I’m not sure Pop Haly’s death is meant to be canon or not—we do see Haly alive again, but only in three issues. The first issue is New Titans #60, published well before Robin Annual #4, meaning Haly’s appearance there is retconned away. The second and third issues are Nightwing Vol. 2 #102-103, which already has some shaky continuity to begin with. Since we don’t see or hear from Pop in any other issues ever again (besides those three), I’m leaning toward canonizing the death of Pop Haly. Makes sense. It’s really up to you which version—the Dark Victory #10 version or the Robin Annual #4 version—you want to go with. They essentially tell the same story, with a few differences. A flashback from Robin Vol. 2 #0 also shows a version of Batman revealing his secret ID to Dick for the first time, but it doesn’t jibe with any other version, so it must be non-canon. In this version, Bruce and Alfred simply bring Dick down into the Batcave. Likewise, in a flashback from Batman #682, Batman simply brings Dick down into the Batcave. And, in this version, we are told that months pass in-between Dick’s adoption and Bruce’s big reveal. However, only a few weeks pass.

–FLASHBACK: From Robin Annual #4. July 6. Dick attends Pop Haly’s funeral along with several of his friends, including ringmaster Stan Rutledge. Afterward, Batman asks him about the funeral and updates him on the search for Tony Zucco, who is still in hiding.

–FLASHBACK: From Secret Origins Vol. 2 #13. Dick’s solo training ends and he officially begins training with Batman. First on the agenda are mixed martial arts, boxing, chemistry, and sleuthing.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman: Shadow of the Bat #34. Bruce and Dick continue training. They do gymnastics as Alfred watches.

–FLASHBACK: From Legends of the DC Universe #6. July. This single-panel from Legends of the DC Universe #6 shows Batman return to the Batcave after teaming-up with Superman on an unspecified case. Dick, awed, asks Bruce what the Man of Steel is like.

–REFERENCE: In Justice League of America Vol. 2 #21. Mr. Polka-Dot (aka Polka-Dot Man aka Mr. Polka Dot) debuts versus Batman.

–REFERENCE: In Batman #437. Bruce, Alfred, and Dick go on a camping trip. Alfred takes a series of photos of Bruce and Dick, which get developed, framed, and hung up in Wayne Manor.

–Batman: Dark Victory #11-12 by Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale (2000)
August 1-September 6. On August 1, Batman continues searching for Tony Zucco, roughing up some of Sal Maroni’s men in the process. In the Batcave, Dick complains to Alfred that he’s been training with Batman for nearly a month and is ready to hit the streets. Batman arrives and tells Dick that he’s got Zucco’s location. Notably, Batman mentions not knowing who killed his own parents, but this is merely a post-Zero Hour continuity error that must be ignored. As per Infinite Crisis, the whole world knows Joe Chill killed Thomas and Martha Wayne. And, as per Batman #673, Batman has already confronted Chill, who killed himself. The Dark Knight and Dick then hunt down Zucco, who runs but doesn’t get very far. Cornered, Zucco reveals that Two-Face orchestrated the attack on Arkham Asylum (in Dark Victory #1), citing that Pino and Umberto Maroni are twins.^[6] Totally gassed, Zucco suffers a heart attack and passes out as ambulances arrive. Batman checks Zucco’s pulse and tells Dick that he’s dead. This is either a huge continuity error or Batman is blatantly lying since we’ll see Zucco alive again down the road. I’d lean towards the latter—Batman wouldn’t want Dick still hellbent on revenge whilst in the middle of his training period. It’s a nasty lie, I’ll admit, but that’s just how it is. (Zucco’s defeat is also shown via flashback from Robin: Year One #1. And a flashback from Secret Origins Vol. 2 #13 shows Zucco’s downfall too, but it differs from Dark Victory‘s version and therefore must be ignored.) On August 2, Two-Face is put on trial. Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, and Solomon Grundy interrupt the proceedings on behalf of Two-Face and the latter escapes with their help. At midnight, another of Gordon’s elite crime-fighting squad is murdered by the Hangman. On August 4, Scarecrow and an escaped Joker kidnap DA Janice Porter on behalf of Two-Face, who kills his lover without a bat of an eyelash. Two days later, Batman learns that Porter and Two-Face were in cahoots the whole time. On August 20, Alberto Falcone learns that the “voice” he’s been hearing for months now belongs to none other than the Calendar Man, messing with him because he’s been jealous of the attention Falcone got during the Holiday murders. Later, Batman and Gordon find Calendar Man, badly beaten and with Alberto’s electronic surveillance bracelet on him. Alberto and Sofia Falcone Gigante are both missing. On September 6 (Labor Day), Dick solves the Hangman puzzle. Batman goes to the Falcone penthouse and discovers the Hangman’s secret lair. The Hangman attacks, getting the better of the Dark Knight by slipping a noose around his neck from behind and hanging him off the balcony. Catwoman shows up to rescue Batman.

–Batman: Dark Victory #13 Part 1 by Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale (2000)
September 6—Labor Day. Picking up directly from Dark Victory #12 Part 2, Catwoman saves Batman from the noose of the Hangman and then they chat for a bit (the usual mean-spirited conversation with undertones of sexual tension). Batman returns to the Batcave and meets with Alfred and Dick. Dick has now been training with Batman for two months.

–REFERENCE: In Robin: Year One #2. Bruce tells Dick a Joker story that gives the boy nightmares for a week.

–FLASHBACK: From Green Arrow and Black Canary #5. Green Arrow asks Batman to locate his son, Connor Hawke. Ollie was has been a deadbeat dad for years now and has no idea where Connor and his baby momma currently live. Batman reluctantly agrees to help, but he doesn’t make it a top priority. (Connor won’t be located for another seven years.) Green Arrow has already been searching for Connor for a while now, but without any luck, he will soon abandon his quest. Arrow appoints eleven-year-old Roy Harper as his sidekick Speedy.

–REFERENCE: In Justice League America #43 and Batman Confidential #21. The Cavalier (Mortimer Drake) debuts versus Batman. Drake is a copycat of the original Cavalier from Year Two, Hudson Pyle.

–REFERENCE: In Detective Comics #573 and Batman #700. Mad Hatter II (aka Hat Man aka Hatman) debuts versus Batman. To avoid confusion in the future, be aware that Mad Hatter II is a red-headed mustachioed copycat of the original. We never learn Mad Hatter II’s real name, but he is so obsessed in regard to his copying that he even goes by the name “Jervis Tetch” (which is the real name of the first Mad Hatter). The non-canon Batman: Dark Detective #2 reveals the second Mad Hatter’s real name as “Jarvis Trent,” but even if it were canon, this also seems like a deliberately bogus copycat play on “Jervis Tetch.”

–REFERENCE: From Richard Dragon #7. Batman tells Dick where and how to find Richard Dragon, upon which Dick begins training with Dragon.

–Batman: Dark Victory #13 Part 2 by Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale (2000)
October 10-11. On Columbus Day, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, and Joker each murder the heads of four of the five major Gotham mobs. The Falcones are next. Elsewhere, Sofia Falcone Gigante and Alberto Falcone, the latter still living with injuries dealt to him by the Calendar Man a month-and-a-half ago, hide out for their own safety. Sofia puts her brother out of his own misery, smothering him to death. RIP Alberto! Mario Falcone, meanwhile, goes to Gordon for protection. Mario tells Gordon and Batman that he had been secretly working for the late Janice Porter. Batman deduces that Sofia Falcone Gigante is the Hangman. She’s been faking her paraplegia! Batman goes after Sofia who is hiding in the sewers, but he gets distracted by Scarecrow, allowing Two-Face to get to her first. Batman eventually saves Two-Face and fights Sofia before Two-Face shoots her dead. During the chaos, Solomon Grundy gets electrocuted to death. Don’t worry, he’s a zombie and will get reincarnated again soon. Two-Face, Poison Ivy, Joker, and Mr. Freeze then escape through the sewers and wind up, of all places, inside the Batcave! Dick, ever vigilant, dons a self-made proto-Robin costume (!) and takes the fight to the super-villains! Batman soon arrives and helps him kick ass. Joker shoots Two-Face, who survives but falls into the waterways deep below the Batcave and is washed away. The Dynamic Duo then busts the other villains. (A reference in The Batman Files adds a post-battle clean-up scene to this sequence, during which Batman talks to Dick about training and alterations to his costume. In this added scene, Dick tells Batman that he wants his eventual superhero codename to be “Robin,” which was a nickname that his mom used to call him.) Later, Batman meets with Gordon to discuss Two-Face. Gordon mentions that he’s “heard about” the Dark Knight’s new young partner—obviously from the Joker and company. (NOTE: In Secret Origins Vol. 2 #13, Batman not only designs the Robin costume, but comes up with the Robin name as well. This is wrong since it contradicts both Dark Victory and The Batman Files. Dick will come up with a finalized design for the Robin costume all by himself—although Batman will make suggestions and alterations to it, both during the ongoing design phase and after it is tailored.)

