1989–2007 series ;Shaman (#1–5) By
Dennis O'Neil,
Ed Hannigan, and
John Beatty Bruce Wayne and a bounty hunter climb a mountain in
Alaska as they try to capture a murderer named Thomas Woodley. Woodley quickly manages to kill the bounty hunter before falling off the cliff after a small fight with Wayne. Wayne's supplies are lost with Woodley, which nearly results in Wayne's death when a Native American with her grandfather discover him. The grandfather is able to save Wayne's life by taking Wayne to his cabin and tells him a story on how the Bat gained its wings, while wearing a mask of a bat. After he recuperates and leaves, Wayne is warned by the granddaughter never to tell anyone the story. Upon his return to
Gotham City shortly after, Wayne attempts to fight crime, but fails miserably. That night after he fails, a bat flies into the room and reminds Wayne of the Native American's story from years earlier and so he decides to create a costume for himself and become Batman. Note:
Legend of the Dark Knight #1 (the first issue of the "Shaman" storyline) was printed with several different colored covers as collector's items. ;Gothic (#6–10) By
Grant Morrison and
Klaus Janson A man known as "Mr. Whisper" is killing off mob bosses one by one. The mobsters explain to Batman that he was a child killer over 30 years ago, and (similar to the film
M) the mobsters had found and killed him when there was too much pressure from the cops over them. At the same time, Batman's investigation links Mr. Whisper with a hideous event in Bruce Wayne's school days, a bargain reminiscent of
Don Giovanni, and the
Gotham City Cathedral. Note: Grant Morrison's second Batman story and first non-graphic novel Batman story. ;Prey (#11–15) By
Doug Moench,
Paul Gulacy, and
Terry Austin Batman must contend with the brilliant but deranged psychiatrist
Hugo Strange, who foments a massive smear campaign against him and attempts to uncover his secret identity. Note: Retells the second meeting, in Post-
Crisis continuity, between Batman and Hugo Strange (the first meeting would be told, years later, in
Dark Moon Rising: Batman and the Monster Men). ;Venom (#16–20) By Dennis O'Neil, Russell Braun,
Trevor Von Eeden, and
José Luis García-López When Batman fails to save the life of a young girl held for ransom, he decides to try a new experimental steroid-drug designed by her father called Venom. Note: First appearance of the "Venom" drug-steroid, later used by Bane. First
Legends of the Dark Knight story to be referenced in-canon in the main Batman titles during
Knightfall. ;Faith (#21–23) By
Mike W. Barr,
Bart Sears, and Randy Elliott A drug addict is rescued from a fatal beating by Batman, which inspires him to organize a group of neighborhood vigilantes to take up Batman's cause. However, his addled dreams convince him that he must supplant Batman. Meanwhile, Dr.
Leslie Thompkins discovers Bruce Wayne's secret identity. Note: Tells the previously-unseen story of Leslie Thompkins discovering that Bruce Wayne is Batman. Also, it is the first
Legends of the Dark Knight story to not consist of the original five issue one story format. ;Flyer (#24–26) By
Howard Chaykin and
Gil Kane One of the officers who was injured during the siege against Batman in
Batman: Year One resurfaces in a mechanized combat suit, targeting Batman for death. Note: An unofficial sequel to
Batman: Year One. ;Destroyer (Part 2 of 3) (#27) By Dennis O'Neil,
Chris Sprouse, and Bruce Patterson A miscreant is blowing up Gotham's newer buildings which, according to him, have overshadowed the old Gotham and his destruction leads to Art. Note: Part of a three-part crossover involving
Legends of the Dark Knight,
Batman, and
Detective Comics. First issue of the series to be set in the then-present day continuity and the first issue to crossover with the other Batman titles. ;Faces (#28–30) By
Matt Wagner Two-Face takes over a small island with plans to create a society in his own scarred image. ;Family (#31) By
James D. Hudnall and
Brent Anderson After Bruce forces Alfred to take a vacation to
Corto Maltese, he must rescue him from kidnappers. Note: First regular DC Universe appearance of the island nation of Corto Maltese, which was introduced in the pages of the out-of-continuity
