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Cover of Batman: Zero Year
The New 52 · 2013–2014

Batman: Zero Year

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Inspired The Batman: Batman's New 52 origin, with the Riddler holding Gotham hostage; collects the 11-part arc

Pages400 pagesWhere to buyAmazonIn your readingnot read yet
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Do you need to read it?

Not required. It's left out of the main story but is part of the full chronological order.

Where it falls in the order

  • Main storynot included
  • Chronological12 of 16
  • Everything15 of 16
Spoilers for this title

Quick recap

The story opens with Gotham flooded and Batman presumed dead, then jumps back a few months. Bruce Wayne returns after years away, legally declared dead, and takes on the Red Hood gang in disguise, realizing he isn't ready yet. His uncle Philip Kane wants him to run Wayne Enterprises, while Philip's strategist, Edward Nygma, hires the gang to kill him. Beaten, Bruce recovers, rediscovers the bat cave from his childhood and becomes Batman. He earns Jim Gordon's trust and watches the Riddler cut the power and flood the city. In the end, with Gotham under the Riddler's control and military jets ready to strike, Batman solves the riddles, stops the villain and uses his own pulse to bring the city's power back.

No spoilersOpens once you mark the title as seen.
4 trivia

Trivia

  1. ReferencePaul Dano's Riddler

    Matt Reeves's The Batman borrows elements from Zero Year, including the Riddler as the main villain.

    source ↗
  2. Behind the scenesThe skipped issue

    Scott Snyder pulled issue #28 from the event because it felt too cramped, and the story moved to #29.

    source ↗
  3. SetupThe name gives it away

    An IGN reviewer noted that Edward's surname, Nygma, phonetically spells out "enigma": a hint at the villain he becomes.

    source ↗
  4. Behind the scenesBackup stories

    While Snyder wrote the main story, James Tynion IV handled the backups. The whole event drew critical acclaim.

    source ↗
No spoilersThe easter eggs give away parts of the title. They open once you mark it as seen.

Comments

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