Cataclysm (published order)
Prelude – Detective Comics #719
Part 1 – Batman:  Shadow of the Bat #73
Part 2 – Nightwing #19
Part 3 – Batman #553
Part 4 – Azrael #40
Part 5 – Detective Comics #720
Part 6 – Catwoman #56
Part 7 – Robin #52
Part 8 – Blackgate:  Isle of Men #1
Part 9 - Batman:  Shadow of the Bat #74
Part 10 – Batman Chronicles #12
Part 11 – Nightwing #20
Part 12 - Batman #554
Part 13 – Huntress/Spoiler:  Blunt Trauma #1
Part 14 – Detective Comics #721
Part 15 – Catwoman #57
Part 16 – Arkham Asylum:  Tales of Madness #1
Part 17 – Robin #53

This is not a great reading order.  A few notes:
-Many issues focus on a small set of characters at the time the quake hits.  There is a linear story of Batman working his way to the city from SOTB #73, Batman #553, Detective #720, and then Blackgate:  Isle of Men.  But each of the first 8 parts, plus the later one-shots all show the earthquake from the beginning for a new character.
-Robin #52 is the conclusion of a three part arc in that series that happens to end with Robin returning to Gotham and seeing the quake damage.  Completely unnecessary to Cataclysm.
-Azrael #40 is the conclusion of the arc going on in that series, but ties in better to the quake.  Still, it’s not really needed.  If you do want to include that issue, leaving it as part 4 is fine.  While it explains where Sarah Essen-Gordon is when the quake hits (as Commissioner Gordon alludes to a few times in the story), it’s not an important plot point.
-Robin #53 continues directly from Detective #721, and the two issues placed in between should be moved so the momentum of the climax isn’t lost.
-Catwoman #57 doesn’t really contribute to the Cataclysm story, and might have been better served as Aftershock.
-Arkham Asylum:  Tales of Madness is mostly self contained and does get referenced in the Shadow of the Bat issues of Road to No Man’s Land.  It definitely shouldn’t be read as the penultimate chapter as it kills the momentum.  In fact, I really like the idea of placing this issue in the previous Shadow of the Bat volume, after #72.
-Blunt Trauma has to take place after Isle of Men, but it doesn’t have to stay exactly in the sequence DC published it in.
-Batman Chronicles #12 has a lot of short stories that take place during the event.  The original TPB left one out and spread the rest through the book, mostly around Shadow of the Bat #74 and Nightwing #20.  The TPB also put the “Trapped” story in the wrong spot, as it should take place before Nightwing #20 based on Tim Drake’s chronology during the storyline.

Original mapping (including the original Cataclysm TPB)

Cataclysm (original TPB)
Detective Comics #719 (last 4 pgs)
Batman:  Shadow of the Bat #73
Nightwing #19
Batman #553
Detective Comics #720
Catwoman #56
Blackgate: Isle of Men #1
Batman Chronicles #12 (Two-Face)
Batman:  Shadow of the Bat #74
Batman Chronicles #12 (Ra’s/Penguin)
Nightwing #20
Batman Chronicles #12 (“Trapped”)
Huntress/Spoiler: Blunt Trauma #1
Batman #554
Detective Comics #721
Robin #53
Batman Chronicles #12 (“Little Orphan Andy”)

This TPB does not include any covers.  The Batman Chronicles stories placed around SOTB #74 and Nightwing #20 do share pages with those issues, but other than that, none of the issues share pages.  Finally, the non-quake subplot pages from Nightwing #19 are omitted.

Aftershock (original map)
Arkham Asylum: Tales of Madness #1
Batman:  Shadow of the Bat #75
Batman #555
Detective Comics #722
Robin #54
Batman:  Shadow of the Bat #76
Batman #556
Batman Chronicles #16 (first story)
Batman Chronicles #14 (third story)
Green Arrow #134 (Brotherhood of the Fist part 1)
Detective Comics #723 (Brotherhood of the Fist part 2)
Robin #55 (Brotherhood of the Fist part 3)
Nightwing #23 (Brotherhood of the Fist part 4)
Green Arrow #135 (Brotherhood of the Fist part 5)
Batman:  Shadow of the Bat #77
Batman #557
Detective Comics #724
Batman Chronicles #14 (first and second stories)
Batman:  Shadow of the Bat #78-79
Batman #558
Detective Comics #725
Batman #559
Detective Comics #726
Batman Chronicles #15

This map was creating based off of the original Cataclysm TPB, hence the inclusion of the Arkham Asylum one-shot at the beginning.

