Rebirth Year Twelve

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(2013)
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–REFERENCE: In Batman Vol. 3 #44 and Batman Vol. 3 Annual #4. Batman retires his grey-and-black with yellow oval costume, putting it on display with the other yellow oval costume in the Batcave. For the next two years or so, he will only wear his grey-and-black costume (with the black Bat-symbol insignia). (For the past five years, Batman had been wearing both a yellow oval costume and black insignia costume interchangeably.) It’s possible (and likely) that some modifications are made and new tailoring is done on the latest working model of the Bat-costume, but for all intents and purposes, it will look virtually the same: gray-and-black with the black Bat-insignia. Note that Batman will still sometimes randomly wear trunks on the outside of his costume. And he’ll sometimes have a cargo pocket-style utility belt or a sleeker one, depending on his mood (i.e. depending on the artist). This will be Batman’s costume status quo for the next two years—up until the events of “Superheavy” at the tail end of Year Fifteen.)

–FLASHBACK: From Batman Vol. 3 #44, Batman Vol. 3 #50, Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Batman – Hush #1, Batman: One Bad Day – Two-Face #1, Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #2 Part 4, and Batman and Robin Vol. 3 #9—and referenced in All-Star Batman #10, All-Star Batman #13, Batman: Prelude to the Wedding Part 2 – Nightwing vs Hush #1, Detective Comics #990, Detective Comics #1032, Batman: Urban Legends #7 Part 1, Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #2 Part 4, Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #4 Part 4, and Batman: Hush 20th Anniversary Edition. Originally told in “HUSH.” One of Bruce’s closest childhood friends, Dr. Tommy Elliot, returns to Gotham and becomes the super-villain known as Hush. Armed with knowledge of Bruce’s identity as Batman, an injured Elliot wraps bandages around his face and, as Hush, strikes the surprised Caped Crusader, first by hiring Poison Ivy to mind-control a wildly mutated Killer Croc and Catwoman. Killer Croc and Catwoman attack Batman, but the Dark Knight is able to free the minds of those she has held captive. Batman then nurses his wounds and regroups with Catwoman and Alfred in the Batcave. Before heading out to take on Poison Ivy, Batman and Catwoman make out! The Bat and the Cat successfully take down Poison Ivy, who briefly manages to control Superman’s mind. Soon after, Tommy Elliot fakes his own death while Joker, Harley Quinn, and Clayface (all hired by Hush to play along) fight Batman. (Joker and Harley are only working for Hush because he promised them that a returning Jason Todd will soon shake Batman to his core.) After his own phony funeral is held, Hush continues playing mind games with Batman, causing the Bat-Family to confront Riddler, Talia, Ra’s al Ghul, Scarecrow, and Clayface. Batman eventually comes face-to-face with a resurrected Jason Todd (as per Hush’s plan), but Batman doesn’t believe it’s really him, thinking that it must be a transformed Clayface instead. Not getting the reaction he was seeking, Jason departs, saving his big return for another day. Soon after, Hush reveals himself to Batman in grandiose fashion, delivering a sobering truth to his old friend. Years ago, a young Tommy cut the brake cables on his parents’ car, resulting in their untimely deaths. Tommy tells Bruce that he has no regrets about killing his parents, only wishing that he would have done it at their favorite family getaway in the Florida Keys instead of in Gotham. Eventually, with help from a surgically-repaired Harvey Dent (!), Batman successfully defeats Hush. Dent shoots Hush, who falls into the bay and disappears. After this case wraps, Batman tells the Bat-Family all about his tragic relationship with Hush. (Note that Batman Vol. 3 #50 contains two separate “Hush” flashback splash pages, one by Becky Cloonan and the other by Jim Lee, Scott Williams, and Alex Sinclair. Both show Batman and Catwoman kissing.)

–Batman: Hush 20th Anniversary Edition
Immediately following “Hush,” Batman and Superman spend several days scouring the Gotham City Bridge in search of Hush. Eventually, Batman equips himself with brand new gear (a rebreather, special scuba fan boots, and flares), diving to the bottom of the waterway beneath the bridge where he finds evidence that Hush is alive and well. Meanwhile, Hush crawls out of the drink to find Joker and Harley Quinn waiting to ambush him. The dastardly couple wants revenge against Hush because he didn’t deliver on his promise to use Jason Todd to mess with Batman’s head.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman Vol. 3 #50. Batman lurks outside of Catwoman’s apartment window. (Note that this splash page is drawn in Lee Bermejo’s specific artistic style and does not represent any actual costume that Batman has worn in-continuity. However, both Batman and Catwoman’s costumes seem to be most closely linked to what they’d both be wearing at this point on our timeline, hence placement here.)

–FLASHBACK: From Batman Vol. 3 #50. The Neal Adams splash from Batman Vol. 3 #50 could easily occur immediately after Lee Bermejo’s splash (and also make the latter seem way less creepy), which is precisely why I’ve placed it here. Batman and Catwoman pose together atop the latter’s apartment building.

–REFERENCE: In Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #14 Part 5. Hayden Sherman’s Batman: The Brave and The Bold Vol. 2 #14 Part 5 is an Easter Egg story about Batman’s Batcave trophies—and, while there are a lot of specific ones peppered throughout our chronology from this item, there are a lot shown that are pretty out of left field that don’t connect to anything historical. Therefore, we must assume that Batman goes on an adventure (or, more likely, series of adventures) netting him the following items as Batcave trophies: a large Art Deco-style robot, a little statuette, a massive Bat-symbol, a shield with letter A on it, a stack of retro TV monitors, some sort of machine with gears (possibly an engine of some sort), and giant crystals. We can imagine these memento-gathering quests happening back-to-back here on our timeline or they could easily be scattered throughout the chronology as well.

–REFERENCE: In Batman Vol. 3 #140. The Batman of Zur-En-Arrh (Batman’s subconscious backup persona), as he every so often does, takes over Batman’s mind. During this blackout period, Zur-En-Arrh begins developing a new part of the ever-growing Failsafe program, which he deems the “Terminus Project.” The Terminus Project consists of a radical surgical procedure that will be able to pull the Zur-En-Arrh persona from Batman’s psyche and upload it into the Failsafe robot, to be enacted if Batman ever becomes permanently incapacitated. The idea is that, should the Zur-En-Arrh persona need to surface if Batman’s body isn’t healthy, it’ll have a place to live/something to control. While we won’t see it specifically listed on our chronology ahead, Zur-En-Arrh will sporadically continue secret development of the Terminus Project for many years to come.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman: Urban Legends #11 Part 4—and referenced in Batman Vol. 3 #23, Batman Vol. 3 #33, and Super Sons Annual #1. Originally told in Batman Vol. 3 Annual #1 Part 1. Joker sics five vicious German Shepherds—each dressed in a playing card costume—on Batman. Joker then flees with his dogs. Batman and Commissioner Gordon later find the dogs abandoned, but only “Ace” is alive. (Note that, as per reference in The Joker Vol. 2 #1, from this point onward, Gordon will begin randomly dying his hair, so sometimes he’ll be gray, sometimes he’ll be red.) Batman and Nightwing corral the angry pup. Shortly thereafter, Batman and Alfred adopt Ace, re-christening him as the “Bat-Hound II.” (Yes, this is a second Ace. Since we know Batman has a German Shepherd as early as Year 7, yet still has one healthy and well in Year 21, there must be two dogs. Sure, we could apply some sci-fi shenanigans to explain a pup going well beyond its life expectancy, but this Ace debut item seems to fit right here better than earlier. Also, there were two Aces in the Modern Age, so this reflects that.)

