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(2016)
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–Batman Secret Files #1 Part 4
Batman gets word that some creature has been spotted in the snow-capped mountains just outside of Gotham. Thinking that Man-Bat is on the loose, Batman whips-up a snow-hunting Bat-costume and preps a special bow-and-arrow. Batman rents a cabin in the woods and plans a hunt. He spends six days stalking his prey through whiteout blizzard conditions, but is unable to track anything monstrous. On night seven, Batman is startled by strange noises outside the cabin. He runs out and fires an arrow in the direction of the noises only to kill a large deer. Realizing that maybe Man-Bat isn’t out here after all, Batman buries the deer and heads back to Gotham.
–REFERENCE: In Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #12 Part 5. Encouraged by his wife, longtime henchman-for-hire Barney snitches on Two-Face, warning Batman about a plot to bomb a choir singing at the Lady Gotham commemoration. Batman learns a lot more about Barney’s home life and the influence of his kindhearted wife upon him. With the tip, Batman is able to stop Two-Face’s scheme.
–FLASHBACK: From Batman Vol. 3 #150. Some thugs knock Batman out cold in an alley next to Flunky’s Bar. With bartender Flannigan nervously watching, the thugs attempt to remove Batman’s mask, but he wakes up and kicks their asses.
–REFERENCE: In Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #10 Part 5. Despite Bruce’s protests (citing TV as a time-wasting distraction), Alfred insists that Wayne Manor (and the Batcave) have all the channels and a full media library on the DVR. Alfred likes his stories!
–REFERENCE: In Nightwing Vol. 4 #111. Alfred describes Nightwing as Batman’s “greatest success,” to which Batman replies by telling Alfred that Nightwing is “our greatest success.”
–FLASHBACK: From DC’s Grifter Got Run Over By a Reindeer #1 Part 6 Epilogue. Batman fights Catwoman at a jewelry store.
–REFERENCE: In Batman: Urban Legends #19 Part 4. Batman begins warring against the D’Agostino Mafia, which is run by the notorious D’Agostino family. Batman busts several of their members, but they all walk free due to connections at the highest levels of power, wealth, and government. During his initial investigation into the D’Agostinos, Batman discovers several torture dens spread throughout Gotham. Batman also targets the D’Agostinos’ main headquarters located at their so-called Murder Manor, but he is unable to shut it down. While we won’t see it on our timeline ahead, Batman will have numerous encounters with D’Agostino mobsters, often busting them just to watch them get immediately set free. Batman’s ongoing battle against the D’Agostinos will go on for many years to come.
–REFERENCE: In Justice League 2022 Annual #1. Batman meets a time-displaced OMAC (Buddy Blank), who tells him all about the distant future in which evil super-conglomerates run the megalopolis known as Electric City. The future OMAC also reveals that he is powered by a benevolent Brother Eye.
–FLASHBACK: From Batman Vol. 3 #118. Batman and Superman complete an unspecified mission together, after which they hang out in the Fortress of Solitude.
–REFERENCE: In Batman: The World Part 8. Nightwing begins making bad jokes about Batman related to the Turkish city of Batman. Batman gets very annoyed with these jokes, and will always be annoyed with them, moving forward.
–FLASHBACK: From Detective Comics #1000 Part 1. Batman continues the now thirteen-year-old “David Lambert’s looking glass case,” which takes him to the snowy Dolomites in Italy. On an icicle, he finds an etching of coordinates, which guide him to a wreck at the bottom of the Pacific. Clues in the wreck take him to the jungles of Brazil, but Batman, as usual, finds a dead end and cannot solve the mystery.
–REFERENCE: In Nightwing Vol. 4 #57—originally told in Batman: Joker’s Daughter #1. Joker’s Daughter finds Joker’s old sliced-off face and wears it as a tribute to her idol. She challenges Batman head-on, but the Dark Knight easily busts her. Joker’s Daughter then escapes from custody and breaks into Arkham Asylum in search of the missing Joker. While there, Joker’s Daughter visits Dollmaker, who preserves Joker’s skin mask and surgically grafts it onto her face!
–REFERENCE: In Detective Comics #999. February—Bruce’s birthday. As he does every year on his birthday, Batman runs Program 2.1, placing himself into a virtual world that challenges him by pushing him to his most extreme limits.
–REFERENCE: In Super Sons Annual #1. Batman moves Bat-cow into a barn and sets up a what will function as a spacious grazing field (when in season) on the edge of Wayne Manor property. Unknown to the Bat-Family, Bat-Cow begins secretly moonlighting as a member of the quadruped hero team known as the Super-Pets (aka Legion of Super-Pets)! The animal group comprises Detective Chimp, Bat-Cow, Titus (aka Bat-Hound), Flexi the Plastic Bird, Clay Critter (seemingly a sentient piece of Clayface’s body), Krypto, and Streaky the Supercat. This version of the team will be short-lived, disbanding after Dex-Starr (the evil Red Lantern cat) murders Clay Critter at the Gotham Zoo! However, as revealed in Ape-ril Special #1, the Super-Pets will eventually reform a few years from now, adding Beppo the Super-Monkey to its ranks at that time.
—[1]
–Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #17 Part 1
February 28-29. An editorial note places this item prior to “City of Bane,” but it specifically occurs on February 28-29, 2016, so the editorial note is bizarre since we are three years prior to “City of Bane.” Calendar Man escapes from Blackgate Penitentiary, goes on a killing spree, and takes hostages at a hotel—all part of a frenzied reaction to the impending Leap Day. GCPD Officer Calvin Brooks, acting as hostage negotiator, tries to reason with both Calendar Man (who threatens to kill everyone by midnight) and Detective Harvey Bullock (who wants to storm the hotel with maximum force). After learning that Masa Harai (son of a major Yakuza gangster) is one of the hostages, Batman does his research on him and heads toward the harrowing scene. Just as Batman sneaks into the hotel, the Yakuza shows up and starts a gunfight with cops in an attempt to access the hotel. As the Yakuza enter the hotel, Batman takes them down. Batman then frees the hostages and takes down Calendar Man, delivering him to Brooks and Bullock.
–REFERENCE: In Batman: The Joker War Zone #1 Part 2—originally told in Batwing #29-32. Luke Fox’s sisters Dr. Tam Fox and eight-year-old Tiffany “Tiff” Fox are kidnapped by the super-villains Menace (Russell Tavaroff) and Ratcatcher. With limited support from Batman, Batwing rescues his sisters, but Tam suffers severe brain damage due to being injected with a drug known as Snakebyte. In the New 52, Tam’s injuries were permanent and she went into a catatonic state akin to brain death. However, in the Rebirth Era, Tam will make a miraculous recovery, although she’ll be sickly and plagued with various side-effects for the rest of her life.
–REFERENCE: In Dark Nights: Metal #2 and Challenge of the Super Sons #8—originally told in “TRINITY WAR.” When the promise of great danger arises in the form of the goddess Pandora and the return of her terrible box of myth, the heroes are assembled at the sentient supernatural HQ known as The House of Mystery by the Phantom Stranger to discuss a plan of action. After Batman, Katana, and Deadman briefly visit Heaven, they rejoin the rest of their fellow heroes. However, the good guys fight amongst themselves over control of Pandora’s Box. The Justice League, Katana, and Deadman fight against the Justice League Dark, which currently consists of Steve Trevor, John Constantine, Frankenstein, and new Black Orchid (Alba Garcia). Eventually, the heroes join forces to fight against a large group of super-villains known as The Secret Society—(basically a new version of the Secret Society of Super-villains). Unfortunately, the box goes into the hands of Secret Society leader Earth-3 Alfred Pennyworth, who uses it to open an interdimensional gateway that allows his Crime Syndicate brethren (including Atomica and Deathstorm) to come to Earth-0 and defeat all the heroes with ease. The Crime Syndicate is joined by The Grid, a sentient computer virus that has secretly incubated inside Cyborg for years. The Grid briefly takes over Cyborg’s body before essentially giving birth unto himself and entering his own deadly Terminator-like body.
–REFERENCE: In Titans Vol. 3 Annual #1, Nightwing Vol. 4 #22, Nightwing Vol. 4 #28, Red Hood & The Outlaws Vol. 2 #13, Red Hood & The Outlaws Vol. 2 #22, Batman Vol. 3 #33, Detective Comics #969 Part 1, Justice League Vol. 3 #39, Doomsday Clock #6, Adventures of the Super Sons #1, Year of the Villian #1 Part 1, and Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen #4—originally told in Forever Evil. The Crime Syndicate and Secret Society take over the Earth, defeating most of Earth’s heroes and destroying the JL Watchtower satellite. In Gotham, Bane declares himself the new Batman and begins ruling over the city, which gets completely controlled by escaped Arkham Asylum inmates. Lex Luthor, thinking of himself as the last possible savior of the planet, suits up and activates a clone of Superman known as Bizarro (not to be confused with Earth-30’s Bizarro #1). Batman and Catwoman bring the injured Cyborg to his father Dr. Silas Stone. Concurrently, Superwoman (a couple weeks pregnant) tells Ultraman that Owlman plans on betraying the Syndicate. Lex and Bizarro join with Captain Cold, Black Adam, and Black Manta to form an anti-Syndicate League (basically a new incarnation of the Injustice League). Things look bleak until Sinestro kills Power Ring, whose ring immediately shoots off in search of a new host. Batman, Catwoman, and Sinestro join Luthor’s group and infiltrate the HQ of the Crime Syndicate where they find and rescue Nightwing from a death trap. While Nightwing’s life is saved, his secret ID as Dick Grayson is exposed and the entire world believes he is killed. Captain Cold releases another Syndicate prisoner: Alexander Luthor (aka Earth-3’s version of Lex Luthor), who is the father of Superwoman’s unborn child. While Alexander and Superwoman team-up to defeat the Crime Syndicate, Cyborg and Batman are able to free the heroes. Alexander then fights Lex, who realizes he has the same voice as his attacker and calls down the magick lightning of “Mazahs.” Alexander is struck and killed. Lex, with help from his team, defeats Ultraman as well. With the Crime Syndicate bested and Earth saved, Lex is hailed as a hero. (Note that, in the New 52, Lex murdered the Crime Syndicate’s Atomica, Deathstorm, Grid, Johnny Quick, and Earth-3 Alfred Pennyworth, but these Crime Syndicate members all survive in the Rebirth Era.)[2] Luthor retires his bright green war-suit, going with a new hero model. Batman returns to Gotham, kicks Bane’s ass, and helps the GCPD return all the Arkham escapees back behind bars. Later, the Dark Knight tells Dick that he has a new mission for him. Dick will remain “dead” to the world (including the members of the Bat-Family) in order to go deep undercover as a Spyral secret agent (and teacher at St. Hadrian’s School for Girls). The Bat-Family mourns Dick’s “passing.” A small private funeral is held with Bruce, Alfred, and Babs. Dick joins Kathy Kane’s Spyral—working directly under Mr. Minos and Helena Bertinelli while teaming with The Tiger King of Kandahar as his partner. (Minos is an AI construct sleeper agent implanted into Spyral by Max Lord, who is back at the top of the Checkmate hierarchy.) Dick immediately begins secretly reporting back to Batman, telling him that Tiger King is the best intel man in the world. Dick will continue to report to Batman in secrecy, moving forward.
