To celebrate Batman Day 2024, here’s a recent event – written by Tom King – that set a new tone and direction for Batman in the 2020, marking it as a key storyline. If you want to avoid spoilers, stick to the Quick List as the issue overviews, cover images and fallout all contain spoilers!
Bane is back! And this time he’s allied with Batman. No, not Bruce Wayne of the Prime Earth continuity, but his alternate universe counterpart from the FLASHPOINT (2011) event! This Dark Knight is Thomas Wayne, the doctor who donned the cape and cowl to avenge the deaths of his wife Martha Wayne and his son Bruce Wayne. Stranded on Prime Earth, Thomas is intent on turning his ‘son’ from another universe away from a life of crime-fighting. And to do that, he’s willing to break the Bat…
Minor Crossover: With the main story taking place in the primary Batman title, the additional tie-ins are purely incidental.
Overlap: Some stories from the ‘Road to Dark Crisis’ take place after the ‘Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths’ begins. How they fit together will be explained in a future reading order.
Must-Reads: In the Quick List, essential chapters are in bold; in the Full Reading Order and the Fallout section, story arcs/issues marked with a ✔ are essential reading.
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:
- FLASHPOINT (2011) – The death of Martha Wayne
- THE BUTTON (2017) – Batman of the Flashpoint timeline is revealed to be alive
- THE WEDDING (2018) – Flashpoint Batman returns
Want to keep it simple? Here’s the chronological reading order without story descriptions, or spoilers:
- Batman Secret Files #2
- Batman #69-74 (tie-in)
- Batman #75-83
- Batman Annual #4
- Batman #84
- Batman #85 [1/2]
- Detective Comics Annual #3
- Batman: Pennyworth RIP #1
| Must Reads | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| Batman Secret Files #2 [1/5] The Joker has finally trapped Batman. But his attempts to take the Dark Knight’s costume and weapons backfire. Literally. He inadvertently ends up freeing Batman and is quickly defeated. | |
| Batman Secret Files #2 [2/5] Psycho-Pirate builds a cult but it’s rapidly shut down by Batman. The members are freed and Psycho-Pirate is defeated. | |
| Batman Secret Files #2 [3/5] At Arkham Asylum, the Riddler’s new doctor questions the criminal mastermind why he toys with Batman. Riddler already revealed why two weeks earlier during his last clash with the Dark Knight, but Dr Watham still hasn’t figured it out. | |
| Batman Secret Files #2 [4/5] Dr Hugo Strange dresses his victims as Batman for a psychological study. None of the victims pass his test and he orders in more victims for his experiments. | |
| Batman Secret Files #2 [5/5] Bane hunts AN6 assassins in Tegucigalpa who have kidnapped a journalist. Batman arrives too late to find Bane, or stop him from killing the journalist who could have told his story, years earlier. | |
| ✔ | Batman #69 (tie-in) Batman realises his recent strange encounters under the influence of Scarecrow’s Fear Toxins were part of a larger plan by the Batman of the FLASHPOINT timeline – Thomas Wayne, an alternate reality version of Bruce Wayne’s father – who is now working with Bane. Bruce dreams of Selina Kyle telling him he doesn’t love her. Thomas and Bane plan to depose the Bruce as Gotham City’s protector… |
| ✔ | Batman #70 (tie-in) Batman wakes to find he’s been held prisoner under Arkham Asylum for weeks. Batman fights through his numerous foes to escape, knowing it’s all been planned by Bane. Defeating Mister Freeze, Two-Face, Scarecrow and more, Batman makes it to the exit… |
| ✔ | Batman #71 (tie-in) Commissioner Jim Gordon has cut ties with Batman over his recent behaviour. Batman leads Batgirl, Huntress, Orphan, two Robins (Tim Drake & Damian Wayne) and the Signal on a mission to free Arkham Asylum, but there’s no sign of a breakout. When Tim suggests the stress of Catwoman walking away has gotten to him, Batman punches Tim out. He returns to Wayne Manor to find Bane and the Flashpoint Batman have taken his place. Even the eerily calm Alfred Pennyworth recognises Batman has lost… |