Revised mapping

Cataclysm (adjusted original TPB)
Detective Comics #719 (last 4 pgs)
Batman:  Shadow of the Bat #73
Nightwing #19
Batman #553
Detective Comics #720
Catwoman #56
Blackgate: Isle of Men #1
Batman:  Shadow of the Bat #74
Batman Chronicles #12
Nightwing #20
Batman #554
Huntress/Spoiler: Blunt Trauma #1
Detective Comics #721
Robin #53
Arkham Asylum:  Tales of Madness #1

To create this volume, I took apart the original Cataclysm TPB.  Other than the Batman Chronicles #12 stories that were placed around Shadow of the Bat #74 and Nightwing #20, no issues share pages.  To accommodate moving those stories around and avoiding the need for scanning and printing story pages, I obtained copies of those particular issues.  I also obtained the original issue of the Arkham Asylum one-shot.  The Huntress/Spoiler one-shot was moved to allow for slightly better pacing.  I was able to find printable versions of all of the covers online to include. 

Aftershock (revised map)
Batman:  Shadow of the Bat #75
Batman #555
Detective Comics #722
Robin #54
Batman:  Shadow of the Bat #76
Batman #556
Batman Chronicles #16 (first story)
Batman Chronicles #14 (third story)
Green Arrow #134 (Brotherhood of the Fist part 1)
Detective Comics #723 (Brotherhood of the Fist part 2)
Robin #55 (Brotherhood of the Fist part 3)
Nightwing #23 (Brotherhood of the Fist part 4)
Green Arrow #135 (Brotherhood of the Fist part 5)
Batman:  Shadow of the Bat #77
Batman #557
Detective Comics #724
Batman:  Shadow of the Bat #78-79
Batman Chronicles #14 (first and second stories)
Batman #558
Detective Comics #725
Batman #559
Detective Comics #726

There are probably a number of ways to map out Aftershock.  It’s not a single story, just an umbrella to catch all of the aftermath between Cataclysm and Road to No Man’s Land.  The basics structure of this map is remembering that the release order in any given month during this period was Shadow of the Bat, Batman, and then Detective Comics.  Shadow of the Bat was the only series to have multi-part stories during Aftershock, so those are kept together.  I’ve seen other maps and reading orders that put Batman #558-559 and then Detective Comics #725-726 together, and as far as I can tell, there’s nothing within the stories that would contradict that.

Batman Chronicles can be a tricky series to place during Aftershock, mostly because it used seasons for cover dates instead of months.  The only issue actually branded as part of Aftershock was #14, which would have had a cover date of October 1998 based on publication order.  The two most important stories from Batman Chronicles are the last story of #14 and the first story of #16.  Both of these were written by Greg Rucka, and begin the subplot involving Renee Montoya and Two-Face that carries on through many of Rucka’s NML issues.  The story in #16 takes place first, and should be read immediately before the third story of #14.  It also make more sense to put those stories closer to the beginning of Aftershock.  #16 actually came out during No Man’s Land itself, and I feel like the last two stories in that issue work better as epilogues to Road to No Man’s Land.

Batman Chronicles #15 was an all team-up issue that takes place during this time but isn’t necessary.  Since it came out halfway through Road to No Man’s Land, the best place to put that issue if you include it would be at the end of the Aftershock volume.

It would also be possible to move the first couple months worth of Aftershock stories into the Cataclysm volume, making a volume break around Brotherhood of the Fist. 

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.

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.

Dark Nights:  Metal
Dark Days:  The Forge #1
Dark Days:  The Casting #1
Dark Nights:  Metal #1-2
Teen Titans #12 (Gotham Resistance part 1)
Nightwing #29 (Gotham Resistance part 2)
Suicide Squad #26 (Gotham Resistance part 3)
Green Arrow #32 (Gotham Resistance part 4)
Batman:  The Red Death #1
Batman:  The Murder Machine #1
Batman:  The Daybreaker #1
Batman:  The Drowned #1
Batman:  The Merciless #1
Dark Nights:  Metal #3
Batman:  The Devastator #1
Flash #33 (Bats Out of Hell part 1)
Justice League #32 (Bats Out of Hell part 2)
Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #32 (Bats Out of Hell part 3)
Justice League #33 (Bats Out of Hell part 4)
Batman Lost #1
Batman Who Laughs #1
Dark Nights:  Metal #4
Hawkman Found #1
Dark Nights:  Metal #5
Dark Nights Rising:  The Wild Hunt #1
Dark Nights:  Metal #6
Dark Days Director’s Cut
Dark Nights:  Metal #1 Director’s Cut

The two Director’s Cut issues were added as bonus features, and are not needed as actual story parts.  This event isn’t strictly part of the overall DC Rebirth narrative, but it does provide a lot of context for Dark Nights:  Death Metal, which ended up being the final part of that reboot initiative.