–REFERENCE: In Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet Part 1. Batman begins investigating notorious gangster Joe Minette, his top man Delcaine, and crooked fashion designer Carlton Tate. While not seen on our timeline ahead, the Caped Crusader will speak to numerous informants in the next couple weeks as he works this case.

–FLASHBACK: From Nightwing Vol. 2 #101. Dick, still in his training period, poses in his Robin costume. Batman tells him that it would be wiser to wear long leggings instead of a speedo, but Dick really digs his digs.

–FLASHBACK: From Nightwing Vol. 2 #101. Dick continues his training. No matter what he does, Batman tells him to “do it better.”

–Batman: Dark Victory #13 Part 3 by Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale (2000)
Halloween. Dick swears an oath to Batman by ceremonial candlelight and officially becomes the first member of the Batman Family aka Bat-Family. Now that Batman and Alfred have a child in the Batcave, Batman will begin referring to his most trusted inner circle of crime-fighting comrades as his “family.” In the future, the Bat-Family will often change in both size and personnel (and often depending on Batman’s mood), but it will usually consist of Alfred, a Robin, a Batgirl, and others. Dick tells Batman that, once his training is over, he still wants his codename to be “Robin.” Dick’s training, now more than halfway over, will continue for two more months. Commissioner Gordon celebrates Halloween with Barbara Sr and Julia Lopez, whom he promotes to lieutenant. Now that Batman: Dark Victory is over and the mobs have all been destroyed, this opens the floodgates for costumed super-villainy in Gotham. The conclusion of Dark Victory directly implies that a swell of costumed villains will debut to fill the void left behind by the dissolution of organized mob activity in Gotham. We’ll be seeing a lot of metahuman activity in the months and years to come.

–NOTE: In a reference in Detective Comics #875. Early November. Despite having been living together amicably for over eight months, Jim and Barbara Gordon call it quits again (for good this time). Barbara and James Junior return to Chicago. Babs stays in Gotham with Jim. Under his mom’s guardianship, young James Junior’s various anti-social disorders and dark pathological issues will steadily worsen (as seen through flashback in the continuity error-filled pages of Detective Comics #875). Moving forward, James Junior will spend almost all of his time with his mom, but will occasionally stay with Jim and Babs in Gotham. Dick will even babysit James Junior sometimes.

—^[7]

–Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet Part 1 by Bruce Canwell, Lee Weeks, & Matt Hollingsworth (September 1997)
Early November—the narrative says we are in June, but that is impossible. Batman saves crooked fashion designer Carlton Tate from being whacked by Joe Minette’s top man Delcaine. Despite this, a scared Tate refuses to press charges, leaving Delcaine and Minette in the clear. Back home, Batman chats with Dick, telling him that he’s going to prepare a final field test for the boy, set to happen in a couple weeks. While not seen on our timeline ahead, Batman will plan out this final test and continue giving Minette’s gang a rough time.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman #687. Dick, wearing his Robin costume, passes his “ambush training test,” successfully surprising (kinda) the Dark Knight inside the Batcave. Dick’s five month-long training will end soon.

–Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet Part 2 by Bruce Canwell, Lee Weeks, & Matt Hollingsworth (September 1997)
Mid November. This item is canonically referenced in Robin: Year One #1 and multiple other issues, but it contains two big continuity errors. Error #1: Gordon is still a captain, but he should be the commissioner. Error #2: It takes place on July 3-4, but it must take place in November. In fact, according to Dark Victory, Bruce only first reveals his identity as Batman to Dick on the fourth of July. If we ignore these two problems, then the story fits perfectly. Onto a synopsis. Batman ends Dick’s training, making him his official sidekick, the Boy Wonder, Robin. The new soldier is put through a “final exam” where he runs a twenty-four hour gauntlet through the city while Batman silently stalks him. During the this test, Robin is able to send hidden clues to Batman while systematically shutting down Joe Minette’s vast criminal organization. Batman joins Robin at sunrise to help take down Minette and his top man Delcaine, sending them both to prison. Afterward, Batman introduces Robin to Jim Gordon. (Note that Gordon is erroneously referred to as a captain, which needs to be ignored.)^[8]

–FLASHBACK: From Detective Comics #866. Robin goes on his first official on-patrol outing with Batman and is told to wait in the car while the Dark Knight trails the Joker into a mansion. Inside, the Joker tries to steal a holy medallion that belongs to the ancient Sacred Order of St. Dumas. Joker gets away when Batman gets attacked by a half-dressed member of the Order that wields a flaming sword. Although unnamed in the story, this man is Jean-Paul Ludovic Valley—the current Azrael of the Order of St. Dumas and father to Jean-Paul Valley. (Since the 15th century, Azrael knights have served the Sacred Order of St. Dumas as their mind-programmed warrior soldiers.) Outside of the building, Joker gets in a confrontation with small-time thief Loomis before Robin ambushes the Joker from behind, leaving him for the cops. Meanwhile, Loomis gets arrested for a crime he didn’t commit—the theft of the medallion. NOTES: Batman is incorrectly wearing his yellow oval costume in this flashback. Ignore. Also ignore the fact that Harvey Dent is shown as the DA that puts Loomis away. Dent is already Two-Face at this point.

–“Robin & Superman: Fear of God” by Kelley Puckett/Dave Taylor/Kevin Nowlan (Legends of the DC Universe #6) July 1998
Batman goes out of town on unspecified business, prompting a precocious Robin to patrol Gotham on his own. Robin meets the Man of Steel for the first time and they team-up to fight some gangsters in Gotham.^[9]

–“From Generation to Generation Like Cancer” by Ed Brubaker, Joe Giella, & Shannon Blanchard (Batman: Turning Points #2) January 2001
We already discussed the nearly-impossible-to-place Turning Points #2 in a footnote at the end of Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet, but here’s the rundown again. Turning Points #2 shows Robin supposedly meeting Commissioner Gordon for the first time, but it directly contradicts The Gauntlet, which already has shown Robin meeting Commissioner Gordon for the first time (a couple weeks ago). For this very reason, I originally considered Turning Points #2 as non-canon. However, in the dying days of the Modern Age (2011), author Matthew Manning made one final attempt to canonize Turning Points #2 (or at least some version of it), referencing the story in The Batman Files. Thus, as referenced in The Batman Files, here’s the synopsis for our updated version of Turning Points #2—the major caveat being that it no longer features Robin’s first meeting with Gordon. This is their second meeting. As also mentioned previously, a minor caveat for Turning Points #2 is that Gordon is erroneously called captain instead of commissioner. That too must be ignored. Okay, here we go! It’s been a couple weeks since Robin’s official debut. Batman and Robin chase after Mr. Freeze and his henchmen. (Robin is wearing cold weather gear i.e. long pants, while Mr. Freeze is back to wearing his Mr. Zero duds.) Some of the henchmen are busted, but Mr. Freeze escapes. Soon after, Commissioner Gordon chastises Batman about using a child soldier in his war on crime. Batman argues with Gordon about it. Again, the huge continuity error here is that writer Ed Brubaker writes this sequence as if Gordon is just learning about Robin for the first time. Not only has Gordon met Robin once before (at the end of The Gauntlet), he also didn’t seem bothered by Batman using a young sidekick. For the purposes of our over-arching ongoing Bat-narrative, we must assume that Gordon was too surprised to offer his true feelings before or that he assumed it wouldn’t be a full-time thing. Later, at a giant prop warehouse (storage for an old movie studio), the Dynamic Duo, Gordon, and the GCPD fight Mr. Freeze and his hoods. In the process of defeating Mr. Freeze, Robin saves Gordon’s life, thus earning some semblance of respect from the lawman. Despite this, Gordon tells Batman, with emphasis, that he still doesn’t approve of his use of a child soldier. Later, at his apartment, Gordon checks-in on a sleeping Babs.

–REFERENCE: In a flashback from Justice League of America Vol. 2 #0. Batman, Robin, and Superman have their first ever triple-team-up on an unspecified case.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman #438. In the Batcave, Batman trains Robin more on detective work, specifically on how to utilize the microscope, computer, and chemistry to solve crimes.

–REFERENCE: In Nightwing Vol. 2 #106—originally told in Batman #52. Batman and Robin bust a one-shot super-villain known as The Thinker atop a giant typewriter.

–REFERENCE: In Batman Incorporated #4—originally told via reference in Detective Comics #195. Commissioner Gordon and municipal officials come up with a way to bolster Batman’s legitimacy as a crimefighter in Gotham, enacting a special decree that says, under penalty of law, no man shall impersonate Batman in within the city limits without the Caped Crusader’s permission. Of course, this law will get enforced about as much as jaywalking, moving ahead.