–FLASHBACK: From Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen #4—and referenced in Flash Vol. 5 #21, Trinity Vol. 2 #9, Titans Vol. 3 Annual #1, Justice League Vol. 3 #34, Justice League Vol. 3 #37-41, Super Sons #12, Superman Vol. 4 #39, Adventures of the Super Sons #1, and Justice League Vol. 4 #25. Originally told in Justice League Vol. 2 #30-34. Following the events of Forever Evil, Lex Luthor rides the media whirlwind of positive PR, having been Presidentially-pardoned (by his former political partner and current POTUS, Pete Ross) and been declared a superhero on the front pages of newspapers across the globe. Lex asks to join the Justice League, but they deny him. Determined to gain acceptance, Luthor orders the construction of a brand new Watchtower satellite as a gift to the JL. The satellite is assembled by thousands of contractors working under the direction of dozens of top technicians, including LexCorp technicians Joshua Andre Christian (who was saved by the JL years ago) and Christian’s unnamed friend (who was not saved by the JL years ago). The latter installs undetectable microphones that he will use to secretly listen-in on the team for the next decade-plus. He also codes backdoor passwords into the Watchtower computer system and infests the satellite’s controls with undetectable nanobots and viruses. The JL accepts Luthor’s gift, moving all of its stuff, including trophies, into the new HQ, which floats in Earth’s atmosphere. Luthor also arranges for Shazam (Billy Batson) to join the JL. Despite all of this ostensible goodwill, Luthor himself is still denied entry onto the team! Batman sets up an alarm that will go off in the Batcave if things are tampered with on the Watchtower. He also installs a hidden Watchtower teleporter inside a Wayne Manor walk-in wardrobe closet. And he also stores extra Bat-costumes, clothes, gear, and spacesuits aboard the Watchtower. (Each Justice Leaguer has their own locker.) Shortly thereafter, at the Portland, OR home of sisters Sara Cruz and Jessica Cruz, the deceased Power Ring’s power ring finds its next host: Jessica. In Gotham, Luthor visits Wayne Manor and confirms that Bruce is Batman. The JL and the current Doom Patrol—Professor Niles Caulder, Robotman, Negative Man, Elasti-Woman (formerly Elasti-Girl), and Element Woman—both go to Portland to deal with an out-of-control new Power Ring. There, the Volthoom soul entity inside Power Ring’s ring tells Cyborg that his goal is to bring The Anti-Monitor to Earth-0. (The Anti-Monitor is one of the few characters cosmically powerful enough to have survived across multiple comic book reboots. This is indeed the Anti-Monitor from the original-Crisis. Same guy!) A spike of Jessica’s green energy is enough to alert the Anti-Monitor to the location of the ring on Earth-0. Batman talks down Jessica and takes the ring onto his own finger, easily suppressing the evil within. Later, Flash (Barry Allen) teaches a nervous Jessica—the new Power Ring—how to control her power ring and how to suppress the Volthoom soul sliver inside. Batman then convenes with Superman and Wonder Woman, asking for their permission to invite Luthor onto the JL in a “keep your enemies closer” attempt to keep tabs on him. (Batman also doesn’t want Luthor exposing his secret ID.) Luthor is sworn-in as the newest Justice Leaguer.
–FLASHBACK: From Batman Vol. 3 #119. Batman teams-up with the newest Justice League member Lex Luthor to go on unspecified action.
–REFERENCE: In Detective Comics #1018. Batman busts crook Aaron Morton.
–REFERENCE: In Robins #5-6. Bruce creates “What If?”-type profiles for Robin and each of the ex-Robins on the Bat-Computer. The profiles surmise what each Robin might have become if they never became Batman’s sidekick. Dick’s profile shows him being a longtime Spyral agent. Damian’s profile sees him as a monk in Thailand. Stephanie’s profile shows her as the leader of an authoritarian Teen Titans. Jason’s profile shows him in the role of famous race car driver. And Tim’s profile shows him as a video game designer.
–FLASHBACK: From Detective Comics #1000 Part 11. Batman fights Hush, Penguin, Two-Face, and Clayface all at once.
–REFERENCE: In Detective Comics #960. Batman discovers the existence of the League of Shadows for a third time, but (for the third time) Ra’s al Ghul captures the Dark Knight and magickally mind-wipes his memories about it.
–REFERENCE: In Titans Vol. 3 Annual #1 and Super Sons #15—originally told in Justice League Vol. 2 #35-37 (“THE AMAZO VIRUS”). Neutron attacks LexCorp, causing the sentient Amazo Virus to become accidentally released. Within twenty-four hours, the virus has spread all over the United States, causing those infected to manifest random metahuman powers before dying. It isn’t long before Batman and Superman come face-to-face with the man that first contracted and spread the virus: Lexcorp scientist Dr. Armen Ikarus. Batman, Neutron, Ikarus, and several infected Justice Leaguers rise up as evil metahumans. Lex creates an anti-virus vaccine out of Superman’s blood. The vaccine cures all except for 3% of the infected, who keep their powers, including Ikarus, who becomes the new Amazo. Afterward, Hal Jordan starts training Power Ring (Jessica Cruz).
–REFERENCE: In Superman Vol. 4 #22 and Detective Comics #998. Batman upgrades the Batmobile, giving it new defense systems. Batman also designs the Hellbat-suit, a heavily armored anti-Apokoliptian mech-costume designed for heavy combat and extreme situations. With help from the Justice League, Batman’s Hellbat-suit is constructed. The Hellbat-suit is integrated into the Batmobile’s computer system, allowing its wearer to summon the car via remote control and to utilize the car’s defense and auto-driving features with voice-verification. The Hellbat-suit itself can also be remotely piloted from the outside. While it is most effective with Batman controlling it from the inside, it can only be worn for a short time because it literally feeds off of its pilot’s metabolism to obtain power.
–REFERENCE: In Deathstroke Vol. 4 #20 and Deathstroke Vol. 4 Annual #1—originally told in “FIRST CONTACT.” Batman meets Earth-2’s Huntress (Helena Wayne), who is the equivalent of his adult daughter on her world. (Earth-2’s Bruce Wayne was killed long ago.) Batman and Superman then team up with Earth-2’s top heroes, Huntress and Power Girl, to take down Kaizen Gamorra and his army, which includes a host of Parademons and a Bizarro from Earth-2. (Gamorra is working for Darkseid.) Shortly after defeating Gamorra and company, Huntress and Power Girl decide to return to their Earth-2 home. (Huntress will stay put on Earth-2, but Power Girl will visit Earth-0 every now and again, moving forward.) Before departing, Power Girl appoints Tanya Spears as her replacement on Earth-0. Tanya debuts as the new Power Girl.
–FLASHBACK: From Detective Comics #1033—and referenced in Superman Vol. 4 #21-22, Super Sons #8, and Super Sons #10 Part 1. Originally told in “The Hunt for Robin”/”Robin Rises” and Batman & Robin Vol. 2 #38-40. Damian and Talia are stolen from their graves by Ra’s al Ghul, who takes them to a Lazarus Pit under Nanda Parbat with the goal of resurrecting them using a magickal sliver of the Chaos Shard, a crystal from Apokolips. Batman tracks attempts to take back his deceased family members, but they are immersed in the Lazarus Pit. Glorious Godfrey and Kalibak, looking to retrieve the crystal, steal Damian’s casket with his body still inside. This prompts the Batman to don the Hellbat-suit and travel to Apokolips. On the fiery planet, Batman kicks ass and gets Damian, who is resurrected thanks to the power of the shard! But not only is Damian redivivus, he gains flight, super-speed, super-strength, and heat-vision as well! The Bat-Family celebrates the return of Damian. In the Himalayas, Talia is resurrected as well. Robin, with his new metapowers, begins cleaning cleaning-house in Gotham, scaring his dad, who runs constant tests on him and discovers that the Boy Wonder should be able to burn-out his dangerous powers if overexerted. Batman has Robin battle a gigantic robotic kaiju (remote-controlled by Cyborg), which does the trick. Robin’s powers disappear and all is back to as it was before.
–DC’s Terrors Through Time #1 Part 8
The spirit of Hazaz Saber, a League of Assassins rival that a young Damian killed long before coming to Gotham, begins haunting Wayne Manor. Deadman shows up, hoping to exorcize Saber. After meeting Damian for the first time, Deadman teams up with him to send Saber back to Hell. During the encounter, Deadman learns that Damian’s soul has been claimed by a “big spirit” known as “The Accursed.” Not sure what this is about or if it will ever have a payoff.[3] An angry Batman arrives, displeased to see Deadman messing around with Damian. Deadman quickly sees himself out.
–REFERENCE: In Batman and Robin Vol. 3 #10. Bruce learns that Damian is vegan.
–REFERENCE: In Robins #6. Bruce learns that one of Damian’s favorite treats is a travel-sized box of dark chocolates.
–REFERENCE: In Adventures of the Super Sons #9. Bruce shares his love of Westerns, particularly Gary Cooper films, with Damian. They watch some flicks together.
–FLASHBACK: From Batman vs Robin #4. Bruce takes Damian to a carnival in an effort to get the boy to relax.
–REFERENCE: In Legends of the Dark Knight Vol. 2 #10 (Legends of the Dark Knight Vol. 2 Print Edition #5). May 17. Batman begins investigating a new Calendar Man case after the villain murders someone in an antiquarian library. Batman is unable to figure out why Calendar Man has chosen May 17 to commit this crime.