–REFERENCE: In Batman: One Dark Night #1-2. Batman deals with new electromagnetic-powered super-villain Edward M Pressler aka EMP, who feeds off of electricity and light and employs a gang of cult-like followers known as the Tazers. Batman bests the Tazers and sends EMP into a special holding cell at Arkham Asylum.

–REFERENCE: In Batman: Urban Legends #20 Part 4. Bruce donates money to help his old friends Sterling and Anna Nielsen honor their deceased daughter by creating a charitable organization known as the Liza Nielsen House. With Bruce’s funding, the Nielsens begin planning. They will work on this project for the next five years.

–Batman: Urban Legends #15 Part 2
Batman attempts to protect smalltime crook Brad Sampey from KGBeast, who has been hired by Penguin to kill him. (Sampey has worked for Penguin for the past decade and is set to give evidence to the DA’s office.) Unfortunately for Batman, Sampey is friends with Plastic Man, who comes to Gotham to complicate things. Batman reluctantly teams up with Plastic Man to go after Sampey. KGBeast tries to kill Sampey, but Batman and Plastic Man save the informant and bust the villain.

–FLASHBACK: From Green Arrow Vol. 7 #7. The Justice League—Batman, Superman, Faith, Major Disaster, Green Arrow (Oliver Queen), Hawkgirl, and the Atom—teams up with Starman (Jack Knight) and Nightwing on an unspecified mission.

–REFERENCE: In Harley Quinn Vol. 3 #73—originally told in JLA #80-82 (“THE WHITE RAGE”). Axis America (a White supremacist super-villain group consisting of Übermensch, Hel, The Mouth, and Mason) tricks the public into believing the Justice League has caused a massacre at their commune. The JL is able to undo this illusion and clear the team’s name.

–REFERENCE: In Dark Days: The Forge #1, Doomsday Clock #5, and DC Festival of Heroes: The Asian Superhero Celebration #1 Part 7. The Outsiders disband and reform, operating under Batman’s same primary mission to explore the “dark metal” mystery. This version of the team includes Nightwing, Arsenal, Indigo (Brainiac 8), Shift, Starfire, Jade, Grace Choi, and Thunder (Black Lightning’s daughter, Anissa Pierce). Note that Grace Choi and Thunder (who will later date each other) must each be around thirteen-years-old (at max) for our timeline to make any sense at all. Also note that Captain Boomerang Jr (Captain Boomerang’s son Owen Mercer) was originally a member of this Outsiders lineup in the Modern Age too, but—as per Suicide Squad Vol. 5 #47—Mercer doesn’t get into the costumed vigilante game in the Rebirth Era, instead becoming a wealthy inventor, tech industrialist, and arms dealer. Mercer won’t even meet his dad until Suicide Squad Vol. 5 #47 (i.e. at some point in Year Seventeen). Despite not ever picking up the mantle of Captain Boomerang Jr, as referenced in Wonder Woman Vol. 6 #12, Mercer will later go to prison due to his arms dealing.

–NOTE: In Doomsday Clock #5 and Titans Giant #3 (aka Titans: Burning Rage #5)—originally told in Teen Titans Vol. 3 #22-23 (“LIGHTS OUT”). Batman is not in this item, but it bears mentioning because of its link to the Rebirth Era history of the Teen Titans. The Teen Titans lineup now includes Robin, Beast Boy, Starfire, Raven, Cyborg, new Speedy (Mia Dearden), Red Star (Leonid Kovar), Hawk (now having returned to his old moniker following his villainous stint as “Extant”), and Dove.^[1] When Dr. Light swears public vengeance on the Teen Titans, the young heroes—along with Nightwing, Flamebird (former Bat-Girl Bette Kane), Starfire, Arsenal, and Tempest—defeat him in battle.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman: Urban Legends # 1 Part 1—and referenced in Trinity Vol. 2 Annual #1 Epilogue, Batman Vol. 3 #33, Red Hood & The Outlaws Vol. 2 #16, and Red Hood: Outlaw #35. Originally told in “UNDER THE HOOD” and “FAMILY REUNION.” Jason Todd makes his dramatic return as the super-villain/anti-hero Red Hood. He makes his presence felt in the Gotham underworld by murdering eight top mob lieutenants and delivering their severed heads in a duffel bag to their bosses. Red Hood then plays mind games with both Batman and Nightwing while the heroes deal with Black Mask. Red Hood attacks Batman one-on-one and shockingly unmasks. Stunned at the fact that Jason is alive, Batman and the Bat-Family struggle in battle against him. The fight ends in a stalemate. Batman returns home to talk to Alfred about Jason’s return. A compassionate Alfred tells Batman that they both let down Jason, but Batman is unable to view him as a former pupil and son, now only seeing him as an unstable foe.

–Batman: Urban Legends #22 Part 2
Batman discovers that someone has publicly leaked 3D printer blueprints for his Bat-weaponry. In conversation with Alfred, Batman notes that only seven people (besides Alfred) have been trusted with his grappling guns, Batarangs, and smoke pellets. (Plenty of people have technically had access to Bat-tech, but the seven who have actually regularly used the aforementioned specific Bat-tech are Nightwing, Oracle, Red Hood, Robin, Huntress, Azrael, and Batgirl.) Batman also tells Alfred he’s worried about another Red Hood incident. Soon afterward, Anarky reveals that he has hacked into Batman’s system and released the schematics. With unexpected help from some kids that have printed out Bat-weapons, Batman busts Anarky. Later, Batman scrubs the schematics from the internet.