–REFERENCE: In Batman #682 and Batman and Robin #1—originally told in Batman #92 Part 3 and Batman #125. Bruce and Dick get a dog named Ace! Someone photographs a picture of Bruce, Dick, and Alfred posing with Ace. The picture is framed and goes into the Batcave. While we’ll see “Ace the Bat-Hound” in some items below, note that Ace will also accompany Batman and Robin on a variety of other missions too, although these items won’t be physically listed on our timeline.

–REFERENCE: In Batman #700 and Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #5—originally told in World’s Finest Comics #79. Batman and Robin meet and befriend Professor Carter Nichols, who has developed time-traveling technology. Nichols’ “hypnosis tech” (combined with a device known as the “Maybe Machine”) allows the user to attach himself to a high-tech device which sends an avatar of himself into the past. The process is similar to astral projection, except the avatar body is exactly the same as the user’s real body and can impact and interact with the physical world. Nichols won’t go public with his time-travel device even though he would have easily become the next Einstein and made millions. The reason for this is because decades ago, Nichols turned his back on the criminal organization known as the Black Glove led by Simon Hurt, and is thus, now forced to live in obscurity (as we learn in Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #5). However, Nichols will trust the Dynamic Duo with his secret and the heroes will go on several exploratory jaunts to the past, but not too many, since this a dangerous undertaking. The adventures dealing with Nichols are originally from various Golden Age Batman stories. We don’t know which time-jaunting adventures the Dynamic Duo go on specifically, but we must imagine several trips occurring here and into the next two years as well.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman Incorporated #4—and referenced in 52 and Batman #655. Originally told in Detective Comics #233. Enter Katherine “Kathy” Kane, thrill-seeking secret agent femme fatale and recent widow of Nathan Kane (Bruce’s uncle).^[10] Shortly after Nathan’s death, Kathy had been recruited into the UN secret intelligence organization known as Spyral by one of their top agents, Santiago Vargas (aka el Gaucho). Now, after witnessing Batman and Robin battle the criminal Lew Moxon on live TV, Kathy not only develops a huge crush on Batman, but she decides she wants a piece of his daredevil action too. Kathy also happens to be under orders to infiltrate the Dark Knight’s organization in order to discover his secret identity. (Note that Batman and Robin easily bust Lew Moxon, with the Dark Knight barely registering who Moxon is. A year before his parents died, Bruce met the Moxons, although he doesn’t remember it at this moment. Also note that Moxon won’t serve any time and will resurface as a legit-looking businessman a decade down the road.) Shortly thereafter, in dramatic fashion, Kathy publicly debuts as Bat-Woman (alternately spelled without a hyphen, simply as “Batwoman”). Bat-Woman not only helps apprehend the homicidal jewel thief, Jimmy the Jackdaw, but she also saves Batman’s life. Robin doesn’t like it, but Batman is very impressed. Later that night, Kathy meets Bruce for the first time (out of costume) at a socialite ball. (Bruce has long been estranged from the Kane side of his family, so it is not surprising he is only now meeting his deceased uncle’s former wife.)

–REFERENCE: In The Batman Files. The seductive Bat-Woman personally introduces herself to Batman, impressing the Dark Knight with her beauty and acrobatic ability, which rivals (and might be better than) his own.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman #682. Bruce, while training, tells Alfred to tell Dick to take the night off—he wants some one-on-one time with Bat-Woman.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman #682 and Batman Incorporated #4—originally told in Batman #105. Batman chases down the criminal Curt Briggs while Bat-Woman tries and fails to keep pace. Batman winds up injuring his ankle and is forced to retreat. However, Briggs is knocked unconscious and temporarily loses his memory. Bat-Woman catches up to Briggs and somehow mistakes the amnesiac villain for Batman, gives him the Dark Knight’s cape and cowl, and begins fighting crime with him! When Briggs regains his memory, Bat-Woman realizes the error of her ways and takes down the poser-Batman. Afterward, Batman accuses Bat-Woman of nearly exposing his secret, to which Bat-Woman responds by kissing him. Bat-Woman not only begins assisting Batman regularly on patrols starting now, but the she and Batman enter into a serious sexual relationship as well!

–FLASHBACK: From Trinity Vol. 2 #1—originally from Detective Comics #241. Modern Age Superman will eventually wind up on the New 52 timeline, and the sentimental guy won’t help but think of detailed memories of his old Modern Age pals Batman and Robin. Thus, the New 52 contains some canonical references to the Modern Age. One of these first New 52 references to the Modern Age is actually a nod to a Golden Age story, meaning that the New 52 canonizes a Golden Age occurrence for the Modern Age. Continuity everybody! In this flashback, Robin’s arm is injured, causing a situation where his secret ID is at stake. Batman tailors and wears a gaudy rainbow-striped costume to distract gangsters from looking at the Boy Wonder. The costume has the desired effect. Robin’s secret is safe and rainbow-Batman punches out thugs with ease.

–REFERENCE: In Infinity Inc #34, Batman #655, Batman #667-669, and The Batman Files—originally told in World’s Finest Comics #89. By this point, superheroes all over the world have been directly inspired by the Dynamic Duo. These heroes are affectionately (and jokingly) referred to by the press as “The Batmen of All Nations.” Out of these international heroes, Batman and Robin have a public team-up with England’s father-son superhero combo, Knight (Percy Sheldrake) and Squire (Cyril Sheldrake). (Young Cyril will later become the second Knight and one of Batman’s trusted allies in the future.) We aren’t told specifically whether or not Batman and Robin team-up with other “Batmen of All Nations”—such as Native American father-son superhero combo Man-of-Bats and Little Raven, Italy’s The Legionary, France’s Musketeer, or Australia’s Ranger—but, at the very least, Batman and Robin would be aware of them. (All of these international heroes—sans the Native Americans—are also part of a UN-like international policing collective known as “The Dome,” which is a direct precursor to what will eventually become The Global Guardians.) Not long after Batman teams with the heroes he’s inspired, Commissioner Gordon, on mayoral orders, sets up a meeting between famous billionaire philanthropist John Mayhew and Batman. Mayhew attempts to recruit Batman (and Robin) onto a new official superhero team dubbed The Club of Heroes. Essentially, Mayhew wants to turn the “Batmen of All Nations” into a legit fighting unit. Knight, Squire, Wingman, El Gaucho, Man-of-Bats, Little Raven, Musketeer, Legionary, and Ranger are already onboard. Batman says he will think about it. After some careful deliberation, Batman and Robin reluctantly agree to join John Mayhew’s Club of Heroes. Once assembled, the “Club of Heroes” venture fails immediately. The team doesn’t get along and disbands in less than a half hour.

–FLASHBACK: From Trinity #18—and also referenced in Robin #149. Originally told in Batman #112 Part 1. Signalman (Phil Cobb) debuts by robbing the Gotham Trust and using smoke signals as clues. Trinity #18 contains a flashback that illustrates the Dynamic Duo having just defeated the flamboyant Signalman, who is clad in his signature the yellow-and-red costume with moons and stars all over his cape. As referenced in Batman #682, Batman and Robin keep Signalman’s costume as a trophy.

–REFERENCE: In Batman #679, Batman #681-682, and 52 #41—originally told in Batman #112 Part 3. Batman and Robin encounter Dr. Achilles Milo, an evil scientist in league with Dr. Simon Hurt. In an attempt to gain insight into the mind of Batman, Milo sprays the Dark Knight with a gas weapon that causes a vivid hallucination. Batman lucidly dreams that he is on a distant planet known as Zur-En-Arrh, where he is endowed with super-powers and gets to meet his perfect alien double Tlano, who wears a garish purple-and-red bat costume. (Note that “Zur-En-Arrh” unwittingly comes from the deep reserves of Bruce’s memory where on the fateful night of his parents’ murders, his father said, “they’d probably throw someone like Zorro in Arkham.”) Batman #682 shows us that Batman collects the Bat-Radia, the alien communication device from his hallucination, as a trophy. Upon waking up from his Zur-En-Arrh dream, Batman finds the Bat-Radia. Clearly, Simon Hurt’s machinations go beyond just an internal examination of Batman’s mind. To mess with Batman even further, the physical Bat-Radia—actually just a non-functional prop—had to have been fashioned and left beside Batman upon his awakening. While the Bat-Radia is just a piece of junk, Batman, unsure of what it really is, keeps it as a trophy.

–REFERENCE: In Batman #700—originally told in Batman #113 Part 1. Batman encounters the super-villain known as Falseface (also spelled out as two words i.e. “False Face”).

