Year One Era (1986-Present) In the wake of Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC elected not to reboot Batman as it had Superman, who in 1986 received a mini-series (entitled Man of Steel) revising his origin and telling episodes from his early years, a new continuity that took over his title. Not powered like Superman, Batman seemed to need less revision. DC thus gave writer Frank Miller, whose revolutionary mini-series The Dark Knight Returns had recently been completed, to write a four-issue storyline that would revise Batman's origin and would appear not in its own mini-series but in the Batman title. Miller, paired with David Mazzucchelli -- with whom he had earlier collaborated on the trailblazing "Born Again" storyline in Daredevil -- came up with Batman: Year One, boldly outlining Batman's first year as a vigilante. A realistic story beginning with Bruce Wayne's return to Gotham City after his extended martial arts training abroad, the story depicted the murder of Wayne's parents and Wayne's simplistic pledge to "become a bat" in order to frighten criminals with such power that it became the definitive and unchallenged version, with his and Mazzucchelli's particualar imagery and symbolism in those sequences even serving in later stories for those events and the power that Miller and Mazzucchelli invested in them. The storyline also showed Gordon as a flawed and compelling character in his own right, a man newly tranferred from Chicago and adjusting both to the city and to Batman's emergence. The story was also noted for the lack of super-villains, the sole semi-exception being Catwoman, whose emergence followed Batman's and who was cast as a former whore whose stark black costume made explicit the sadomasochistic fetish (implicit all along in her traditional use of whips, strained relationship with Batman, and choice of a pussy cat as her totem). Lacking super-villains, Batman dealt with mobsters and Gordon with crooked cops: in this sense, and particularly in the realism of Wayne's early and awkward attempts at vigiliantism, Year One owed more to detective novels, or mob and detective movies, than to super-heroics. Indeed, the whole story can be seen as a revisionist, starkly realistic take less on super-heroes than on the pulp tradition from which Batman originally came. Year Two quickly followed in Detective Comics #575-578. It had no involvement by Frank Miller. It also did not cover a full year, instead telling a story from Batman's past, presumably sometime during Batman's second year. That story focused on Joe Chill, the killer of Batman's parents, but they also introduced a villain called The Reaper. That villain would return in the prestige format special, Batman: Full Circle. Early 1989 saw the four-issue Catwoman mini-series, telling the events of Year One from Catwoman's perspective -- and moving beyond those events, both temporally and in terms of what Catwoman was involved in at the time. The series, suggested for mature readers, was of adequate quality and is mostly noted for its connection to Year One. Year Three would be published in Batman #436-439 in mid-1989. Whereas Year Two had not covered a full year, unlike Year One, Year Three would move away from the original premise yet further. Its story, focusing on Robin's origin, would occur only in flashback, framed by present-day material that showed Batman without a Robin, the second Robin (Jason Todd) having recently been killed off. It was all part of a plan to show how Batman needed a Robin and to introduce a third Robin, but this admirable plan sacrificed the storyline's importance to what was then a fledgling set of stories occurring in Batman's early days. A new ongoing Batman title, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, was launched in late 1989 to coincide with the incredibly successful 1989 movie. Wanting to make the new title special, Legends of the Dark Knight would tell stories from Batman's early years. Originally, each storyline was to feature a different creative team and to run five issues -- a considerably trailblazing and influential move. "Shaman," running in the first five issues, told a Batman adventure from the end of Batman's first year, occurring not long after Batman: Year One. Subsequent storylines jumped around a bit chronologically: "Gothic" (running in #6-10) featured the bat-signal, yet the bat-signal was established in "Prey" (running in #11-15). "Venom" (running in #16-20) told a memorable story that both showed Batman growing considerably darker from his experiences and introduced the strength-inducing titular drug, later used to create the villain Bane, who would break Batman's back in the "Knightfall" storyline / event. With #21, format of the five-part storyline was put aside: "Faith" (running in #21-23) had Dr. Leslie Thompkins learn Batman's identity and featured a cameo of the then-travelling Flying Graysons; "Flyer" (running in #24-26) showed consequences from a scene in Year One and explicitly fit between earlier Legends of the Dark Knight storylines. With the stand-alone issue #27, however, coherence with this chronology unfortunately became increasingly broken. For example, the nonetheless memorable "Faces" (running in #28-30) told Two-Face's return after two years in prison -- what should have been his second story, chronologically -- but this timing made no sense: Batman wore his original outfit (without the yellow oval background to his symbol that was added as part of his "new look"), though he was incongruously seen in his "new look" outfit in Year Two -- and putting Two-Face out of play for two years during Batman's first few years would prove unfeasable, since other stories would inevitably use the character in that period. Meanwhile, 1990 saw a very good story set in Batman's early years. Rather than publish another present-day story, Batman Annual #14 was given over to retelling Two-Face's origin. It referenced events of Year One explicitly but was an excellent tale in its own right. By 1995, the term "Year One" had come to into the vocabulary as a general term for introductory stories or stories set in a character's first year. DC made "Year One" the theme for all of its super-hero annuals for that year, giving many characters their first such story. In the case of Batman, the 1995 Batman annuals added to the pile of such stories, but did so by introducing fairly major villains -- like the Riddler -- who had not yet been introduced in the revised tales of Batman's early days. Though the Robin title had Robin III as its protagonist in the present, 1995's Robin Annual retold the original Robin's origin, acting as a kind of revised Year Three without the present-day framework. 1995's Catwoman Annual added a villain to Catwoman's first year, slipping the story into the original Catwoman mini-series (despite artistic discrepancies, prominently including breast size), much as the original Catwoman mini-series had slipped into Batman: Year One.