–FLASHBACK: From Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Spectacular Part 8 and Robins #2—and referenced in Young Justice Vol. 3 #18 and Robins #1. Originally told in Robin Vol. 2 #124-126. January 18. Jack Drake finds out that his son is Robin, and he is not pleased. This causes such a kerfuffle that Tim resigns from his superhero post! Batman wastes no time in immediately appointing Stephanie Brown as the new Robin! She dons one of Tim’s spare costumes. On Stephanie’s second night as Robin, she attends a school dance, much to the chagrin of Batman. On day three, Batman and the new Robin train, after which Alfred designs a special Robin costume just for her. The fresh Dynamic Duo brings down an escaped Firefly at an amusement park, but they don’t work very smoothly together. On day four, Batman, dedicated to making it work with his new Girl Wonder, builds a changing station for Stephanie in the Batcave. Soon afterward, when teenage boys mistakenly suspected of being the former Robin begin being murdered in Gotham, Batman tasks Stephanie with her final training “gauntlet” challenge, which is to solve the case. Sure enough, Stephanie proves to be a good detective, pinning the crimes on the assassin Scarab (Maat Shahid). Unfortunately, Scarab bests the Dynamic Duo in battle and escapes. Undeterred, Batman will go on several unspecified (but successful) patrols and missions with his new Robin for the next 44 days (overlapping with some of the next items on our list below).

–REFERENCE: In Action Comics #1004, DC’s Saved By the Belle Reve #1 Part 6, and Batman: Urban Legends #19 Part 1. January 20. Lex Luthor is inaugurated as President of the United States of America. Pete Ross is sworn-in as his Vice President. Jefferson Pierce (Black Lightning), despite a strong distaste for Luthor, becomes the Secretary of Education.

–REFERENCE: In Deathstroke Vol. 4 #19 and Batman: Black and White Vol. 5 #5 Part 1. Batman tells his “criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot” mantra to Stephanie.

–REFERENCE: In Dark Days: The Forge #1, Dark Nights: Metal #5, The Terrifics #1, and The Terrifics #5. Mr. Terrific meets with a troubled and completely unstable Plastic Man, who has been having increasingly worse nightmares night by night. Realizing that Plastic Man’s dreams are linked to the ongoing dark metal investigation, Mr. Terrific runs tests on him with Batman. They learn that Plastic Man is a superconductor for dark cosmic energy—he’s literally been experiencing the nightmares of every living being on multiple universes. Further examination and extraction of molecules reveals that Plastic Man can physically access the Dark Multiverse! After Batman preps him and explains a priori ideas about the Dark Multiverse, Plastic Man agrees to help his friends by acting as a human probe of the Dark Multiverse. However, shortly after he crosses over, Plastic Man quickly returns in a state of utter catatonic shock. His nightmare visions increase tenfold and his impulse to give into pure evil becomes overpowering. Thus, Plastic Man puts himself into an inert (and unconscious) permanent egg shape. Batman, Mr. Terrific, and select unknown others discuss (likely the Outsiders) the danger Plastic Man poses, even as an egg. They decide to put him into stasis and top secret storage. (Note that The Terrifics #5 specifically tells us that Plastic Man will be stuck in egg form for around five years.)

–REFERENCE: In Batman: The Brave and The Bold #19 Part 5. Batman saves two unnamed people from Victor Zsasz.

–REFERENCE: In Nightwing Vol. 4 #22. Batman and Nightwing team-up to bust Penguin’s top enforcer/henchman Stallion.

–REFERENCE: In Nightwing Vol. 4 #22 and Nightwing Vol. 4 #27. Batman and Nightwing bust super-villain couple Giz (Brendan Li) and Mouse (Pamela Sweigeld) as they attempt to break Catman out of Arkham Asylum. Giz is an expert computer hacker who owns a pet squirrel named Goober. Mouse is an acrobatic genius thief who has trained under Catwoman.

–REFERENCE: In Dark Nights: Metal #1, Action Comics #1004, and Justice League Vol. 4 #12—originally told in “WORLD’S FINEST (PUBLIC ENEMIES).” When a giant Kryptonite asteroid plummets toward Earth, President Luthor takes the opportunity to frame Superman and push him to the top of America’s Most Wanted List. Batman comes to Superman’s aid against hordes of heroes and villains alike—including Mongul, Solomon Grundy, Mr. Freeze, Nightshade, Gorilla Grodd, Lady Shiva, Mr. Polka-Dot, Black Spider, the Cheetah, Black Manta, Captain Atom, Major Force, Katana, John Stewart, Black Lightning, Power Girl, and Starfire. Batman and Superman evade their tormentors and infiltrate the White House to publicly expose President Luthor as a drug-addled super-villain, revealing his addiction to Venom and synthetic Kryptonite to the entire world via live TV broadcast. President Luthor flips-out, dons a large war-mech version of his old green super-suit, and attacks the heroes. Thirteen-year-old super-genius Hiro Okamura (aka the newest and third Toyman) offers his assistance to Batman and Superman, building a cheeky gigantic Composite Superman-Batman robo-spaceship, which he rams into the asteroid to save the planet. Exposed as a criminal, Luthor goes into hiding. He is immediately impeached and fired from his post, leaving his tenure as POTUS at a mere few months in length. Pete Ross is sworn-in as the new POTUS, making Lana Lang the new First Lady. Superman keeps Luthor’s war-suit as a trophy.

–REFERENCE: In Deathstroke Inc #1-2. Batman begins working with Toyman (Hiro Okamura) to construct a series of new mecha-Bat-suits, costumes, and vehicles, many of which will never see the light of day and remain in beta test mode in Okamura’s lab. Suffice to say, Hiro will provide on-again-off-again tech and R&D support to Batman, moving forward.

–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 Catwoman Vol. 5 #51—originally told in Batman #626-630 (“AS THE CROW FLIES”). Penguin hires Scarecrow and Fright (Linda Friitawa) to spread new hallucinogenics on the streets of Gotham. Feeling the heat of the law, Fright turns Scarecrow into the monstrous “Scarebeast,” siccing him on Batman. The Dark Knight defeats Scarebeast.

–REFERENCE: In Wonder Woman/Justice League Dark: The Witching Hour #1, Wonder Woman Vol. 5 #56, and Superman and The Authority #1-4—originally told in JLA #100 and Justice League Elite #1-12. An angry Gaea (the Greco-Roman Goddess of Earth) begins to ravage the planet with a series of natural disasters. As part of an elaborate plan, Vera Lynn Black—sister of Superman rival Manchester Black—re-forms her brother’s old super-villain team known as the Elite, but only in order to stage a mock battle against the Justice League. This mock battle fools Gaea into backing down. Afterward, the JL and the UN approve of Vera continuing the Elite as the Justice League Elite. The new team consists of Vera (who goes by “Sister Superior”), Green Arrow (Oliver Queen), Manitou Raven, Major Disaster, Coldcast, Menagerie, The Hat, Naif al-Sheikh, and Kasumi (an undercover Cassie Cain, who secretly reports back to Batman). The JLElite fights the evil aliens known as The Aftermath, during which Manitou Raven is killed. Soon after, Manchester Black returns and takes control of his sister’s mind and body. Along with the godlike super-villainess Eve, Manchester Black combats the JLElite, JL, and Dawn, who becomes the shaman Manitou Dawn. The heroes win the day, but the JL decides to permanently disband the JLElite, deeming it a failed experiment.

