Batman: Shadow of the Bat


Batman: Shadow of the Bat is a comic book series featuring Batman, published by the comic book publishing company DC Comics. The series ran for 96 issues, from 1992 to 2000. The stories took place in Batman's then-current continuity along with Detective Comics and Batman, in contrast to Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, which focused on Batman's early years. Batman: Shadow of the Bat looked into the psyche of the various cast members of the Batman comics. It was also notable for introducing the villain Victor Zsasz into the Batman mythos.
The majority of issues were written by Alan Grant, who had previously been the main writer on Detective Comics from issue #583 to #621 and on Batman from issue #455 to #480.

Publication history

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1 went on sale three weeks after Alan Grant's final issue of Batman. Its first story arc, the four-part storyline "Batman: The Last Arkham", saw the introduction of several new characters such as Jeremiah Arkham and Victor Zsasz.
Fifty of the series' 96 monthly issues were part of various crossovers with other titles. Issues #16-30 tied into the "Knightfall" storyline. Issues #73 and #74 were a part of the "Batman: Cataclysm" storyline, which was a top vote-getter for the Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award for Favorite Story for 1999. Issue #80 was part of a special "flip-book" along with Azrael #47, where both issues were part of the same book. The #1,000,000 issue was a part of the "DC One Million" storyline, which was a top vote-getter for the Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award for Favorite Story for 1999. Issues #83 through #94 were parts of the "No Man's Land" storyline that won the Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award for Favorite Story of 2000.
Grant's run as writer ended with issue #82, before the series was integrated into the year-long crossover storyline "Batman: No Man's Land". Afterward, the series was written by a variety of writers. Batman: Shadow of the Bat was canceled at the end of "No Man's Land" and was immediately replaced with the new series Batman: Gotham Knights.

Collected editions

The first four issues of the series were collected in Batman: The Last Arkham, and various other issues have been included, among other titles, in a number of trade paperbacks. In more recent times, DC Comics have been publishing this material in new, thicker trade paperbacks. This includes four volumes of Shadow of the Bat, through new editions of No Man's Land. In 2017, DC started publishing oversized hardcover editions of the event Knightfall, in three volumes, which collect many issues of the series.
New edition trade paperback titleShadow of the Bat material collectedOther material collectedPublication dateISBN
Shadow of the Bat Vol. 1Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1-12June 2016
Shadow of the Bat Vol. 2Batman: Shadow of the Bat #13-23, Annual #1January 2017
Shadow of the Bat Vol. 3Batman: Shadow of the Bat #0, 24–31, Annual #2January 2018
Shadow of the Bat Vol. 4Batman: Shadow of the Bat #32-43March 2019
ContagionBatman: Shadow of the Bat #48-52Azrael #15-16, Batman #529, The Batman Chronicles #4, Catwoman #31-32, Detective Comics #695-696, Robin #27-28March 2016
Legacy Vol. 1Batman: Shadow of the Bat #53Batman #533, Catwoman #53-35, Detective Comics #697-700, Robin #31April 2017
Legacy Vol. 2Batman: Shadow of the Bat #54Batman #534, Batman: Bane OGN, Batman: Bane of the Demon #1-4, Catwoman #36, Detective Comics #701-702, Robin #32-33February 2018
CataclysmBatman: Shadow of the Bat #73-74Azrael #40, Batman #553-554, The Batman Chronicles #12, Batman: Arkham Asylum - Tales of Madness #1, Batman: Blackgate - Isle of Men #1, Batman: Spoiler/Huntress: Blunt Trauma #1, Catwoman #56-57, Detective Comics #719-721, Nightwing #19-20, Robin #52-53October 2015
Road to No Man's Land Vol. 1Batman: Shadow of the Bat #75-79Batman #555-559, The Batman Chronicles #16, Detective Comics #722, #724-726, Robin #54October 2015
Road to No Man's Land Vol. 2Batman: Shadow of the Bat #80-82Azrael: Agent of the Bat #47-50, Batman #560-562, The Batman Chronicles #15, Batman: No Man's Land Secret Files #1, Detective Comics #727-729July 2016
No Man's Land Vol. 1Batman: Shadow of the Bat #83-86Azrael: Agent of the Bat #51-55, Batman #563-566, The Batman Chronicles #16, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #116-118, No Man's Land #1, Detective Comics #730-733December 2011
No Man's Land Vol. 2Batman: Shadow of the Bat #87-88Azrael: Agent of the Bat #56-57, Batman #567-568, The Batman Chronicles #17, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #119-121, No Man's Land Gallery #1, Catwoman #72-74, Detective Comics #734-735, Nightwing #35-37, Robin #67, Young Justice in No Man's Land #1April 2012
No Man's Land Vol. 3Batman: Shadow of the Bat #89-92Azrael: Agent of the Bat #58, Batman #569-571, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #122-124, No Man's Land Secret Files #1, Detective Comics #736-738, Robin #68-72August 2012
No Man's Land Vol. 4Batman: Shadow of the Bat #93-94Azrael: Agent of the Bat #59-61, Batman #572-574, The Batman Chronicles #18, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #125-126, No Man's Land #0, ''No Man's Land Gallery #1, Catwoman #75-77, Detective Comics #739-741, Nightwing #38-39, Robin #73December 2012

