In hopes of putting my neurotic tendencies to good use, I’ve been checking out a lot of these DC “chronology” websites (and I’m amazed at the hard work other fans have put into setting them up). I mean, we, the fandom, are intimately familiar with the bittersweet chaos we call “continuity”, and though some of us can look past the inconsistencies, a number of us do frustratingly enjoy nitpicking and trying to put two-and-two together (Guess which group I fall into?)  

As a rational human being, I’ve accepted that I don’t have the time or luxury to read every issue DC has to offer (since it began way back when my grandparents were just born), I’ll just have to settle with bits and pieces of the Golden to Bronze ages (and out-of-continuity stuff and alternate universes), while I sink my teeth into the mainstream Modern Age (which I’ve been doing for a while now).

I’m pretty much in love with the Batman family (as love for fictional characters go), so I’ve actually been mapping out the histories of the main members for a while now (and hope to share them with the rest of the world someday). 

I guess it all boils down to context for me. The characters become more real, more engaging, when you feel like you’re sharing their history with them. And the one responsible for painstakingly (I’m sure!) creating the website posted above explains all that pretty well, I think.

Introduction | The Unauthorized Chronology of the DC Universe