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns miniseries. ;Blades (#32–34) By
James Robinson and
Tim Sale While Batman is distracted with a serial killer who targets senior citizens, a new vigilante, the swashbuckling
Cavalier, begins his own war on crime. Note: The Cavalier who appears in the story is a new character, previously never seen before, and has no ties with the more commonly known version of the character. ;Destiny (#35–36) By
Bo Hampton and Mark Kneece Batman meets another costumed vigilante from Norway who dresses like a
Viking, and learns an ancient tale of a Norse hero known as the Bat Man. ;Mercy (#37) By
Dan Abnett,
Andy Lanning, and
Colin MacNeil In his early days, Batman trained a female rookie cop, Mercedes "Mercy" Stone, to fight in hand-to-hand combat. Five years later, he must rescue her from a pit-fighting ring. ;Legend of the Dark Mite (#38) By
Alan Grant and
Kevin O'Neill A junkie criminal turned Arkham Asylum inmate, Bob Overdog, claims that the events leading up to his imprisonment were orchestrated by an imp from another dimension (the titular Bat-Mite) who idolizes and attempts to emulate Batman. Note: Set in the then-present day continuity of the Batman titles and the first Post-
Crisis appearance of
Bat-Mite. ;Mask (#39–40) By
Bryan Talbot Batman wakes up in a hospital bed surrounded by doctors who tell him that he is an alcoholic tramp who dresses in a
batsuit made of garbage. He wonders whether it is some sort of hallucination, or is his life as Batman the real illusion. ;Sunset (#41) By
Tom Joyner, Keith S. Wilson, and Jim Fern While fleeing the police, Batman encounters an actress-turned-vampire who was thought to have died 40 years ago and Batman is hypnotized into doing her will. Note: Inspired by early Batman stories involving Batman facing vampires in the 1930s. The plotline also deliberately parallels the classic film
Sunset Boulevard. ;Hothouse (#42–43) By
John Francis Moore and
P. Craig Russell Pamela Isley is out of the
asylum after her first encounter with Batman. But when one of her colleagues dies under mysterious circumstances, her rehabilitation is called into question. Note: First story to feature Poison Ivy attempting to reform. It was later loosely adapted into the
Batman: The Animated Series episode "House and Garden". ;Turf (#44–45) By
Steven Grant and
Shawn McManus Batman and Captain James Gordon go after racist cops who are brutalizing and murdering African Americans. ;Heat (#46–49) By Doug Moench and
Russ Heath When
Thomas Blake starts murdering young women, Batman and
Catwoman form an uneasy alliance to stop him. Note: The story features an alternate origin/take on Catman, portraying him as a serial killer driven by memories of an abusive mother. The story was one of several Batman/Catwoman stories that were officially declared non-canon following the events of
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time!. ;Images (#50) By Dennis O'Neil and
Bret Blevins A young Batman meets his match when he encounters a murderous villain known as the
Joker. Note: The story is a retelling of the first encounter between Batman and the Joker, from
Batman #1, with elements from
Batman: Year One added as part of the retelling. ;Snitch (#51) By
Robert Loren Fleming and David G. Klein A highly skilled hitman whose rule is to only fire a single shot targets Batman and Gotham's other defender, the
Ragman. ;Tao (#52–53) By Alan Grant and
Arthur Ranson A man from Batman's past comes to Gotham seeking vengeance. ;Sanctum (#54) By
Dan Raspler and
Mike Mignola While hunting a serial killer, Batman discovers an undead man who attempts to kill him in order to live again. ;Watchtower (#55–57) By
Chuck Dixon and
Mike McMahon A tale of an alternate future Batman. ;Storm (#58) By Andrew Donkin, Graham Brand, and
John Higgins A foreign diplomat whose country is guilty of violating human rights is targeted by a group of terrorists. ;Quarry (#59–61) By Dennis O'Neil,
Ron Wagner,