Omnibus titleShadow of the Bat material collectedOther material collectedPublication dateISBN
Batman: Knightfall Vol. 1 OmnibusBatman: Shadow of the Bat #16-18Batman #484-500, Batman Villains Secret Files #1, Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1, Detective Comics #654-666, Showcase '93 #7-8April 2017
Batman: Knightfall Vol. 2: Knightquest OmnibusBatman: Shadow of the Bat #19-28Batman #501-508, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #59-61, Catwoman #6-7, Detective Comics #667-675, Justice League Task Force #5-6, Robin #1-2, #7, Showcase '94 #7November 2017
Batman: Knightfall Vol. 3: Knightsend OmnibusBatman: Shadow of the Bat #29-35Batman #509-510, #512-515, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #62-63, Batman: Vengeance of Bane II, Catwoman #12-13, Detective Comics #676-677, #679-682, Nightwing: Alfred's Return #1, Robin #8-9, #11-14, Showcase '94 #10May 2018
Batman: Road to No Man's Land OmnibusBatman: Shadow of the Bat #73-82Batman #554-562, Detective Comics #719-722, #724-729, Catwoman #56-57, Robin #52-54, Azrael: Agent of the Bat #40, #47-50, Nightwing #19-20, The Batman Chronicles #12, #14-15, Batman: Arkham Asylum - Tales of Madness #1, Batman: Blackgate - Isle of Men #1, Batman: Huntress/Spoiler - Blunt Trauma #1October 2020
Batman: No Man's Land Omnibus volume 1Batman: Shadow of the Bat #83-88Batman #563-568, Detective Comics #730-735, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #116-121, Catwoman #72-74, Robin #67, Azrael: Agent of the Bat #51-57, Nightwing #35-37, The Batman Chronicles #16-17, Batman: No Man's Land #1, Batman: No Man's Land Gallery #1, and Young Justice In No Man's Land #1January 2022
Batman: No Man's Land Omnibus volume 2Batman: Shadow of the Bat #89-94Batman #569-574, Detective Comics #736-741, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #122-126, Catwoman #75-77, Robin #68-73, Azrael: Agent of the Bat #58-61, Nightwing #38-39, The Batman Chronicles #18, Batman No Man's Land #0; and Batman: No Man's Land Secret Files #1September 2022

Trade paperback titleMaterial collectedPublication dateISBN
Batman: The Last ArkhamBatman: Shadow of the Bat #1-4October 1995
Batman: Knightfall, Part Two: Who Rules the NightBatman: Shadow of the Bat #16-18, Batman #498-500, Detective Comics #664-666, Showcase '93 #7-8September 1993
Batman: Knightfall, Part Three: KnightsEndBatman: Shadow of the Bat #29-30,Batman #509-510, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #62-63, Catwoman #12-13, Detective Comics #676-677, Robin #8-9June 1995
Tales of the Batman: Tim SaleBatman: Legends of the Dark Knight #32-34, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #7-9, Showcase '94 #3-4, Solo #1January 2009
Batman: ProdigalBatman: Shadow of the Bat #32-34,Batman #512-514, Detective Comics #679-681, Robin #11-13January 1998
Batman: AnarkyBatman: Shadow of the Bat #40-41, Anarky #1-4, The Batman Chronicles #1, Detective Comics #608-609February 1999
Batman: ContagionBatman: Shadow of the Bat #48-49, Azrael #15-16, Batman #529, The Batman Chronicles #4, Catwoman #31-32, Detective Comics #695-696, Robin #27-28April 1996
Batman: LegacyBatman: Shadow of the Bat #53-54, Batman #533-534, Catwoman #35-36, Detective Comics #699-702, Robin #31-33February 1997
Batman: CataclysmBatman: Shadow of the Bat #73-74 Batman #553-554, The Batman Chronicles #12, Batman: Blackgate - Isle of Men #1, Batman/Spoiler/Huntress: Blunt Trauma #1, Catwoman #56, Detective Comics #719-721, Nightwing #19-20, Robin #53June 1999
Batman: No Man's Land, Vol. 1Batman: Shadow of the Bat #83-84, Batman #563-564, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #116, Batman: No Man's Land #1, Detective Comics #730-731September 1999
Batman: No Man's Land Vol. 2Batman: Shadow of the Bat #85-87, Batman #565, The Batman Chronicles #16, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #117, #119, Detective Comics #732-733February 2000
Batman: No Man's Land Vol. 3Batman: Shadow of the Bat #88, Batman #566-569, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #120-121, Detective Comics #734-735October 2000
Batman: No Man's Land Vol. 4Batman: Shadow of the Bat #92-93, Batman #571-572, The Batman Chronicles #18, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #125, Detective Comics #736, #738-739December 2000
Batman: No Man's Land Vol. 5Batman: Shadow of the Bat #94, Batman #573-574, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #126, No Man's Land #0, Detective Comics'' #740-741April 2001