Detective Comics #1000 and #1027 had multiple stories.  The specific story in the map will be indicated after the decimal point.

Tremendous gratitude to the work of the Real Batman Chronology Project, which I heavily referenced for issue placement.

“Dark Nights:  Metal” takes place prior to these volumes.

Day by Day
Batman Annual #1 (first two stories)
Batman Annual #4
Batman Annual #3 – Father’s Day
Detective #1000.03 – Knute Brody
Detective Annual #2
Detective #1000.04 – Batman’s Design
Detective #1027.02 – Master Class
Detective #1027.06 – Fore
Batman Secret Files #1
Detective #1000.06 – Heretic
Detective #1027.03 - Many Happy Returns
Detective #1027.10 – As Always

The stories are gathered in this way because most of them reference specific dates, but the book also became a bit of a catch-all.
-Batman Annual #1 contains several Christmas stories.  The first story spans the months of September through December, and the second shares a page and takes place on Christmas.  The rest of the stories are out of continuity.
-Batman Annual #4 takes place over a span in March and April.
-Batman Annual #3 takes place on Father’s Day weekend.
-I originally had Detective Comics Annual #2 placed close to publication order after Detective #1005, but moved it back here based on the recommendation of the Real Batman Chronology Project.  There is a line of dialogue on the first page that places the issue on Bastille Day, which is in mid-July.
-While some of these issues contain stories by Tom King, they do not impact his run nor do they contradict any other continuity, so they have been placed here.

Batman Universe (HC)
Batman Giant #3-14 or Batman Universe #1-6

This is the serialized story by Bendis that originally appeared in the Giant issues offered at Wal-Mart.

Three Jokers
Three Jokers #1-3

While the plot for this was set up in DC Universe Rebirth #1, the story itself did not actually tie into the Rebirth narrative.  It has been placed here based on context determined by the Real Batman Chronology Project.

Heroes in Crisis
Heroes in Crisis #1-2
Flash Annual #2
Heroes in Crisis #3-4
Batman #64 (829)
Flash #64 (725)
Batman #65 (830)
Flash #65 (726)
Heroes in Crisis #5-9

This volume is also part of the DC Rebirth event map.

Mythology
Detective #994-999
Detective #1000.01 – Batman’s Longest Case
Detective #1000.11 – Medieval prelude
Detective #1001-1016
Year of the Villain:  Riddler #1
Year of the Villain:  Joker #1

As mentioned above, Detective Comics Annual #2 was originally placed between #1005-1006 but moved due to it’s July setting.  The Mythology arc in #994-999 takes place around Batman’s birthday, which the BCP places in February.  The thought would be that not enough time has passed for it to be July at that point.  If this book is too big, there is a decent volume break possible between #1007 and #1008, with the second volume containing the “Year of the Villain” stories.

“Doomsday Clock” occurs here, as determined by the Real Batman Chronology Project.

While I don’t count Tom King’s run as part of continuity here, it’s obvious that some version of certain events of that run did occur.  A volume break has been put here to indicate that those events happened “off camera” around this time.

Dead of Winter
Detective #1017-1019
Detective Annual #3
Pennyworth RIP #1
Detective #1027.01 – Blowback
Detective #1027.07 – Odyssey
Detective #1020-1024

Their Dark Designs (HC)
Batman #85 epilogue (#850 – last three pages)
Batman #86-94 (#851-859)
Batman Secret Files #3

Batman Secret Files #3 is only listed here because it was included in the official hardcover release.  If I were binding single issues, I would just add Batman #86-94 to the beginning of the Joker War volume.

Joker War
Detective Comics #1027.12
Batman #95-98 (#860-863)
Detective #1025-1026
Batman #99-100 (#864-865)
Punchline #1

After the Laughter
Detective #1028
Batman #101 (#866)
Detective #1029-1033
Batman #102-105 (#867-870)
Batman Annual #5

“Flash Forward” and “Dark Nights:  Death Metal” both occur here.