Eduardo Barreto, and Ron McCain Bruce Wayne, using a wheelchair after having his back broken by Bane, attempts to rescue Jack Drake and Shondra Kinsolving from Shondra's evil brother, the Asp. Note: Set in the then-present day continuity of the Batman titles and a part of the "Knightquest: The Search" crossover. ;KnightsEnd (#62–63) By Chuck Dixon,
Barry Kitson, Ron Wagner, and Ron McCain Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham to reclaim the mantle of Batman from an out-of-control
Azrael. To combat Azrael, Bruce makes a dangerous alliance with
Lady Shiva to train him to fight the assassin. Note: Set in the then-present day continuity and a part of the "KnightsEnd" crossover. ;Terminus (#64) By
Jamie Delano,
Chris Bachalo, and Mark Pennington Batman tracks a drug addict to a hotel filled with lost souls. ;Going Sane (#65–68) By
J. M. DeMatteis,
Joe Staton, and Steve Mitchell When the
Joker traps Batman in an explosion, he believes that he is finally rid of his arch-foe. As a result, his insane mind returns to sanity and the Ace of Knaves forgets his bloodstained past, starting a new life as the average citizen "Joseph Kerr". Batman, however, is still alive, and his return to Gotham means the end to the Joker's newfound happiness. Note: The plot for this story had originally been submitted to DC by J. M. DeMatteis in the mid-1980s, but was rejected because it was too similar to another Batman story in production at that time,
Batman: The Killing Joke. DeMatteis reworked the original draft into the
Spider-Man storyline "
Kraven's Last Hunt". ;Criminals (#69–70) By Steven Grant and
Mike Zeck Batman goes undercover as a prison inmate. ;Werewolf (#71–73) By James Robinson and
John Watkiss A series of murders connected to Wayne Enterprises leads Batman to London. While there, he discovers a supernatural mystery. ;Engines (#74–75) By
Ted McKeever A story told from the perspective of Gotham's newest serial killer, a slaughterhouse employee who covets the aging and decaying process. ;Sleeping (#76–78) By
Scott Hampton When a car accident leaves Bruce Wayne comatose, Batman must travel through the Underworld back to the land of the living. On the way, Batman meets another coma victim in need of assistance. Before returning to the real world, he must unravel the connection between himself and his evil "soul twin", all while being pursued by an Underworld demon. ;Favorite Things (#79) By
Mark Millar,
Steve Yeowell, and
Dick Giordano On
Christmas Eve, Batman combs the city for a gang known as "the Chessmen", who have been stealing presents from a multitude of wealthy households, including Wayne Manor. ;Idols (#80–82) By
James Vance,
Dougie Braithwaite, and Sean Hardy A new boutique is cashing in on the Bat-craze sweeping Gotham. Captain Gordon must cooperate with the FBI when a serial killer strikes in Gotham. Meanwhile, Batman is on the trail of a copycat vigilante in a bat-mask, while trying to stop the violence his publicity might cause. ;Infected (#83–84) By
Warren Ellis and
John McCrea Two escaped super-soldier experiments wreak havoc in Gotham. Batman intervenes, as all of Gotham might be the next victim. ;Citadel (#85) By James Robinson and
Tony Salmons Batman ascends a heavily guarded tower, laced with death traps, to reach his quarry on the top floor. ;Conspiracy (#86–88) By Doug Moench,
J. H. Williams III, and Mick Gray A series of ritual murders in Gotham leads Batman to Los Angeles. As the stakes get higher, Batman and a new ally work together to unravel a conspiracy that reaches from drug-peddling biker gangs to the CIA and a mysterious religious order. ;Clay (#89–90) By Alan Grant and
Quique Alcatena Batman faces his slipperiest foe to date in the form of the new
Clayface, Matt Hagen. Notes: A retelling of the story "The Challenge of Clay-Face" in
Detective Comics #298. ;Freakout (#91–93) By
Garth Ennis and
Will Simpson Batman investigates a new designer drug, an enhanced form of LSD. ;Stories (#94) By
Michael T. Gilbert A writer by the name of Saul Fisher finds himself the target of an assassination attempt by a group of religious fundamentalists known as "the Enlightened". As a result, Fisher finds himself trapped in a powerless elevator, panicking as the gunmen get closer. To help calm him, the elevator's other passengers, from an aged
