The epilogue stories from SHADOW WAR, pick up the threads from that event and lead us into LAZARUS PLANET by introducing the DC Universe’s newest big bad villain – the Devil Nezha! We also learn about the society Robin set up on Lazarus Island, the fate of Abyss and how Ghost-Maker made his mark with Batman Inc.
Though DARK CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS takes place very soon after these stories, LAZARUS PLANET will quickly follow and introduce some new characters to the DCU. It all begins here!
Related Events: This selection of stories are all linked with elements connecting them to both Shadow War and Lazarus Planet, though they don’t officially cross over.
Must-Reads: Issues marked with a ✔are essential to the story.
Anthology Issues: When an issue contains multiple stories, the relevant story is denoted with square brackets. For example, [2/5] refers to the second story of the five stories in that issue.
Spoilers: The issue descriptions and fallout section contain spoilers, so be warned!
Previous events that directly impact this story:
- THE LAZARUS TOURNAMENT – Robin discovers Lazarus Island
- SHADOW WAR – Deathstroke’s army take on Talia al Ghul’s assassins
Want to keep it simple? Here’s the chronological reading order without story descriptions, or spoilers:
- Batman 2022 Annual
- ✔ Robin #15
- Batman #124 [1/2]
- ✔ DC Pride 2022 #1 [3/12]
- ✔ Robin #16-17
- ✔ Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #1-5
- ✔ Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #6 (tie-in)
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| Must Reads | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #1 Years ago, Batman and Superman rescued Robin (Dick Grayson) from the Penguin and busted his arms deal with the Qwardians. Sometime later, the three heroes put a stop to Poison Ivy’s terror attack on Metropolis. But Metallo, her partner, injected Superman with a radioactive Red Kryptonite cocktail, which induced rapidly-shifting new powers as well as hallucinations. He mistakes Batman and the Doom Patrol as enemies. Batman talks him round while Negative Man controls the radiation… |
| Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #2 The Doom Patrol’s Chief opened Superman’s chest, allowing Negative Man to purge his blood of all Kryptonite poisoning. The Doom Patrol obtained the Sword of Nezha, once owned by the resurrected son of a Chinese warlord who returned to life as a merciless immortal conqueror, becoming known as the Devil Nezha. It seemed Nezha was back once more and the heroes were coming under attack. Supergirl travelled back in time with Robin to find out how Nezha was defeated the first time around. Batman and Superman’s attempt to rescue Billy Batson from Felix Faust landed the three of them in Hell… 1st appearance: Li Jing, Kongqi | |
| ✔ | Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #3 Superman saw through Felix Faust’s illusion and he vanished. Back in 1579BC, Robin and Supergirl learned how to end the threat of Nezha. The Doom Patrol tracked a lead from General Immortus to Nezha’s tomb near Corto Maltese. In Central City, the Flash and Wonder Woman were taken out by Mirror Master and Doctor Alchemy. The Devil Nezha turns Green Lantern against Batman and Superman. And it seemed Nezha had taken control of Alfred Pennyworth… |
| ✔ | Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #4 Nezha’s magic gave Green Lantern the advantage over Superman. Nezha grabbed Batman and revealed his plan to turn all of humanity into his army. Batman figured there must be someone Nezha feared. Batman and Superman combine their will to take control of the Green Lantern Ring from the corrupted Hal Jordan and form a composite Batman/Superman. They almost defeated Nezha until they separated and the Devil gained the upper hand. On their way back from 1579BC, Robin and Supergirl were separated by a time storm. Supergirl emerged and struck Nezha down. She explained that someone must seal Nezha’s tomb from the inside if they wanted to trap him… |
| ✔ | Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #5 (pp.1-21) Before the heroes could decide who should be trapped with the Devil Nezha, he woke and took control of Superman. Robotman was able to beat Nezha down as he’d been built from metals not found in Nezha’s era. Having been freed, Superman used the Phantom Zone Projector to banish Nezha only for him to break out! Superman dragged him to the tomb and sealed it, casting himself to the Phantom Zone from within and escaping through the closing crack with Batman’s help. Supergirl revealed Robin was lost in time. |
| ✔ | Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #6 (tie-in) Robin left a clue for Batman and Superman from way back in 1892. They follow the tachyon trail through time to find Robin was working in a circus. Before returning to their present, Batman and Superman help Robin solve a series of murders. |