After this, the entire DC line took a break for Future State and then launched into Infinite Frontier.

The Neighborhood
Infinite Frontier #0 (Batman scenes only)
Detective Comics #1034 (main story only)
Detective Comics #1035-1036 (backups)
Detective Comics #1035-1036 (main story)
Detective Comics #1037 (backup – “Exclusive”)
Detective Comics #1037 (main story)
Detective Comics #1038 (main story)
Detective Comics #1039 (main story and backup)
Detective Comics #1038 (backup)
Detective Comics #1040 (main story)
Batman Secret Files:  Huntress #1
Detective Comics #1041-1042 (main story only)
Detective Comics #1040 (backup)
Batman Secret Files:  Miracle Molly #1

The Robin backup feature from #1034 and the “3 Minutes” backup from #1037 are skipped for this project.  The backup features in #1041-1042 will be used in a later volume (below).

Fear State
Batman #106-111 (#871-876)
Batman:  Fear State Alpha
Batman #112 (#877)
Batman Secret Files:  Peacekeeper-01 #1
Detective Comics #1043-1045 (main story only)
Batman #113-117 (#878-882)
Batman Secret Files:  The Gardener #1

All backup features are skipped in this book.

The Abyss
Detective Comics #1041-1043 (backups – Task Force Z)
Detective Comics #1044-1046 (backups – Foundations)
Detective Comics 2021 Annual
Batman:  Fear State Omega
Detective Comics #1046
Batman #118-121 (#883-886)

Shadows of the Bat:  The Tower (HC)
Detective Comics #1047-1058 (main story)

Shadows of the Bat:  House of Gotham (HC)
Detective Comics #1047-1058 (backups)

Shadow War (HC)
Shadow War:  Alpha
Batman #122 (#887)
Deathstroke Inc. #8
Robin #13
Batman #123 (#888)
Shadow War Zone #1
Deathstroke Inc. #9
Robin #14
Shadow War:  Omega

The following volumes are still in flux as new issues are coming out.

Riddle Me This
Robin #15
Batman 2022 Annual
Batman #124 (#889)
Detective Comics #1059-1061 (main story)
Detective Comics #1059-1061 (backups)

I expect to add more backup stories from surrounding issues in this book.

“Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths” occurs here.

Gotham Nocturne
Detective Comics #1062-1066
Detective Comics Annual 2022
Detective Comics #1067-1077

This storyline is still continuing.

Failsafe
Batman #125-130 (#890-895)
Batman #125-134 (backups)
Batman #131-136 (#896-901)

Putting a volume break here to allow for Knight Terrors, if one so chooses.

Zero Year
-Batman:  The Dark Knight #0
-Detective Comics #0 (main story)
-Batman #21-23 (Bruce Wayne backup stories)
-Detective Comics #0 (backup story)
-Batman #21 (main story)
-Batman #0 (main story)
-Batman #22-23 (main story)
-Batman #24-27
-Batman #29-33
-Batman #0 (backup story)
-Nightwing #0
-Batgirl #0
-Red Hood and the Outlaws #0
-Teen Titans #0
-Batman:  Zero Year Director’s Cut

Prior to the announcement of Zero Year, I had planned to do a “Batman:  Zero” book of the #0 issues which covered the early years of Batman and family’s career.  That book obviously got expanded with the yearlong arc by Snyder.  If you want to focus just on Snyder, cut out all of the issues outside of the main Batman series (although I would keep Batman:  Dark Knight #0 and Detective #0).  The backup story from #25 could go in a few different places.  If you’re using the original issues, it’s just as easy to leave it in place.  If you’re using the trades, the story is put at the end of the second trade, and it’s easier to place it before #25.  Some people opt to place this in publication order, but the way I have it mapped, it is just a matter of swapping some volumes around on the shelf.

The Court of Owls
-Batman #1-7
-Batman #8 (main and backup story)
-Batman #9-11 (main stories)
-Batman #9-11 (backup stories)
-Batman #12
-Batman Annual #1

When I saw the prices of the back issues on the secondary market, I got rid of my issues and purchased the TPBs.  This book is just the first two trades put together.  Batman Annual #1 technically takes place between Batman #8-9, but for pacing purposes, I like its placement here.  I did not include any of the Night of the Owls crossover issues.