–REFERENCE: In Batman #680 and Batman & Robin #10—originally told in Batman #120. Bruce’s Uncle Silas Wayne, who thinks Bruce is a hopeless layabout, falls ill. Bruce reveals his identity as Batman to Uncle Silas, minutes prior to his death.

–REFERENCE: In the second feature to Detective Comics #782. Late November—the anniversary of Batman’s parents’ deaths. Batman places two roses at the site of his folks’ double murder.

—^[11]

–FLASHBACK: From DC Universe Legacies #3, Infinite Crisis #6, Justice League of America Vol. 2 #0, the second feature to 52 #51, and Hourman #16—and referenced in JLA: Year One #1. Originally told in Justice League of America #9.^[12] Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman team-up with a gathering of superheroes (including Green Lantern Hal Jordan, Flash, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, and Black Canary) to battle seven vile aliens known as the Appelaxians (also spelled “Appellaxians” depending on the author). The Appelaxians have the power to turn people into wood, crystals, or various other organic material. Wonder Woman is the princess of the Amazons, a race of demigod warrior women relative to the Greco-Roman gods. Hal Jordan is a power-ring-wielding intergalactic peace officer for the organization known as the Green Lantern Corps. Note that Black Canary is Dinah Laurel Lance (aka “Siu Jerk Jai” aka “Little Canary” aka daughter of original Black Canary Dinah Drake Lance). Some of the flashbacks connected to this item include Black Canary, while others do not. There is no perfect answer that tells us whether or not Black Canary was one of the original League members, but it’s safe to say that she was. Note that the foundation of JLA: Year One stems from the non-canon Secret Origins Vol. 2 #32 (1988), which retells the Appelaxian affair (including Black Canary in the story) but omits the direct involvement of Superman while omitting Batman entirely. 52 #51 combines the two versions of the Appelaxian battle (the original and the one from JLA: Year One) and places Black Canary at the Appelaxian battle. DC Universe Legacies #3, one of the latest entries into Modern Age canon (and therefore holding considerable weight), specifically omits Black Canary from the Appelaxian affair. (Again, it’s safe to say Black Canary took part in the battle but for whatever reason didn’t join the meeting afterwards.) Significantly, the narrative shown in DC Universe Legacies #3 also implies that the heroes swear an oath and form the Justice League then and there, immediately following the defeat of their alien adversaries. Again, the League definitely doesn’t form immediately afterward; they simply agree to form a team. The follow-up items on our chronology (including a flashback from Justice League of America Vol. 2 #0, along with other references and flashbacks), will demonstrate that the Trinity will confirm the formation of the League after which the other members will then commit to the team.^[13] As seen via flashback from Justice League America #92, the superhero Triumph is also present for the Appelaxian affair, but he will get erased from reality. We’ll address that soon.

–FLASHBACK: From Justice League of America Vol. 2 #0 and JLA: Secret Origins—and referenced in Justice League of America Vol. 2 #0 and JLA: Year One #1. Immediately following the unification of the DCU’s major heroes to battle against the Appelaxians, the so-called Trinity meet up. Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman decide its time step it up a notch and unite their fellow superhero comrades into a “League” of heroes. The Big Three then pitch the idea of the “League” to Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Black Canary. As referenced in JLA: Year One #1, the day after Appelaxian attack, Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Black Canary accompany US Army General Wade Eiling in an effort to collect another discovered Appelaxian—this one in an inert state—in a cave in Happy Harbor, Rhode Island. There, the heroes chase away agents of Locus, who are defeated but successfully steal away the sleeping Appelaxian. Immediately after the Locus fight, these heroes agree that being on the Big Three’s team is a good idea. Thus, “The League” (still not officially called the “Justice League of America”) is formed! Note that this scene can be read as these heroes deciding for the first time to form the team. However, since it can also easily be read as these heroes agreeing to join the Big Three’s proposed team, it works for the most part. Before moving forward, we should address the confusing but very important flashback from Justice League America #92 regarding the superhero Triumph, who is not only an original founding member of the League, but the initial leader of the united heroes versus the Appelaxians as well. However, immediately after the battle and formation of the new superhero team by the Big Four, Triumph is transported to a dimensional limbo where he will remain trapped for years. Not only that, his entire existence is completely erased from the timeline. Therefore, when he eventually returns years down the road, no one will have any memory of his existence—only he will remember that he was once one of the founders of the League. Triumph will be bummed because no one remembers any of this or knows who he is. Things will be okay for a while, but they will turn ugly later on. But that’s years away and we’ll tackle it when we get there. Of note, Marvel will try its own version of original-but-forgotten hero a few years later with The Sentry. Also note that, as per reference in Legends of the DC Universe #12, Green Arrow won’t join the League until next year, but his alter ego—multimillionaire businessman Oliver Queen—now begins secretly bankrolling all League operations.

–FLASHBACK: From DC Universe Legacies #3—and referenced in Hourman #1, Hourman #16, JLA: Year One #4, and JLA: Liberty and Justice. Originally told in The Brave and The Bold #28. It’s only been a couple days since the Appelaxian attack. The League completes its first major mission with the Trinity present, defeating the giant mind-controlling starfish alien known as Starro the Conqueror. Teenager Lucas “Snapper” Carr helps the heroes defeat Starro, earning a spot as the team’s official mascot/honorary member/handyman. The Hourman series tells us Snapper Carr was the team’s mascot for several years. To be precise, Snapper will be the League mascot for just over two years. The heroes of Earth will also eventually learn that Starro the Conqueror is merely one of a race of unnamed monsters colloquially known as Star Conquerors (or Starros for short). The original Starro that the League faces now is actually controlled by yet another extraterrestrial from the planet Hatorei.

–REFERENCE: In The Batman Files. Superman meets with Batman in the Batcave and they discuss their new League. Superman is mostly onboard, but Batman still needs convincing. The Man of Steel tells the Caped Crusader the new official name of the team: The Justice League of America (or JLA for short). Prior to this, the ogdoad had only been going by “The League,” sans any mention of America in their name. Shortly after meeting with Batman, as referenced in JLA: Year One #2, Superman tells Black Canary about the new JLA moniker.

–JLA: Year One #2 by Mark Waid, Brian Augustyn, Barry Kitson, & Pat Garrahy (February 1998)
This item is also referenced in the second feature to 52 #51. It has been one week since the Appelaxian attack. Despite the fact that the Big Three formed the JLA, they’ve only been active with the team versus Starro, a threat so large they couldn’t ignore it. Even with the Big Three’s non-participation, the JLA continues to go on random missions. (Despite having started the team, Batman is actually quite untrustworthy of relative strangers. Likewise, Superman and Wonder Woman each have their own reasons for being distant at this juncture as well. The synopsis below—specifically detailing JLA: Year One #2‘s Gotham Hotel incident—will show us exactly why Batman decides to distance himself from the team so soon after forming it. Don’t worry, though—Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman will become “full-timers” soon enough.) When the League publicly debuts with a Q&A session at the Gotham Hotel, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman naturally fail to show up. The huge televised media event is attended by hundreds, including Lois Lane, Vicki Vale, Jack Ryder, Green Arrow, Simon Carr (Snapper’s uncle, who is currently possessed by an Appelaxian), and Dr. Ray Palmer (who has just debuted as The Atom less than a week ago). During the conference, Black Canary tells the public the official name of the team: The Justice League of America. Locus, allied with Vandal Savage, sends Solomon Grundy, Clayface II, Thorn (Rose Canton), and Eclipso (an evil force inhabiting the body of Dr. Bruce Gordon) to attack the JLA. The JLA—sans the Trinity—defeat the villains, but the entire hotel is leveled and many people are put in serious danger. While elder heroes The Challengers (Kyle “Ace” Morgan, Lester “Rocky” Davis, Matthew “Red” Ryan, and Professor Walter Haley) and The Blackhawks (Janos “Blackhawk” Prohaska, Andre Blanc-Dumont, Carlo “Chuck” Sirianni, Ritter Hendrickson, Olaf Friedriksen, Stanislaus Drozdowski, and Weng Chan) watch on TV and are quite impressed, Batman isn’t.^[14] The glowering Caped Crusader watches angrily and vows to keep the Justice League out of Gotham, noting that, within the span of one hour, they brought needless destruction and chaos to his city with a very unnecessary public debut/appearance. Despite having founded the team less than a week ago, Batman vows to “use every resource he has to keep them out of Gotham.” (Despite Batman’s recent eagerness to start the team, this opening blunder sours Batman on the idea, especially when it comes to all things Gotham-related!) Afterward, Green Arrow makes a quick vulgar pass at Black Canary (presumably mistaking her for her mother, the original Black Canary), as he will do again later in Black Canary Vol. 3 #1 when they officially meet for the first time.