| ✔ | Batman #72 (tie-in) Batman and Bane fight it out, with Batman ultimately losing. Flashpoint Batman watches the fight, recalling how he figured out Bane’s plans to raise Batman up before destroying him. And asking what he can do to help Bane… |
| ✔ | Batman #73 (tie-in) Flashpoint Batman has dragged Bruce Wayne and a coffin out to the desert near Khadym. Flashpoint Batman repeatedly fends off the League of Assassins. The coffin contains Martha Wayne and Batman plans on resurrecting her. Still addled from painkillers to heal the beating from Bane, Bruce puts his cowl on… |
| ✔ | Batman #74 (tie-in) The two Batmen defeat the last of the elite Death of the Dessert assassins protecting the main Lazarus Pit. They climb down to the Pit where Bruce finally retaliates, knocks Thomas out and buries his mother in the desert before Thomas regains consciousness. They fight again… but only one leaves the pit. |
| Must Reads | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| Harley Quinn #64 (tie-in) Harley Quinn reads a comic to her comatose mother, telling how Lex Luthor offered Harley enhanced abilities and she rejected them. According to her story, she headed into Gotham where Bane had outlawed clothes. Harley continued to reject Luthor’s offers while running into Superman and the Justice League Dark (if she did venture into the ‘City of Bane’, it’s highly unlikely it happened as she describes). Lex offered to cure her mother. The real Harley realises Lex could actually save her mother, but Death comes calling… Also see YEAR OF THE VILLAIN | |
| ✔ | Batman #75 Time passes. Commissioner Hugo Strange calls in Flashpoint Batman and Gotham Girl (Claire Clover) to solve the murder of Doctor Double X. Together they defeat Amygdala, Solomon Grundy and the culprit, Two-Face. Flashpoint Batman damages one half of Two-Face’s brain. Alfred Pennyworth is being held at Wayne Manor as a prisoner Flashpoint Batman. The villains now make up the Gotham City Police Department. Lex Luthor approaches Bane with an offer. Somewhere very cold, Bruce Wayne is stabbed, robbed and left for dead. He’s found by Catwoman (Selina Kyle). Also see YEAR OF THE VILLAIN |
| ✔ | Batman #76 Gotham Girl beats down Captain Atom when he tries to enter Gotham City against the President’s orders. Flashpoint Batman hunts down the villains who won’t work for Bane, resulting in the deaths of Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Kite-Man and Scarecrow his next targets. Robin (Damian Wayne) visits the hospitalised Captain Atom. If the Bat-Family enter Gotham, Alfred will be murdered. Catwoman has managed to get the unconscious Bruce Wayne to Paris… Also see YEAR OF THE VILLAIN |
| ✔ | Batman #77 Damian Wayne sneaks into Gotham and uses the Wand of Klarion to bind Gotham Girl. Next he takes down GCPD ‘cops’, Scarecrow and Mister Zsasz. Entering Wayne Manor, Robin challenges Flashpoint Batman, but is soundly defeated. As promised, Bane kills Alfred in front of Damian who becomes their new hostage. In Paris, Bruce Wayne wakes up. He insists on going back to Gotham, so Catwoman shows him how to beat his foes… Also see YEAR OF THE VILLAIN |
| ✔ | Batman #78 Bruce and Selina recover in Rio de Janeiro and plot against Bane. In the days that follow, they train together and get close again. And they’re finally honest with each other… Also see YEAR OF THE VILLAIN |
| ✔ | Batman #79 The time Bruce Wayne has been recovering is earlier than previously suggested. Now, he responds to the defeat of Captain Atom by sending Damian into Gotham. Together, Batman and Catwoman end Magpie’s criminal operations in Rio and allow her to run back to Bane… Also see YEAR OF THE VILLAIN |
| ✔ | Batman #80 In Gotham, Officers Pyg, Hush, Two-Face and Kite-Man are taken down by Batman and Catwoman. Meanwhile, Flashpoint Batman senses Bruce’s return and finds Gotham Girl burning out from overusing her powers. Bane orders Flashpoint Batman to kill Robin and show the world his corpse… Also see YEAR OF THE VILLAIN |