Death of the Family
-Batman #13-17 (backups left in place)
-Batman #18
-Batman #19-20 (main stories)
-Batman #19-20 (backup stories)
-Batman Annual #2

Another book constructed from trades.  I am skipping the tangential issues only partially plotted by Snyder, such as #34, the Future’s End one-shot, and the Villains Month “point” issues.

Eternal:  Volume 1
-Batman Eternal #1-26

Eternal:  Volume 2
-Batman Eternal #27-42
-Batman #28
-Batman Eternal #43-52

Endgame
-Batman #35-40
-Batman #35-39 backups (only #35 and 39 require copy and print)
-Divergence (Batman story only)
-Batman #41-51

If there was more material to put with the first arc, I would separate it out to better allow the Batman and Robin Eternal series to fit in better (as it pretty much runs concurrently to Batman #41-50), but I don’t see a need for a skinny book.  Also, I’m not a huge fan of B&R Eternal.  Batman #52 was not written by Snyder.

Page 1 – title page (Detective Comics #27 art)

“The Legend Begins”
Page 2 – intro page for the various retellings of Tec 27 (with covers to Tec 27 and 387)
Pages 3-82 – Detective Comics #627 (reprinting 27 and 387, plus two new stories)
Page 83 – Detective volume 2 #27 cover (scanned, along with first page of story)
Pages 84-100 – Tec 2 #27 (Chemical Syndicate)
Page 101 – Bob Kane “original” sketches

“The Origin of Batman”
Page 102 – Origin title page (featuring a Jim Lee sketch)
Pages 103-106 – Detective #33 origin story (using the Toys R Us reprint that was with #38. Two page story, ads on the back of both)
Page 107 – Jim Lee art from Hush (I think it’s one of the collected editions covers)
Pages 108-120 – Batman #47 origin story*
Pages 121-132 – Detective #457*
Pages 133-149 – The Man Who Falls***
Page 150 – Sienkiewicz pinup***
Pages 151-160 – Gotham Knights #20 B/W backup
Pages 161-178 – Secret Origins #2 (2014, lead story)
Page 179 – origin sequence from War on Crime

“Partners and Allies”
Page 180 – Partners and Allies title page
Pages 181-194 – Detective #38 (Robin – Toys R Us reprint)
Pages 195-232 – LOTDK #100 (lead story)
Pages 233-248 – Secret Origins #1 (2014 – Dick Grayson)
Pages 249-260 – LOTDK #100 (Jason Todd story and Carrie pinup) 
Pages 261-278 – Detective #359 (Batgirl – Toys R Us reprint)
Pages 279-300 – Secret Origins #20 (Batgirl)
Pages 301-326 – Turning Points #1 (Gordon)
Pages 327-366 – Detective volume 2 #25 (Gordon)

“The Rogues Gallery Through the Ages”
Page 367 – Rogue Gallery title page featuring a Neal Adams sketch of Batman vs. Ra’s al Ghul
Pages 368-380 – Batman #1 (Joker)**
Pages 381-424 – LOTDK #50 (Joker)
Page 425 – Joker card image (Jerry Robinson sketch)
Pages 426-434 – “Case Study” from B/W volume 2**
Pages 435-456 – Batman #614 (Joker in Hush)**
Pages 457-522 – Secret Origins Special (Riddler, Two-Face, Penguin)
Pages 523-534 – Batman #121 (Mr. Freeze/Mr. Zero – Toys R Us reprint)
Pages 535-586- SOTB Annual #3 (Poison Ivy)
Page 587 – Neal Adams pinup (scanned)

“Earth Two”
Page 588 – Earth-Two title page
Pages 589-612 – Secret Origins #6
Page 613 – reprint of letters and partial cover of SO #6
Page 614 – Brave and the Bold #197 cover
Pages 615-637- Brave and the Bold #197*
Page 638 – Lego Batman image