–REFERENCE: In Batman Confidential #50-54, the second feature to 52 #51, and JLA: Year One #1-2. Despite being soured on the idea of working with his JLA teammates following their Gotham Hotel debut fiasco, Batman still thinks the team can be a good idea if organized properly. With this in mind, Batman puts some serious money into the immediate construction of the Secret Sanctuary, a high-tech HQ in Happy Harbor, Rhode Island (in the cavern where the eighth Appelaxian was found and stolen by Locus). But Batman’s apprehension in regard to the JLA is still high enough that he skips the first official team meeting, distancing himself from the other heroes and missing out on getting his League communicator.

–NOTE: In a reference in The Batman Files. A mischievous Bat-Mite—Batman’s biggest magickal imp fan/cosplayer from the 5th Dimension—makes his debut, appearing briefly before young Dick!^[15] Bat-Mite has been watching his favorite superhero for years, but never physically crossed over before. It is likely that Bat-Mite has finally decided to personally check things out due to curiosity about Batman’s new ward.

–“Legend of the Dark Mite” by Alan Grant/Kevin O’Neill (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #38) October 1992
Batman busts and later interrogates Bob Overdog, who claims he was abducted by Bat-Mite and taken to the 5th Dimension, a place where magical imps dress up like their favorite superheroes from Earth and act out ultimate cosplay fantasies. Did Bat-Mite really appear before Overdog? Only Overdog knows for sure, and he was tripping on an entheogenic cocktail of mescaline, heroin, coke, opium, and hashish at the time.

–REFERENCE: In Batman: The Killing Joke and The Batman Files—originally told in Detective Comics #267. The magickal imp from the 5th Dimension, Bat-Mite, shows up to “assist” Batman, thus proving that Bob Overdog wasn’t as hallucinatory as we thought after all. Batman’s “biggest fan” interferes with a bust of gangster Tipper Neely. Part of Bat-Mite’s interference causes a psychedelic hallucinatory experience to envelop Batman. Despite being negatively affected, Batman is able to defeat Neely and his men. Robin arrives just after Bat-Mite disappears. A shaken Batman clears his head and records the Bat-Mite appearance into the Black Casebook, drawing a picture of the imp as well.

–REFERENCE: In Secret Origins Vol. 2 #44 Part 3, Batman: Gotham Knights #33, and The Batman Files—originally told in Batman #133 Part 1. Kite Man (Chuck Brown) debuts, busting crook Big Bill Collins out of prison. Batman and Robin chase after Kite Man and Collins. The Dynamic Duo eventually use Kite Man’s various trick kites against him, easily busting both men. Note that “Kite Man” is sometimes spelled with a hyphen i.e. “Kite-Man.”

–REFERENCE: In Robin: Year One #1. Batman gives Robin lessons about every different type of gun.

–FLASHBACK: From Starman #9. The metahuman hulk Blockbuster (Marc Desmond) and his manipulative criminal brother Roland Desmond debut. Both are sent to prison by Batman and Robin.

–Robin: Year One #1 by Chuck Dixon/Scott Beatty/Javier Pulido (2000)
Mid December. Robin: Year One is a great four-issue story that not only follows up on the canonical bits of Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet, but also helps further define Robin’s early days superbly. Chuck Dixon originally wrote this story so that it spanned the course of many months, starting in September. However, due to sliding-time and retroactive compression, this cannot be the case. If we ignore certain unimportant topical items in Robin: Year One, a legitimate alternate interpretation of the narrative delivers a story that spans a mere month or two, starting in mid December instead of September. To make everything jibe smoothly on our chronology, I’ve leaned toward the alternate version. Now, onto a synopsis. Batman and Robin take down some gun runners on the docks. Back home, Alfred asks Dick if he’s happy going down the tough path ahead. Dick responds by saying that, with Zucco dead, there isn’t much reason for him to continue, but he wants to anyway. (We see a single-panel flashback from Legends of the Dark Knight #100 that depicts Dick capturing Zucco, who dies of a heart attack. Of course, LOTDK #100, which highlights Zucco’s death, is non-canon. In canon, Zucco isn’t actually dead; Bruce and Alfred have been maintaining that lie for a while now.) The next day, Bruce drops Dick off at Bristol Middle School for his first day of public education! (Again, Dixon’s original narrative intention was to have this arc begin in September, but due to retroactive compression and sliding-time, we are definitely in mid December. This means not only is Dick starting school midyear, but he’s also starting mere days before holiday vacation. I guess, Bruce wants him to meet his new classmates before the break?) At night, after a Wayne Manor party, our heroes learn of a sinister series of child abductions from Commissioner Gordon (incorrectly referred to as “captain”). The next night, with Alfred’s help, Robin follows up a lead, fights a hired thug at a warehouse, and tracks the missing girls to a Gotham Harbor yacht that coincidentally happens to be hosting a gala that Bruce is attending. Aboard the ship, Robin defeats the abductor, Mad Hatter, and exposes his accomplice, the corrupt president of a small Asian country called Rheelasia.

–REFERENCE: In Robin: Year One #2 and The Batman Files—originally told in Detective Comics #351. Mid December. While on patrol, Robin tells Batman about an upcoming live action Batman TV show, about which he speaks with great disdain. The Cluemaster (Arthur Brown) debuts, attacking the Dynamic Duo with gas capsules and leaving a riddle clue to an upcoming heist. Batman and Robin soon fight Cluemaster again, who uses a series of heists (and clues) as part of an elaborate scheme to try and find out Batman and Robin’s secret IDs. The Dynamic Duo uses an equally elaborate scheme of their own to stop the Cluemaster, putting him behind bars in the process.

–FLASHBACK: From Nightwing Vol. 2 #56. Mid December. Batman and Robin bust some random thugs. Martial arts expert and League of Assassins member Shrike observes from the shadows. While Batman and Robin don’t meet him yet, Shrike will factor heavily into the next part of Robin: Year One.

–FLASHBACK: From Robin Annual #4—and referenced in Robin: Year One #4. Gotham enters the grip of an uninterrupted super-villain crime wave. Batman and Robin deal with the Riddler and send him to Blackgate Prison. They then immediately bring Poison Ivy to justice and later bust Joker in the sewer.

–REFERENCE: In The Outsiders #22—originally told in Detective Comics #275. Batman and Robin defeat Zebra-Man.

–Robin: Year One #2-3 by Chuck Dixon/Scott Beatty/Javier Pulido (2000)
December. Batman and Robin bust Killer Moth on the Sprang Bridge. (A reference in The Batman Files adds an extra scene following Killer Moth’s defeat, in which Batman and Robin deliver Killer Moth to Commissioner Gordon. In this added scene, Gordon talks about Babs but also chastises Batman yet again for using a child soldier in his war on crime. Gordon is right to question Batman here, as his manipulation of a child is nothing short of dastardly and villainous. I agree with Batman and Ethics author Mark White in saying that it is indefensible. A separate reference in The Batman Files, places Robin: Year One #2 in October, which is incorrect. We are in December.) A day after Killer Moth’s arrest, the Dynamic Duo busts an escaped Blockbuster (for the second time). A day after that, Two-Face kidnaps the judge who was present when he was maimed by Sal Maroni, Judge Lawrence Watkins. (We see a flashback to Harvey Dent getting his face burned by Maroni, but the flashback itself and text associated with the flashback are all kinds of incorrect, so we have to ignore it completely). Commissioner Gordon, worried about Robin’s age, questions Batman whether or not the Boy Wonder is a permanent fixture. Gordon mentions that Robin has been around for months. While Robin has only debuted about ten days ago, Gordon has known about him since October, so this comment makes sense. Batman goes to hunt down Two-Face, telling Robin to sit this one out. When Batman confronts Two-Face, Robin disobeys and shows up anyway. Batman and Robin wind up getting captured and put into a twisted scenario involving the corpse of Sal Maroni and a double-gallows. Two-Face executes Judge Watkins and then violently beats Robin with a baseball bat until Batman saves him and takes down the villain. (The start of Robin’s beating is also shown in a single-panel flashback from Robin Annual #4 while the entire scene is shown via flashback from Robin Vol. 2 #0, from which Robin: Year One drew inspiration. The only difference is that the original sequence from Robin Vol. 2 #0 features DA Aldrich Meany, but Robin: Year One #2 does a retcon, replacing Meany with Judge Watkins. Flashbacks from Batman #512-513 also show this double-gallows scene.) Batman then rushes the badly injured Robin into the care of Leslie Thompkins (drawn with red hair and too young looking, but oh well). Later, Gordon chastises the Dark Knight for endangering a child. Batman tells Gordon that Robin is officially retired. The next day, Bruce fires Robin, who is bandaged, bruised, and has an arm cast—(we must assume it isn’t actually a fracture since his arm will seem healed in a few days). A few days later, a determined Dick begins his rehab exercising with zeal. A few days after that, Dick checks in with Dr. Thompkins, but Mr. Freeze (again, still wearing his Mr. Zero duds) interrupts and robs the clinic. The next night, Dick, wearing his street clothes and a domino mask, takes down Freeze, who had attempted to obtain a large sum of cash from Mayor Gill. Back at Wayne Manor, Bruce and Alfred read a letter left behind by Dick—he’s leaving and not coming back home. That same night, Two-Face escapes from jail and Dick runs into Shrike, who recruits Dick into his “Vengeance Academy,” a martial arts training program for teenagers.

