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In 2019, DC celebrated Batman’s 80th anniversary with Detective Comics #1000.  A little over a year later, they celebrated 1000 issues since his first appearance in Detective Comics #1027.  Both issues were large oversized issues with a lot of stories.  Here is a reference guide as to how those stories could be bound.  Like with Action Comics #1000, individual stories from these issues might be indicated in maps as a decimal number (ex. Detective #1000.10 indicates the 10th story in the issue).  Any references to “current continuity” just means stories published around the time of these issues.

Detective Comics #1000

01 – Batman’s Longest Case by Snyder
02 – Manufacture for Use by Kevin Smith and Jim Lee
03 – Knute Brody by Dini
04 – Batman’s Design by Ellis

Of the first four stories, only the second doesn’t really fit into the current continuity, due to the yellow circle around the bat symbol on Batman’s chest.

05 – Return to Crime Alley by O’Neil

A sequel to O’Neil’s classic “There is No Hope in Crime Alley” from Detective Comics #457, this story doesn’t really fit into current continuity.

06 – Heretic by Priest

Another story that may or may not be in current continuity.

07 – I Know by Bendis
08 – Last Crime in Gotham by Johns and Jones
09 – The Precedent by Tynion

“I Know”  takes place in the future, possibly the same future as Tom King’s run.  “Last Crime in Gotham” is a dream sequence that takes place on Batman’s birthday, the most recent we saw was in Detective #994-999.   “The Precedent” is another take on the origin of the first Robin.  All three stories share pages with each other, but are the only stories in the issue to share pages.

10 – Batman’s Greatest Case by King

I have placed this story in the Tom King project, prior to Batman #55 (820) due to the appearance of Dick Grayson.

11 – Medieval by Tomasi

This story is the prelude to the arc in Detective Comics #1001-1005.  While several stories from this issue can be placed in sequence with the surrounding issues, this is the only story that has to.

Detective Comics #1027

This issue came out as the Joker War storyline was ending in Batman.  Due to the ongoing storylines, none of the stories in this issue can be placed in sequence with the surrounding issues and would have to go earlier.   Any stories featuring Alfred have to be placed before #1017, and any stories with Jim Gordon as commissioner go before #1018.  The nicest part of #1027 is that no stories share pages, although some do have pin-ups on the opposite sides.

01 – Blowback by Tomasi

This story is part of Tomasi’s regular run on the book.  I’ve placed it prior to Detective #1020.

02 – The Master Class by Bendis

Due to the appearance of Dick Grayson as Nightwing, this story would need to go a little further back on the timeline.

03 – Many Happy Returns by Fraction

A story that bounces around the timeline, it may or may not be in continuity.

04 – Rookie by Rucka

This story fits in better with Rucka’s original Detective Comics or Gotham Central runs from the early 2000s.

05 – Ghost Story by Tynion

An early years story with an earlier Robin.

06 – Fore by DeConnick
07 – Odyssey by Wolfman

Two more stories that can be placed in recent continuity.  The first one features Commissioner Gordon.

08 – Detective #26 by Morrison

A fun little out-of-continuity tale that shows a different angle on the original Batman story from Detective Comics #27.

09 – Legacy by King

This story is part of Tom King’s run and expands on scenes from Batman Annual #2 set in the future.  Placement in that run is dependent on the ending of Batman/Catwoman.

10 – As Always by Snyder

Another story that can be in recent continuity.  Any errors can be chalked up to Commissioner Gordon not being a reliable narrator.

11 – Generations by Jurgens

A prelude to the Generations storyline contained in two one-shots:  Generations Shattered and Generations Forged.

12 – A Gift by Tamaki

This story is a Joker War tie-in, actually taking place before the main action begins in Batman #95 (860).

Had I not already bound “Batman Through the Ages“, several of these stories likely would have made their way into that book.  Specifically #1000.02, 1000.05, 1000.07-09, #1027.03, 1027.08.