- Superman: Secret Origin
- Reprints Superman: Secret Origin #1-6 (September 2009 – August 2010).
This version of Superman’s origin is incompatible with those presented in Superman: The Man of Steel and Superman: Birthright. Superman’s first public appearance kicks off the modern heroic age.
- Superman: Kryptonite
- Reprints Superman Confidential #1-5 & 11 (January 2007 – June 2007 & March 2008).
Stated to take place “about two months” after Superman’s public debut, tells the story of Superman’s first encounter with Kryptonite, which contradicts other stories.
- Superman: The Man of Steel
- Reprints The Man of Steel #1-6 (July 1986 – September 1986).
The later stories in this volume were originally intended to have occurred later on in Superman’s career, and only the stories up to meeting Lex Luthor actually occur this year, but this has often been ignored by later writers (and was not amazingly clear in the original).
- Batman: Year One
- Reprints Batman #404-407 (February 1987 – May 1987).
Batman is the next hero to appear after Superman. There is some overlap in time between the events of this book and those of Man of Steel. In addition, this book is also in continuity on Earth-31, the Dark Knight’s Earth.
- Catwoman: Her Sister’s Keeper
- Reprints Catwoman #1-4 (February 1989 – May 1989).
Parallels events in Batman: Year One.
- Superman for All Seasons
- Reprints Superman For All Seasons #1-4 (September 1998 – December 1998)
Must precede Birthright, as Luthor is unaware of Superman’s alien nature.
- Batman and the Monster Men
- Reprints Batman: The Monster Men #1-6 (January 2006 – June 2006).
Takes place during Batman: Year One.
- Superman/Shazam!: First Thunder
- Takes place during Batman’s first year, but before Wonder Woman, the Flash or Green Lantern’s debut.
- Green Arrow: Year One
- Must occur around this time, but placed here by fiat.
- Superman: Birthright
- Reprints Superman: Birthright #1-12 (September 2003 – September 2004).
- Batman and the Mad Monk
- Reprints Batman: The Mad Monk #1-6 (October 2006 – March 2007).
Takes place during Batman: Year One.
- Green Arrow: The Wonder Year
- Reprints Green Arrow: The Wonder Year #1-4 (February 1993 – May 1993) & Green Arrow #73-80 (April 1993 – November 1993).
Collected in a volume entitled Green Arrow, vol.9: Old Tricks – only the Wonder Year miniseries takes place at this time.
- Batman: Lovers and Madmen
- Reprints Batman Confidential #7-12 (September 2007 – February 2008). Depicts Batman’s first clash with the Joker, overlapping slightly with the later events in Batman: Year One.
This volume and Batman: The Man Who Laughs depict alternate origins of the Joker, and thus cannot both be in continuity.
- Batman: The Man Who Laughs
- Chronicles Batman’s first clash with the Joker, following on directly from Batman: Year One.
This volume and Batman: Lovers and Madmen depict alternate origins of the Joker, and thus cannot both be in continuity.
- Batman: Prey
- Chronicles Batman’s first clash with Hugo Strange. Both this book and The Man Who Laughs give different origins for the Bat-Signal which cannot be reconciled.
- Batman: Gothic
- Must occur early in Batman’s career, before he is joined by Robin but after the Bat-signal is introduced. The text states that it is 20 years since the murder of Bruce’s parents (as opposed to the 18 years figure of Batman: Year One), but this can reasonably be considered an approximation rather than a literal figure.
- Batman: Dead to Rights
- Reprints Batman Confidential #22-25 and 29-30 (December 2008 – March 2009; July 2009 – August 2009). This story depicts Batman’s second clash with the Joker.
- Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity
- must occur before Aquaman’s public debut.
- Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn
- Green Lantern: Secret Origin
- There are minor contradictions between these two versions of Green Lantern’s origin, but nothing so major as to conclusively rule out either. They are best read in this order.
- Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn II
- Flash vs. The Rogues
- Reprints a bunch of early clashes between the Flash and various supervillains., and occurs more or less in parallel with the Green Lantern volume.
- Aquaman: Time and Tide
- Reprints Aquaman: Time and Tide #1-4 (December 1993 – March 1994).
Must occur after the Trickster’s first appearance in The Flash vs. The Rogues.