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1. ^[1]RIPPLEDFINGERS: Catwoman: When in Rome occurs between Dark Victory #5 (when Selina Kyle leaves town) and Dark Victory #13 (when she returns).

   COLLIN COLSHER: While on the subject of When in Rome, I haven’t included it because Batman isn’t in it (unless you count Selina’s constant dreams about him). Selina goes to Rome to find her roots. We finally find out why she’s been so obsessed with the Falcones for the past four-plus years—Carmine may have been her biological father! All signs point to yes, but she’ll never get 100% confirmation.↩

2. ^[2]SHAWN: Here are the details about the last page of “Mask” in the reprinted Batman: Dark Legends TPB. We see Bruce in a hospital bed surrounded by his psychiatrist, nurse, and doctor. The doctor says something to the effect of, “He’s too far gone, I can’t do anything for him.” The psychiatrist, disheartened, mumbles, “Damn, there goes my research paper.” This page is right after Gallagher and the nurse are killed, and now we see them alive and well, alluding their deaths were in Bruce’s mind. Also, it was previously established the doctor was Gallagher in disguise, but in this scene, we see the two individuals in the same room, making it seem like everything before was a delusion of Bruce’s. This scene (in the Dark Legends version) means that Bruce really did imagine Batman, and further imagined the plot of the doctors trying to gaslight him. It’s a double twist issue, an Elseworlds tale where Bruce is sick in the head and imagines both his adventures as Batman and Gallagher’s plot to justify his situation at the hospital.

   COLLIN COLSHER: Ah, what can I say about the OOP Dark Legends TPB in regard to “Mask.” I am shocked that there isn’t trace of any information regarding this change elsewhere on the Internet! They absolutely added the splash page you are talking about into the 1996 trade. This page is not included in the original 1992 issue. Interestingly enough, with this Talbot splash page included, the “Mask” story is definitively CLOSED-TEXTED, meaning this would qualify as an out-of-continuity Elseworlds type story. However, with the omission of the single page you mention, the story can be read completely different. It seems to me (and this is mere speculation on my part) that DC scrapped the splash page because they wanted to make the story a bit more ambiguous and viable for the realm of in-continuity status. Pretty amazing how one single page makes such a drastic change in the narrative. The beauty of “Mask” (in its original floppy LOTDK version) is that it can absolutely be interpreted both ways! I’m not the ultimate authority on the interpretation of this tale. We’d have to ask Bryan Talbot about that, and boy, do I wish I could!

   SHAWN: It is a bit disconcerting that DC didn’t say anything about the additional page in the TPB. Countless folks who read this story will probably never know there are two versions. It makes the completist in me hope this is an isolated incident and there are no more secret “Writer’s Cut” issues hidden about. It actually also makes me wonder if while they were putting together the TPB they forgot to remove the page like they did with the floppy issue and it got published by mistake. It just seems odd they wouldn’t advertise something like this. Well, cheers to discovery.↩

3. ^[3]COLLIN COLSHER: The Batman Files shows a Haly’s Circus poster that gives a Flying Grayson performance date of May 2. However, our date here is definitely May 9, 1993, one day after Mother’s Day. This simply means that the Flying Graysons performed either all week or on both May 2 and May 9 in Gotham.↩
4. ^[4]COLLIN COLSHER: Batman #436-439 by Marv Wolfman/Pat Broderick (1989), entitled “Batman: Year Three,” contains a bunch of legit flashbacks that re-tell the origin of Dick Grayson as Robin and that fill in some gaps in the Robin origin story—(although, the flashbacks from Batman #437 are not canon, but we’ll address that specifically below). Of course, the label “Year Three” is a loose term and exists only to give the “Year” stories a sense of chronological order. According to our timeline, we are definitely in May of Bat Year Five. Originally, before the publication of both The Long Halloween and Dark Victory, Bat Year Three was the official debut year for the Boy Wonder. Some folks (including most DC publishers and editors) still stick to that version of the timeline, despite the fact that both The Long Halloween and Dark Victory clearly point to a Bat Year Five debut for the Boy Wonder. Because the original Robin start date was Bat Year Three, many comics of the late 1980s and early 1990s contain completely incorrect (retconned) specific time references that must be ignored. I will try my best to address them all as they pop up, moving forward. Due to the clash between the two schools of thought (DC’s idea that Dick becomes Robin in Bat Year Three versus the concept that Dick becomes Robin in Bat Year Five), we naturally have two separate possible years for Dick’s birth-year: 1979 or 1981. The difference reflects the difference between the two schools of thought: Bat Year Three versus Bat Year Five. Likewise, DC always intended Dick to become Nightwing at age 18, but I have him turning Nightwing at age 17. A minor quibble. But like I always say, this isn’t an exact science. If you peruse the issues and decide which stories are in-canon and which directly affect the passage of time, then you are faced with the two main options explored above: Dick is born in 1979; becoming Nightwing at 18. Alternatively, Dick is born in 1981; becoming Nightwing at 17. Pick your poison.

   PURPLEGLOVEZ (TIPTUP JR 94): While Robin must debut here, there is some notable post-Crisis precedent for an earlier Robin debut. The following villain debuts are all placed after Robin’s debut in various sources: Penguin (the Who’s Who section of Detective Comics Annual #2), Poison Ivy (Secret Origins Vol. 2 #36), Scarecrow (Year One: Batman/Scarecrow), Mad Hatter (Through the Looking Glass), Two-Face (Detective Comics #866), and Clayface I (Secret Origins Vol. 2 #44). (Most of these are mentioned with footnotes or caveats on this site.) To that end, I spent an enormous amount of mental energy trying to hammer out a timeline that could reconcile an earlier Robin debut (either Year One, Year Two, or Year Three) with the events of Long Halloween, Dark Victory, and a myriad of other tales, but it’s essentially impossible. It’s clear that there’s supposed to be a wide swath of post-Crisis Batman tales that are explicitly pre-Robin. The only way to get around this is by just ignoring the tales listed above. All the above villains’ debuts are also canonically placed in the pre-Robin era elsewhere, so again, it’s kind of just a pick your poison situation.↩

5. ^[5]COLLIN COLSHER: There are a few Robin origin tales that have been published over the years. Most, however, including the following, are non-canon. Legends of the Dark Knight #100 by Denny O’Neil/Dave Taylor (November 1997) is, and was always meant to be, an out-of-continuity alternate re-telling of Robin’s origin story. Totally non-canon. Another alternate non-canon Robin debut tale worth addressing is Frank Miller’s All-Star Batman & Robin. The entire All-Star line takes place on a different Earth. That being said, the exact events of Frank Miller’s “Year One” begin Batman’s career on the “All-Star Earth” too. In fact, Batman’s entire timeline on “All-Star Earth” comprises Miller stories (including Dark Knight Returns and all the Dark Knight Returns sequels)! DC’s press release regarding the “All-Star” imprint in 2005 was as follows: “The creative teams were not beholden to any previous and present continuities.” That answers any question regarding the canonical-status of the “All-Star” line pretty succinctly.

   CHIP: Regarding All-Star Batman & Robin: It’s already on record that it’s part of a “Frank Miller Dark Knight Universe” that is actually designated as Earth-31 (according to the Batman Fandom wiki site). It includes “Year One,” all “All-Star” titles, all Spawn/Batman books, Dark Knight Returns, and all Dark Knight Returns sequels. Only “Year One” takes place in the regular Earth-0 continuity as well.

