In 2011, with the launch of the New 52, the cancellation of Stephanie Brown's Batgirl series, and the relaunch of Barbara Gordon as Batgirl, things looked bleak for Steph fans. Then came...
New 52 Debut in Batman Eternal
In 2013, Scott Snyder, both fan and critically acclaimed writer for the main Batman title, announced that he would be executive producing a weekly series called Batman Eternal, along with James Tynion IV. Fans of his work on the Bat-titles rejoiced. The kicker for fans of Steph Brown, though, was that he promised that she would return as Spoiler in a major role.
Steph first appeared in a flash-forward issue of Batman (#28), which hinted at the massive developments of the Batman Eternal year long storyline. She then burst onto the scene of the ever darkening conspiracy of evil that threatened to destroy Batman and Gotham City in the main series (issue 3).
| Title | Date |
|---|---|
| Batman #28 | February 12, 2014 |
| Batman Eternal #3 | April 23, 2014 |
| Batman Eternal #4 | April 30, 2014 |
| Batman Eternal #8 | May 28, 2014 |
| Batman Eternal #10 | June 11, 2014 |
| Batman Eternal #11 | June 18, 2014 |
| Batman Eternal #13 | July 2, 2014 |
| Batman Eternal #20 | August 20, 2014 |
Spoiler Rises
After triumphantly donning her cape and cowl in issue 20, Steph had a string of victories and defeats against her father and the wider conspiracy in Gotham.
| Title | Date |
|---|---|
| Batman Eternal #24 | September 17, 2014 |
| Batman Eternal #26 | October 1, 2014 |
| Batman Eternal #27 | October 8, 2014 |
| Batman Eternal #31 | November 5, 2014 |
| Batman Eternal #32 | November 12, 2014 |
"I'm Batman"
Steph faced her deepest fears, and made great sacrifices to assist Batman and the rest of the Bat-family in fighting the destruction of Gotham.
| Title | Date |
|---|---|
| Batman Eternal #40 | January 7, 2015 |
| Batman Eternal #41 | January 14, 2015 |
| Batman Eternal #42 | January 21, 2015 |
| Batman Eternal #43 | January 28, 2015 |
| Batman Eternal #44 | February 4, 2015 |
| Batman Eternal #45 | February 11, 2015 |
| Batman Eternal #47 | February 25, 2015 |
| Batman Eternal #48 | March 4, 2015 |
| Batman Eternal #49 | March 11, 2015 |
| Batman Eternal #51 | March 25, 2015 |
| Batman Eternal #52 | April 1, 2015 |
Aftermath: Hero in Training
In the wake of Batman Eternal and the Endgame storyline, Gotham lies devastated, with Batman missing. Stephanie forged a new path for herself, rooming with Harper Row (Bluebird), seeking training from Catwoman, and partnering with Barbara Gordon (Batgirl).
| Title | Date |
|---|---|
| Detective Comics: Endgame | March 11, 2015 |
| Catwoman #42 | July 8, 2015 |
| Batgirl Annual #3 | July 29, 2015 |
| Catwoman #43 | August 12, 2015 |
| Catwoman #44 | September 9, 2015 |
| Catwoman #45 | October 14, 2015 |
| Catwoman #46 | November 11, 2015 |
| Batgirl #46 | December 16, 2015 |
| Batgirl #47 | January 20, 2016 |
| Batgirl #49 | March 2, 2016 |
| Batgirl #50 | April 5, 2016 |
| Batgirl #51 | April 27, 2016 |
| Batgirl #52 | May 25, 2016 |
Mother
Steph joined forces with Harper, Dick Grayson, and the Batfamily (minus Batman) to fight the evil plans of the human trafficking supervillain Mother.
| Title | Date |
|---|---|
| Batman Endgame Special Edition #1 | September 26, 2015 |
| Batman and Robin Eternal #1 | October 7, 2015 |
| Batman and Robin Eternal #2 | October 14, 2015 |
| Batman and Robin Eternal #3 | October 21, 2015 |
| Batman and Robin Eternal #4 | October 28, 2015 |
| Batman and Robin Eternal #23 | March 9, 2016 |
| Batman and Robin Eternal #24 | March 16, 2016 |
| Batman and Robin Eternal #25 | March 23, 2016 |
| Batman and Robin Eternal #26 | March 30, 2016 |
Rebirth
In 2016, DC announced yet another major relaunch/reboot of their titles, this time under the brand "Rebirth." However, Steph fans rejoiced when not only did the Violet Vindicator remain a fixture in the DC universe, but was joining "Batwoman's boot camp" in Detective Comics, one of the flagship titles of DC Comics. Written by James Tynion IV, the writer behind Steph's return in Batman Eternal, Steph joined Cassandra Cain and Tim Drake as Batman and Batwoman's team.
Alternate Continuity Appearances since the New 52 began
Steph has been the highlight of several issues which take place outside of "normal" continuity, ranging from fun spin-offs to massive, universe-shattering events.
| Title | Date |
|---|---|
| Tiny Titans #33 | October 20, 2010 |
| Tiny Titans #45 | October 19, 2011 |
| The All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold #13 | November 9, 2011 |
| Batman, Incorporated Special #1 | December 21, 2011 |
| Batman: Li'l Gotham #1 (Cover Only) | April 10, 2013 |
| Batman: Li'l Gotham #12 | March 12, 2014 |
| Batgirl: Future's End #1 | September 10, 2014 |
| Catwoman: Future's End #1 | September 24, 2014 |
| Convergence: Batgirl #1 | April 8, 2015 |
| Convergence: Batgirl #2 | May 6, 2015 |
| Convergence #6 | May 13, 2015 |
| Convergence #8 | May 27, 2015 |
| Detective Comics #42 (Variant Cover Only) | July 1, 2015 |
Other pages
We have been putting together a rundown of Steph's N52 costumes and clothing here: Costume History n52
Collections
The issues featured here can be found in the following trade paperback or hardcover collections:
The All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold: Small Miracles
Batman and Robin Eternal volume 1
Batman and Robin Eternal volume 2
Convergence: Flashpoint book 1
Future's End - Five Years Later Omnibus