Zero Year is a 12-month connect story written by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV that became available in June 2013 and July 2014.
This chapter repeats Batman’s birth story in The New 52 version of the DC Universe, taking us back six years in time (for more information, see The Batman New 52 Reading Order).
When Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham City, everything starts. He confronts the Red Rose gang in fight.
These will come to an end in the birth of Batman and an outbreak that will kill him in Gotham. He must in order to free the fallen city, which has been taken over by one of his worst enemies, when he returns.
Locke and Key Reading Order: Unlocking the Secrets
Before Batman: Zero Year, What Should I Read?
Published later to the Death of the Family story (for more details, see the Death of the Family Reading Order), Zero Year is a backstory. A few years previous to The Court of Owls, the story takes place.
You can read it right now or at a later time. While some suggest reading it previous to The Court of Owls, I believe that understanding the mood and design of Snyder’s Batman will help you better enjoy the story itself.
Batman: The Selected Editions, Zero Year Reading Order:
Whatever the order of the issues, the trade collecting the connections grouped them all as normal. While it’s best to read DC Comics: Zero Year after that due to some spoilers, you can read it before Dark City if you don’t mind.
- Batman, Vol. 4: Zero Year – Secret City
Gathers Batman issues #21-24.
- Batman, Vol, 5: Zero Year – Dark City
Gathers Batman issues #25-27 and #29-33.
- DC Comics: Zero Year
Gathers Batman #24-25, Detective Comics #25, Batgirl #25, Batwing #25, Batwoman #25, Birds of Prey #25, Catwoman #25, The Flash #25, Green Arrow #25, Green Lantern Corps #25, Nightwing #25, Red Hood and The Outlaws #25, and Action Comics #25.
- Batman: Zero Year
Gathers Batman issues #21-27 and #29-33.
Batman: Read the Zero Year series issue-by-issue:
A great deal of this storyline takes place in Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s main Batman series. You can follow the story even if you simply read the issues in this series. But that’s not the only reason you’re here. The connections are as follows:
- Batman (vol. 2) #0 – The beginning of the New 52’s Batman with two stories. The first serves as a sort of prologue to issue #21
- Batman (vol. 2) #21 – Zero Year: Secret City begins here.
- Batman (vol. 2) #22
- Batman (vol. 2) #23
- Batman (vol. 2) Annual #2 – Additionally, there’s an optional flashback set during Zero Year.
- Batman (vol. 2) #24
- Detective Comics (vol. 2) #25 – a Jim Gordon story
- Batwing #25
- Action Comics (vol. 2) #25
- Green Arrow (vol. 5) #25
- Batman (vol. 2) #25 – Zero Year: Dark City begins here.
- Nightwing (vol. 3) #25
- Batgirl (vol. 4) #25
- Green Lantern Corps (vol. 3) #25
- Red Hood and the Outlaws #25
- Batwoman (vol. 2) #25
- Birds of Prey (vol. 3) #25
- Catwoman (vol. 4) #25
- The Flash (vol. 4) #25
- Batman (vol. 2) #26
- Batman (vol. 2) #27
- Batman (vol. 2) #29
- Batman (vol. 2) #30
- Batman (vol. 2) #31
- Batman (vol. 2) #32
- Batman (vol. 2) #33
Zero Year, Following Batman
Once more, it’s the follow-up that became available in the course of Greg Capullo and Scott Snyder’s Batman run. According to what you’ve already read. It is required for you to start with The Graveyard Shift in publication order.
I’m sending you to the Batman New 52 Reading Order so you may learn more.