IMAGE	TITLE	DESCRIPTION	STATUS
1. Year One
Batman #404-407: "Year One" storyline; terrific Frank Miller script; wonderful David Mazzucchelli art
	Batman #404	cover-dated February 1987	0
Larger Version Available	Batman #405		0
Larger Version Available	Batman #406		0
Larger Version Available	Batman #407	ends on December 3 with Gordon as Captain and the Joker threatening to poison the city reservoir; cover-dated May 1987	0
Larger Version Available	Batman: Year One	collects Batman #404-407 [REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK]	1
Catwoman (first series) #1-4: Mindy Newell script; J. J. Birch pencils; Michael Bair inks; occurs simultaneously with Batman: Year One (and includes a number of scenes from it)
Larger Version Available	Catwoman (first series) #1	cover-dated February 1989	0
Larger Version Available	Catwoman (first series) #2		0
Larger Version Available	Catwoman (first series) #3		0
Larger Version Available	Catwoman (first series) #4	Batman appears; cover-dated May 1989	0
Larger Version Available	Catwoman: Her Sister's Keeper	collects Catwoman (first series) #1-4; introduction by Archie Goodwin [REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK]	1
Batman Annual #19, Catwoman Annual #2: no data entered
	Catwoman Annual #2	occurs simultaneously with Batman: Year One and the original Catwoman mini-series; part of DC's 1995 "Year One" annuals	0
2. Early Legends of the Dark Knight Stories
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #1-5, 16-20: Dennis O'Neil script
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #1-5: "Shaman" storyline; Ed Hannigan and John Beatty art
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #1	featured different colored covers (a rather dumb gimmick); November 1989	0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #2		0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #3		0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #4	Wayne Manor is attacked	0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #5	ends around Christmas of Batman's first year; the Cult of Chubala is destroyed	0
	Batman: Shaman	collects Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #1-5	0
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #11-15, 137-141: Doug Moench script; Paul Gulacy pencils
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #11-15: "Prey" storyline; Terry Austin inks; Catwoman appears; has Gordon a Captain
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #11		0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #12	features the construction of the first temporary Bat-signal	0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #13		0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #14		0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #15	features the first Batmobile	0
	Batman: Prey	collects Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #11-15; cover-dated December 1992	0
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #6-10, 16-20, 21-23; Robin Annual #4: no art data entered
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #6-10: "Gothic" storyline; Grant Morrison script; has bat-signal already established
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #6		0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #7		0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #8		0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #9		0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #10		0
	Batman: Gothic	collects Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #6-10	0
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #24-26: "Flyer" storyline; Howard Chaykin script; Gil Kane art
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #24	has Batman greatly enjoying himself (obviously pre-Venom); includes the statement in Batman's caption "Hugo Strange [from Prey], Mister Whisper [from Gothic], and now this one"	0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #25		0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #26		0
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #16-20: very good "Venom" storyline
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #16		0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #17		0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #18		0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #19		0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #20		0
	Batman: Venom	collects Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #16-20; Denny O'Neil introduction; cover-dated October 1993	0
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #21-23, Detective Comics #575-578: Mike W. Barr script
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #21-23: "Faith" storyline; Dr. Leslie Thompkins appears; has Gordon still a Captain
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #21	cover-dated August 1991	0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #22	Dr. Leslie Thompkins learns Batman's identity in the end	0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #23	the Flying Graysons appear in cameo in the end, saying that they will not visit Gotham for a while still; cover-dated October 1991	0