“Retrospective”
Page 639 – Retrospective title sheet (Dustin Nguyen Streets of Gotham image)
Pages 640-645 – Batman #250 (Batman Nobody Knows)* 
Pages 646-664 – Detective #500* 
Pages 665-730 – Detective #526
Page 731 – John Byrne image
Pages 732-734 – Stephen King intro and cover to Batman #400
Pages 735-798 – Batman #400
Pages 799-856 – Detective #572 (50th Anniversary of Tec)
Pages 857-890 – LOTDK #94 (Stories)
Pages 891-916 – Batman #600 backup features
Pages 917-966 – Detective volume 2 #27 (everything else except for Gothtopia)
Pages 967-968 – “Other Tales of the Dark Knight” and Procopio pinup***
Pages 969-986 – Gotham Knights #1 and 11 B/W backups
Pages 987-1022 – The Batman Gallery
Pages 1023-1040 – LOTDK #50 pinups
Pages 1041-1076 – Batman: The Dark Knight Gallery
Pages 1077-1092 – LOTDK #100 pinups
Pages 1093-1094 – Batman Adventures related covers from a page in the Mad Love and Other Stories trade that was left over after an old project
Page 1095 – scan of postage stamps
Page 1096 – Allred pin up from Detective volume 2 #27 (scanned and printed)
Page 1097 – “originally presented in” page with Jim Lee sketch
Page 1098 – final image — Batman Begins promo

*material comes from Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told TPB (1988)
**material comes from Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told TPB (2008)
***material comes from Batman Begins trade (2005)

Batman #404-407 (Year One)
All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder #1-10
Spawn/Batman – the one by Image Comics
Dark Knight Returns:  The Last Crusade
Batman:  The Dark Knight Returns #1-4
Batman:  The Dark Knight Strikes Again #1-3
Dark Knight III:  The Master Race #1-9
Dark Knight Returns:  The Golden Child

This can be a nice looking book, as most of the issues are available in TPB form.  The one major exception is All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder #10, which was only reprinted in the Absolute edition, so the original single issue would be required for binding, unless Frank Miller and Jim Lee finally finish the storyline.

Zero Hour
Showcase ’94 #8-9 (lead stories)
Batman #511
Superman: Man of Steel #37
Zero Hour #4
Superboy #8
Superman #93
Zero Hour #3
Zero Hour #2
Adventures of Superman #516
Action Comics #703
Guy Gardner: Warrior #24
Zero Hour #1
Zero Hour #0
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #31
Detective Comics #678
Robin #10
Showcase ’94 #10 (last story)

Determining the placement of some of the tie-ins were tricky for this crossover, as the main action of Zero Hour took place over a 32 hour period, as specified by the captions in the main ZH mini-series.  Several tie-ins just dealt with generic time anomalies that did not necessarily have to occur within the 32 hours chronicled in the main Zero Hour series.  Also, all of the issues that came out during the final week of the event all ended with everything fading to white and have to be placed prior to Zero Hour #1 (as #1 continues directly into #0).

-Batman #511 and Man of Steel #37 were easy to place, because they share scenes with each other and the early part of Zero Hour #4.  By the time Batman #511 ends, there’s only 24 hours left until Zero Hour.

-SOTB and Detective both have generic time anomalies.  SOTB #31 makes a reference to the Batgirl they met “a few nights ago” in Batman #511, which obviously cannot fit in during the timeline established for the main event.  Detective #678 deals with Batman conducting a calm patrol of Gotham.  I have a hard time assuming that Batman would find the time to break away from the chaos of Zero Hour just to patrol Gotham and then study open cases at the Batcave.  Therefore, I opted to move both of those issues after the main event, with the assumption that even after the heroes fix the timeline, there are still a few residual aftereffects occurring.

-Superboy #8 has the message from Superman to all heroes that occurs in the middle of Zero Hour #4, and we see replayed at the beginning of Superman #93.  An argument could be made for putting the issue on either side of Zero Hour #4.

-I originally placed Adventures of Superman #516 before Zero Hour #2 until I realized that only 11 minutes pass between Superman’s appearances in ZH #3 and ZH #2, and the events around that gap are not conducive to Superman leaving the main action and having a side adventure.  There is enough of a gap between ZH #2 and #1 for Superman to have two adventures, especially if he’s getting shunted into alternate timelines where time could move at a different pace.

-Robin #10 has a fade-to-white ending, and I originally placed in between Zero Hour #2 and #1, where there is enough of a narrative gap (roughly six hours based on the captions) for Robin, who appears in both issues alongside Batman, to get back to Gotham to have his  adventure, which includes a young Dick Grayson. Robin going back home for a brief spell can be explained away simply as Batman sending Robin back to keep an eye on Gotham, but then Gotham starts disappearing, thus forcing Robin to return to the main action in New York.  However, I ultimately opted to put Robin #10 at the end with the other Batman tie-ins, because it felt like less mental work to explain the narrative that way.