–REFERENCE: In Catwoman Vol. 5 #41—originally told in Detective Comics #794-796 (“MONSTERS OF ROT”). Batman appoints black rookie superhero Orpheus as the new protector of Gotham’s Hill neighborhood (and new leader of the Hill Gang). After teaming with Tarantula, Kafka, and Orpheus to defeat the sentient plague known as The Mugre, Batman realizes that Orpheus is a bit in over his head. The Dark Knight asks for assistance from Green Arrow (Oliver Queen), who sends former League of Assassins member Onyx Adams his way. Batman appoints Onyx as Orpheus’ partner. After sparring with Onyx, Batman is so impressed that he invites her into the Bat-Family and gives her full freedom to operate independently in Gotham. Shortly thereafter, Batman begins devising a complex (but purely hypothetical) “war games” plan to gain control of all of Gotham’s mob underworld. If done correctly, the plan would ultimately culminate with Matches Malone running the whole shebang. Seeing that it isn’t practical and is actually quite dangerous, Batman files the plan away.

–FLASHBACK: From Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Spectacular Part 8 and Robins #2—and referenced in Young Justice Vol. 3 #18 and Robins #1. Originally told in Robin Vol. 2 #127-130. March 8 to 29. On Stephanie’s 48th day as Robin, she botches a return fight against Scarab, which results in Batman getting badly injured. Batman takes three full weeks to recover, during which he suspends Stephanie from action. However, two days after being reinstated, on her 71st day as Robin, Steph disobeys a direct order, which results in her termination. With his dad’s reluctant approval, Tim becomes Robin again.

–REFERENCE: In Catwoman Vol. 5 #41—originally told in “WAR GAMES.” Stephanie Brown, having returned to her Spoiler persona and desperately hoping to regain favor with Batman, initiates his hypothetical “war games” plan. All of Gotham’s top mobsters gather for a big meet, but since Batman hasn’t been alerted, the failure of Matches Malone to show up leads to a chaotic shootout involving Penguin, Deadshot, Hellhound, the Ventriloquist (with Scarface), Mr. Fun, Philo Zeiss, Silver Monkey, and others. The Bat-Family (Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Orpheus, Onyx Adams, Oracle, and Batgirl), Catwoman, and Tarantula are forced to deal with a huge gang war, during which hundreds die and both Orpheus and Spoiler are captured by Black Mask. Orpheus is killed while Spoiler is tortured. The heroes are able to end the gang war and rescue Spoiler, delivering her into the care of Leslie Thompkins. However, wanting to get Stephanie out of the vigilante life, Leslie fakes her death and ships her overseas where she will remain for a couple years. Batman appoints Onyx as the new leader of the Hill Gang, giving her his full blessing to patrol Gotham as she sees fit.

–REFERENCE: In Flash Vol. 5 #21, Detective Comics #967, Batman Vol. 3 Annual #4, Dark Crisis: Young Justice #3, Knight Terrors: Robin #1, and Justice Society of America Vol. 4 #7—originally told in Identity Crisis. Batman Vol. 3 Annual #4 says that Robin’s dad, Jack Drake, dies specifically on March 30. However, Knight Terrors: Robin #1 says that he dies specifically on December 3. The latter is technically a part of a dream sequence, so it holds less weight than the former, but either way, any specificity in regard to the date might be best well ignored. Nevertheless, I have placed this item in late March since it fits quite well here. Onto a synopsis. Jack Drake is attacked by Captain Boomerang, resulting in the deaths of both men. Bruce, Dick, Tim, and others attend Jack’s funeral. Just like Batman and Nightwing, Robin is now an orphan. Marked by this tragedy, Tim moves into Teen Titans HQ and will remain distant from Batman for years to come. The rest of the superhero community is rocked to its core as they discover that the deaths of Captain Boomerang and Jack Drake were manipulated by Atom’s ex-wife Jean Loring, who has become a serial killer. Jean kills Elongated Man’s wife Sue Dibny before being brought to justice. The superhero community is further shocked to learn that the mentally-unwell Jean committed the killings, misguidedly thinking it would drive Ray back into her arms permanently.

–REFERENCE: In Batman Vol. 3 Annual #4. Late March. MMA champion Henry Feder publicly challenges Batman to a fight. Batman turns him down. Over the course of the next year, Feder will mock Batman and continuously challenge him.

–REFERENCE: In Harley Quinn Vol. 3 #37—originally told in Superman/Batman #20-25 (“WITH A VENGEANCE”). During a fight against Atomic Skull, Batman and Superman are kidnapped by The Maximums, anti-heroes from an alternate timeline that are secretly working for Lex Luthor. Eventually, thanks to some “help” from Batzarro and Bizarro #1 (strange backwards versions of Batman and Superman, representing Earth-29’s Unjustice League of Unamerica), the heroes discover that the entire Maximum timeline (along with the Maximums themselves) have been created by Mr. Mxyzptlk on behalf of Joker. Batman, Superman, Bat-Mite, Bizarro, and a host of superheroes from multiple alternate timelines gather together to defeat Lex Luthor, Darkseid, Joker, the Maximums, and a host of super-villains from multiple alternate timelines! Afterward, Mr. Mxyzptlk erases the Maximum timeline from existence.

–REFERENCE: In Flash #762, Flash #768-769, and Flash Forward #6—originally told in Flash Vol. 2 #220-225. Wally West has recently married Linda Park (now Linda Park-West), who now gives birth to twins (Iris “Irey” West and Jai West)!

–REFERENCE: In Robin Vol. 3 #1—originally told in “FRESH BLOOD.” Bruce and Alfred monitor Robin and Cassie Cain as they fight Penguin, the Trigger Twins, and Brutale in Blüdhaven.

–REFERENCE: In Doomsday Clock #5-6—originally told in JLA Classified #1-3. In deep space, the Justice League, sans Batman, gets trapped in the tiny pocket universe called Qwewq. In Africa, the International Ultramarine Corps—along with new members The Olympian (Aristides Demetrios), the Tasmanian Devil, Glob, Kid Impala, The Master, and Fleur-de-Lis—fight against Nebula Man, Gorilla Grodd, and an army of Ape-Men. When the IUC goes down hard, Squire (Beryl Hutchinson) phones Batman for help. Together, Batman and Squire rescue the JL and contain the tiny Qwewq. The heroes then boom to Africa to join the battle. Nebula Man reveals that he is the adult form of Qwewq, which is a sentient time-traveling alternate universe from the future. After defeating the villains, the IUC decides to enter the infant Qwewq to become its peacekeepers and ensure that it doesn’t grow up to become the evil Nebula Man.

