James “Jim” Gordon Reading Order

This reading order is designed to give an outline of major storylines featuring Commissioner James “Jim” Gordon throughout DC Comics. It may not encompass every one of his appearances but is an outline of the major ones and the stories that affect them.

The continuity details relating to each specific storyline are explained in the “Review” of each storyline. Every “Review” link will provide a detailed continuity breakdown of that story and will explain any reference the story makes to other aspects of the DC Universe. All of this can be found under the “Continuity” section of each link.

Jump to: New 52 – Rebirth

New 52

At the beginning of the New 52, the DC Universe was reset. In this new continuity, almost every character’s history was mostly wiped clean and they were reintroduced to the DC Universe. This rewrote some pieces of Jim Gordon’s history, with the most significant being that he is now Barbara Gordon’s (Reading Order) biological father. However, Gordon’s relationship with Batman, connection to his son, and status as police commissioner remain.

At the beginning of this era, Gordon’s appearances are rather sporadic. He is often depicted helping Batman or other members of the Bat-family, though some of these appearances amount to little more than a cameo. Then, he goes on to develop a more significant role in the Batgirl (Reading Order) series, where his antagonism toward Batgirl complicates his relationship with his daughter. Even later, he plays a rather large role in the “Batman: Zero Year” storyline and in the Batman Eternal series. Finally, he takes on his most significant role yet at the conclusion of the Batman: Endgame (Reading Order) event, where a unique era in his personal history (Reading Order) begins.

B:TDK = Batman: The Dark Knight
Batgirl issues are from the Vol. 4 series.
Batman issues are from the Vol. 2 series.
Detective Comics issues are from the Vol. 2 series.
Batman: The Dark Knight issues are from the Vol. 2 series.
Batman Incorporated issues are from the Vol. 2 series.
Birds of Prey issues are from the Vol. 3 series.
Batman and Robin issues are from the Vol. 2 series.
Batman/Superman issues are from the Vol. 1 series.

Notes

1. Jim Gordon only makes extremely brief appearances in these chapters. However, they help expand upon the increasingly complex situation growing in his personal life.
2. This issue is mostly about Batman. However, Gordon appears for a conversation that some fans may find interesting.
3. This issue is mostly about the Birds of Prey (Reading Order). However, it expands upon the ongoing drama unfolding between Batgirl (Reading Order) and Gordon.
4. This story arc focuses on the early partnership between Batman, Two-Face, and Gordon and how that partnership changed as the years progressed. Though Batman and Two-Face dominate the story, it still details an interesting time in Gordon's history.
5. These issues mostly focuses on Detective Bullock. However, they also feature a subplot featuring Gordon.
6. These issues mostly center around team-ups between the new Batman and another hero. They are not essential to understanding this period of time but may be fun for some readers to see.
7. Gordon only appears for a few moments in this issue. However, these moments feature a conversation between him and his daughter (Reading Order) that helps humanize them both.
8. Gordon is present in most of the Robin War (Reading Order) event but does not play a large role in it.
9. Gordon only appears for a few moments in this issue. However, it helps establish the status quo that will be present in the next era.

Rebirth

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