The Post-Crisis Batman Continuity (as of Detective Comics #617 [1990])

Please note: Denny O'Neil was not the most vigilant of continuity editors, and so this list attempts to resolve a number of seeming contradictions, most notably made in Year 3, at which point O'Neil seemed to be intentionally making changes to continuity.

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22-28 years prior to Year 1 -- Bruce Wayne is born to Thomas and Martha Wayne (Secret Origins tpb indicates he is 8 years old when his parents died, Detective Comics #578 and Batman #404 indicate his parents died 18 to 20 years prior to Year 1, Secret Origins tpb also includes the problematic detail that he is "in his early twenties" when he concludes his training and returns to Gotham prior to Year 1 -- thus the range of years in which this event could have occurred. Based on the other events shown/listed in the Secret Origins tpb, Bruce had to be at least 22 when he became Batman, having begun his training at 20, studied under Kirigi for almost a year, studied with Ducard for six months (Detective Comics #600) and sought out at least 16 other mentors in that time(various sources, all compiled here).

19-25 years prior to Year 1 -- A young Bruce Wayne falls through a hole into a cave on the Wayne Manor property (presumed, Bruce is at least three years old here and his parents have not yet died (Secret Origins tpb) (they die when he is 8, and that was 19 years prior to Year One, as stated in Batman #404).

19 years prior to Year 1 -- The Reaper retires after a career of protecting Gotham through murderous vigilantism (stated as having occurred 20 years prior to Year 2 in Detective Comics #575).

18-19 years prior to Year 1 -- Alfred Pennyworth's father dies; Alfred takes his place as butler to the Waynes (all immediately prior to the deaths of Thomas and Martha Wayne, Batman Annual #13). Thomas and Martha Wayne are murdered (20 years prior to Year 2, as stated in Detective Comics #578, 18 years prior to Year 1, as stated in Batman #404). Bruce is 8 years old (Secret Origins tpb)(1). Bruce is taken in by Dr. Leslie Thompson. Alfred watches over Wayne manor and remains involved in Bruce's upbringing (Detective Comics #574 and Batman Annual #13).

14 to 15 Years prior to Year 1 -- Bruce attends an exclusive private school by the time he is twelve (Detective Comics #614). Grant Morrison's contradictory depiction of this school (which may or may not count since the story didn't come out of the Bat Office) indicates that Bruce and the other students were repeatedly abused (sexually and otherwise) by the staff, and that Bruce's friend, Robert, was killed by the headmaster, who was also the villain called "Whisper" (Legends of the Dark Knight #7).

12 to 14 Years prior to Year 1 -- Bruce revisits Crime Alley for the first time since his parents' death, is attacked by the Demonz gang (including "Skorp," a new initiate who is forced to fight Bruce one on one to prove himself) and is rescued by a homeless "fairy godmother" (Detective Comics #614: this happens sometime after we learn that he was attending private school at the age of 12, but presumably occurs while he is still there and before he begins attending college)

12 to 13 Years prior to Year 1 -- Bruce attends various colleges from ages 14 to 20, in search of information to aid him in his war against crime (Detective Comics #574 and Secret Origins tpb).

6 to 7 Years prior to Year 1 -- Bruce begins his training. (2)

Just prior to Year 1 -- Bruce studies under his final trainer (Willy Doggett), is nearly killed while pursuing a murderer in the Alaskan wilderness, and is saved by a Shaman who tells him the story of The Bat (Legends of the Dark Knight #1, Secret Origins tpb).

Year 1 -- Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham. Jim Gordon moves to Gotham and rises to the rank of Captain. Batman begins his career. James Gordon Jr. is born. Catwoman begins her career. Batman forms informal partnerships/friendships with Gordon and Harvey Dent. (Batman #404-407).

Between Year 1 and Year 2 -- The events of the "Shaman" storyline (Legends of the Dark Knight #1-5)

Between Year 1 and Year 2-- Batman switches to the yellow chest symbol (Presumed since he has it in Detective Comics #575, the beginning of Year 2). The Joker begins his career (presumed from the end of Year One in Batman #408, though this jibes uneasily with the events of Year 2, which suggest the Reaper is Batman's first major villain) after falling into a vat of chemicals while pursued by Batman as The Red Hood (assuming the Joker is telling the truth in The Killing Joke, though even he casts doubts on this). Jim Gordon is promoted to commissioner (Batman #575).

Sometime after Year 1 -- Jim Gordon begins to foster his niece, Barbara Gordon, after her parents die. Jim Gordon's wife divorces him and moves to Chicago with James Jr. at some point afterward (Secret Origins #20).

Year 2 -- The Wayne Foundation building is constructed. Batman fights The Reaper, who is implied to be the first major villain he has fought (Detective Comics #575-578).