3. Year Two
Detective Comics #575-578: "Year Two" storyline; Gordon has just been appointed Commissioner; features Batman with his "new look" chest sigil; Dr. Leslie Thompkins appears
	Detective Comics #575	features the first appearance of the Batsignal; Gordon announces he's working with Batman; features the Wayne Foundation being built; Alan Davis & Paul Neary art	0
Detective Comics #576-578: Todd McFarlane pencils
	Detective Comics #576	features the first appearance of Joe Chill; tells the Reaper's origin; Alfredo Alcala inks	0
	Detective Comics #577	Batman battles Reaper; Alfredo Alcala inks	0
	Detective Comics #578	both the Reaper and Joe Chill die; has Dr. Thompkins given a job directing the Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic; Todd McFarlane inks	0
	Batman: Year Two	collects Detective Comics #575-578; dated February 1990 [REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK]	1
4. Year Three
Detective Comics Annual #8, Robin Annual #4: Chuck Dixon script
	Robin Annual #4	tells the origin of Dick Grayson (Robin I) who joins Batman; features Two-Face; well-written; part of DC's 1995 "Year One" annuals; cover-dated June 1995	0
TWO-FACE
	Batman Annual #14	shows Two-Face's origin; occurs seven months after birth of Gordon's child in Batman: Year One; has Batman on a fairly friendly level with Gordan and showing a more positive attitude than at the end of Batman: Venom; Andrew Helfer script; Chris Sprouse art; Neil Adams cover; cover-dated 1990	0
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #28-30: "Faces" storyline; Matt Wagner writing and art; occurs two years after Two-Face was first incarcerated
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #28		0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #29		0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #30		0
	Batman: Faces	collects Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #28-30	0
SCARECROW
	Batman Annual #19	introduces the Scarecrow; states that Batman has fought "the Joker, Catwoman, Two-Face, Hugo Strange, and dozens of others"; Gordon is a Captain and is using the Bat-signal; part of DC's 1995 "Year One" annuals	0
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #137-141: "Terror" storyline (a sequel to "Prey"); Jimmy Palmiotti inks
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #137	Hugo Strange, returned, kills someone and tries to frame Batman; Batman debuts a boat but cautions himself about overdoing the gadgets; Batman talks to Gordon (still a Captain and using the Batsignal), suggests that Strange's death (in the conclusion of "Prey") was a few months ago, and takes the inventory of Catwoman, Two-Face, Scarecrow, and the Joker; Hugo Strange infiltrates Arkham Asylum and talks to Scarecrow	0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #138	Scarecrow recounts his origin (in a manner suggesting that he has only faced Batman once); Batman confronts Catwoman; Hugo Strange frees Scarecrow; Gordon replaces the cloth bat on the Batsignal with (more permanent) paint; Hugo Strange breaks into Wayne Manor and binds Alfred; Scarecrow, recovered as a villain, attacks Hugo Strange in bed	0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #139	Scarecrow kills Hugo Strange; Scarecrow captures Catwoman, blackmailing her with her real identity; Catwoman, turning on the Batsignal, lures Batman on a chase to Crime Alley, where Scarecrow murders a man and fights Batman; Catwoman turns on Scarecrow, then beams Batman over the head when Scarecrow runs off	0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #140	Bruce Wayne rededicates himself to the Wayne Foundation; Scarecrow is targeting his tormentors from high school; Batman and Gordon summon Catwoman, who gives Batman Scarecrow's location; Batman arrives at Scarecrow's hideout, only to be dosed by a dart	0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #141	as Batman battles Scarecrow, Catwoman destroys the photos Scarecrow took of her face; Batman escapes a deathtrap with Scarecrow as the mansion / hideout burns	0
	Batman: Terror	collects Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #147-141; published in 2003	1
OTHER LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT STORIES
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #54	"Sanctum"; Batman has "new look" chest sigil; Dan Raspler script; Mike Mignola art; cover-dated November 1993	0
1995 "YEAR ONE" ANNUALS
	Batman: Shadow of the Bat Annual #3	part of DC's 1995 "Year One" annuals	0
	Detective Comics Annual #8	introduces the Riddler; occurs as flashback to when Gordon was a lieutenant; Kieron Dwyer art; part of DC's 1995 "Year One" annuals; cover-dated July 1995	0
	Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Annual #5	part of DC's 1995 "Year One" annuals	0
	Batman: Four of a Kind	collects Batman: Shadow of the Bat Annual #3, Detective Comics Annual #8, Batman Annual #19, and Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Annual #5	0
THE LONG HALLOWEEN
Batman: The Long Halloween #1-13; Batman: Dark Victory #0, 1-13: Jeph Loeb script, Tim Sale art