–REFERENCE: In Flash Vol. 5 #64 and Batman Giant #8 (Batman: Universe #3). Batman and Flash (Barry Allen) track an escaped Dr. Double X to the famed Dinosaur Island, an aptly-named island teeming with live dinosaurs. They foil the villain’s plan to merge his aura with a T rex to become “Dr. Double-Rex.” While wrapping-up the case, Batman responds to Barry by saying “No shit, Sherlock,” which is something Damian often says. Damian is rubbing off on the old man! Following this adventure, Batman does as much extra research on Dinosaur Island as he can.
–FLASHBACK: From Robin Vol. 3 #1. Batman and Robin patrol together.
–Batman: Black and White Vol. 5 #5 Part 1
Bruce and Damian bicycle to the wooded site that their intel has told them will be home to a major criminal meeting. Bruce has Damian plant explosives and go over intricate details of their plan. When Damian questions why they need to waste so much time on losers like the ones they expect to meet later in the evening, Bruce tells him that theatricality is important in order to scare the bad guys straight. Later that night, Robin throws the plan out the window and simply runs into battle, kicking everyone’s ass on his own. Batman is annoyed but can only smile.
–Batman: Urban Legends #19 Part 3
Batman and Robin defeat an escaped Two-Face.
–REFERENCE: In Red Hood: Outlaw #37. Originally told in “SUPERMAN: DOOMED.” Doomsday returns and begins emitting a fatal virus, killing thousands. After conferring with genius scientist Dr. Shay Veritas and the JLA, Superman defeats Doomsday, but gets infected with the Doomsday Virus (thanks to Brainiac’s secret manipulation). An infected Superman joins Batman, Steel, Wonder Woman, and Krypto to defeat released Phantom Zone bad guys Ghost Soldier, Mongul, Non, Harrow (leader of the criminal organization known as The Tower), and Dr. Xa-Du (aka The Phantom King). Afterward, Superman succumbs to his virus and morphs into a new Doomsday called “Super-Doom.” The US government sends Metallo and Atomic Skull to battle Super-Doom, but they are easily crushed. Seeking to take advantage of the situation, Brainiac and Cyborg Superman attempt to take over the entire planet. Super-Doom regains some semblance of his old self enough to join the JLA, Teen Titans, Steel, Lois Lane, Lana Lang, Swamp Thing, brand new Green Lantern Simon Baz, Martian Manhunter, Ghost Soldier, Harrow, Lex Luthor, Baka, Dr. Veritas, and Hawkman to fight against Brainiac’s invasion fleet.[4] After Supergirl defeats Cyborg Superman, Brainiac pulls an ace out of his sleeve and mind-controls the entire populace of Earth (except Superman, who is protected in his Super-Doom form). Super-Doom bests Brainiac, tossing both he and the remnants of the Doomsday Virus into a black hole. Thus, Superman saves the day and reverts himself back to his old self.
–REFERENCE: In Green Arrow Vol. 6 #32—originally told in Detective Comics Vol. 2 #31-32. Batman beats the crap out of the aptly-named sumo-wrestling super-villain Sumo, who is running an enslaved child ring.
–REFERENCE: In Super-Pets Special: Bitedentity Crisis #1 Part 3. Mid June—Father’s Day. The Bat-Family tries to cook a Father’s Day meal for Alfred, which involves the planned butchering of a live turkey. However, Damian won’t have it and saves the bird, naming him Jerry and taking him as a pet.
–REFERENCE: In Batwoman: Rebirth #1, Batwoman Vol. 3 #2, Batwoman Vol. 3 #11, Detective Comics #957, Detective Comics #967, Detective Comics #982, Harley Quinn Vol. 3 #40, Batman: Prelude to the Wedding Part 1 – Robin vs Ra’s al Ghul #1, Batgirl Vol. 5 Annual #2, Batgirl Vol. 5 #30, Catwoman Vol. 5 #39, and DC’s How to Lose a Guy Gardner in Ten Days #1 Part 1—originally told in Batman Eternal. When Commissioner Gordon is framed for manslaughter, the Bat-Family is on the case. With Commissioner Gordon imprisoned in Blackgate Prison, Major Jack Forbes becomes interim commissioner and Detective Jason Bard is promoted to Lieutenant. Meanwhile, Carmine Falcone wars with Penguin, causing chaos in Gotham City. Batman, Bard, Harvey Bullock, Detective Maggie Sawyer, Vicki Vale, Joey Day (Vicki’s assistant photographer) deal with the ensuing gang war. While Catwoman combats Penguin’s capos Lark and Otto “Fishnet” Kruft (aka “Fishnet Face”), Batman defeats Professor Pyg and Falcone, both revealed as red herrings in the Gordon frame-up. Bard impugns Forbes’ legitimacy as a cop, exposing him as having been in league with Falcone. Forbes is jailed and Bard is appointed as the new commissioner! In Blackgate, James Gordon Jr visits his dad and plays mind games with him, offering to help him escape. The Caped Crusader’s investigation then takes him to Hong Kong where he meets Alfred’s daughter, British secret agent Julia Pennyworth. When Julia is injured by a gangster, Batman brings her to Wayne Manor, where she becomes a temporary resident, eventually discovering Bruce’s secret. Julia quickly becomes a member of the Bat-Family, remotely guiding Batman from the Batcave (using the call-sign “Penny-Two”), helping them unravel the devious plot to smear Gordon and bring chaos to Gotham. Batman delivers evidence proving Gordon’s innocence to Commissioner Bard, but Bard ignores it because he is secretly in the employ of Hush! A pissed-off Batgirl kidnaps and interrogates Commissioner Bard, who holds his tongue, but gets thrown off a roof for his troubles, resulting in injury. Soon after, Selina Kyle gets caught in a gang war between Tiger Shark and the Ibanescu Mob (led by patriarch Dragos Ibanescu). Selina learns that imprisoned gangster Rex Calabrese might be her biological father. At Blackgate Penitentiary, she meets with Calabrese, who asks her to take over the family trade and become a crime kingpin. Selina accepts, but only so that she can unite all of Gotham’s underworld in order to save lives. Selina takes over the Calabrese Mob, making her cousins—Antonia Calabrese, Nick Calabrese, and Ward Calabrese—top lieutenants. Eventually, the Bat-Family busts Hush and brings the hammer down on Commissioner Bard, who realizes the error of his ways, repenting and vowing to right all the wrongs he’s committed. Bard also reveals that Hush was merely a minor player that was working for the unknown Big Bad. Also concurrent to ongoing events, Batwing and Detective Jim Corrigan investigate strange happenings within Arkham Asylum. (The Spectre has recently resurrected Corrigan from the grave and re-bonded with him.) Batwing and Corrigan discover that the ghost of Deacon Joseph Blackfire, trying to come back from Hell via a Hellmouth underneath Arkham, has taken over the prison thanks to help from Joker’s Daughter. Batwing fights Joker’s Daughter and the entire Blackfire-controlled populace of Arkham in a losing effort before Corrigan turns into the Spectre and obliterates Blackfire. Eventually, after crossing Lord Death Man and Ra’s al Ghul off the list of possible Big Bads, Batman learns that the over-arching villainous plot against Gotham is masterminded by Cluemaster. Angered by her dad’s heinous actions, Spoiler helps the Bat-Family and Selina’s unified mob against a bunch of super-villains being manipulated by her dad. Longtime Bat-fan Harper Row takes it upon herself to become the superhero Bluebird, assisting the Bat-Family as well. Batman reluctantly accepts her help. Commissioner Bard convinces Mayor Sebastian Hady to release Gordon from prison. Gordon and Bard unite to bring down the bad guys as well, after which Gordon is reinstated as commissioner. In the end, Cluemaster’s scheme to put Gotham in ruins is foiled when he is betrayed by Lincoln March, who slits his throat and leaves him for dead. The heroes then bust March. As referenced in Young Justice Vol. 3 #5, Cluemaster, who everyone believes is dead, actually survives and goes into hiding.
–FLASHBACK: From Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #10 Part 1—and referenced in Gotham Academy: Second Semester #9-12 and Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #10 Part 1. Batman apprehends teenager Tristan Grey, who can turn into a man-bat due to Man-Bat Virus permanently in his system. Batman has Tristan enrolled into the upcoming school year at Gotham Academy to be monitored under the watchful eye of the institution’s Headmaster Collingwood Vaughn Hammer. Shortly thereafter, Bruce essentially does the same thing for now teenage Olive Silverlock, who has started to display pyrokinetic abilities just like her jailed super-villain mom, Calamity (Sybil Silverlock). Bruce personally accords the Wayne Foundation Scholarship, which will pay for room and board at Gotham Academy, to Olive. Accompanied by Bruce, Olive immediately moves from an orphanage to the campus, where she will live in preparation for the start of school at the end of summer. Bruce delivers Olive unto the direct care of teacher Isla MacPherson. Later, Batman gives detailed files on Olive and Tristan to both Headmaster Hammer and Isla MacPherson. Moving forward, Batman will secretly monitor Olive and Tristan (and Dr. Kirk Langstrom, who teaches at Gotham Academy and will become a mentor to Tristan).
–REFERENCE: In Batman: Prelude to the Wedding Part 4 – Red Hood vs Anarky #1—originally told in Catwoman Vol. 4 Annual #2 Part 2 and Catwoman Vol. 4 #35-40. Eiko Hasigawa, leader of the notorious Hasigawa Mob, noticing that Catwoman hasn’t been active in a while, confers upon herself the mantle of the Cat and becomes the new Catwoman! In a homemade costume, Eiko secretly stalks Selina as she continues to lord over Gotham’s underworld. Batman introduces himself to the new Catwoman and tells her to re-think her new line of work. Meanwhile, Selina unifies all of Gotham’s organized crime as part of a plan to secretly reduce the number of illegal guns and drugs in the streets and secretly funnel money into needy communities. Sure enough, with Batman and the new Catwoman watching with keen interest, the plan works and a ton of criminals are busted. However, Penguin and Black Mask are quite irked and start a huge gang war in response. Selina retires as a crime boss and returns to being Catwoman. The dual Catwomen join Batman to fight Black Mask, Penguin, Selina’s other cousin Mason Calabrese, and a bunch of other bad guys. Eventually, the gang war is quelled and the side of good wins the day. Eiko becomes one of Selina’s best friends. As referenced in Catwoman Vol. 5 #49, moving forward, Eiko will take up the role of Catwoman whenever Selina is out of town.
