#Ed Brubaker’s run

[wntrsnat]

As we talk about how much I want Ed to return and give Winterwidow the Justice they deserve, let’s also not forget how dirty Marvel did both Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting, who created the Winter Soldier and brought Bucky Barnes’s character back to life.

Remember this?

Or those?

“When I see ads for [The Falcon and The Winter Soldier], it actually makes me feel sick to my stomach.”

“When I work with people I try to give them the best deal possible. And if something ends up being a bigger thing I try to actually adjust their deal so they can take part in that too.”

“There’s nothing preventing anyone at marvel from looking over how much the winter soldier has been used in all this stuff and calling me and steve epting and saying, ‘you know what, we��re going to try to adjust the standard thing so you guys feel good about this.'”

“I have made more on sag residuals than I have made on creating the character for my one line that got cut.”

“it’s just weird that they’re so ungenerous to me. It’s especially weird because a lot of them are friends of mine. Or people that I thought were friends of mine.”

“There is a corporate mentality. Right now someone inside marvel publishing somewhere is watching this and laughing that I think I got ripped off. There are people that think it’s funny that I’m unhappy about it. I know for a fact because I’ve watched them be that way about other people in person.”

“I look at those credits and there’s all these other executive producers [of] people who were just at the publishing level who had nothing to do with it. I know how much that ep credit actually makes you in a tv show at disney. These people have made so much money on stuff that steve and I did.”

[dangerousdan-dan]

Today I woke up thinking about how nothing will ever be as good as Catwoman of East End

[ufonaut]

I know. And it’s not about the pain, I lived long enough to know plenty about pain. I can take that. It’s all in my head, Selina. I play tricks on myself... try to see a way it could all work out for us, but... it’s never going to, is it?

Slam Bradley in Catwoman (2002) #37

(Ed Brubaker, Paul Gulacy & Jimmy Palmiotti)

[daydreamerdrew]

Winter Soldier (2012) #15

[naoa-ao3]

Goodbye Without Leaving

Seeing her again was almost too much. The way she smiled. They way she laughed. Even the way she talked. All of these things were too much. How could you go from being loved by someone so strongly and then altogether not at all? Sometimes she would catch him looking at her and look back questioningly. He would turn away because he couldn't justify telling her. He couldn't justify telling her things she couldn't remember and tormenting her with the truth. A forgotten love affair like theirs wasn't worth the pain. Wasn't worth her pain.

Still when he watched her lips he could remember them so very well. Sometimes he could feel them on his just and sometimes he could remember her touching him. The caress of her hands, the warmth of her body and words and it was almost too much. He hated that he could remember. Steve tried to talk to him but he didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to be told comforting things. He wanted the pain because it meant that someone, somewhere in the worlds remembered that they were supposed to love each other. Even if she couldn't. He had to remember. Had to remember how it was supposed to be. They needed to love each other.

Now suddenly the bed that had never seemed too big before felt empty and cold and the place where she had lain was like a hollow. Some nights he slept in the couch just so he wouldn't reach over and feel that she wasn't there. Some nights he didn't sleep.

Working with her was painful. There were so many things he wanted to say. So many things he needed to say and now couldn't. He wanted to tell her he loved her. Wanted to tell her she was beautiful. Wanted to say something, anything that wasn't about a mission. He missed their banter. He missed her teasing. Now she was polite but nothing more. Nothing more than friendly. How could you go from loving someone so fiercely to nothing? He couldn't.

Some days he came close to letting something slip but in the end he managed himself. He kept quiet and never said too much.

Days went on and he smiled when he saw her and he knew others saw that it hurt. He knew Steve knew but he didn't want to talk about it. He didn't even know what to say. He just wanted her back. So now he pretended that he didn't care and people left him alone about it. But no one believed him and life was so much emptier without her in it. Time passed and things that had seemed important suddenly didn't and he saw that in himself and it hurt just as much.

When he passed her in the tower she nodded to him but didn't smile and he thought he might die because once she had smiled for him. Not to him, not at him, but for him and that had been glorious. It wasn't fair and it wasn't good. It wasn't right and he wanted to scream about it. They had been so good and now they were nothing. How did the world go one turning when something like that happened? He couldn't fathom it. Maybe no one could. Maybe he wasn't supposed to.

[burningfudge]

Black Widow, Winter Soldier, and WinterWidow reading list

I made this list for another post, but I thought I'd put it here too.