   COLLIN COLSHER: Earth-31 is fantastic! Despite his troubling sociopolitical views, it’s really awesome that Frank Miller, being one of the primary original architects of the entire Modern Age Batman line, has his own Batman Earth. Too bad that the despicable Holy Terror isn’t a part of it as well… Or maybe that’s a good thing, haha.↩

6. ^[6]JOSH W: Tony Zucco’s “dying” words are a little ambiguous (“Okay . . . see . . . they’re not just brothers . . . twins . . .”), but, by this, he means that Pino and Umberto Maroni are twins. Earlier in that same panel, Zucco confesses that he and the Maronis carried out the Arkham Asylum breakout at the beginning of Dark Victory, saying further that the Maronis weren’t working for the Falcones. Batman then asks who the Maronis work for, and after a bit of begging for his life, Zucco makes his statement about the brothers being twins. He’s answering Batman’s question with a hint that the Maronis work for Two-Face, which means that Two-Face engineered the Arkham breakout. Batman has been inclined to give Two-Face the benefit of the doubt this whole time because he doesn’t want to give up on Harvey Dent, but this is one of Batman’s first big clues that Two-Face’s continuing desire to destroy the Falcones is actually driving almost all of the super-villain activity in this story. As sort of an aside, one of many clever artistic moves in Dark Victory is that Tim Sale and company always draw the Maroni brothers in reversed colors. If Umberto is wearing a black suit with a red shirt, Pino will be in a red suit with a black shirt. It’s a subtle nod to Two-Face’s opposite color suit, and it’s there from the very beginning of Dark Victory.↩
7. ^[7]COLLIN COLSHER / HEAR THE SNAP: 1992’s “Faces” by Matt Wagner (from Batman: Legend of the Dark Knight #28-30) starts off with a flashback to Two-Face escaping Arkham Asylum not long after having been jailed for the first time. After lamming, Two-Face flees to France for two years before returning to act in the main narrative of this LOTDK arc. Two-Face’s long-term hiding overseas included extensive recruiting of soldiers and plans to illegally purchase an island off the coast of French Guiana so he can start his own “Deformity Nation,” a sovereign state comprised only of people with absent limbs, extra limbs, atypical facial or bodily appearances, amputations, burn scars, or other stigmatized changes to their physical appearance. Two years without a peep from Two-Face, the villain reappears with an army of circus folk and those meeting the criteria mentioned above. This army serves Two-Face’s bidding. Batman, however, puts a stop to Two-Face’s plans and re-jails him. Originally, the main action of “Faces” took place here, around November of Year Five. But this was well before the publication of The Long Halloween and Dark Victory, which replaced a ton of old Two-Face stuff, including this story. In order for this story to be canon, we’d need to find a spot where Two-Face is absent for two full years. This unfortunately never happens in Batman’s early years (or really ever, for that matter). Two-Face shows up in just about every single year, and usually multiple times at that. Now, we could just simply ignore Two-Face’s two year absence and keep this story on the timeline. However, it is such an essential plot point of Wagner’s narrative that we really shouldn’t. “Faces” just doesn’t fit. Or does it? “Faces” is one of those stories that can work, but only with a modified narrative. The Batman Chronology Project has dealt in such actions in the past, but I’m hesitant to do it with this story for the reasons listed above. However, our resident Batman scholar/historian Purple Glovez (Tiptup Jr 94) has a decent summarization of how it could work, should you choose to go in a different direction. The information of how it could work is listed below (lifted directly from Bat Year Four).

   PURPLEGLOVEZ (TIPTUP JR 94): Here’s how “Faces” is canon, requiring only a few tweaks. Almost immediately after the conclusion of Long Halloween and the “Steps” storyline (LOTDK #98-99, which features Two-Face) Harvey Dent escapes, as depicted in “Faces” Part 1 (aka the opening flashback from “Faces”). In 1993’s Robin Vol. 2 #0, it is said that the DA who immediately succeeded Harvey Dent was Aldrich Meany, who was later killed in the double-gallows incident (as seen in Robin Vol. 2 #0). (Robin: Year One #2 retcons the double-gallows victim from Meany to Judge Lawrence Watkins, while Dark Victory seems to place Janice Porter as the DA who first follows Dent.) However, The Essential Batman Encyclopedia treats Meany as semi-canonical (while acknowledging the discrepancy with Robin: Year One) and suggests that Porter followed both Dent and Meany in rapid succession. So here’s my theory: Harvey escapes and begins planning his Isle D’urberville scheme. At some point prior to the beginning of Dark Victory, Harvey kills Aldrich Meany and is returned to Arkham. Throughout the events of Dark Victory, Harvey is planning his Isle D’urberville scheme behind the scenes in addition to all the other stuff he’s doing. Then, right after Dark Victory’s conclusion, the rest of the “Faces” storyline happens mostly as told. However, Harvey would have to escape Arkham rather quickly for his double-gallows revenge against Judge Watkins in Robin: Year One. And if you don’t like the Aldrich Meany angle, we can just imagine that Harvey was returned to Arkham for any other reason. Still, this is how I’m looking at things. It’s pretty astounding that this story has the gall to have Two-Face off the map for two entire years, and while that’s certainly the intent and implication, I don’t think there’s a point where Batman explicitly says he hasn’t seen Two-Face at all during this time, although at one point he asks a thug about “his movements of the last two years”; perhaps Batman just figured that Harvey started planning something around that time, and is still carrying it out since he hasn’t resurfaced since the end of Dark Victory? At any rate, post-Zero Hour/Infinite Crisis/Final Crisis sliding time waves have made these early Legends stories malleable enough to make such inferences.↩