–REFERENCE: In Doomsday Clock #2. Bruce takes his annual Wayne Enterprises psych exam, telling lies in order to pass as he always does.
–REFERENCE: In Plastic Man Vol. 5 #1—originally told in Batgirl Vol. 4 #33-34. Batgirl asks Batman to help her pals GCPD Detective Melody McKenna, Spyral agent Obscura (Munira Khairuddin), and Katharsis (Kulap Vilaysack) fight the super-villain Knightfall (Charise Carnes). Batman is too busy to personally assist, but he does make a few calls, which leads to even more of DC’s best female superheroes coming to help Batgirl and company best Knightfall.
–REFERENCE: In Legends of the Dark Knight Vol. 2 #10 (Legends of the Dark Knight Vol. 2 Print Edition #5). July 14. Batman continues his ongoing Calendar Man investigation after the villain reappears and murders someone at a construction site. Batman is still unable to find the fugitive Calendar Man, nor does he know the significance of the dates he’s chosen to commit his last two murders.
–REFERENCE: In Teen Titans Vol. 6 #15 and Superman Vol. 4 #38—originally told in Superman Vol. 3 #38-43. Superman blasts the powerful super-villain Ulysses with heat vision for such an extended interval of time that the Man of Steel’s entire body erupts like a nuclear explosion, knocking-out Ulysses. Superman goes unconscious as well and is retrieved by Batman, who performs medical tests, discovering Superman’s newest super-power: the “solar-flare” (aka “super-flare”) ability. Batman also warns Superman that every time he uses the solar-flare he will be powerless for twenty-four hours afterward. Batman does a litany of tests on Superman. Later, Superman publicly uses his solar-flare to defeat the crime syndicate/Google-esque tech company called Hordr.
–REFERENCE: In Justice League Vol. 3 #21, Nightwing Vol. 4 #23, The Infected: King Shazam #1, and The Green Lantern: Blackstars #2—originally told in “POWER AND GLORY.” Clark Kent meets Alexis Martin and Vincent, super-scientists working for The Infinity Corporation. (SPOILER: The Infinity Corp crew is from the future and Alexis Martin is actually Alexis Luthor, Lex’s daughter.) Using Kryptonian “Stones of Forever.” Vincent shows Superman portentous visions of the future. In Metropolis, the Justice League fights Parasite, who has been unleashed by Jane Jones (another member of the Infinity Corporation). Afterward, the Infinity Corporation’s HQ completely vanishes. (The HQ can travel through time to hide itself.) Shortly thereafter, a massive spacecraft appears, out of which emerges the Kryptonian sun god Rao. Thanks to Rao, all across New York, people instantly begin feeling deep love and affection. Even incurable ailments are healed. The global populace is open to Rao’s incursion on Earth, except for the skeptics, Batman, Cyborg, and Aquaman. Simultaneously, Barry Allen and Hal Jordan wind up on Krypton 250,000 years in the past where they meet Rao (who is benevolent and has not yet been corrupted). Batman and Cyborg learn that evil Rao is harnessing power and energy from the network of docile humans via the combination of the “Stones of Forever” and his own “Stones of Life.” Their healthy and happy state is forced and fatal. The heroes, using Parasite, are able to defeat evil Rao and strip him of his powers. Superman nearly dies in the exchange. In retaliation, evil Rao’s Dwalu warriors and a time-displaced army of ancient Kryptonians attack Earth. The JL and Infinity Corp are able to fend-off the assault. Angered at what his future self has done, good Rao murders evil Rao—committing suicide by time-traveling to the future and killing his older self. The Forever Stones and Life Stones are stored inside Infinity Corps HQ. Significantly de-powered due nearly being killed by Rao, Superman will go through a short period wearing jeans and a Superman t-shirt instead of his usual costume, starting now. Once his powers fully return, Superman will return to his usual threads.
–REFERENCE: In Detective Comics #979. Batgirl retires her costume and switches to her much more fashionable purple-and-yellow “Burnside” duds. The old skin-tight black-and-grey leather goes to Batman, who puts it on display in the Batcave.
–FLASHBACK: From Detective Comics #1000 Part 3. Batman goes undercover once again as Knute Brody in order to infiltrate the Wonderland Gang (Mad Hatter, Tweedledum, Tweedledee, March Harriet, and the Carpenter). Brody joins the group as “The Dormouse.” After Brody sends word to Batgirl about the gang’s heist plans, Batgirl swoops in with the GCPD and busts them all.
–FLASHBACK: From Flash Vol. 5 #36. When a few fake Batmen appear on the scene, the Bat-Family mobilizes. Nightwing, Batwoman, Batgirl, and Robin capture and restrain four Batmen, but they can’t tell which is the real one. Flash (Barry Allen) comes in to assist, running a DNA test that shows they each have Bruce’s genetic makeup. The heroes eventually figure out this case, which Barry calls “A Study in Black.” We are never told what was going on or who was responsible, but we can assume isomorphic cloning or magickal doppelgängers—likely the latter.
–REFERENCE: In Action Comics #1003. Famous private detectives Sugar Plumm and Spike Wilson, who primarily deal with metahuman affairs, sign a temporary contract with the Justice League that involves sweeping some past embarrassments under the rug. Sugar and Spike (aka “Sugar and Spike Inc”) seem to know an almost fourth-wall-breaking amount of secret information in regard to the superhero community, which is one of their biggest assets. (Note that, while our official Sugar and Spike reference in Action Comics #1003 comes merely from a logo on a pinball machine, Brian Michael Bendis’ meta splash page from Action Comics #1008 confirms that Sugar and Spike do indeed run their private detective agency in the Rebirth Era. While all of Bendis’ splash pages are non-canon, including the one on Action Comics #1008, this bit of information can be taken as gospel.)
–REFERENCE: In Suicide Squad: Black Files #1 Part 2—originally told in Suicide Squad Most Wanted #4 Part 1 (Suicide Squad Most Wanted: El Diablo and Killer Croc). In Gotham, AWOL Suicide Squad member El Diablo and his lover Azucar take on the super-villain group known as Beowulf while simultaneously fleeing from Amanda Waller and Checkmate. Batman assists Diablo and Azucar against Beowulf agent Sin Tzu. After finding their friend murdered by Deadshot, Diablo and Azucar join up with Xolotl, the Martian-Atzec God of Death and Dogs, in Texas. There, Amanda Waller sends Suicide Squad C-listers Bloodletter, Zizz, Leviathan, Behemoth, and Zoomax after them.
–FLASHBACK: From Batman: The Detective #4. Batman saves an unnamed woman from a burning building.
–Legends of the Dark Knight Vol. 2 #9-10 (Legends of the Dark Knight Vol. 2 Print Edition #5) (“THE CONSULTANT”)
Mid August. Batman finds himself bound—along with three kids each celebrating their eleventh birthdays—aboard a burning and plummeting police blimp over Gotham. Batman saves himself and the kids, watching the blimp explode into a fiery Martian numerical symbol for eleven. Realizing that Calendar Man has struck again, Batman does some research to learn that the villain has gotten his hands on a Martian calendar, which has been murderously guiding him these past few months. Alfred and Batman set up a portable Watchtower teleporter, but Martian Manhunter comes immediately rocketing through the gateway with an alien shape-shifting monster attached to him. Batman scans the creature with his cowl-tech, allowing Alfred to blast it into unconsciousness with an anti-alien lasso weapon. Batman tells Martian Manhunter about Calendar Man, after which J’onn enters Batman’s mind to scan his memories of the ongoing Calendar Man investigation, confirming Calendar Man’s use of a Martian calendar for inspiration. J’onn explains that if Calendar Man kills someone before midnight, then he’ll complete a black magick ritual and able to harness the power of a Martian demigod. Despite the heroes preventing Calendar Man from killing anyone, the demigod still offers her power to the villain. Using flame-gauntlets, Batman is able to defeat Calendar Man, who will have use his godly powers on every Martian holiday for the next year. J’onn mentions that he’ll take countermeasures in order to make sure Calendar Man stays out of trouble on those days. The next Martian holiday is on October 7, and the boys make a plan to meet up. Notably, Batman says that his birthday is also October 7, but this is a continuity error. His birthday is in February.