| ✔ | Batman #81 Flashpoint Batman finds himself unable to shoot his grandson before he’s surrounded by Batwoman and the rest of the Bat-Family. Huntress fires an arrow at Flashpoint Batman which he catches and plunges into Tim Drake’s chest. The bloodied Flashpoint Batman defeats the Bat-Family. Elsewhere, Batman reveals to Catwoman that he allowed Bane to defeat him so he’d believe he’d won, which gave Batman time to recover and plan. Gotham Girl’s powers come from an enhanced version of Venom provided to her by Bane. ‘Officer Joker’ is actually Clayface, spying for Batman. Harvey Bullock sees the Legion of Doom’s symbol in the skies above Gotham… Also see YEAR OF THE VILLAIN |
| Must Reads | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Batman #82 Batman and Bane unmask and face-off, with Catwoman fighting beside Bruce, tricking Bane into releasing his Venom modulator. Batman injects Bane with Super-Venom using a Batarang. Flashpoint Batman shoots Bruce before he can break Bane’s back. Then he shoots Bane and orders Ventriloquist to bring in Psycho-Pirate… Also see YEAR OF THE VILLAIN |
| Batman Annual #4 (tie-in) Alfred Pennyworth’s diary reveals almost two months in the life of the Batman – chasing thieves on horseback across rooftops, fighting dragons, a disreputable Ultimate Fighting champion, solving a murder and more. Alfred theorises what he believes motivates Bruce Wayne and if he even feels fear. | |
| ✔ | Batman #83 Batman wakes at a table in Wayne Manor opposite Alfred’s corpse. He holds the body then covers it. Finding the doors bricked up, he continues to listen to the last recording of Alfred’s voice. He knows Alfred was aware he’d die if it meant Gotham’s freedom. Catwoman causes a small explosion to free Batman who leads him to Thomas Wayne. Psycho-Pirate now controls Catwoman and the Bat-Family. But Bruce refuses to stop being Batman… Also see YEAR OF THE VILLAIN |
| ✔ | Batman #84 Years earlier, Thomas Wayne thought his timeline was ending (during FLASHPOINT), but it didn’t. Reverse-Flash later saved Thomas from the Flashpoint timeline’s collapse (after THE BUTTON). He watched Bruce, formulating a plan to end his career as the Batman. Now, Thomas knocks Batman down with a punch and orders him to stop being Batman… Also see YEAR OF THE VILLAIN |
| ✔ | Batman #85 Catwoman isn’t really being controlled and attacks Thomas. With her help, Batman defeats Flashpoint Batman, declaring he’s not his father. Thomas is sent to Arkham where Bane shows up and breaks his back. Batman gives Gotham Girl Platinum Kryptonite which restores her original powers and ends the Super-Venom’s life-threatening poison. Catwoman suggests to Batman that they marry, but they decide they don’t need to know they love each other. Bruce visits Alfred’s grave… Also see YEAR OF THE VILLAIN |
| Detective Comics Annual #3 [1/2] (tie-in) The loss of Alfred Pennyworth is felt as Batman continues to operate. Marigold Sinclair – an MI-6 agent from Alfred’s past – turns to Bruce Wayne, implying a friend of his could help capture a rogue agent. Batman heads to Ukraine to meet Sinclair outside a fake ‘American city’ that’s used to train Russian spies. Batman faces a Soviet assassin known as the Nkvdemon and helps Sinclair apprehend Kendall Pierce. Bruce Wayne tidies Wayne Manor and the Batcave. Sinclair visits Bruce to share her stories of Alfred Pennyworth. | |
| ✔ | Batman: Pennyworth RIP #1 Bruce Wayne opens the Alfred J Pennyworth Children’s Hospital, but it’s a sombre moment. Bruce, Barbara Gordon, ‘Ric’ Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake and Damian Wayne go to a bar – as per Alfred’s wishes – and share stories. Each family manner leaves, one by one, some in anger, some wracked with guilt. |
| Must Reads | Issue & Fallout | Event/ Crossover |
| Harley Quinn #65 (2019) Harley Quinn deals with the loss of her mother. | YEAR OF THE VILLAIN | |