Black Widow (1999) by Devin Grayson - Natasha's first solo. It's only three issues, and it's the start of modern Black Widow. It introduces important aspects of her character, like the Red Room. Yelena is introduced for the first time.

Black Widow (2001) by Devin Grayson - Another three-issue comic, which I thought was a fun read. It's a Natasha, Yelena, and Matt team-up comic. It's a part of Marvel Knights, which told more mature and darker stories so I have a soft spot for the 1999 and 2001 runs for this reason.

Black Widow: Pale Little Spider (2002) by Greg Rucka - Another three-issue comic. While not focused on Natasha, it's a Yelena solo. It's part of the Max comics line, which was an attempt to tell adult-only stories, and it definitely shows because Yelena visits a bondage sex club. A very important comic for Yelena.

Black Widow: Homecoming (2004) by Richard K. Morgan - I think this comic was extremely influential for modern Black Widow. A lot of her mythos originated from this comic. The movie took a lot of inspiration from this comic as well, like the pheremones thing.

Black Widow: The Things They Say About Her (2005) by Richard K. Morgan - This one is decent. It's not entirely important, but I think it's worth a read. A classic Black Widow story where Natasha is on the run and doesn't know who to trust. While it's overdone at this point, I think this was the first comic to portray it. Yelena and Matt show up in this one too.

Captain America (2005) by Ed Brubaker - VERY IMPORTANT. Bucky is reintroduced as the Winter Soldier and shows up in #1. While it's long, every issue is worth it. Natasha doesn't show up until #27, but #27-#50 is peak buckynat. This run is one of my fav comics of all time.

New Avengers #48-64, Annual #3, Finale (2005) by Brian Michael Bendis - Natasha isn't super important in this, and she barely shows up, but Bucky shows up frequently. I wouldn't say it's entirely important, but it's during Bucky's time as Captain America, and when he interacts with the Avengers, so I recommend it just for that. Also, I'm a little biased because New Avengers (2005) is probably my favorite comic ever.

Black Widow (2010) by Marjorie Liu - The best Black Widow story ever written. I don't think anyone has disliked it. 10/10, I always love to reread it.

Black Widow: Deadly Origin (2010) by Paul Cornell - A miniseries about Natasha's origin. Not entirely important, but it's a solid Black Widow story. Appearances from Bucky and Wolverine.

Captain America #600-619 by Ed Brubaker - Again, it's very important for both Bucky and Natasha. It's a continuation of Captain America (2005).

Captain America & Bucky #620-624 (2011) by Ed Brubaker - Pretty important. It's a retelling of Bucky's life. #624 is all about buckynat and how they met. A lot of iconic buckynat content that the fandom gushes over is in it.

Widowmaker (2011) - Not super important and Bucky isn't in it. A fun team-up story about Clint and Natasha with Bobbi. I enjoyed reading it.

Winter Soldier (2012) by Ed Brubaker - I cannot tell you how much I love this comic. It's the best Bucky's ever been written and I don't think anyone will disagree when I say that no one has ever understood Bucky like Ed Brubaker. Extremely important for buckynat.

Winter Soldier: The Bitter March (2014) by Rick Remender - I'm not going to lie; I don't really remember much from this comic, but I know people like it.

Black Widow (2014) by Phil Noto & Nathan Edmondson - Another popular comic for Natasha. It's probably my second favorite Black Widow comic after Liu's. Another Black Widow is on the run story, but Liho is introduced in this! Bucky is in #8, 15, 17-18. A must read.

Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier (2014) by Ales Kot - This isn't my favorite, but the art is absolutely beautiful. I don't think it's essential. Natasha is not in this.

Black Widow (2016) by Mark Waid - I enjoyed reading this comic. I'd rank it third after Liu and Noto. Bucky is in #9-10. Essential Black Widow comic.

Tales of Suspense #100-104 by Matthew Rosenberg - A Winter Soldier and Hawkeye team-up where they look for Natasha after she was killed by Hydra Cap in Secret Empire (no need to read it; SE is trash). A fandom favorite, and I absolutely love it. Winterhawk exploded in popularity after this run.

Winter Soldier (2018) by Kyle Higgins - Natasha does not show up in this, but it's very important for Bucky. It's a short five-issue miniseries, and it's probably the best Bucky has been written since Brubaker.