–FLASHBACK: From Dark Nights: Metal #2, Batman & The Signal #2, Batman: Three Jokers #3, and Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #2 Part 4—and also referenced in Dark Days: The Forge #1, Dark Days: The Casting #1, Dark Nights: Metal #2, All-Star Batman #11, Detective Comics #959-961, Batman: The Merciless #1, Batman & The Signal #3, Justice League Vol. 4 #7, the second feature to Detective Comics #1061, Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #2 Part 4, Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #1, and Flash Vol. 6 #9-10.[5] Originally told in “ENDGAME.” Bruce begins constructing his “Final Invention,” a cloning machine made out of Promethium, the mystical metal that comprises Cyborg’s body. Bruce’s cloning machine, if completed, would theoretically ensure that there would always be a Batman in the future. Bruce plans to clone himself and give the clone memory implants of everything he himself experienced from his own birth until when he decided to become a superhero. Thus, a new almost-perfect replica of Bruce can be created and activated every twenty-seven years like clockwork. While the cloning function of the machine is still in its infancy and not anywhere close to being ready, the memory siphoning portion is completed. Bruce hooks-in and uploads all his memories to date. A data-personality map of Bruce’s mind is stored into a high-tech computer system attached to the machine. Batman also designs and tailors a new costume that has an altered chest insignia and purple on the underside of his cape (and no trunks). Batman will save this new costume for later. Soon after, Joker attacks the Justice League, Jokerizing them and forcing Batman to neutralize his friends using his various anti-JL contingency weapons, including the Justice Buster mech. Joker then Jokerizes all the citizens of Gotham and once again reaffirms his knowledge of Batman’s secret ID by luring the Dark Knight into a Crime Alley stage-set. There, a Jokerized and drugged-up Joe Chill (abducted from prison) is forced to reenact the death of the Waynes, except with teenager Duke Thomas’ parents as substitutes. Batman saves the elder Thomases, but they get permanently Jokerized into a grinning catatonic state. Batman escapes through a window, fleeing with Duke in his arms. Soon after, Batman deduces that Crazy Quilt has helped Joker. Batman fights Crazy Quilt, who monologues in fustian about he and Joker having found the mythical immortality compound Dionesium. Crazy Quilt mentions that Dionesium eternized Vandaa aka Vandar Adg (a proto-Vandal Savage), who encountered it in its “rawest form” (i.e. the defeated Hyper-Adapter spiraling backward through time)! Crazy Quilt also notes that Ra’s al Ghul’s Lazarus Pits are filled with a weaker “corrupted” version of Dionesium. He also uses the word “Barbatos” interchangeably with the word “immortal” several times! After defeating Crazy Quilt, Batman visits the remnants of the Court of Owls. They tell him that Electrum is nothing more than an “imperfect version” of Dionesium. Batman begins to question whether or not Joker might be hundreds of years old. After Joker chops off Alfred’s hand with a butcher knife, the Bat-Family teams-up with Batman’s deadliest rogues to combat Jokerized people in downtown Gotham. Batman fights Joker solo in a bloody brawl, during which the Dionesium in Joker’s bloodstream enters Batman’s bloodstream. Batman eventually ends Joker’s threat and saves the city, but both men are killed. However, they are both immediately resurrected as amnesiacs thanks to the Dionesium in their systems. (Originally, in the New 52, all of Bruce’s scars were healed thanks to the Dionesium. However, references in All-Star Batman #12 and Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #2 Part 4 tell us that this is not the case in the Rebirth Era. Bruce’s scars remain. Also note that this entire fight and getting Dionesium into Batman’s bloodstream has been manipulated and orchestrated by the Court of Owls, who are doing the bidding of the Strigydae high priests of Barbatos’ Judas Tribe as part of their ongoing “Mantling” ritual.) Joker, now with a seemingly benevolent and affable personality, wanders the streets of Gotham. A befuddled Batman wanders aimlessly into the nearby forest. The Bat-Family mourns the loss of Batman, but they soon find him. Bruce is taken-in by Alfred, who refuses to tell him about his past as Batman, hoping he can live a civilian life now. With reports of Batman’s death hitting the mainstream news outlets fairly quickly, the GCPD, along with tech entrepreneur Geri Powers (owner of Powers Industries), builds a one-person-controlled Batman-robot mech to replace the Dark Knight. Jim Gordon steps down as commissioner to pilot the mech (which has a semi-sentient Batman AI that has been programmed with the Dark Knight’s positive morals). Gordon becomes the new Batman! Maggie Sawyer replaces him as commissioner. With an ops team of Julia Pennyworth and Daryl Gutierrez (a friend of Duke’s) backing him up, robo-Batman takes to the streets for regular patrols. Meanwhile, Bruce takes a job at The Lucius Fox Center For Gotham Youth and begins working with and dating a returning Julie Madison!
–REFERENCE: In Red Hood & The Outlaws Vol. 2 Annual #2—originally told in Red Hood/Arsenal #3-5. Early September. Red Hood and Arsenal track Underbelly, an amorphous blob monster that is the living embodiment of evil, to Gotham. While in Gotham, Arsenal meets with his AA sponsor Killer Croc (!) and Jason reunites with an old friend from his childhood as well. Later, Red Hood, Arsenal, and Robo-Batman (Jim Gordon) fight and defeat Underbelly, learning that the blob exists as a psychic hive mind manifestation in dozens of cities across America, having been born as a combination of a bunch of Arkham Asylum inmates’ evil thoughts that had been contained in a bizarre sci-fi lobotomy machine, which was broken by Joker years ago. Meanwhile, on the Isle of Capris, Sera Phina resurrects a bunch of people that Red Hood has killed in the past—including Palette, Suzie Su, and members of The Mime Army—to form the super-villain team known as The Hero Manifesto. (Note that Red Hood didn’t actually kill Suzie Su before because she is basically immortal. Suzie, a transwoman, gained invulnerability powers when she transitioned!)
–REFERENCE: In Nightwing Vol. 4 #27, Batman & The Signal #1-3, Tim Drake: Robin #1, and Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #10 Part 3—originally told in We are Robin, Robin War, and Grayson #15. A teenage superhero group that idolizes Robin—calling itself “Robin” aka “We are Robin”—forms in Gotham. Their numbers range into the dozens, but members of the “Middleton Robin Cell”—Duke Thomas, Isabella “Izzy” Ortiz, Troy Walker, Andre “Dre” Cipriani, Riko Sheridan, Shug, and Daxton “Dax” Chill take charge as leaders. (It’s unknown for certain whether or not Dax Chill is the legit son of Joe Chill, but he very well could be. In my headcanon, he is!) Notably, Darcy Thomas (no relation to Duke) is another member of We are Robin, although not a part of the Middleton Robin Cell. After teaming with Robo-Batman (Jim Gordon) and the Bat-Family (including Dick, who has recently quit his post at St. Hadrian’s and is currently warring against Spyral) to stop the resurgent Court of Owls, the Robin gang is vitiated, outlawed, and impelled to disband. Only Duke keeps his Robin gear and continues to play superhero afterward. Afterward, Dick learns about the existence of the Parliament of Owls and is sworn-in as a member. (He hopes to bring the group down from within.)
–REFERENCE: In Batwoman: Rebirth #1, Detective Comics #958, and Punchline #1—originally told in Batman & Robin Eternal. When Mother returns—along with David Cain and a returning Azrael (Jean-Paul Valley Jr)—to threaten the entire planet, a group of heroes join forces to fight her.[6] Dick returns to the fold, revealing to the Bat-Family that he is alive and well. Dick leads Robo-Batman (Jim Gordon), Helena Bertinelli, Batgirl, Red Robin, Robin, Red Hood, Spoiler, Cassie Cain, Duke Thomas, Bluebird (Harper Row), Cullen Row, and Midnighter to fight Mother and her brainwashed soldiers across the globe. Dick talks down Jean-Paul, causing him to see the error of his ways. Likewise, David Cain betrays Mother, sacrificing his own life to end hers (and her threat). During this conflict, Harper and Cullen learn that Cassie, acting as a brainwashed child-soldier, killed their mother years ago. Despite this revelation, the Rows support Cassie, remaining her friend.
–REFERENCE: In Batman: Prelude to the Wedding Part 4 – Red Hood vs Anarky #1—originally told in Catwoman Vol. 4 #49. Catwoman, wanted for a murder she didn’t commit, steals Penguin’s hard drive containing incriminating documents pertaining to high profile celebs, superheroes, and mob bosses. Hoping to find exonerating evidence for herself, Catwoman asks close friend and hacker Alice Tesla to scan the list of names attached to the encrypted files. Selina then reaches out to set up a dinner meeting with Bruce to ask him for help. Unfortunately, Selina doesn’t know that Bruce is currently an amnesiac with no memories of the Bat-Cat relationship. Bruce dutifully contacts the GCPD, reporting that the known fugitive has contacted him. At the dinner date, a sting operation, Batman (Jim Gordon) and his officers bust poor Selina. Don’t worry, though. Selina will soon get out of jail and prove her innocence thanks to help from her pals, including Alice Tesla.
–REFERENCE: In Dark Days: The Forge #1, Dark Days: The Casting #1, Dark Nights: Metal #2, Batman: The Merciless #1, Detective Comics #1023, Task Force Z #5, and Task Force Z #11—originally told in “SUPERHEAVY.” In a science facility, Geri Powers shows Jim Gordon a squadron of prototype robo-Bat-mech costumes. She also show him a Collider (of the Large Hadron variety) in one of her science facilities. She reveals that, with this Collider and decades of development, Powers Industrial scientists have developed a brand new bizarre element—the darkest-colored and heaviest metal known to man. In honor of the hero of Gotham, they’ve named it Batmanium! (Unknown to Geri, the Court of Owls—mostly via the prior owners of Powers Industrial, Geri’s Court of Owl member parents—has been funding the creation of this new element with the sole purpose of its use as the final metal needed in the “Mantling” ritual to summon Barbatos and his minions through Batman’s body.) Shortly after the Batmanium reveal, new super-villain Mr. Bloom attacks Gotham, spreading grotesque metahuman powers to Gotham’s citizens via bizarre seed capsules. Robo-Batman (Jim Gordon) fights the debuting Mr. Bloom (along with a bunch of commandeered Bat-mech drones designed by Geri Powers). Robo-Batman is soundly defeated. Duke Thomas, having deduced that Bruce Wayne is Batman, talks to him, jogging part of his memories. Against a saddened Alfred’s wishes, and with Julie Madison now knowing his secret and present, Bruce uses the memory data-personality map from his unfinished cloning machine to irradiate himself with Promethium rays, returning himself back the good ol’ Dark Knight we know and love. As Bruce’s memories return, lingering Dionesium in his body causes him to witness a vision of alternate versions of himself dying on other timelines. Donning his recently-designed new costume (new black chest insignia with yellow outline, no trunks), the real Batman returns and kicks Mr. Bloom’s ass. Using the strange mystic powers of Batmanium, robo-Batman delivers the finishing blow on Mr. Bloom. Most of Gotham is then returned to status quo, although Daryl Gutierrez remains trapped with an altered body and metahuman powers that make him evil. Daryl goes into Arkham Asylum. Gordon retires as Batman, returning to his position as commissioner. Finally back, Batman visits with the Bat-Family. (A single-panel flashback from Batwoman Vol. 3 #9 shows the reassembled Bat-Family—Batman, Batwoman, Batgirl, Red Hood, Nightwing, Robin, and Bluebird—posing during this reunion gathering.) After the Bat-Family fills-in Batman on all that he missed while he was an amnesiac, the Dark Knight researches the mysterious Dionesium. Later, Bruce offers Duke a spot in the Bat-Family. Cassie Cain takes the new superhero codename “Orphan.” Bluebird (Harper Row) retires as a crime-fighter, choosing to go to college instead. Bruce, back in his full-time role as Batman, ends his relationship with Julie.
–REFERENCE: In the second feature to Detective Comics #1061. Batman uses Crazy Quilt’s “healing stitch” to reattach Alfred’s severed hand.
–REFERENCE: In Super Sons #5. Having switched to his new costume (new black chest insignia with yellow outline, no trunks), Batman puts his previous one (as he always has done before) on display in the Batcave. Moving forward, while Batman will primarily use his new chest-insignia costume (sans trunks), he will sometimes still wear his classic duds (old school insignia with trunks).