–REFERENCE: In Batman: Urban Legends #4 Part 3—originally told in Robin Vol. 2 #138-140. Tim plays spycraft mind-games with Bruce, hiring an actor named Richard Beren to pretend to be his long lost “Uncle Eddie Drake.” Afterward, in Blüdhaven, the US Army’s very own superhero team (consisting of The Veteran, Johnny Cloud III, Ilsa Von Hammer, and Tommy Tinker) recruits Robin into their fold. Concurrently, Darla Aquista, who was recently shot and killed, returns from the dead as the super-villain Warlock’s Daughter, much to the surprise of both Bernard Dowd and Tim.

–REFERENCE: In Adventures of the Super Sons #8, Nightwing Vol. 4 #68, and Nightwing Vol. 4 #80—originally told in Nightwing Vol. 2 #99-100. Tarantula moves to Gotham City and begins using lethal force to bring down criminals. Batman brands Tarantula a villain and tells her to piss-off, which leads to Nightwing busting her when she visits Blüdhaven. Fed up with Blüdhaven and all its complications, Dick resigns from the police force and moves to New York City. Note that, in the Modern Age, Blockbuster (Roland Desmond) heavily factored into Nightwing’s police resignation and subsequent departure from Blüdhaven. However, in the Rebirth Era, Roland won’t become Blockbuster for a few more years (not until Nightwing Vol. 4 #22). Thus, if Blockbuster is even involved (and he likely isn’t), it would have to be the Mark Desmond version of the character.

–REFERENCE: In Doomsday Clock #5, Doomsday Clock #8, and Detective Comics #992, Justice League Dark Vol. 2 #8, and Batman: Urban Legends #17 Part 3—originally told in JSA #51-56. The Justice League and Mr. Terrific defeat Kulak the Sorcerer and The Warlock of Ys. Concurrently, Black Adam publicly kills the leader of Kobra, Jeffrey Franklin Burr, by ripping out his heart. Black Adam then ousts the dictatorial leaders of the Middle Eastern nation of Kahndaq. He becomes the country’s new totalitarian ruler.

–REFERENCE: In Shadow War: Alpha #1—originally told in “DEATH AND THE MAIDENS.” Nyssa Raatko al Ghul kills her father Ra’s al Ghul and takes over the League of Assassins alongside her sister Talia.

–REFERENCE: In Batman Vol. 3 #34. Batman encounters Talia al Ghul’s elite League of Assassins fighting unit, several dozen warriors collectively known as The Silent Soldiers of the Pit, who have cut out their own tongues and sworn allegiance to Talia and Talia alone.

–REFERENCE: In All-Star Batman #10. Bruce and Alfred learn about a theoretical technology called a “Genesis Engine,” which could potentially be used as a weapon. Finding only circumstantial evidence of its existence, they both dismiss it as fiction.

–REFERENCE: In Mera: Queen of Atlantis #1—originally told in Aquaman Vol. 6 #21-22 (“WITH THE FISHES”). When Gotham gangster Mortimer Coolidge becomes a telekinetic undersea super-villain called The Eel, Batman and Aquaman team up to defeat him.

–REFERENCE: In The Green Lantern #5—originally told in Green Lantern: Rebirth #1-6. When Spectre (the ghost of Hal Jordan) brutally injures Black Hand, Batman trashes Hal, accusing him of being an out-of-control super-villain. Soon after, Kyle Rayner and Guardian of the Universe Ganthet arrive with Hal’s corpse. They warn the heroes that Parallax is coming back. Sure enough, Parallax soon arrives and overpowers the Spectre, taking control of Hal’s soul. Now with the combined power of the Spectre and Parallax, ghost Hal fights all the heroes. The Spectre is able eject both Parallax and the spirit of Hal out of his body. Hal’s spirit is then forced back into his body by the power of his old ring. Hal is resurrected! Back as a Green Lantern, Hal teams-up with the rest of the heroes to fight Sinestro and a Parallax-infected Ganthet. Batman argues with Hal, which results in a punch to the face. Eventually, the Green Lantern Corps takes over the battle and wins the day.

–REFERENCE: In Doomsday Clock #2. Bruce lies through his annual Wayne Enterprises psych exam in order to pass.

–REFERENCE: In Batman/Superman Vol. 2 #7—originally told in Action Comics #825 and Justice Society of America Vol. 3 #13. Batman supports Superman in a battle against the debuting Gog (William Matthews), who has been gifted powers by the great evil god Gog. Note that the evil god Gog will soon bestow powers unto another villain called Magog (David “Lance” Reid), but Batman won’t be a part of that so it won’t be listed on our timeline. Justice League Incarnate #4 tells us that the Great Darkness will secretly influence Magog (Reid), which further implies that the Great Darkness is pulling (and has been pulling) the evil god Gog’s strings as well.

–REFERENCE: In Teen Titans Academy #11—originally told in The Return of Donna Troy #1-4. Donna Troy is resurrected from the dead by the returning Greco-Roman gods known as the Titans of Myth (Coeus, Eos, Iapetus, Mnemosyne, Oceanus, Tethys, and Themis). The Titans of Myth are the sons and daughters of the union between the Mother Earth goddess Gaea, and long-banished father of the gods, Uranus. These Titans were the second generation of Greco-Roman gods that were imprisoned when the third and current generation (the generation of Zeus) took over. (The first generation consisted only of Gaia and Uranus.)

–REFERENCE: In Flash Vol. 5 #32—originally told in Man-Bat Vol. 3 #1-5 (“THE RETURN”). Hush hires the super-villain Murmur to frame Man-Bat for screwing-up Black Mask’s operations. Batman shuts down the resultant battle-royale involving Hush, Murmur, Black Mask, and Man-Bat.

–REFERENCE: In Heroes in Crisis #3—originally told in Green Lantern Vol. 4 #9. Batman and Hal Jordan reluctantly make amends, teaming-up to defeat the debuting Tattooed Man II (Mark Richards) in Gotham City.

–REFERENCE: In Green Lantern Vol. 7 #15. Bruce purchases several tropical islands. On at least one of these islands, he constructs (with metahuman assistance) a hidden Batcave filled with vehicles, materiel, and weaponry. Batman gives all Bat-Family members access to and alert notifications for the new island Batcave. On the isle, along with Hal Jordan (and other metahuman assistance), Batman plans out and begins construction on a new supersonic stealth plane called the BatWolf. While we won’t see it on our timeline ahead, Batman, Hal, Nightwing, and Oracle will sporadically work on the BatWolf prototype together in the months to come. Hal will personally test pilot the BatWolf, which will explode twice. Eventually, Batman will come to consider the BatWolf a failed prototype, keeping the final version of it on ice inside “Hanger X” of his tropical island Batcave.

–REFERENCE: In Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular Part 10. Catwoman, having just gotten intel from her pals Slam Bradley and Holly Robinson, notifies Batman that an escaped Joker is targeting a prominent senator at a Gotham arena. Presumably, Batman busts Joker thanks to the hot tip.