Black Widow (2019) by Jen and Sylvia Soska - It's a miniseries, and it's a fairly dark one. Natasha is back from the dead, and she's PISSED. Bucky doesn't show up in this one, but Steve does, and it's after her murder at Hydra Cap's hands.

Web of Black Widow (2019) by Jody Houser - Another Natasha miniseries where she's on the run and her friends are worried about her. Bucky shows up in #2 and #5.

Falcon and Winter Soldier (2020) by Derek Landy - A fun team-up comic with Sam and Bucky. Natasha doesn't show up. Not essential.

Black Widow (2020) by Kelly Thompson - It's...not great. Many people have already talked about what they didn't like, so I won't go over it, but it has some fantastic buckynat moments. However, I will say that I really love Natasha, Yelena, Clint, and Bucky teaming up in this comic. That group together is highly entertaining. It doesn't seem like anything from this comic will be paid attention to in the future, but I would still read it.

Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty (2022) by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly - Really trash. I didn’t like this at all. Bucky isn't written well, and I think Natasha shows up like twice. Skip.

Captain America: Cold War (2023) by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly - Another trash event. Skip.

Thunderbolts (2023) by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly - Buckynat FINALLY get back together after they broke up in Winter Soldier (2012). A boring comic otherwise.

[luna-rainbow]

Hey, I don't know if you've already answered this (and this may be a weird question lol) but why did Hydra just let Bucky's hair grow long? Why didn't they just cut it? I've seen you do other metas and stuff like that (which I love, you're a great writer!) So do you have any ideas?

Aww thanks for enjoying the other metas 💕

That is a very interesting question that I’ve never thought much of 😅

From a Doylist perspective, the Winter Soldier arc was published in 2005-6. Ed Brubaker was born 1966. Men having long hair became more acceptable and even fashionable from about the 1970s (ie Brubaker’s formative years), and that style carried over to the late 1990s (or, if you’re like me who was in the JPop fandom, it was still popular for most of the 2000s). Longer hair in men was generally seen as subversive and cool, or untamed and unkempt, which were descriptors that would have fit Bucky’s reappearance in his new persona. It was also a good way of indicating that time has passed and his character has changed significantly. One other thing is, when it comes to 2D art, long hair flows, ie it’s easier to express dynamism, which is why so many superheroes wear capes. I believe (not having read the actual comics) Bucky’s role changed in The Winter Soldier run from a pure sidekick to something closer to an antagonist and partner, so the more distinctive character design reflects that too.

From a Watsonian perspective…I guess men’s short hair can be somewhat high maintenance in that you kind of have to trim it once a month at least. Who knows if the serum affects the speed of hair growth as well, because if it does then maybe he needs more frequent trims and it just gets long if they miss any. Presumably, given his history, he’s also not an easy customer to approach with a sharp implement, especially not that close to his face. And they’re always in such a hurry to pack him back in the cryo tube or to get him prepped for his mission that it just gets missed until it really gets in the way.

The other possibility is that the longer hair also changes his face shape substantially speaking as someone who didn’t recognise Bucky when the mask came off. It makes his face more angular and the shadows deeper. It probably stops his memories triggering as easily when he sees his own reflection. It serves to erase his original identity, along with his new “name” (although we have no evidence that he knew he was called the Winter Soldier while he was still brainwashed), new uniform and the bionic arm.

The third reason is that the long unkempt hair could be used as a psychological tactic. It’s emasculating and demeaning, especially for someone born in the 1910s and normally known to be well-groomed and tidy. It’s an element of control over his bodily autonomy that he cannot change without them allowing it or at least giving him access to implements to cut it. It contrasts him with the other soldiers, including the other “Winter Soldiers” we see in CACW, who are allowed to sport typical masculine haircuts, and serves as a continual reminder that he is “other”, if not considered somewhat subhuman.

So that’s my two boring cents. I wonder if anyone else has other ideas.

[reallifedashie]

"I'm sorry, Natalia... I never wanted to get you into trouble. But ı guess that's all ı'm good at."

Every time Bucky calls her 'Natalia' I sense something very special and sad.