–REFERENCE: In Flash Vol. 6 #10. Batman tells the JL he is going to disassemble the Justice Buster mech. However, since we’ll see it again in the future, this is either a lie or he never gets around to it.
–REFERENCE: In Detective Comics #1000 Part 5 and Detective Comics #1000 Part 10. September 21. Batman, as he does every year on the anniversary of his parents’ murders, visits both Crime Alley (where his parents were killed) and the cemetery where his parents are buried.
–FLASHBACK: From Batman Vol. 3 #150. Batman fights Mr. Freeze and his latest henchmen (including Belle). When Belle falls off a roof during the combat, Batman saves her life.
–REFERENCE: In Gotham Academy: Second Semester #9-12—originally told in “SECOND SEMESTER” (Gotham Academy: Second Semester #5-8). Freshmen Gotham Academy students Colton Rivera and Pomeline Fritch break into the office of weirdo librarian Mr. Scarlet (aka Bookworm). Colton steals an antiquarian campus map belonging to Headmaster Hammer (which Scarlet has already stolen from Hammer) only to get caught and expelled for the theft. The rest of Pomeline and Colton’s crew—Maps Mizoguchi, Kyle Mizoguchi, Katherine Karlo (a relative of Clayface’s that also has shapeshifting ability), Olive Silverlock (currently being haunted by the ghost of Amity Arkham)—immediately hires top lawyer Anaica Fritch (Pomeline’s mom) to set up a hearing to fight against Colton’s expulsion. The Gotham Academy Board of Directors, including Bruce Wayne, gathers. Meanwhile, across campus, Pomeline and Tristan Grey, having stolen the map yet again, use it in an attempt to locate the hermetic tome known as “The Old Book of Gotham.” Tristan and Pomeline are joined by Colton, Maps, Olive, Kyle, Katherine, and Eric Jørgensen, marching deep beneath the campus grounds into surrealist catacombs designed by Ambroos Lydecker. The spirit of Amity Arkham possesses Olive, who runs off. After splitting up, Colton, Pomeline, and Katherine find the “Old Book of Gotham.” Mr. Scarlet sneaks up behind them and attacks. After a scuffle, the kids flee with the tome. Back aboveground, the entire gang—along with Isla MacPherson, Isla’s dog Ham, and Batman—confront the possessed Olive, who ignites her entire body aflame, activating her latent pyro metapowers. Under plenary control of Amity, who wants to kill a bunch of Gothamites, Olive goes wild and disappears in a fiery flash, flying off toward the city.
–REFERENCE: In Nightwing Vol. 4 #22 and Detective Comics #969 Part 1—originally told in Grayson #16-20. Dick goes against Spyral and winds up fighting against a team of international super spies, after which he defeats a reincarnated Otto Netz. Dick’s secret identity is returned to him via a brainwashing satellite that mind-wipes the global populace. With his secret ID intact and Spyral purged of evil influence, Dick returns to his Nightwing persona and reunites with the Bat-Family.
–REFERENCE: In Legends of the Dark Knight Vol. 2 #10 (Legends of the Dark Knight Vol. 2 Print Edition #5). October 7. Batman and Martian Manhunter meet up to make sure that an imprisoned Calendar Man’s temporary Martian demigod powers stay in check. Moving forward, it’s possible that Batman and Martian Manhunter do this preventative check for the next few months as needed (on Martian holidays), but it’s just as likely that J’onn handles it himself too. As mentioned earlier, in this issue, Batman says his birthday is October 7, but this is a continuity error. Batman’s birthday is in February.
–Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #4 Part 1
When seventeen people—including Cullen Row—are kidnapped, Alfred loads up the anti-vampire Sanguisuge program into the Bat-suit and sends Batman on his investigative way. Batman meets with the only witness to any of the kidnappings, a woman with no recorded history using the pseudonym Jane Smith. The mysterious Jane reveals she is a hundreds-of-years-old creature born in/of the demonic otherworldly Garden of Darkness (aka Dark Garden), which exists deep below where they currently stand. (This living evil void could be linked to the Great Darkness, although this is not confirmed.) After taking human form and living in the original 17th century Gathome/Gatham Settlement, Jane’s evil kin (the Garden of Darkness itself) came searching for her. Unable to get her to return, they instead began kidnapping and feeding on any human with whom she had come into close contact. At Batman’s urging, Jane whisks the Dark Knight to a lair miles beneath Gotham where he comes face to face with a living black abyss that swallows him whole, pulling him deep unto itself. After shrugging off various hallucinations, Batman finds himself at the bottom of the Garden, which is filled with skulls. The Garden appears before him as a horrific monster, which causes him to see more hallucinations. Eventually, Batman uses his anti-vampire costume to fend of the Garden and rescue Cullen and a couple other victims. Batman and the abductees escape to safety, but Jane is re-absorbed into the living darkness.
–REFERENCE: In Batman Beyond: Neo-Gotham #2-3. Bruce has the Wayne Enterprises seal up a Court of Owls tomb, which is deep below Gotham City. He also makes sure that the Garden of Darkness gets sealed away inside the tomb as well.
–FLASHBACK: From Batman: One Bad Day – Two-Face #1. An escaped Two-Face places Batman in a deathtrap.
–REFERENCE: In Strange Love Adventures #1 Part 6. The Bat-Family poses for a photograph in their civilian clothes. Present are Bruce, Alfred, Dick, Jason, Tim, Damian, Duke, Cassie, Stephanie, and Babs. Note that Babs is inexplicably shown sitting in a wheelchair. However, since Duke is in the picture, this has to go here at the earliest, long after Babs would have regained use of her legs. Make of it what you will.
–REFERENCE: In Batman/Superman Vol. 2 #4. Gordon’s primary robo-Bat-suit goes into storage. But before it goes, Batman inspects it and installs a remote-controlled self-destruct mechanism into it, just in case.
–FLASHBACK: From Batman: The World Part 4. Batman learns that his old Italian friend Cesare has become a Janus-themed super-villain called Ianus, basically Rome’s version of Two-Face. Batman is forced to fight his former chum and his gang in order to rescue a kidnapped woman. Ianus goes to jail.
–FLASHBACK: From Detective Comics #1027 Part 1. Batman takes on Catwoman only to get buried under hundreds of pounds of kitty litter.
–FLASHBACK: From Detective Comics #1000 Part 3. Knute Brody (being played by Batgirl this time!) joins up with an escaped Riddler, who has kidnapped a bunch of Arkham Asylum doctors and put them into a giant death trap. Batman, with a little help from Brody, busts Riddler and saves the doctors.
–Con Edison and The Justice League Meet Joultz #1[7]
The JLA—Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Aquaman, and Flash—takes on the threat of a electric-based alien giant in Benson Harbor, NY. During the fight, they are joined by debuting rookie hero Joultz. Using electric powers of her own, Joultz (along with Superman) defeats the alien. Joultz then introduces Superman to her dad.
–FLASHBACK: From Batman Vol. 3 #52. Batman defeats an escaped Mr. Freeze, who debuts yet another new costume.
–FLASHBACK: From Batman Vol. 3 #118. Batman completes an unspecified case, after which he winds down by playing chess with Alfred.
–NOTE: Referenced in Justice League Vol. 4 #14-16—originally told in The Death of Hawkman. The Savage Hawkman returns to Thanagar to defend the planet against an invasion by Despero and the forces of Warworld. Hawkman fails and is killed. Despero ravages the entire planet of Thanagar, leaving it in complete ruins. Still unknown to the rest of the superhero community, the primary Hawkman remains trapped in the Dark Multiverse, but we’ll get to that soon.
–REFERENCE: In All-Star Batman #11 and Dark Days: The Casting #1. Unable to shake the vision of alternate versions of himself dying, Batman begins working on his cloning machine again with hopes of learning more about the “dark energy” metal. Batman is convinced that he is the central player in a cosmic mystery and that the cloning machine can help figure it out. Cloning is a hell of a thing though, and a bit out of the range of Batman’s super-science expertise. Batman will continue working on this project on-and-off for the rest of the year. Likewise, Batman initiates a related project, “The Alfred Protocol.” Batman secretly scans a data map of Alfred’s mind, connecting it to a life-size hologram of Alfred. He plans to use Alfred’s consciousness to build a sentient AI version of Alfred that will be linked to the Bat-computer. Bruce keeps both his continuation of work on the cloning machine and the Alfred Protocol programming a secret from Alfred, but Alfred finds out anyway. Batman will continue working on perfecting the Alfred Protocol for the whole year as well.
–REFERENCE: In Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War – Scorched Earth #1. At an archeological dig, Bruce obtains part of the meteorite that once endowed Vandal Savage with immortality. After intensive study, Batman discovers dormant microscopic alien parasites living within the meteorite. Batman determines that the meteorite and its parasites are connected to the Lazarus Pits. (In fact, the meteorite and its parasites created the Lazarus Pits on Earth.) Batman stores the meteorite chunk in the Batcave. Unknown to Batman, the parasites will slowly infect anyone that owns or is in close proximity to fragments of the meteorite, causing them to move to and/or stay in Gotham. (This obviously will have a hidden effect upon the Dark Knight for years to come.)
–REFERENCE: In Batman: Knightwatch #2 Part 2. Batman creates a new experimental flying Bat-suit known as the Bat-Tech Wing. This costume appears to be modeled off Batwing’s armor.
–FLASHBACK: From Batman vs Robin #5. Batman saves an unnamed woman from a burning building.
–REFERENCE: In Batman: The Detective #5. Batman travels to Europe to work a special unspecified case. While there, he works with various agency heads, police officials, diplomats, spies, and mercenaries. While not marked on our chronology, moving forward, Batman will go to Europe every once in a while in the years to come, and he will meet, work with, and befriend many people of this ilk.
–REFERENCE: In Batman: The World Part 8. Batman, Nightwing, and Batgirl begin tracking an arms dealer working out of ships in Gotham Harbor. They will monitor him for months to come, tracking his every movement.
–REFERENCE: In Robin Vol. 3 #3. Batman busts an unnamed blonde super-villain in a circus strongman outfit, dragging him from the back of the Batmobile for twenty blocks.
–REFERENCE: In Batman: Black and White Vol. 5 #6 Part 4. Batman begins investigating an abduction and human trafficking ring that is run by a man named Strasser. Without sufficient evidence or knowledge of Strasser’s inner workings, Batman plays the long game and begins a detailed investigation that will last a couple months before any action is taken.