–Detective Comics #1027 Part 4
When some of her fellow officers try to plant evidence to cover up their own crimes, Officer Lynn Baker tells her superiors, Detectives Renee Montoya and Crispus Allen. The bad cops try to kill the scrupulous cops, but thankfully, Batman is waiting in the wings. He swoops in and takes out the crooked policemen. Batman then suggests to Commissioner Gordon that Officer Baker should be promoted to the Major Crimes Unit.

–REFERENCE: In Batman Beyond Vol. 8 #6, Batman Beyond Vol. 8 #10, Batwoman Vol. 3 #6, Blue Beetle Vol. 9 #9-12, Detective Comics #967, Detective Comics #980, Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Infinite Crisis #1, Batman/Superman Vol. 2 #6, and Wonder Woman Vol. 5 Annual #2—originally told in DC Countdown #1, The OMAC Project and DC Universe Presents #0 Part 1. Batman learns that he was mind-wiped by several of his superhero peers four years ago, thus exposing the “mind-wipe scandal.” As a direct response, a pissed-off Batman and Mr. Terrific secretly begin working on “The Observational Metahuman Activity Construct Project” aka “The OMAC Project.” This scheme, meant to be the ultimate surveillance device/counter-measure against the threat of super-villainy and/or superhero overreach, consists of a super-AI program called Brother I, an orbiting satellite panopticon designed to monitor and police the globe using thousands of remote-controlled OMAC soldiers. Batman and Mr. Terrific don’t get very far in their programming before they run into problems. Despite not even being half-built, Brother I gains sentience and goes rogue (thanks to the secret machinations of a sneaky Max Lord, who has betrayed his fellow Checkmate operatives Sasha Bordeaux and Jessica Midnight). Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) catches wind of Lord’s shenanigans, but gets a bullet in his head courtesy of Lord. (Note that, while Lord definitely shoots Kord in the head here to successfully silence him, Kord does not die. This is a big difference between the Modern Age and Rebirth Era.) Enraged and seeing no other option, Wonder Woman snaps Lord’s neck, killing him on live TV! Reacting to Lord’s death, the re-christened “Brother Eye” attempts to go live early with plans to destroy all metahumans. Thankfully, Batman is able to shut down Brother Eye, putting the evil AI on the shelf indefinitely. However, before going down for the count, Brother Eye sends out a sliver of itself via a techno-virus, which winds up merging with flu shots all over America. Teenager Kevin Kho gets injected with the virus, becoming Brother Eye’s destructive “One Machine Attack Construct” (or OMAC). While the magna pars of Brother Eye will remain unfinished and dormant inside the Bat-computer network, the sliver of Brother Eye that escaped will remain active and communicative whenever Kho morphs into OMAC. Thankfully, Kho will be able to resist the tiny bit of Brother Eye connected to his system, allowing him to relatively control it and become a superhero. Presumably, Batman and Mr. Terrific will monitor OMAC’s actions, moving forward. (Note that, thanks to Detective Comics #967, the narrative pertaining to this Brother Eye debut item is radically different from any prior incarnation, and this includes both the Modern Age and New 52 versions of the story, which were both based off of The OMAC Project.)

–Batman: Urban Legends #17 Part 3
Batman lets the superhero community know that he plans on freeing the people of Kahndaq from the tyranny of Black Adam. Batman busts some gunrunners, but he gets interrupted by Hawkman, who warns of the danger of going after Black Adam, citing the fact that the JSA has already tried and failed to depose him. Batman digs at Hawkman, asking if he’ll let him remember their conversation after it occurs, specifically referencing the mind-wipe scandal that he’s just recently learned about. Batman tells Hawkman to piss off and enters Kahndaq, quickly rousing up and organizing a large resistance force comprised of remnants of the former government’s military. Batman then challenges Black Adam, who acquiesces by powering down into his mortal form to make the fight even. As they duke it out, Black Adam gains the upper hand with superior fighting technique. Despite having the upper hand, Black Adam pauses the combat. He powers back up and offers Batman a sliver of his magickal power to wield back in Gotham, but the Caped Crusader refuses his dark gift. Meanwhile, the resistance force, having beaten Black Adam’s general Atom Smasher and his Feitheran warriors, blows a hole through the palace wall. An enraged Black Adam spares Batman’s life and orders him to care for his palace staff. Batman takes them to safety and departs the country as Black Adam violently quashes the rebellion.