-Guy Gardner:  Warrior #24 guest stars Steel, Supergirl, and the time displaced Batgirl, and it leads directly into the opening scene of Zero Hour #1.

-Showcase ’94 #10 is supposed to take place at the same time as the end of ZH #1, but it would ruin the tone and pacing if placed there, so I use it as an epilogue.

-In an earlier version of this map, I included the three Justice League related books (Justice League America #92, JL Task Force #16, and JL International #68) right after Zero Hour #2.  The three books form one linear story that ends with a fade to white.  I have since dropped that arc from the map, because I just didn’t care that much for it, and it really slows the pacing down.

Thanks to davextreme at the Uncollected Editions forum for the snapshot that I was able to transcribe.

************

Little did I suspect when I accepted the BATMAN writing assignment back in 2006 that I’d wind up spending the next seven years writing the longest continued comic story I’ve ever attempted. I thought I’d said most of what I had to say about the character with Arkham Asylum, Gothic, and Batman’s appearances in JLA. Clearly, I was wrong.

The original pitch was for 15 issues winding up with BATMAN R.I.P. but something happened along the way, as I was researching his rich history, I became fascinated by the idea that every Batman story was in some way true and biographical — from the savage, young, pulp-flavored “weird figure of the dark” of his early years, through the smiling, paternal figure of the 1940s and the proto-psychedelic crusader of the ’50s, the superhero detective of the ’60s, the hairy-chested globetrotting adventurer of the ’70s, to the brutally physical vigilante of the ’80s and snarling, paranoid soldier of the ’90s.

By taking his entire publishing history as the story of his life, I was able to approach Batman from a different angle, and the multifaceted character that was revealed became the subject of my story.

What would such a man be like, realistically? This was a man who had saved countless lives, faced innumerable perils, and even prevented the destruction of the world itself. This was a master of martial arts, meditation, deduction, yoga, and big business. This was a man who had tamed and mastered his demons and turned personal tragedy into a relentless humanitarian crusade.

Taking that man seriously meant I had to throw out a few of the accepted ideas about Batman as a semi-unhinged, essentially humorless loner struggling with rage and guilt. The totality of his history and accomplishments made that portrayal seem limited and unconvincing, so instead, my Batman was a true superhero at the height of his powers and the peak of his abilities, surrounded by a network of friends and associates, all of whom had been inspired by his lead.

I chose to build my story around the basic trauma, the murder of his parents, that lies at the heart of Batman’s genesis. It seemed to me there would be a part of Bruce Wayne that resented his parents for leaving him and especially resented his father for not being Batman that night, so the principal villains were an archetypal bad father figure in the form of Dr. Hurt and a dark mother in the form of Talia, our villain for the concluding chapters of the story.

This master theme of damaged and ruined families was nowhere more in evidence than in the creation of Damian, the first “Son of Batman” to be acknowledged in the canon. In many ways this has been Damian’s story as much as it has been the story of Bruce Wayne, and it’s a story that had its end planned a long time ago — for what son could ever hope to replace a father like Batman, who never dies?

And so, via Batman, Batman and Robin, Return of Bruce Wayne, and Batman Incorporated, this epic tale has finally reached its finale.

Thanks to all the artists who helped realize the story — Andy Kubert, JH Williams, John Van Fleet, Tony Daniel, Ryan Benjamin, Lee Garbett, Frank Quitely, Philip Tan, Cameron Stewart, Andy Clarke, Frazer Irving, Scott Kolins, Chris Sprouse, Ryan Sook, Yanick Paquette, Georges Jeanty, David Finch, Scott Clark, and of course, Chris Burnham.

Thanks to the inkers, colorists, and letterers, and to my indefatigable editors.

Thanks to the readers who joined in the fun and contributed to the thought-provoking debates and analyses online.

The conclusion is finally here, with only one issue to go. One issue which takes Batman to dark places he has never had to visit before. One issue and I’m done, while Batman himself continues into as yet unimagined future adventures. He’ll still be here long after I’m dead and forgotten; long after all of us have come and gone, there will be Batman. It’s been a joy and a privilege to spend so much tim in the company of pop culture’s greatest character but it’s going to feel weird waking up and not having Bruce Wayne’s calm, commanding, ever-so-slightly cynical voice in my head.

BATMAN FOREVER . . .
GRANT