Especially in Ed Brubaker's Captain America run, we see that he still feels a lot of blame for what happened Natasha in the Red Room

To him, she is still Natalia. Not Natasha. Maybe most people cannot understand the difference between these. But ı do, HE DOES

[captainlordauditor]

I don't want to armchair diagnose a man I've never met, but Ed Brubaker reading about his blorbo dying when he was like 8 and then spending the next 20 years being like "that's not allowed. I'm gonna bring him back" and then ACTUALLY GETTING TO DO IT and have a successful run on said comic which becomes one of the major classics of the company is, quite frankly, an inspiration to autistics everywhere

[spideyysenses]

DAREDEVIL GUIDE

Overview -

Total Comics: 1079 (Spanning from 1964 to 2024)

Featured: 920 | Appearance: 159

full list - best reading guide

Main Runs / Reading Order -

Original Run (1964-1998 / 381 Issues / Multiple Writers)

Marvel Knights Run (1998-2001)

Brian Michael Bendis Run (2001-2006)

Ed Brubaker (2008-2009)

Andy Diggle / Shadowland (2009-2011)

Mark Waid (2011-2014)

Charles Soule (2015-2019)

Chip Zdarsky (2019-2023)

Saladin Ahmed (2023-Present)

list of appearances, one-shots, and more here: x

Where to Read -

marvel unlimited app (subscription & digital)

in print (print volume guide on goodreads)

My Status: Complete

Free Tracker: x

[wntrsnat]

Before I go back to my I’d-love-to-forget-about-existence sleep, I want to share the panel I think about every day, every night, every afternoon, every lecture, every seminar and every everything.

THIS

AND THIS

But especially the first one KDJDJDJ. Jealous Bucky is my eeksklelekdkdksowkwlskdjdjdjjwkekdkdkdjjdiekdkek

[ticktockheartstop]

Loved having Hob Gadling (and Mad Hettie) in Ed Brubaker’s run of Dead Boy Detectives!

[cantsayidont]

March 2004. Batman and Selina Kyle having a moment, in the cover image for CATWOMAN #27. The issue is part of the Ed Brubaker run, drawn by Paul Gulacy and Jimmy Palmiotti.

[steelbluehome]

The Winter Soldier

I just found this thread on Reddit.

effdot•2y ago

It bums me out a little that a lot of fans of Captain America don't know what a 'Winter Soldier' is, aside from the name in Marvel comics.

Winter Soldier has a deep meaning to U.S. armed forces and U.S. history. It's a term with roots in the revolutionary war. A summer soldier was someone who could only be counted on when times were fair; they would only fight when things were easy. But a winter soldier was loyal, steadfast and true; they would fight when things were hard, like the soldiers who stayed on duty during the horrific winter at Valley Forge.

The name also has a connection to John Kerry and other Vietnam veterans who spoke out against the Vietnam war, and atrocities they witnessed or were ordered to commit. John Kerry was a straight-edge soldier from a wealthy military family, and he enlisted in the U.S. Navy reserves in 1966. He was awarded the silver star and the bronze star during his service in Vietnam.

By 1970, Kerry was an anti-war activist, and he and other soldiers organized 'the winter soldier hearings,' where they gave space for fellow Vietnam Veterans to talk about U.S. war atrocities in Vietnam. They called themselves Winter soldiers to emphasize their loyalty to the U.S., and to tell people that their speaking out was their duty as loyal soldiers, and even presented their testimony to Congress.

The superhero character of Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, embodies both of these historic pieces. Bucky is loyal and sticks around for a hard-fight, like the Winter Soldiers of the 1770s. Bucky has witnessed and committed atrocities, but worked to rectify those mistakes and speak up, like the Winter Soldiers of the 1970s.

His name is a badge of honor in our world, and in his world, he's done more than enough to redeem the name and place it in the same honor as other winter soldiers of the past.

That's why I hope they never change it.

ILikeClefairy•2y ago

My dumbass: “He’s the winter soldier bc Russia is cold.”

effdot•2y ago

Ed Brubaker, the writer who revived Bucky as the Winter Soldier during his run on the Captain America comics, was inspired by the Vietnam hearings I mentioned. He felt that characters introduced in the Captain America comics needed to have a political component to them. He learned about the connection to Thomas Paine (whose writings about summer soldiers inspired the idea of winter soldiers, and also Vietnam Veterans Agains the War), and loved the name more. He then connected that to his idea of the Soviet Army finding Bucky's dead body in the waters of the arctic, and also with his idea that Bucky would be frozen after his special missions, and Winter Soldier stuck.

So, yeah, the name is partly because of the cold, but it was the Vietnam hearings I mentioned that was the initial inspiration.

But you got right to the point, you aren't a dumbass, the only thing shown on screen is a frozen soldier and Soviets, what else would an audience think? I wish Disney and Marvel Films would just go one more step and talk about the real winter soldiers.