Julie Madison to a retired policeman and his grandson, share with him tales of their encounters with Batman. Note: This story features homages to the Batman of the
Golden Age,
Silver Age,
Bronze Age, and
Dark Age. It was later adapted (with different framing sequences/stories) for
Batman: The Animated Series as "Legends of the Dark Knight". ;Dirty Tricks (#95–97) By Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and
Anthony Williams An assassin known as the Magician, who seems unstoppable, is in Gotham. Bruce Wayne ran across him in Eastern Europe before becoming Batman and barely survived. ;Steps (#98–99) By
Paul Jenkins and
Sean Phillips Batman must track down a new serial killer on the street who murders prostitutes with a crossbow, with the only witness to the case an
autistic teenager. ;Choices (#100) By Dennis O'Neil and
Dave Taylor When a married acrobatic couple are killed during a performance, Batman adopts their son, Dick, and trains him to become his sidekick, Robin the Boy Wonder. Note: A retelling of the origin of the first Robin (Dick Grayson) from
Detective Comics #38. ;The Incredible Adventures of Batman (#101) By
John Wagner and
Carlos Ezquerra In 2099, Batman has become a figure of legend. A vigilante is inspired to imitate Batman, obtaining his costume from the recently closed Museum of Gotham. ;Spook (#102–104) By James Robinson and
Paul Johnson The Modern Age debut of the supervillain known as the
Spook. Bruce Wayne attends a weekend business retreat at a secluded ski resort. When the power goes out and one of the guests winds up dead, Bruce switches into Batman mode. The Dark Knight fights the Spook and his henchman Darwin. Eventually, the Spook blows up the house, sending the few survivors fleeing on a private jet. When the Spook shows up aboard the plane, Batman fights him again, but the new villain disappears. Batman then exposes one of the survivors as the Spook's accomplice. ;Duty (#105–106) By
C.J. Henderson, Trevor Von Eeden, and
Josef Rubenstein When the Joker is broken out of Arkham by a terrorist group while Batman is working on a case in the
Middle East, Captain James Gordon and Sergeant Harvey Bullock must find a way to stop the madman without the help of the Caped Crusader. Note: This story is set in the days before Gordon achieved the rank of police commissioner and Bullock the rank of detective. In addition, Batman does not appear in a single panel of the story. ;Stalking (#107–108) By
Lee Marrs and Eddy Newell ;The Primal Riddle (#109–111) By
Steve Englehart, Dusty Abell, and Drew Geraci A battle with the
Riddler results in Batman being badly electrocuted, resulting in a near death experience that separates his "spirit" from his body. As the soulless Batman struggles to foil the Riddler's latest scheme, his "spirit" wanders around Gotham possessing a wide variety of "hosts", from a small boy to the Riddler himself. ;Shipwreck (#112–113) By
Dan Vado, Norman Felchle, and
Frank Cirocco After Batman foils a group of mercenaries in their attempt to free an imprisoned national, the group attempts to hold a cruise ship full of wealthy Gothamites hostage. Batman must fight his way through the bowels of the ship to confront the mercenary leader and save the passengers. ;Playground (#114) By James Robinson,
Dan Brereton, and
Tim Bradstreet Batman makes the foolish mistake of blindly confronting a professional mob assassin from
Chicago on the latter's home turf, resulting in him suffering multiple wounds and becoming trapped in the slums of the Windy City. A cat-and-mouse game with the assassin ensues, as the Dark Knight struggles, and interacts, with the homeless men and women that populate the slums. ;The Darkness (#115) By Darren Vincenzo and
Luke McDonnell ;No Man's Land (#116–126) Following a devastating earthquake and the manipulations of Lex Luthor, Gotham City is disowned by the United States government. Batman and his allies must try to keep what is left of civilization intact in the madness, while solving the mystery of who the new Batgirl is. Note: For the course of nearly an entire year (11 issues)