–FLASHBACK: From Harley Quinn: Black + White + Red #2. Harley Quinn captures Batman, ties him up, hangs him upside down, and dunks him in a barrel full of glue and glitter.
–DC: The Doomed and The Damned #1 Part 10
Is this canon? Don’t ask. Darkseid visits Noonan’s Sleazy Pub for a quiet drink. Boy, did he pick the wrong place. After meeting patrons Hacken, Bueno Excellente, and Guts, Darkseid is pressured into a drinking contest against former Hell-demon cum owner of Noonan’s, Baytor. Even Batman, who is just passing by, urges the boozing to commence. Baytor outdrinks Darkseid in a rousing contest, which is live-streamed on Apokolips.
–FLASHBACK: From Detective Comics #1000 Part 3. Batman catches wind that Poison Ivy has been cooking-up some dangerous plant cocktails in her secret lab. Thus, he sends Nightwing undercover as Knute Brody to join her team of henchmen. Brody “accidentally” burns Poison Ivy’s lab to the ground.
–FLASHBACK: From Batman Vol. 3 #50. Batman goes on a date with Catwoman at the zoo, after hours. Much to his surprise (and concern), Selina has set up a picnic blanket right in the middle of the tiger pen. Bruce and Selina drink champagne and eat sandwiches as the tigers cuddle up to them.
–REFERENCE: In Dark Days: The Forge #1 and Doomsday Clock #5. Batman reforms the Outsiders, returning the covert-ops team to its original lineup of Geo-Force, Katana, Metamorpho, and Black Lightning, plus the addition of newcomer Halo (who has just recently debuted as per reference in Suicide Squad Black Files #1). Batman poses for a picture with the Outsiders. The Dark Knight then turns the picture into a holographic stereoscopic image and attaches it to a plinth projector display in Sub-Cave Alpha. The Outsiders will continue going on unspecified missions and investigating the “dark energy” signature found in geological anomalies across the globe. This version of the Outsiders will only last for a few months before disbanding.
–REFERENCE: In All-Star Batman #12-13. Alfred, as he has always done in an effort to subconsciously convince Batman to retire from crimefighting, suggests a Wayne Enterprises real estate purchase in a sunny vacation location. With Alfred’s urging, Bruce authorizes a gentrification project in downtown Miami. Alfred, in his official role as real estate consultant, even helps the marketing team come up with a catchy slogan to help sell the project. Shortly thereafter, WayneTech construction commences, breaking ground on a series of structures, including a new “affordable” ocean-view hotel/condo tower.
–FLASHBACK: From Batman Vol. 3 #50. Catwoman and Batman have yet another amatory encounter atop a Gotham roof.
–REFERENCE: In Trinity Vol. 2 #16 and Suicide Squad Vol. 5 #41-42—originally told via flashback from the second feature to Suicide Squad Vol. 5 #1. The Kobra Cult kidnaps Deadshot’s daughter, Zoe Lawton, and blackmails him into accepting a risky hit on Bruce Wayne. Naturally, Deadshot winds up teaming with Batman to rescue his daughter. Much to the chagrin of Batman, Deadshot murders Lord Kobra (Jeffrey Franklin Burr), who had only recently been resurrected.
–Batman: Black and White Vol. 5 #6 Part 4
Having been tracking the vile Strasser’s abduction ring for months, Batman finally has enough evidence to strike. Upon learning that Clayface was once duped by Strasser many years ago, Batman arranges for his temporary release from Arkham Asylum to help with the final bust. Under Batman’s watch, Clayface morphs into a girl and allows himself to get kidnapped by Strasser’s men. Once inside Strasser’s lair, he frees all the women but goes wild with rage and attempts to execute a captive Strasser. Batman blasts Clayface with a hardening agent just before the villain can cross the line.
–Let Them Live! Unpublished Tales From the DC Vault #3
Batman discovers that twelve patrons of the Willoughby Z Tchalgadjieff Antiquarian Library have gone missing over the course of the past few months. Batman then finds a 18th century book that dissolves in his hands, dosing him with toxins. Realizing the missing persons and the appearance of the strange tome are no coincidence, the woozy, drugged-up Dark Knight goes to the Tchalgadjieff Antiquarian Library. There, Batman confronts elderly bookbinder CJ Greenwood, who has killed the library patrons and bound books using their skin. Batman horrifically realizes that some of the missing patrons volunteered to become book sleeves at the hands of Greenwood, who had entered with them into a bizarre suicide-anthropodermic bibliopegy pact. Of course, the serial killer murdered the others without their consent. Batman trails the twisted bookbinder to the roof of the library, angrily beats the shit out of him, and leaves him hanging upside-down for the cops.
–REFERENCE: In Justice League Vol. 4 #39. Batman meets the god-team known as the Quintessence (Izaya, Zeus, Hera, Ganthet, the wizard Shazam, the Spectre, and Phantom Stranger).
–REFERENCE: In The Unexpected #4. While he’s building Batcaves on the moon, why not build one underwater too? Batman, presumably using the same means and metahuman help for the lunar project, builds the Bat Cove, a large undersea fortress at the bottom of a deep ridge in Gotham Harbor. Batman will grant Bat Cove access to just about every Bat-Family member, moving forward.
–REFERENCE: In Justice League of America Vol. 5 #8. Batman discovers a strange anomalous geographical region akin to Marvel’s Savage Land—a mile-deep tropical valley in Siberia, hidden from the world by magnetic cloud cover. In this deep lush valley, which will later be named Monster Valley, monsters and prehistoric creatures exist. Batman does a flyover to map the area and to take scientific readings. It is possible the creation of this unnatural valley is linked to the 1908 Tunguska Event. Batman begins monitoring the valley and will continue to do so, in perpetuity.
–FLASHBACK: From Batman Vol. 3 #50. Catwoman bests Batman during a robbery, tying him up and hanging him upside-down. Before fleeing the scene, she gives him an upside-down kiss on the lips.
–FLASHBACK: From Batman Vol. 3 #150. Batman goes on a series of patrols, which lead to several adventures. First, he saves someone from an explosion. Later, he obtains a bag full of money (presumably from some bad guys) and gives it to a homeless woman. After that, an escaped Bane kidnaps some people, leading to a fight between Batman and the villain. Presumably, Batman busts Bane and rescues the abductees. And finally, Batman helps a lost child struggling in the rain, giving him his cape to use as a coat. (These events are all shown on a single splash page, and, while they don’t necessarily all go together, I’ve put them all together for simplicity’s sake. The Bane appearance must go no later than Year 15 or 16, which is why the whole shebang is listed here.)
–Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #10 Part 5
Batman drinks protein shakes and works out in the Batcave. When a news report hits the airwaves about Clayface running amok at a fast food joint, Batman is on the case, bringing the villain to justice. Batman then gets a cheeseburger to go, later enjoying it in the Batcave.
–REFERENCE: In Detective Comics #1090. Scarlett Martha Scott resigns from WayneTech to start her own wellness and cosmetics business called Theromise Health. Bruce gives her his support.
–Batman: The Brave and The Bold #19 Part 1
I’ve placed this item here because we are told that its the longest time Arkham Asylum has ever held onto Scarecrow. (It’s been “months” i.e. nearly this entire year.) A mysterious humming noise drones through Gotham City, causing all its residents to go insane with fear. Within a matter of hours, Gotham is in flames and nearly everyone—including Robin, Red Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, and Red Hood—has lost control of their senses. Using special cowl ears, Batman is ablt to protect himself from the hum. Inexplicably, Commissioner Gordon is also able to protect himself from the hum. Batman turns to Scarecrow for assistance, getting him released from Arkham. Batman and Scarecrow battle through hordes of violently terrified citizens, eventually coming to the source of the hum—a device within a tin-man statue atop a tall tv/radio tower. The odd couple works together to shut down the device, after which Scarecrow reveals that he was behind the hum the entire time. The auditory blast was a failsafe designed to go off if Scarecrow was ever in jail for too long. Having exposed himself because he wanted credit for being victorious, Scarecrow happily flees. Batman helps with a recovery effort.
–the second feature to Batman Vol. 3 #119-121 (“THEY MAKE GREAT PETS”)
December 18-22. Batman begins investigating the disappearance of a young girl named Emily Corker. A couple days later, Mia “Maps” Mizoguchi (!) goes home for winter break. (Mia is still a freshman at Gotham Academy.) Mia’s father throws a big party, which is attended by Bruce, who brings along a random date to keep up playboy appearances. Bruce greets Maps at the party. Later, Maps dons her makeshift Robin costume to investigate the disappearance of a schoolmate, Lindsay Okamura, who she believes has gone missing in relation to a series of murders by Gotham River. Maps’ friend Katherine Karlo shape-shifts into her floral barrette and comes along for the ride. While rummaging through Lindsay’s parents’ apartment, Batman shows up, also working the case. (Note that Batman is drawn wearing his yellow oval costume, so this is a big error.) Batman scolds Maps and takes her in the Batmobile to drive her home. En route, several goblin-like creatures cross their path near the river. Batman exits the vehicle to chase the little monsters, but they drag him underwater. After escaping into underground aqueduct tunnels, Batman is radioed by Maps, who tells him, according to her research, the monsters are Japanese kappa imps. Maps joins Batman in the tunnels to witness him fight a swarm of kappa and locate Emily’s dead body. Lindsay, weak but still alive, approaches Batman and Maps. After calming the Kappa, Lindsay says that her grandfather went missing recently and on that day, she found the Kappa in her house. The Kappa mostly listen to her, but some of them went wild. Batman radios Commissioner Gordon to bring animal control into the tunnels. Batman then drops Maps off at her house, but Maps secretly leaves Katherine (still in the form of a floral barrette) inside the Batmobile. Later, Maps goes out to continue the investigation, sending a message to Katherine to let Batman know. (It’s unclear how Maps is able to communicate with Katherine, but oh well.) Shortly thereafter, Maps finds Lindsay’s grandfather’s dead body at his home. Grandpa had died of natural causes, but his now eighty-year-old pet papa Kappa took his body in hope of protecting it. The old Kappa lashes out at Maps, but Batman arrives just in time to save her. (As referenced in Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #10 Part 1, Batman gives Maps a communication device in case he ever needs to get ahold of her again.) Later, Maps and Katherine chat about everything.
