Add to favoritesLet me preface this map by saying that it is a complete standalone project. I understand that DC believes Tom King’s run on the main Batman series is canon, but Batman/Catwoman is set in an “alternate” future. I am treating this entire run as a single story, unconnected with any other project or continuity. Now, there are certain story elements that occur in this run that had to have occurred in some capacity in the main DC timeline, but I am not trying to shove this very tightly knit story into that continuity.
All issues of Batman refer to volume 3, when the series was relaunched as part of the DC Rebirth initiative.
The overall title that I have chosen for this project is
Batman Forever
Volume 1: I Am Gotham
Batman Rebirth #1
Batman #1-6 (#766-771)
Batman #9-20 (#774-785)
Batman #23-24 (#788-789)
Issues #7-8 were part of the Night of the Monster Men crossover with Detective Comics and Nightwing. Issues #21-22 were part of the Button crossover with Flash, part of the DC Rebirth narrative. In both cases, King was just a co-writer on his own issues.
Volume 2: Rules of Engagement
Batman #25-47 (#790-812)
DC Nation #0 (first story)
Batman #48-50 (#813-815)
Volume 3: Knightmares
Batman #51-54 (#816-820)
Detective Comics #1000.10
Batman #55-63 (#821-828)
Batman #66-69 (#831-834)
Issues #64-65 were part of another crossover with Flash, which also tied into Heroes in Crisis. They do not take place in sequence even if you were to include them. I have them included with the DC Rebirth map. The Detective Comics story is placed based on events that occur in Batman #55.
Volume 4: City of Bane
Batman #70-85 (#835-850)
The last three pages of Batman #85 should be excluded from this project. They were written by James Tynion IV and go along with his subsequent run.
Volume 5: Legacy
Batman Annual #2 (#34)
Detective Comics #1027.09
Batman/Catwoman Special #1
Batman/Catwoman #1-12
Batman Annual #2 and the story from Detective Comics #1027 are flashforwards dealing with the end of Batman’s story as told by Tom King. Since Batman/Catwoman was not written in a linear matter, strict chronology is not a concern with this volume. My main concern with binding this volume was the cardstock covers and title pages from the main series, which would necessitate a lot of printing. That concern, along with price, led me to order the official hardcover from DC.
Batman/Catwoman
Batman/Catwoman #1-12
Batman Annual #2 (pages 1-30)
Detective Comics #1027.09
Catwoman 80th Anniversary Spectacular
Batman Annual #2 (pages 31-38)
Batman/Catwoman Special #1
While covers are included for each Batman/Catwoman issue, the title pages are not (which is stupid because they could have used the back covers as page fillers on the back of the front cover art).
Tom King also wrote the lead story of Batman Annual #1, three pages of Batman Secret Files #1, and all of Batman Annual #4, all of which I have opted to include in the main continuity books of the era.