8. ^[8]COLLIN COLSHER: Batman: Turning Points #2 by Ed Brubaker highlights Robin’s some of Robin’s early patrols, which culminate in a series of fights against Mr. Freeze, during which Robin meets Gordon for the very first time. However, all of this directly contradicts the conclusion of Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet, in which we see Robin meet Gordon at the end of his gauntlet challenge adventure. Since a number of other stories reference and connect to The Gauntlet, it’s canonicity cannot be denied—ostensibly leaving Turning Points #2 in non-canon territory. However, leave it to Matthew Manning’s The Batman Files to further complicate things by directly referencing Turning Points #2 in an effort to canonize it (or at least some elements of it). We know Turning Points #2 cannot take precedence over the Robin-Gordon introduction in The Gauntlet, so how can the former fit into the timeline? Put bluntly, it can’t—at least, not completely as is. Therefore, if we do regard Turning Points #2 as a necessary item on our chronology (thanks to The Batman Files), it must go a couple weeks after both his public debut in Gauntlet and the upcoming flashback from Detective Comics #866, which details Robin’s first official patrol. (The internal narrative of Turning Points #2 specifically places it a couple weeks after Robin’s debut.) And the major caveat for our updated version of Turning Points #2 must be that it doesn’t show Robin’s first meeting with Gordon. Instead, it’s their second meeting. It’s also worth mentioning that Gordon is erroneously referred to as a captain in Turning Points #2, although The Gauntlet is guilty of that flub too. In any case, we’ll see an altered version of Turning Points #2—with big-time caveats listed—a few items below on our chronology. Before moving on, I should mention that, technically, if one were feeling bullish about Turning Points #2 (which was published after The Gauntlet), one could regard the end scene of The Gauntlet as non-canon, favoring instead the full (unaltered) canonicity of Turning Points #2. I haven’t done that, but your personal headcanon might think otherwise, and that’s totally up to you.↩
9. ^[9]COLLIN COLSHER / LUKASZ: Joe Kelly’s Superman/Batman Annual #2 details the first meeting between Robin and Superman as well. However, this version is non-canon for a couple reasons. First, it shows that Batman has received a JLA membership invitation card. Second, Batman and Superman are shown joining the JLA as reserve members. Batman and Superman were always founding members, despite not becoming full-time active right away. Third, Superman loses his powers for over a full month and there’s no place for that long of an absence on our timeline. Even if we were to ignore the continuity errors, S/B Annual #2 is still a reimagining of the extremely campy World’s Finest Comics #178 (1968) and World’s Finest Comics #180 (1968) as opposed to the definitively Modern-styled Legends of the DC Universe #6. The latter fits better on our timeline. Not to mention, Joe Kelly seems to have authored the first two S/B Annuals using a more silly tone with less emphasis upon adhering to the strict confines of line-wide continuity. The style of S/B Annual #2 mirrors the style of S/B Annual #1, so it stands to reason that if the first is out-of-continuity, the second probably is too.↩
10. ^[10]COLLIN COLSHER / PURPLEGLOVEZ (TIPTUP JR 94): Kathy Kane is not—repeat not—the second Batwoman Kate Rebecca Kane (created by Greg Rucka and JH Williams), who we will meet later on. Their names are similar due only to the fact that they share the Kane surname—Kathy by marriage into the family, Kate by blood. We are never told Kathy’s specific age, but in Grant Morrison’s Batman Incorporated #4, Kathy’s deceased ex-husband Nathan Kane (one of Martha Wayne’s brothers) is said to have died at 47-years-old, seven years after meeting Kathy when she was 25. Since Kathy’s debut as Bat-Woman seems to take place not too long after Nathan’s death, this would put her at about 32 or 33 right now. However, in Morrison’s Batman #682, Kathy claims to have “almost a decade of life experience” on Bruce. Taken literally, this dialogue would mean that Kathy is seven to nine years older than Bruce. Contrastingly, if we go by the Batman Inc #4 math, she’d only be two to three years older than Bruce. Since Kathy’s Batman #682 line is a bit strange and can be interpreted in several ways (plus Kathy could simply be mistaken about Bruce’s age), let’s assume that Kathy is only two to three years older than Bruce. This also feels more correct because Kathy will resurface in 2011, and it makes more sense for her to be in her early 50s than her late 50s at that point.↩
11. ^[11]IVAN / COLLIN COLSHER: Matt Wagner’s Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity #1-3 (2003) details Batman and Superman’s first meeting with Wonder Woman (and Batman’s first meeting with Aquaman) prior to the Apelexaian affair and formation of the Justice League. Although no other comics besides Wagner’s Trinity show Batman meeting Wonder Woman and Aquaman prior to the Appelaxian affair, there’s nothing in any comics that specifically says these meetings don’t occur. In fact, because of this, it’s entirely possible that Batman meets Wonder Woman and Aquaman prior to the Appelaxian affair. However, Wagner’s Trinity can’t be that tale because it’s very likely non-canon for several reasons. First and foremost, two of the arc’s primary villains—Ra’s al Ghul and Artemis of Bana-Mighdall—wouldn’t have made their presences known this early. (The League of Assassins might possibly be a known threat at this juncture, but Batman wouldn’t have come face-to-face with Ra’s al Ghul or Talia yet.) Wagner’s Trinity tells us that the “Saga of Ra’s al Ghul” has already occurred (and that Batman has formed a bond with Talia), yet it shows a young Dick, with the implication being that he’s only recently debuted as Robin. Having Batman deal with the “Saga of Ra’s al Ghul” and form a bond with Talia prior to Robin’s debut (or shortly after his debut) not only doesn’t jibe with other stories (including the “Saga of Ra’s al Ghul” itself, in which Dick is notably in college), but it also seems generally incongruous with the post-Infinite Crisis/Final Crisis landscape and would require a radical overhaul of the chronology. Furthermore, Internet consensus seems content on labeling Wagner’s Trinity as non-canon for the very same reason. Second, the third main antagonist of the story is Bizarro, but it’s a unique mash-up version of Bizarro that is both John Byrne’s Bizarro I and the Silver Age-styled Bizarro Number One. (In this story, Ra’s al Ghul actually dubs him “number one,” giving him his signature necklace medallion.) In this regard, Trinity totally ignores the canonical Emperor Joker, in which Bizarro Number One debuts. Third, in Wagner’s tale, Batman wears bizarre armor, which gives him flight capability and massive strength. He’s never used this armor before, so it seems odd he would now (and then never again). In 2003, when Wagner’s Trinity was written, post-Infinite Crisis/Final Crisis changes had yet to come into effect. As such, Wagner was probably leaning on the timelines from Batman Villains Secret Files and Origins #1 (1998) and Guide to the DC Universe 2000: Secret Files and Origins #1 (2000), which both curiously place Robin and Ra’s al Ghul’s debuts in the same year. After later time-sliding, compression, and retcons, the specificity of these timelines must be taken with a grain of salt. It’s possible that Wagner’s Trinity is part of an alternate Wagner-verse, which could also include the non-canon Batman/Grendel (1993), non-canon Batman/Grendel Vol. 2 (1996), and non-canon “Faces” (Batman: Legend of the Dark Knight #28-30), along with his other various canonical Batman works. While the Batman Chronology Project has opted to regard Wagner’s Trinity as non-canon, others, including valued site contributor Milo Nousiainen, have gone the opposite route, restructuring the timeline in order to make Wagner’s Trinity fit. Ultimately, as always, it’s your personal headcanon call.↩
12. ^[12]COLLIN COLSHER: Why does the Justice League of America (aka “The League”) debut here, shortly after the debut of Robin (in Dark Victory)? We know that the JLA debuts in very close proximity to the debut of Robin due to a complex history that, for many years, actually had the JLA debuting before Robin before ultimately reversing that order. Initially, the Zero Hour timeline (1994) had the JLA debut before Robin. The Guide to the DC Universe 2000 Secret Files #1 timeline (2000) reiterated this, giving the same order. However, part of Geoff Johns’ conceptualization with Infinite Crisis (2005-2006) was to return the DCU’s history to having a Silver/Bronze Age bent. Many other writers and editors of the post-Infinite Crisis era also shared this directive/direction, most notably Brad Meltzer, whose Justice League of America Vol. 2 #0 (2006) specifically places Robin’s debut just prior to the JLA’s debut. Therefore, since the first years of the Modern Age truly are supposed to reflect the Silver/Bronze Age post-Infinite Crisis, Robin should debut before the JLA. Furthermore, if you look at some of the deepest online thinkers on the subject of DCU continuity (the Cosmic Teams website, Chris J Miller’s Unauthorized Chronology, and the DCU Guide), they all follow suit, having Robin debut first, mirroring the Golden Age and Silver/Bronze Age. None of them have the JLA arriving first. So to reiterate, in the Modern Age, Robin definitively debuts shortly before the JLA. The only possibly hiccup is the DC Universe: Legacies series (2010), which functions as a timeline in-and-of-itself. This series has its JLA-focused issue just prior to its sidekick-focused issue, seemingly implying that particular order of debut (i.e. JLA before Robin). However, we shouldn’t view it that way for the simple fact that it wouldn’t have made much narrative/thematic sense to separate Robin from the “sidekicks” issue. Plus, DC Universe: Legacies shows us a civilian outsider’s perspective of the superheroes. By having this outsider as an unreliable narrator, this allows for a modicum of looseness when it comes to chronological order. Pertaining to Robin and the JLA specifically, it actually makes sense that someone outside of the superhero community would learn about the JLA (very openly public and globally newsworthy) before Robin (more clandestine and local only to Gotham), despite Robin actually coming prior to the JLA.↩
13. ^[13]COLLIN COLSHER / MILO NOUSIAINEN: The twelve-issue JLA: Year One is canon, although certain bits have been retconned by Brad Meltzer’s Justice League of America Vol. 2 series and Len Wein’s DC Universe Legacies #3. Some of JLA: Year One‘s issues—notably #1, #2, #4, and #11-12—can be read more or less intact, though. What’s the full deal with JLA: Year One, you say? Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, while not involved in many of the early League missions, are the first leaders (founders) of the team. JLA: Year One‘s plot stresses the lack of the Big Three’s involvement with the team. As such, JLA: Year One must be read with the idea that the Trinity did indeed form the League but remained as reserve members at first. 52 #51 nods to this by combining the narrative of JLA: Year One with the original Silver Age origin of the team. While the Trinity are legitimate co-founders, they don’t assume full membership until later, but the other five form the core of the group, preserving the general idea of JLA: Year One. So things like Flash trying to persuade Superman to join the League can be thought of as him trying to get Superman to take up full membership. Notably, JLA: Year One contains a mix of minor quibbles alongside fairly egregious continuity errors no matter how you spin them. In any case, Batman/Bruce Wayne only appears in issue #2, issue #7, and issues #11-12, so we will only include these issues on our timeline. The first issue of JLA: Year One (which, again, does not feature Batman) occurs one day after the Appelaxian attack.↩
14. ^[14]COLLIN COLSHER: A note about the veteran WWII aces known as the Blackhawks. Howard Chaykin’s 1988 Blackhawk Vol. 2 series retconned some of the names of the original Golden Age/Silver Age Blackhawk members for the Modern Age. Notably, Bart Hawk became Janos Prohaska, Chuck Wilson became Chuck Sirianni, Hans Hendrickson became Ritter Hendrickson, and Olaf Bjornson became Olaf Friedriksen. JLA: Year One seems to reflect these changes. However, Batman Confidential #38 implies that the old names are canon. This likely (and simply) means that these guys were using multiple code names.↩
15. ^[15]COLLIN COLSHER: The 5th Dimension is a magickal plane that is home to powerful djinns, Elementals, and imps. Notable residents are Bat-Mite, Mr. Mxyzptlk, and Yz. According to superstring theory, the 5th Dimension—being the next dimensional layer beyond the 4th Dimension of time—is basically an expression for derived physical quantity in terms of alternate reality. It is, in essence, a fundamental underlying concept of multiverse theory. Superstring theory, multiverse theory, and M theory state that the macroscopic world has three spatial dimensions, a 4th Dimension of time, and six other imperceptible (possibly microscopic) quantum dimensions, plus an 11th Dimension at the definitively microscopic scale. (There are likely even more unknown dimensions.) The fictive world of the DCU plays with superstring theory, treating the insensible quantum dimensions (those beyond time) as the most out-there magickal sci-fi alternate realities possible.↩