–REFERENCE: In DC Holiday Special 2017 #1 Part 10. December 22. Bruce meets with Diana for their yearly tradition of lighting a winter solstice pyre in the woods.
–REFERENCE: In Batman Vol. 3 #24, Batman Vol. 3 #34, and Wonder Woman Vol. 6 #7—originally referenced in Batman Vol. 3 #9-10 and Batman Vol. 3 #15. A Kahndaqi terror group known as The Dogs of War bombs The Thomas and Martha Wayne Home for the Boys and Girls of Gotham (aka The Wayne Home for Wayward Orphans), killing 171 people, mostly orphaned children. Catwoman’s friend Holly Robinson, who once stayed at the home with Selina as a child, snaps. Holly begins a clandestine campaign of bloody vengeance and retribution. Over the course of the next couple months, Holly will stalk all 237 members of the Dogs of War and murder them individually. Batman investigates the Dogs of War bombing as well, but is unaware who is responsible for the executions of the Dogs of War at this point. The Wayne Home for Wayward Orphans begins reconstruction and will eventually reopen in the future.
–FLASHBACK: From Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Spectacular Part 9. Batman and Superman finally introduce their sons to one another. Damian and Jonathan meet for the very first time! Why had the dads kept their sons apart until now? It’s never made clear, but I’m sure they had their reasons.
–REFERENCE: In Dark Nights: Metal #2 and The Batman Who Laughs #3-4—originally told in Batman Vol. 2 #51. Batman builds a new version of the Batmobile that has a high-tech cloaking device with the ability to make it appear like any number of unassuming street-legal vehicles. Later, when a citywide blackout occurs, Batman checks on all the usual suspects, including the Court of Owls. While spying on them, he hears them talk about “The Mantling” orchestrated by the “Strigydae.” If Batman only knew they were talking about him in relation to Barbatos and the Dark Multiverse, but he doesn’t have a clue. Not yet anyway. Later, Batman finds that the blackout was simply a result of natural causes. Meanwhile, unknown to Batman, Joker has begun to regain his evil sensibility and he’s planning his next big action.
–FLASHBACK: From DC’s Grifter Got Run Over By a Reindeer #1 Part 6 Epilogue. December 31. Batman tangles with Catwoman amidst Gotham’s New Year’s Eve ball-drop celebration.
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<<< Rebirth Era Year 14 <<< ||| >>> Rebirth Era Year 16 (Part 1) >>>
- [1]COLLIN COLSHER: In Spring 2017, DC Comics, in conjunction with Japanese shōnen magazine Champion Red, began publishing a monthly Batman and The Justice League manga series by Shiori Teshirogi. This series was later collected as an English language trade paperback in late 2018. While there certainly is precedent for having manga as canon on the primary timeline, this series was likely never intended as such, created more as a means of promotion for the theatrical release of DC films in Japan. The Batman and The Justice League manga features a JL lineup (and Lex Luthor) that conceivably, albeit slightly tweaked, could go here if you really really were determined to canonize it. I’d advise against it, but headcanon is yours and yours alone. While on the subject of Bat-manga, in 2021, Kodansha Publications released Batman: Justice Buster (by Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi) in the shōnen magazine Morning, later re-released by DC in 2023-2025. Batman: Justice Buster, which basically reads like Batman as Iron Man (with Robin as an AI), is also non-canon. In 2021-2024, Kodansha also published Superman vs. Meshi (by Satoshi Miyakawa and Kai Kitago) in the shōnen magazine Evening, later re-released by DC in 2023-2025. This title also features Batman, but it is also non-canon. Similarly, in 2021, Kodansha published Joker: One Operation Joker (by Satoshi Miyagawa and Keisuke Gotou), later re-released by DC in 2023-2025. Again, this title also features Batman, but it is also non-canon.↩
- [2]COLLIN COLSHER: In Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen #4, Lex Luthor, in his “Apex Lex” form, perceives the truth behind either the Rebirth Era’s “Superman Reborn” reboot and/or Doomsday Clock, saying outright that his “accomplishment” of having killed these members of the Crime Syndicate has “been erased by some cosmic realignment I was too small to perceive.”↩
- [3]COLLIN COLSHER: Writer Tim Seeley says that Damian’s soul has been “Claimed. Owned. Destined for the evilest of evils. Not by [just] any other spirit, [but] by the big one. The Accursed.” Again, this could really mean anything. One could guess that Seeley is trying to reference Damian’s 666-future, in which he sells his soul to “the devil” aka Simon Hurt. However, Hurt neither qualifies as a “spirit,” nor would he “have a claim” upon Damian—not yet anyway. Seeley could also be dropping a story hint for something yet to come, though that seems unlikely. (Not only is Terrors Through Time a one-off 80-page holiday anthology special, but Seeley also wasn’t working on any ongoing titles at the time of its release.) Ultimately, Seeley is probably just referencing Satan/Lucifer, citing that Damian has committed actions that will land him in Hell one day. Your headcanon call here, dear readers!↩
- [4]COLLIN COLSHER: Note that the Hawkman that appears here is the New-52-styled “Savage Hawkman” (Katar Hol), a new incarnation of the primary Hawkman Carter Hall, who is currently trapped in the Dark Multiverse. Of course, none of the heroes area aware of this yet, and the confused Savage Hawkman is unaware that he isn’t the primary Hawkman. For those wondering how and why separate incarnations of Hawkman can simultaneously exist, well they just can! As per Robert Venditti’s Hawkman series, due to the cosmic-mystic nature of both Hawkman and Hawkgirl’s reincarnation process, this is possible, and has happened on more than one occasion in the past.↩
- [5]COLLIN COLSHER: Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #2 Part 4 contains two direct flashbacks to “Endgame,” one direct visual reference to “Endgame,” and two generic flashbacks—one showing Batman versus Superman and another showing Batman versus Wonder Woman. The latter two hero versus hero flashbacks are nondescript and could theoretically be attached to any item, but since they also fit here, I’ve decided to include them here too.↩
- [6]COLLIN COLSHER: Is this the same Azrael that appeared in “Knightfall / Knight’s End” as temporary Batman? There’s no consensus nor anything definitively concrete that says he is, although there’s nothing that says he isn’t either. Plus, when you factor in the fact that Jean-Paul is a clone, it only further muddles things. In the New 52, Azrael wasn’t even a part of “Knightfall / Knight’s End” at all. And for years following his Rebirth Era debut, Jean-Paul’s past as a former Batman wasn’t mentioned either, not until a couple vague references in the late 2010s, which still failed to elucidate. Therefore, it’s entirely possible that this Jean-Paul is a new clone of the previous one (i.e. that both are clones). However, going that route would require a lot of explaining—including answering the question of what happened to the first clone. Also, this Jean-Paul, while acknowledging his clone background, seems to regard himself as being in the direct lineage of his father. We can either go with a timeline where there is one Jean-Paul Valley Jr and no one ever talks about his past as Batman anymore or a timeline where there are two Jean-Paul Valley clones but no one talks about that either. For simplicity’s sake, I’ve taken the former path, but I enjoin all readers to go with their gut.↩
- [7]COLLIN COLSHER: B Clay Moore and Luciano Vecchio’s Con Edison and The Justice League Meet Joultz #1 continues the long tradition of edutainment comics published in conjunction with the energy company Con Edison that dates back to the 1990s. The previous two Moore/Vecchio Con Edison and The Justice League chapters were online-only Scrollon comics. The first, entitled “Gassed” was a New 52 release while the second, entitled “Currents,” was a Rebirth Era release. The online Con Ed comics are both non-canon, but there’s no reason this print edition can’t be canon.↩
Given that the Azrael encountered in Batman and Robin Eternal and, later, in Detective Comics, is explicitly said to be a clone of a previous Azrael, and his previous history with the Batman never being brought up, is it not more likely that this is a ‘fresh’ clone of the Jean-Paul who participated in Knightfall and later storylines?
The references to Azrael being involved in “Knightfall” are pretty vague. It’s clear that Azrael was not a part of “Knightfall” in the New 52 at all. And he wasn’t meant to be through most of of the Rebirth Era, at least not until a few writers kinda-sorta referenced him. So, there’s nothing quite clear. It’s true that there’s no concrete definitive moment in the Rebirth Era that screams, “Yes this Jean-Paul from ‘Knightfall,’ he was once a Batman!” Based upon that, it’s definitely possible that the Jean-Paul from “Knightfall” was a clone. However, the current Jean-Paul seems to think of himself as his father’s (Jean-Paul Sr’s) son in a direct lineage sort of way. Plus, if we add in another clone, then what happened to that clone? I could go either way on this one, really.
I think, Dylan, that you are totally onto something big—and at the very least, this all needs to be mentioned on the site. It’s food for thought, and likely should inform folks’ headcanons as they read these funnybooks. Thanks!
The flashback from Batman: One Bad Day – Two-Face of Batman vs Two-face i think supposed to be reference to All Star Batman #3
Thanks again! Fixing!
You mentioned that the Crime Syndicate survived in the current version of Forever Evil, but didn’t they confirmed they all died and later resurrected, along with the rest of Earth-3, per Death Metal – Multiverse’s End? Also, i think there was another reference to that in Green Arrow Vol. 7 #16
Hey Israel! The history of Earth-3’s Crime Syndicate has always been needlessly complicated. Originally, most of the team was killed during the New 52’s Forever Evil, but those deaths were retconned and did not happen in current canon. However, the entire Crime Syndicate all still died a year later during “Darkseid War.” After that, they were resurrected during Dark Nights: Metal. Then, Dark Nights: Death Metal and Infinite Frontier #0 rebooted Universe-3, thus altering the Crime Syndicate further.
1) With the mangas, Joker: One Operation Joker almost certainly can’t fit into canon for obvious reasons. Is there any place that Batman: Justice Buster or Superman vs. Meshi could fit into continuity? I know the Meshi manga is a little out of character, but can Justice Buster work with how Batman is presented at any point in canon?
2) “The previous two Moore/Vecchio Con Edison and The Justice League chapters ” – is there a specific reason these can’t work in canon? If they are brought in, where abouts would they fit? Obviously one is New 52 but I’m curious.
1. Superman vs Meshi and Batman: Justice Buster do not fit into canon anywhere, believe me I’ve tried.
2. The mini-Scrollon comics really were more Con Ed ads than anything else. I had regarded them as definitively non-canon at the time. They now appear to have been scrubbed from the internet, so I can’t even go back and look at them for further details.