	Batman: The Long Halloween #1	prestige format; cover-dated December 1996	0
	Batman: The Long Halloween #2		0
	Batman: The Long Halloween #3	occurs on Christmas	0
	Batman: The Long Halloween #4	occurs on New Year's Eve	0
	Batman: The Long Halloween #5	occurs on Valentine's Day	0
	Batman: The Long Halloween #6		0
	Batman: The Long Halloween #7		0
	Batman: The Long Halloween #8		0
	Batman: The Long Halloween #9		0
	Batman: The Long Halloween #10		0
	Batman: The Long Halloween #11		0
	Batman: The Long Halloween #12		0
	Batman: The Long Halloween #13	prestige format; cover-dated December 1997	0
Larger Version Available	Batman: The Long Halloween [softcover]	collects Batman: The Long Halloween #1-13; includes pages that went unpublished; Jeph Loeb introduction; softcover [REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK]	1
	Batman: The Long Halloween [hardcover]	published after the softcover to coincide with the hardcover of Batman: Dark Victory	0
	Batman: Dark Victory #0	contains a 10-page prologue to the series featuring Janice Porter as the new Gotham D.A. trying to get Alberto Falcone released and pressuring Gordon on Batman's illegal tactics	0
	Batman: Dark Victory #1	contains a 48-page story that runs from 2 August to November (in more detail: Pages 1-3: a black-and-white flashback that begins with a great (mostly black) shot of young Bruce Wayne and the small caption "I am alone." Carmine "The Roman" Falcone visits young Bruce Wayne at the funeral for Thomas and Martha Wayne. Pages 4-15: this sequence takes place on 2 August, the day acid was hurled onto Harvey Dent (also the anniversary of Carmine Falcone's last birthday celebration). Batman observes a mobster gathering (that Selina Kyle attends) in opposition to the "freaks" that are taking over Gotham. Pages 16-18: apparently during the following day, Selina Kyle and Mario Falcone visit Bruce Wayne and receive a cold welcome. Pages 19-20: in September, Gordon talks to his son who lives with his estranged wife, Barbara. Pages 21-23: recapitulating Batman: Dark Victory #0, Gordon and Janice Porter visit Alberto Falcone in prison. Pages 24-25: Sofia Gigante orders Two-Face's death to occur on Halloween, then seem to be observed. Pages 26-27: Gordon clandestinely meets Clancy, who says nothing's been the same after the Wayne murders, and gets a list of good cops. Pages 28-29: Gordon meets with Batman. Pages 30-31: Batman meets with Catwoman. Pages 32-39: Two-Face escapes Arkham when it is attacked. Pages 40-41: Batman visits Sofia Gigante, who acts like an enraged Starr from Preacher. Pages 42-43: in November, Alberto Falcone is released. Page 44: Carmine Falcone's grave is broken into. Page 45: Sofia Gigante gets one of Alberto's fingers as a message. Page 46: Gordon sees that Janice Porter's D.A. office has been burglarized and Harvey Dent's files stolen. Page 47-48: Clancy is found hung.); prestige format	0
	Batman: Dark Victory #2	occurs in November; features Bruce Wayne having Thanksgiving dinner with Selina Kyle; former commissioner Gillian B. Loeb is found hung	0
	Batman: Dark Victory #3	occurs in December; Detective arnold Flass (a major figure in Year One) is found hung; Bruce Wayne ignores Selina Kyle on Christmas	0
	Batman: Dark Victory #4	begins on New Year's Eve as Batman finds Solomon Grundy in the sewers	0
	Batman: Dark Victory #5	begins on 6 January, then jumps to 14 February; on 15 February, Bruce Wayne discovers that Selina Kyle is moving and gets a Dear John letter; Porter revealed to be with Two-Face	0
	Batman: Dark Victory #6	occurs on 17 March, Saint Patrick's Day	0
	Batman: Dark Victory #7	continued from the previous issue, then cuts to two weeks later and then to 1 April	0
	Batman: Dark Victory #8	occurs on Mother's Day	0
	Batman: Dark Victory #9	begins with a great sequence of the death of the Flying Graysons, then cuts to Father's Day, when Dick Grayson is already living in Wayne Manor	0
	Batman: Dark Victory #10	begins on 4 July, on which Two-Face is captured; Batman reveals his identity to Dick Grayson	0
	Batman: Dark Victory #11	begins on 1 August; Two-Face gets sprung during his trial on 2 August	0
	Batman: Dark Victory #12	begins on 4 August, the night on which Two-Face kills Porter, then cuts to two nights later and then to two weeks later, then finally to Labor Day	0
	Batman: Dark Victory #13	contains a 48-page story that continues on Labor Day from the previous issue; on Columbus Day, Two-Face, the Joker, Poison Ivy, and Mister Freeze kill many gangsters; Solomon Grundy and Sofia Gigante die; Robin emerges; ends on Halloween night as we learn that Selina Kyle thinks Carmine Falcone was her father; prestige format	0
	Batman: Dark Victory [hardcover]	collects Batman: Dark Victory #0-13; Tim Sale introduction; hardcover; published on Wednesday, 31 October 2001 [REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK]	0
Larger Version Available	Batman: Dark Victory [softcover]	softcover; published after the hardcover [REVIEW AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK]	1

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