–REFERENCE: In Justice League of America Vol. 5 #28, Doomsday Clock #6, Adventures of the Super Sons #1, Detective Comics #990, Detective Comics #1010, Deathstroke Vol. 4 #38, Flash Vol. 5 #61, and Justice League Vol. 4 #22, Batman Giant #7 (aka Batman: Universe #3), Naomi #4, Nightwing Vol. 4 #68, Dark Nights: Death Metal – Multiverse’s End #1, Dark Nights: Death Metal #4, Justice League Incarnate #4, Infinite Frontier #5, Dark Crisis: Young Justice #1, and DC’s I Know What You Did Last Crisis #1 Part 5—originally told in Batman #645-647, JLA #115-119 (“CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE”), JLA #121-123 (“WORLD WITHOUT A JUSTICE LEAGUE”), Catwoman Vol. 3 #51, Rann-Thanagar War, Nightwing Vol. 2 #116-117, Nightwing Vol. 2 Annual #2, and Infinite Crisis. Two schemers from erased timelines that were destroyed during the original “Crisis”—an alternate Lex Luthor named Alexander Luthor Jr and an alternate Superboy named Superboy-Prime—have managed to preserve their existence using cosmic magick. Now unleashed upon Universe-0 (thanks to Superboy-Prime literally shattering reality via a meta-punch), they aim to bring back their own worlds at the expense of the very existence of the current multiverse. (Luthor Jr and Superboy-Prime are both being secretly influenced by the Great Darkness and Perpetua.) For the first part of the dastardly plan, Luthor Jr rallies all the bad guys into a Secret Society of Super-villains. Black Mask says he will only join the Society if they help him kill Red Hood. In response, the Society sends Captain Nazi, Count Vertigo, and Hyena (Dr. Jivan Shi) after Red Hood. (Unknown to all, Hyena is actually secretly a Department of Metahuman Affairs agent.) Batman reluctantly teams with Red Hood to fend them off. The Secret Society shows its strength by killing several members of the Freedom Fighters—Uncle Sam, Phantom Lady (Delilah “Dee” Tyler), Black Condor (Ryan Kendall), and Human Bomb (Roy Lincoln). Shortly thereafter, the Justice League disbands. Luthor Jr and Superboy-Prime then initiate the next phase of their plan. With the help of Kanjar Ro, they initiate an interplanetary conflict, which devolves into the Rann-Thanagar War. Luthor Jr and Superboy-Prime then initiate the third and final part of their master plan, starting a new “Crisis” by severely damaging the Watchtower, attacking all the heroes, and ordering the Brotherhood of Evil (including Warp, Phobia, Houngan, Plasmus, and Gemini De Mille) to drop a Chemo onto Blüdhaven. Eventually, as per usual during these crises, the sky turns bright red. This leads to a series of huge clashes—including Catwoman taking on Black Mask and Angle Man—and the brief return of an alternate Superman from another erased timeline (Kal-L). Black Adam fights Superboy-Prime and Psycho-Pirate, badly injuring the latter. In Gotham, Dick proposes to Babs, but tells her not to answer until the crisis is over. Soon after, in what comes to be known as “The Battle of Metropolis,” dozens of villains are defeated. Many are also killed, including Judomaster (killed by Bane) and Luthor Jr (killed by Joker). Superboy-Prime takes on the entire Green Lantern Corps—including Apros, Larvox, Penelops, Soranik Natu (Sinestro’s daughter), Green Man, and Salaak (aka Salakk). Likewise, Nightwing is badly injured and goes into a coma. Superboy (Conner Kent) sacrifices his own life to defeat Superboy-Prime. Wally West and his entire family are exiled to an alternate reality, leaving Bart Allen to take up the mantle of Flash. Plus, reality gets temporarily screwed-up and re-written, but the timeline eventually returns back to how it was before. Luthor Jr’s corpse is put into secure storage by the JL, and it will be held in storage by all future incarnations of the JL. Note that the JL trophies are salvaged during this affair (thanks to automatic phase-shift technology), but the actual lunar Watchtower structure remains damaged beyond repair. While still technically standing and inhabitable, the team will not be able to use it, moving forward. Also of note, the Spectre chooses a new host: the ghost of recently murdered GCPD Detective Crispus Allen. Following “Crisis III” (“Crisis II” was the “Crisis in Time”), Dick wakes up from his coma. Babs returns his engagement ring and they decide it’s best to just remain friends. Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman decide to take the rest of the year off, each going on sabbaticals. (Batman’s time off will only last a couple months.) Batman obtains a prison release for Harvey Dent, briefly trains him, and appoints him as Gotham’s temporary protector. Bruce, Dick, and Tim then travel abroad, where they will remain for the rest of the year. (Note that this Rebirth Era version of Infinite Crisis is bare bones, quite radically different and stripped-down from its original version.)

–REFERENCE: In Doomsday Clock #5 and Action Comics #1004—originally told in 52 #3, 52 #5, and 52 #34. Bruce watches these public events unfold from afar while on sabbatical. Kahndaqi ruler Black Adam publicly executes super-villain Terra-Man, who had committed several crimes after violating Kahndaqi airspace. This sets an ominous precedent of extreme violence by Black Adam toward unsanctioned foreigners within Kahndaq’s borders. Meanwhile, in the States, a team of attorneys exonerates Lex Luthor of any illegal activity that he’s partaken of in the past year, basically giving him a fresh start with a clean slate. Luthor is able to pin every bad thing he did this year, including his Presidential criminalities, on his deceased alternate universe counterpart, Alexander Luthor Jr. Regaining control of LexCorp, Lex enacts the “Everyman Project,” which can turn anyone willing into a super-powered metahuman as long as their genetic make-up syncs with the procedure. People begin lining-up around the block to become superheroes. Unknown to the public, Lex has the control to turn the “Everyman” powers on and off. With hundreds given powers, Lex shuts them down without warning. Hundreds of flying “Everymen” plummet to their deaths. Downtown Metropolis is devastated with piles of bodies and a ton of property damage. (Lex will eventually be charged but acquitted of all crimes related to the Everyman Disaster. He will, however, suffer serious financial losses due to various lawsuits.)

–REFERENCE: In Blue Beetle: Graduation Day #4—originally told in Uncle Sam and The Freedom Fighters #1-2. Bruce watches this public event unfold from afar while on sabbatical. A resurrected Uncle Sam recruits a new Freedom Fighters, consisting of himself, new Black Condor (John Trujillo), new Doll Man (Lester Colt), new Firebrand (Andre Twist), new Human Bomb (Andrew Franklin), new Phantom Lady (Stormy Knight), and new Ray (Stanley Silver). This new team defeats Father Time and Gonzo the Mechanical Bastard. Father Time is the leader of the secret government peacekeeping agency known as SHADE (Super-Human Advanced Defense Executive). Father Time, as inquiring minds will want to know, is also a sentient microscopic creature that resides in the brain of its host body, which he replaces every ten years.

–REFERENCE: In Detective Comics #969—originally told in 52 #33. Massive corruption swells within the ranks of the GCPD. Despite having a clean record and being an honorable man, Commissioner Akins is forced to resign. Jim Gordon comes out of retirement and becomes commissioner once again! Again, Bruce is currently on sabbatical abroad, but he would undoubtedly be following Gotham news.

–FLASHBACK: From Batman: Urban Legends #15 Part 1 and Batman: Urban Legends #16 Part 1—and referenced in Dark Nights: Metal #1-2, and Nightwing Vol. 4 #29. As part of his sabbatical, Bruce is a celebrant in the mystical askesis known as the Thögal (aka Tögal) ritual, during which he travels to North Africa and the Middle East to meditate for long periods of time in complete darkness. (While the flashback from Batman: Urban Legends #15 Part 1 and Batman: Urban Legends #16 Part 1 shows Bruce meditating in a dark cave in a Middle Eastern locale, it doesn’t say specifically that this is Thögal, even implying that the scene could be earlier. However, Bruce meditating in a dark Arabian cave like this can really only be a reference to one thing, right?) While undergoing Thögal, a concerned Zatanna interrupts, telling him it’s time to return to Gotham. She doesn’t say it explicitly, but she likely needs help with their ongoing occult ritual problem that they’ve had for years now. Zatanna even uses their special “reviver” code word in hopes of getting him to leave and reconnect with her, but Bruce ignores it. As the Thögal experience continues, Bruce learns that someone has seriously messed with his head, although he remains unsure of who is responsible (Simon Hurt) and what has been specifically done (the addition of a debilitating post-hypnotic trigger).