| Batman 2022 Annual Before the SHADOW WAR, Ghost-Maker accepted Batman’s offer to lead Batman Incorporated on his behalf. Ghost-Maker sent the majority of members back home to work on defending their home turf, while keeping a core team at Batman Inc’s headquarters. He then tested the core team by taking them to Chechnya to apprehend another of Lex Luthor’s experimental Batman Inc candidates – Gray Wolf. But they’d been misled. Grey Wolf wasn’t keeping prisoners, he was containing villagers infected with Lazarus Resin. Ghost-Maker cured the villagers and offered Gray Wolf a place on the team. 1st appearance: Gray Wolf/Anzor Also see NO MORE TEACHERS |
| Must Reads | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Robin #15 (pp.1-18) In the present day, Talia al Ghul escapes the custody of the Department of Extranormal Operations (DEO). Batman and Robin (Damian Wayne) catch up with her. Robin convinces Batman to let her go, though neither are aware that Talia is now a secret DEO agent. |
| Batman #124 [1/2] With Robin gone, Batman returns to Bahdnisia alone when Abyss returns. But it’s Detective Cayha who’s adopted the identity in order to find and kill the men who kidnapped her parents. ‘Abyss’ catches the murderer, but doesn’t kill him. Batman offers Cayha a place in Batman Inc. New identity: Cayha as Abyss | |
| ✔ | DC Pride 2022 #1 [3/12] Connor Hawke disrupts the Music Meister’s plans and gets a clue for Robin to follow. And it’s just a single word… “Nehza”. 1st appearance: Music Meister/Darius Chapel |
| ✔ | Robin #15 (pp.19-22) Robin returns to Lazarus Island with Conner Hawke and decides to turn it into a refuge for the lost. Lord Death Man washes up on the beach, claiming Flatline is trying to kill him… |
| ✔ | Robin #16 More outcast warriors flood to Lazarus Island. Lord Death Man begs Robin and Connor to kill him and to help the feral Flatline. They head to Tokyo where they find her, with assistance from the Batman of Japan (who quit Batman Inc sometime after NO MORE TEACHERS). Flatline’s taken over Lord Death Man’s criminal empire. And Lord Death Man tricked Robin into leaving Lazarus Island so he can take it over himself. Mother Soul frees Lord Death Man and they kiss… |
| ✔ | Robin #17 Lord Death Man gives Mother Soul the heart Flatline extracted from Robin (during THE LAZARUS TOURNAMENT) to help her raise the Devil Nezha. She repays him by mutating him to a monstrous form with a touch of her hand. Robin, Connor Hawke, Batman of Japan and Flatline arrive on Lazarus Island. Robin rips out Lord Death Man’s heart to defeat him. Robin hangs out with Flatline and all their new friends for some time. After Connor and Flatline leave, Robin decides to look into the mysteries of Lazarus Island, unaware he’s being watched by Respawn… |
| ✔ | Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #5 (p.22) Robin discovers a tomb below Lazarus Island… |
| Must Reads | Issue & Fallout | Event/ Crossover |
| Batman Incorporated #1-5 (2023) Gray Wolf continues to operate as a member of Batman Inc as they face Joker Inc and Phantom-One. | NO MORE TEACHERS | |
| ✔ | Batman vs Robin #1-4 (2022-2023) Robin reunites with Batman, but it’s not on the best of terms; Mother Soul’s true plans are revealed; the Devil Nezha is freed in the present day. Lazarus Planet: Alpha #1 (2023) More details of the Devil Nezha’s origin are revealed. | LAZARUS PLANET |
| Lazarus Planet: Next Evolution #1 (2023) The Lazarus Rain grants Flatline new powers that lead to her making a shocking discovery. | LAZARUS PLANET | |
| ✔ | Lazarus Planet: Omega #1 (2023) The fate of the Devil Nezha is revealed; Nezha’s adopted son, King Fire Bull, proves to be as big a threat as his father; Lazarus Island erupts, creating Lazarus Rain that sweeps the world and grants powers to those susceptible to them. | LAZARUS PLANET |
| Monkey Prince #12 (2023) The fate of King Fire Bull is revealed. | LAZARUS PLANET | |
| Green Arrow #3 (2023) Connor Kent finally reunites with his father. | DAWN OF DC | |
| ✔ | Batman and Robin #6-10 (2024) Robin and Flatline are reunited. | DAWN OF DC |
| Collected Edition Title | Collects… |
| Batman vol.6: Abyss | Batman #118-121, 124 |
| Batman Incorporated: The Complete Series | Batman 2022 Annual Batman Incorporated #1-12 |
| Batman/Superman: World’s Finest vol.1: The Devil Nezha | Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #1-5 |
| Batman/Superman: World’s Finest vol.2: Strange Visitor | Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #6-10 |
| Robin vol.3: Secrets and Shadows | Robin #13-17 |
Reading Order © Omniverse Comics Guide 2024
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