A lot of them are still alive, and a part of me hopes they live long enough for a superhero pop culture tentpole movie to honor them. They spoke out when Nixon was President, and it was incredibly dangerous for them to do so -- but they did it anyway.

And it feels like to me that no one knows in the U.S. anymore, because it feels like there's no way to explain or to reach people. But if Marvel Films mentioned a little of this, I think it would do some good for some real people.

Reddit thread

Learn the History of the Term “Winter Soldier” and Why Ed Brubaker Used the Name in Captain America by Glen Tickle

Winter Soldier Investigation - Wikipedia

Winter Soldier (1972 documentary)

American Crisis (No. 1) by Thomas Paine "Summer soldier"

I still would like it if he took on the name White Wolf, but now I don't mind if he remains the Winter Soldier.

[dyslexicandakeyboard]

With Batfamily does comic canon matter? Yes!

Should you be authoritarian with it? No!

All this "Canonically blah-blah" or "Actually in 1989 🤓" really shouldn't matter. I understand that some of it is in good fun but sometimes we cross the border of "here's an interesting tidbit" to "anyone that writes about this thing in fanon instead of this canonical inconsequential detail should be feel ashamed of themselves and flog themselves".

Don't get me wrong, I personally like elements of canon better than fanon (and vice versa) BUT not this isn't Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings.

Most individual issues are throwaway. DC quite literally plays fast and loose with canon.

Like is there synergy between writers, absolutely. Is everything written supposed to be remembered years from now, hell no.

No writer expects you to have read all comics in existence or even a previous run. DC doesn't stand for Disregard Canon but D-isn't C-serious. Ed Brubaker didn't know Holly was killed when he wrote her in his Catwoman run, so you're not obligated to know or even take as canon that Jason's hair color was originally blonde or that he was apart of the Flying Todds or that he shot Damian.

I don't care about the War of Jokes and Riddles, nor do I care about Sasha or Vesper. I don't care that Dick had a fake wedding when he was like 20 or something and I don't care that Barbara wanted to be trained by Black Canary. I'm not gonna add that to my fics and I don't expect others too.

Really, all you need to know/read is a basic timeline (You can also just read up to a certain point and stop. That can be your canon!) and the origins. Everything else is icing on the cake.

[havendance]

hello mem!! i just finished reading the entirety of no man’s land, and im trying to figure out where to go from there. online searching hasn’t really been helpful 😭 this is the list i found, im just not sure about the order:

- batman by ed brubaker vol 1

- new gotham vol 1

- officer down

- new gotham vol 2

- bruce wayne murderer/fugitive

- gotham central

- catwoman???? not sure which comics tho

where does vol 2 of batman by ed brubaker fit into this?? is this even the right order?? i’d truly appreciate your help 🥺

I'll do my best to straighten you out!

After No Man's Land, all of the Bat titles go their own way (before joining up back together for Officer Down and Bruce Wayne: Murder/Fugitive).

New Gotham Volume 1 collects Greg Rucka's run on Detective Comics between the end of No Man's Land and Officer Down.

(Following the end of NML, Batman was written by Larry Hama for a little bit, and all of those stories are just kind of fine and also not collected anywhere that I know of so don't worry about that. This bullet point is mainly to explain why Batman by Ed Brubaker does not cover the same span of time as New Gotham.)

The first four issues collected Batman by Ed Brubaker vol 1 take place BEFORE Officer Down. The rest take place afterward.

This was not on your list, but I do also recommend reading Gotham Knights: Transference which collects the first 12 issues of Gotham Knights. This also takes place between the end of No Man's Land and Officer Down. Gotham Knights is comic that does a good job of showcasing the Bats as an ensemble so if you like Batman working with his allies, this is the book for you. Also, Transference is just really good, and Gotham Knights as a whole contributes to everything leading up to Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive.

Catwoman does not have any collected editions for this period.

Officer Down goes here.

After Officer Down goes New Gotham Volume 2. This collects all of Detective Comics between Officer Down and Bruce Wayne: Murderer.

Batman by Ed Brubaker vol 1 also covers most of this ground. This is where things start getting a little (more) complicated though. The first issue collected in Batman by Ed Brubaker vol 2 takes place BEFORE Bruce Wayne: Murderer. It then proceeds to collect the tie-in issues of Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive that Brubaker wrote. I would honestly just skip this volume. The first issue is a christmas issue with like an evil (fake) Santa Claus or something and it's not that important. The other issues will be easier to read in other collected editions.