Legends of the Dark Knight abandoned its anthology format and became a regular continuity Batman book, crossing over with its fellow Batman titles (
Batman,
Detective Comics and
Shadow of the Bat) and spin-offs (
Azrael,
Catwoman,
Robin, and
Nightwing) for the duration of the ''
No Man's Land'' storyline. ;The Arrow and the Bat (#127–131) By Dennis O'Neil,
Sergio Cariello, and Matt Ryan ;Siege (#132–136) By
Archie Goodwin, James Robinson
Marshall Rogers, and
Bob Wiacek Silver St. Cloud and an aging mercenary with ties to Bruce's grandfather return to Gotham as the mercenary and his allies attempt to destroy Wayne Manor and Gotham City. Note: The story is set during the timeframe in which Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth lived in a downtown penthouse, instead of Wayne Manor. The story is also one of the final stories written by Archie Goodwin before his death. ;Terror (#137–141) By Doug Moench, Paul Gulacy, and
Jimmy Palmiotti Professor Hugo Strange resurfaces and breaks Dr. Jonathan Crane (the
Scarecrow) out of Arkham Asylum to terrorize Batman and
Catwoman. Strange enhances Crane's fear toxin with a
hallucinogen and gives him a subconscious hatred of Batman, in addition to a "haunted" house as a base of operations. Note: A spiritual sequel to the earlier Moench
Legends of the Dark Knight story "Prey". ;The Demon Laughs (#142–145) By Chuck Dixon,
Jim Aparo, and John Cebollero
Ra's al Ghul recruits the Joker in his latest scheme to kill off 95% of the world's population and the Ace of Knaves is all too happy to accept. An attempted double-crossing on the Joker's part, however, results in him being gunned down by Ra's' followers, and if Batman is to have a hope of stopping Ra's from spreading the Joker's virus, he must save the life of his deadliest foe. Note: Elements from this story, in particular the Joker being recruited by Ra's al Ghul, were later used in the animated film
Batman: Under the Red Hood, instead of the plot from "A Death in the Family", to explain how the Joker killed Jason Todd. ;Bad (#146–148) By Doug Moench and Barry Kitson ;Grimm (#149–153) By J. M. DeMatteis, Trevor Von Eeden, and José Luis García-López ;Colossus (#154–155) By
Mike Baron and
Bill Reinhold ;Blink (#156–158) By
Dwayne McDuffie,
Val Semeiks, and
Dan Green Batman teams up with a man who can see through the eyes of others in order to track down the leader of an underground snuff film ring. ;Loyalties (#159–161) By
John Ostrander,
David Lopez, and Dan Green Captain James Gordon has been kidnapped and brought back to his hometown of Chicago to be tortured into revealing the name of the last surviving eyewitness to a grisly murder. That witness was his young niece,
Barbara. ;Auteurism (#162–163) By
John Arcudi and
Roger Langridge The Joker, deeming Gotham's newspapers inadequate to represent his "true self", enlists the help of Buddy Kantor, a highly eccentric comedian/filmmaker, to chronicle his exploits. In the end, however, Buddy's inflated ego and tenuous grasp on reality may prove to be too much even for the Clown Prince of Crime. ;Don't Blink (#164–167) By Dwayne McDuffie, Val Semeiks, and Dan Green ;Urban Legend (#168) By
Bill Willingham and
Tom Fowler ;Irresistible (#169–171) By
Tom Peyer,
Tony Harris, and
Wade von Grawbadger ;Testament (#172–176) By John Wagner and Chris Brunner ;Lost Cargo (#177–178) By
Devin Grayson, Jean-Jacques Dzialowski, and George Rodriguez ;Full Circle (#179) By A. J. Lieberman and Greg Scott ;The Secret City (#180–181) By
Dylan Horrocks, Ramon Bachs, and Jon Holdredge Oracle enters a virtual world to investigate a series of murders. ;War Games (#182–184) Stephanie Brown and Orpheus are savagely murdered by the returning Black Mask, when a violent gang war erupts within Gotham. Note: As it was with "No Man's Land",
Legends of the Dark Knight stepped away from the usual self-contained story-arc structure for a few issues to cross over with the other Batman books for the
War Games storyline. ;Riddle Me That (#185–189) By
Shane McCarthy, Tommy Castillo, and Rodney Ramos ;Cold Snap (#190–191) By
J. Torres, David Lopez, and
Fernando Blanco Mr. Freeze is acting strangely and Batman fears he may be preparing for suicide. ;Snow (#192–196) By J. H. Williams III,