Between Year 2 and 3 -- Batman returns to the original chest symbol, at least temporarily (as seen in flashback in Batman #436).

Year 3 -- Dick Grayson's parents are murdered by Anthony Zucco. He is initially sent to St. Jude's orphanage under the care of Sister Mary Elizabeth (Batman #426). He is taken in by Bruce at age 12, becomes Robin at age 13 (presumed, working backwards from Batman #416). Tim Drake witnesses the death of Dick Grayson's parents at the age of 2 and follows Batman and Robin's adventures from that point forward (Batman #441).

Year 3-8 -- Most of Batman's rogues gallery is active for some time prior to Dick's retirement, but presumably not until after the events of Year Two (since it's implied that Reaper is Batman's first majro villain), including Two Face, Penguin, and Joker (Batman #408 and Detective comics #575-578)

Year 8 -- The first Robin is retired at age 19 and presumed dead by the general public (assuming Year 3 counts as a full first year when Dick tells Bruce he fought by his side for six years in Batman #416).

Year 9 -- Bruce takes in Jason Todd. Dick attends one year of college, leads the Teen Titans, drops out, becomes Nightwing, and "started a new life as leader of" the New Teen Titans (presumed from the timeline provided in Batman #416, which seems to imply that Dick formed the New Teen Titans after becoming Nightwing and never led it as Robin, yet Batman Annual #13 indicates that he did initially lead it as Robin).

Year 9.5 -- Jason becomes Robin six months after Bruce takes him in (Dick confronts Batman about Jason being the new Robin 18 months after his retirement in Batman #416; the preface for Death in the Family states that Jason became Robin 18 months after Dick retired). The general public believes it's the return of the same Robin (Batman Annual #13).

Between Years 9.5 and 10.5 - The Mike W. Barr run, featuring a younger, less jaded/impulsive Jason Todd (Presumed, though it is debatable whether this run counts in Post-Crisis continuity at all, especially since it includes a clearly pre-crisis Catwoman)

Year 10.5 -- the events of Batman #416 (takes place one year after the confrontation between Dick and Bruce over Jason becoming Robin, which occurred 18 months after Dick retired), the events of "The Cult" (indicates that Batman has been active for 10 years, presumably takes place after Batman #416).

Year 11 -- A flashback in Detective Comics #617 shows Batman and the Joker facing off at a conference on symbolism during this time. We have no other information about anything that transpired in Year 11.

Between Years 10.5 and 14 - Never revealed, presumed to occur between Batman #416 and #425 (3)

Year 14 - Batgirl retires and is paralyzed by the Joker (occurred in The Killing Joke prior to Jason Todd's death in Batman #426), Jason Todd is killed in Death in the Family, the present day events of Year 3 occur only a few weeks later (Batman #436 occurred ten years after Year 3, Nightwing indicates Jason has only been dead a few weeks). A Lonely Place of Dying. (Tim Drake is 13 and confirms he was 2 during Year 3 in Batman #441) Depending upon how you interpret some conflicting information provided in the Secret Origins tpb and Batman #404, Bruce is anywhere from 35 to 42 years old at this point.

Year 14.5 - The events of Batman #450 (said to occur "several months" after Death in the Family)


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(1) According to the Secret Origins tpb, Bruce is 8 when his parents died. According to Batman #404, this occurred 18 years prior to year one (making Bruce 26 in Year One). Yet the Secret Origins tpb also shows that Bruce was "in his early twenties" when his training concluded, and we know from Legends of the Dark #1 that Bruce became Batman a very short time after. Thus, the idea that Bruce was 8 years old when his parents were murdered AND that this took place 18-19 years prior to Year 1 is up for debate. However, much of the timeline I have constructed is based upon this assumption.

(2) Batman #431 stated that Bruce began his training ten years prior to Batman #431, and Batman #433-435 seemed to concur, indicating that he'd done all of his training in one year, but Detective Comics #600 stated that he'd trained for more than ten years before becoming Batman. None of these statements appear to be correct. However, the final assertion is close to true if you count college.

(3) At no point is it suggested that a gap of time has occurred between Batman #416 and #425. However, references to time in Year 3 indicate that an extra 3.5 years occurred somewhere, and this is pretty much the only place those 3.5 years could go without conflicting with previous references made to the post-crisis timeline. Meanwhile, "The Cult," written by Starlin at the same time, MUST occur in Year 10 because it mentions that Batman has been active for ten years within it. At the time, O'Neil had intended the present day to be Year 10, which is why this mention was made, but Year 3 later required the present day to be changed to Year 14; thus "The Cult" remains in Year 10 while Starlin's regular run advances to Year 14.