–REFERENCE: In Doomsday Clock #8, Heroes in Crisis #7, and Justice League Incarnate #4—originally told in 52 #44-46, 52 #49, World War III, and 52 #51-52. Egg Fu (Chang Tzu) captures a bunch of scientists and forces them to create gigantic techno-organic warriors known as The Four Horsemen. The Horsemen—Azraeuz, Yurrd, Rogga, and Zorrm (better known as Death, Famine, War, and Pestilence of the Four Horsemen)—attack Kahndaq, causing massive casualties, including Black Adam’s wife Isis. In retaliation, Black Adam attacks the nation of Bialya and Egg Fu’s home-base on Oolong Island, setting off a weeklong “world war” in the Middle East. Black Adam is defeated and left powerless, although he flees back to Kahndaq where he will soon regain his powers and his throne. Batman wasn’t involved in the war against Black Adam (as he is still on sabbatical), but he definitely was following along. Afterward, Bruce attends a memorial service to honor the fallen victims. Meanwhile, Booster Gold and Rip Hunter begin investigating Skeets, who has come under the control of the evil cosmic caterpillar known as Mr. Mind. (Mr. Mind is secretly being influenced by the Great Darkness.) Booster Gold and Rip Hunter free Skeets, defeating and imprisoning Mr. Mind in a time-loop.

–REFERENCE: In Black Adam #5. Bruce begins funding the Democratic Reform Movement in Kahndaq. He will do so for years to come.

–REFERENCE: In Shadow War: Alpha #1, Spirit World Vol. 2 #2-3, and Batgirl Vol. 6 #1—originally told in Teen Titans Vol. 3 #44-46, Batgirl #71-73 (“BLOOD MATTERS”), and “ROBIN: ONE YEAR LATER.” Thanks to her mom Shiva, Cassie Cain recently got involved in a League of Assassins civil war, which saw Cassie battle against Nyssa Raatko al Ghul (aka Nyssa al Ghul). Cassie was killed by Shiva (with assistance from her half-brother Mad Dog Cain) and then resurrected in a Lazarus Pit, after which she was forced to fight Shiva, White Willow, Wam Wam, and Kitty Kumbata. Distraught and exhausted (and with her memory of death and resurrection totally erased from her brain), poor Cassie went off the radar completely. Cut to now. Bruce and Tim search for their missing friend only to find Cassie still deeply involved in the League of Assassins civil war. Cassie manipulates a group of ninjas to assassinate Nyssa. Unknown to all, Cassie has secretly been being used as a puppet by Deathstroke, who has drugged her and is basically maneuvering her in an effort to gain control of the League of Assassins. Robin winds up handling the situation on his own, saving Cassie from Deathstroke, sans Bruce’s help. This allows a crafty Talia to regain leadership of the League of Assassins.

–REFERENCE: In Detective Comics #990 and Batman: Urban Legends #4 Part 3—originally told in “ONE YEAR LATER/FACE THE FACE.” Batman officially ends his sabbatical and returns to Gotham to find evidence that Harvey Dent has been using lethal force in his efforts to protect the city. Considering Harvey’s trial period as a superhero a failure, Batman angrily confronts him, but Harvey denies the accusations. Harvey is so upset at Batman’s mistrust that he pours acid on his own face, undoing his surgical repairs to becoming Two-Face all over again. Batman re-jails Two-Face only to learn that he was indeed innocent. A brand new Tally Man, in the employ of the Great White Shark, framed poor Harvey. With the case wrapped, Bruce finally adopts Tim as his legal son. Note that in the Modern Age, Tim moved back into Wayne Manor upon being adopted by Bruce. However, as per Batman Vol. 3 Annual #4, this is not the case.

–FLASHBACK: In Batman: Urban Legends #15 Part 1. Batman meets with Zatanna, saying he is ready to talk about everything between them—both their relationship and their years-long occult ritual problem. But Zatanna is still upset about how Batman dissed her while he was meditating during sabbatical. Batman tries to apologize, but Zatanna tells him that he’s abused their friendship and asks him to leave.

–REFERENCE: In Detective Comics #1000 Part 5 and Detective Comics #1000 Part 10. September 21. Bruce, 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.

–REFERENCE: In Blue Beetle Vol. 9 #11-12. Project Cadmus secretly takes DNA samples from many of the world’s superheroes and super-villains, including Batman.

–REFERENCE: In Batman Vol. 3 Annual #4. MMA fighter Henry Feder, who has been mocking and challenging Batman to fight him all year long, is charged with domestic abuse. When a video surfaces of Feder beating up his girlfriend, Batman finally agrees to face him. A UFC match is scheduled for March.

–NOTE: Via reference in Doomsday Clock #6. Oracle adds the new rookie Judomaster (Sonia Sato) to her rotating Birds of Prey lineup.

–REFERENCE: In Harley Quinn Vol. 3 #57. Harley Quinn steals the famous Camden Madonna painting from the Gotham Museum, drawing Batman’s attention and ire.

–REFERENCE: In the second feature to All-Star Batman #11 and the second feature to All-Star Batman #14. Bruce learns of the horrific mafia-related activities of the richest family on the planet, the Myasnik family of Russia. This family runs the Myasnik Mob, specifically led by its patriarch Papa Myasnik and his daughter Victoria Myasnik (aka “Princess Vik”). Despite being notoriously criminal, the Myasniks control entire countries and are untouchable by the law. Bruce will follow news and rumors about the Myasniks with keen interest, moving forward.

–REFERENCE: In Batman: Gotham Nights Vol. 3 #10. Bruce befriends one of the richest power couples in Gotham—Charles Gaynor and Janet Carlisle. While we won’t see it on our timeline ahead, we can imagine Bruce spending time with both Charles and Janet every now and then.

–REFERENCE: In Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen Vol. 3 #6. Bruce sees a stage show written and directed by Jimmy Olsen’s cousin, renowned Gotham playwright Janie Olsen. Bruce becomes an instant fan and will see many of her plays in the future.

–REFERENCE: In Detective Comics #1008. Batman fights an escaped Joker at Bolland Park (an amusement park that is an analogue of Coney Island). Writer Peter Tomasi insinuates that Bolland Park is supposed to be the now-refurbished and gentrified amusement park from The Killing Joke. However, Doomsday Clock #2 clearly shows that the abandoned amusement park from The Killing Joke stays rundown and condemned, so this cannot be that same place. Nice try.

–REFERENCE: In Joker 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular Part 7. Batman takes on Joker and his henchmen, beating up the whole crew. Joker, however, is able to escape. Joker blames this defeat on one of his henchman, Emiliano, who failed to show up for the job. This guy might’ve tipped-off Batman, but also maybe not.

–REFERENCE: In Batgirls #5—originally told in Superman & Batman vs. Vampires & Werewolves #1-6. Batman, Superman, Jason Blood, Kirk Langstrom, and Green Arrow (Oliver Queen) ally with benevolent vampires and werewolves to take on evil vampires, werewolves, and Cthulhu creatures spawned by the sinister Professor Herbert Combs.

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1. ^[1]COLLIN COLSHER: In Modern Age urtext, the Hawk featured in Teen Titans Vol. 3 #22-23 was not Hank Hall, but instead Dove’s sister Holly Granger. Doomsday Clock #5 implies that the Hawk in the Rebirth Era version of this event is still Hank Hall.↩