Dan Curtis Johnson, and
Seth Fisher When Captain Gordon refuses to give him access to GCPD files on a major criminal, Batman takes things into his own hands and assembles a private team of investigators. At the same time, researcher Victor Fries suffers tragedy and goes on a rampage against his employers. Note: A retelling of the origin of Mr. Freeze, using the origin established for the character in
Batman: The Animated Series. ;Blaze of Glory (#197–199) By
Will Pfeifer and
Chris Weston ;Emergency (#200) By
Eddie Campbell, Daren White, and
Bart Sears During his latest battle with Batman, the Joker is inadvertently exposed to his own Joker venom. ;Cold Case (#201–203) By
Christos N. Gage, Ron Wagner, and Bill Reinhold ;Madmen of Gotham (#204–206) By
Justin Gray and
Steven Cummings ;Darker than Death (#207–211) By
Bruce Jones and
Ariel Olivetti ;Chicks Dig the Bat (#212) By
Adam Beechen,
Steve Scott, and
Nathan Massengill A socially awkward high school student gets more than he bargained for when he invites a date to watch Batman from a local rooftop. ;Otaku (#213) By
Matt Wayne and Steven Cummings The murder of a black market dealer who specializes in authentic Batman-related memorabilia (lost Batarangs, cowls, etc.) leads Batman to
Akihabara, where he must comb the Electric City's various
themed establishments to find a Yakuza leader that has a rather disturbing fetish for costumed heroes. ;Superstitious and Cowardly (#214) By Christos N. Gage and
Phil Winslade Famed assassin
Deadshot returns to Gotham, following the events of
Infinite Crisis, to kill a witness who is set to testify against a corrupt businessman. Knowing of his recent heroic actions during the crossover as part of the Secret Six, Batman must find a way to convince Deadshot to abandon the contract to kill the witness. ;Viewpoint (#0) A preview of upcoming stories published during the Post-
Zero Hour "Zero Month" event. Note:
Vince Giarrano produced the framing sequences between the previews. Two of the preview stories featured here were never published. ;Duel (
Annual #1) By Dennis O'Neil, Jim Aparo,
Keith Giffen,
Malcolm Jones III,
Joe Quesada,
Josef Rubenstein,
Tom Lyle,
Ty Templeton Dan Spiegle, James Blackburn, and
Michael Golden; cover artist:
Mike Mignola Batman has illusions about the metaphorical "burden" he has to carry. ;Vows (
Annual #2) By Dennis O'Neil,
Michael Netzer, and
Luke McDonnell ;Transformation (
Annual #3) By Dennis O'Neil,
Mike Manley, Luke McDonnell,
Gray Morrow, and
Ricardo Villagran Azrael, who is replacing the injured Bruce Wayne as Batman, must help a disillusioned priest who has recently gained superpowers fight an army of alien creatures feeding on humans in Gotham. Notes: Part of the 1993 "Bloodlines" DC
Annual crossover. ;Citizen Wayne (
Annual #4) By
Brian Augustyn,
Mark Waid,
Joe Staton, and Horacio Ottolini Note: Part of the 1994
Elseworlds Annual event, featuring DC characters in various Elseworlds scenarios. ;Wings (
Annual #5) By Chuck Dixon and Quique Alcatena Batman and the Man-Bat's first encounter is retold through the point-of-view of the Man-Bat. Note: Part of the 1995 "Year One" banner event involving that year's DC
Annuals. Features a retelling of the origin of the
Man-Bat, originally from
Detective Comics #400. ;Executioner (
Annual #6) By Alan Grant, Barry Kitson, and Vince Giarrano ;I Am A Gun (
Annual #7) By James Robinson, Steve Yeowell, and
Russ Heath 2012–2015 series ;The Butler Did It (#1) By
Damon Lindelof and
Jeff Lemire ;All of the Above (#1) By Jonathan Larsen and
J.G. Jones ;The Crime Never Committed (#1) By
Tom Taylor and
Nicola Scott ;Crisis in Identity (#2) By
B. Clay Moore and
Ben Templesmith ;Letters to Batman (#3) By
Steve Niles and
Trevor Hairsine ;A Game to Die for (#4) By T. J. Fixman and Christopher Mitten ;Batman: The Movie (#4) By
Andrew Dabb and Giorgio Pontrelli ;Together (#4) By Jonathan Larsen and
Tan Eng Huat ;Slam! (#5) By
Joshua Hale Fialkov and
Phil Hester ;Gotham Spirit (#6) By
Jeff Parker and Gabriel Hardman ;Dungeons and Dragons (#6) By
Michael Avon Oeming ;Look Inside (#6) By
Rob Williams and
Juan Jose Ryp ;Haunted Arkham (#7) By
Joe Harris and Jason Masters ==Continuity==