| ✔ | Teen Titans Annual #2 (2020) Damian Wayne struggles to deal with the guilt of Alfred’s death. | I WAS ROBIN |
| ✔ | Batman #86 (2020) The rebuilding of Gotham City begins in earnest. Batman #93-94 (2020) Batman does lose more thanks to Catwoman when the Joker steals the Bruce Wayne’s fortune and takes over Gotham City. | THEIR DARK DESIGNS |
| ✔ | Nightwing #73 (2020) The Joker tries to blow up the Alfred Pennyworth Children’s Hospital to get back at Batman. | THE JOKER WAR |
| Detective Comics #1024 (2020) Brain surgery cures Harvey Dent of his Two-Face persona. | THE JOKER WAR | |
| ✔ | Batman: The Joker War Zone #1 (2020) The Joker taunts the incarcerated Bane for wasting his chance to truly hurt the Batman; Joker proves himself to be a far more terrifying for to Batman than Bane was thought to have been. Batman #96-100 (2020) The Joker uses the Designer’s zombie-tech to reanimate Alfred Pennyworth’s corpse; Batman chooses to save Harley Quinn over ‘Alfred’ who is later buried again. | THE JOKER WAR |
| ✔ | Infinite Frontier #0 (2021) ‘Bane’ is found dead in Arkham Asylum, apparently murdered by the Joker. | THE COWARDLY LOT INFINITE FRONTIER |
| ✔ | Infinite Frontier #1-6 (2021) Flashpoint Batman is freed from Arkham Asylum by X-Tract; Flashpoint Batman learns Batman/Bruce Wayne is one of the greatest heroes in the multiverse, finally making him realise his mistake in attempting to end Bruce’s career. | INFINITE FRONTIER INFINITE FRONTIER INCARNATE |
| ✔ | Robin #1 (2021) Robin’s guilt takes the form of Alfred Pennyworth’s ’ghost’ which guides him to taking part in an illegal fighting ring in Corto Maltese. | INFINITE FRONTIER THE LAZARUS TOURNAMENT |
| ✔ | Nightwing #78 (2021) Barbara Gordon reveals Alfred Pennyworth left Dick Grayson several million dollars in his will. | INFINITE FRONTIER |
| The Joker #2 (2021) A clone of Bane dubbed ‘Vengeance’ emerges in the wake of Bane’s death. | ||
| ✔ | Robin #11-12 (2022) Lazarus Island is revealed to be the main source of the Lazarus Resin; Robin considers using the Lazars Resin to bring Alfred Pennyworth back to life. | THE LAZARUS TOURNAMENT |
| Batman: Urban Legends #10 (2022) Tim Drake puts his past issues behind him and asks to partner up with Batman again. | ||
| ✔ | Justice League Incarnate #1-4 (2021-2022) Flashpoint Batman proves himself as a hero, sacrificing himself in battle with Darkseid. | ROAD TO DARK CRISIS |
| ✔ | Flashpoint Beyond #0 (2022) Flashpoint Batman makes it back to his original timeline. | THE GOLDEN AGE |
| The Joker #13-15 (2022) Bane returns, revealing how he’d used the corpse of Gotham (Henry Clover Jr) to cover his escape from Arkham Asylum. | ||
| ✔ | Batman vs Robin #1-3 (2022-2023) The Devil Nezha claims a fragment of Alfred Pennyworth’s soul which he uses to create a version of Alfred who’s almost indistinguishable from the original; when ‘Alfred’ is killed, the fragment of his true spirit leaves the duplicate’s body, he tells Batman that he and Damian Wayne shouldn’t blame themselves for his murder. | LAZARUS PLANET |
| Catwoman #50 (2023) Things get worse for Amygdala when he’s killed by Valmont. | THE GOTHAM GAME |
| Collected Edition Title | Collects… |
| Batman: The Fall and the Fallen (vol.11) | Batman #70-74 Batman Secret Files #2 |
| Batman: City of Bane, Part 1 (vol.12) | Batman #75-79 |
| Batman: City of Bane, Part 2 (vol.13) | Batman #80-85 Batman Annual #4 |
| Batman: City of Bane – The Complete Collection | Batman #75-85 Batman Annual #4 |
| Batman – Deluxe Edition, Book 6 | Batman #70-85 Batman Annual #4 Batman Secret Files #2 |
| Collected Edition Title | Includes… |
| Batman – Deluxe Edition, Book 5 Batman: Knightmares (vol.10) | Batman #69 |
| Batman: Detective Comics by Peter J Tomasi Omnibus Batman – Detective Comics: The Joker War | Detective Comics Annual #3 Batman: Pennyworth RIP #1 |
Reading Order © Omniverse Comics Guide 2024
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