I also recommend you read Gotham Knights: Contested which collects the issues of Gotham Knights between Officer Down and Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive. The final issue of the does take place AFTER Bruce Wayne: Murder/Fugitive but the rest of it takes place before.

This is where you read Bruce Wayne: Murderer and Bruce Wayne Fugitive. I think there's a new omnibus collecting it all coming out soon, but I'm not sure how useful that is to you.

Gotham Central starts a few months or so after the conclusion of Bruce Wayne: Fugitive, but there's not really anything else you need to read before you can start this.

To look ahead a little after this, Hush starts to run in Batman and Brubaker start doing some other stuff in Detective Comics that doesn't get collected. And then (unfortunately) the next major event is War Games. But there's plenty of comics for you to read up to this point, so we'll stop here for now.

Other notes:

Catwoman does not really tie in to Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive but around the time that event is starting up, Brubaker is relaunching Catwoman. This is where she gets the black leather catsuit and this IS collected in Catwoman Vol. 1: Trail of the Catwoman. I have not read this, but I've heard that it's good. It's also getting reprinted soon I believe.

Robin does not really have any collected editions post NML. If you want to read him, you're going to need to do it some other way. His event tie in issues are collected though.

Nightwing DOES have some collected editions if you're interested in him though. Nightwing Vol. 5: The Hunt for Oracle overlaps with No Man's Land, but it also collects the start of what he's up to afterward. Following that, Vol. 6 collects the rest of the way up to Officer Down. Vol. 7 and the first 4 issues collected in Vol.8 collect the stuff between Officer Down and Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive.

Birds of Prey gets hooked in to events, but the comics themselves don't really contribute to the larger Gotham narrative going on. I still think they're fun though. Birds of Prey vol. 3 collects the Birds of Prey comics between the end of NML and Officer Down. There aren't any collected editions for the Dixon run after this though.

Batgirl! We can't forget Batgirl, it's very good. It does get roped into events, but most of it is standalone. Batgirl Vol. 1: Silent Knight collects the comics between the end of NML and Officer Down as well as Cass' Officer Down tie in. This volume is harder to track down/more expensive on the resale market, but if your library as Hoopla, it's available there. (Most of these trades that I'm mentioning are as far as I'm aware.) Vol. 2 collects the comics leading up to Bruce Wayne: Murderer and then a couple, and Vol 3 collects a couple of the tie ins for Fugitive I believe and then beyond. They can largely be read on their own terms.

I would be remiss if I didn't recommend that you also read Batman/Huntress: Cry for Blood. This is a six issue mini-series takes place relatively shortly after NML and was recently reprinted as Birds of Prey: Huntress. Definitely read this! It is good! Also you can see what Helena's up to after NML.

Finally, at a point in time between Officer Down and Bruce Wayne: Murderer, Joker: Last Laugh happens which is the event where Dick kills the Joker and Bruce revives him. Every comic has a tie-in where they have to fight Jokerized villains and honestly that could be the extent of your engagement with this comic. The main issues of this event are theoretically collected but also I've never seen this trade anywhere and also it's not on Hoopla (which is how I read most of my trades) so that might prove an issue.

To summarize all of this (I'm using bolded entries to demarcate crossover events. You can jump around between entries in this list between them as they largely run concurrently.) (the exception being like Nightwing vol 5 and 6. The Hunt for Oracle Crossover between Nightwing and Birds of Prey is also collected in both Nightwing vol 5 and Birds of Prey vol. 3):

New Gotham vol. 1

Gotham Knights: Transferrence

Batman/Huntress: Cry for Blood

Batgirl vol. 1

Nightwing vol. 5 and vol. 6

Batman by Ed Brubaker vol. 1 (first 4 issues)

Officer Down

The rest of Batman by Ed Brubaker vol. 1

New Gotham vol. 2

Gotham Knights: Contested

Batgirl vol. 2

Nightwing vol. 7 and Nightwing vol. 8 (first 4 issues)

Bruce Wayne: Murderer and Bruce Wayne: Fugitive

Catwoman Volume 1: The Trail of Catwoman (Running roughly concurrently with Murderer/Fugitive)

Batgirl vol. 3

Gotham Central vol. 1

Batman: Hush

etc etc

I think that's it, but I'm sure that if I missed anything one of my lovely and knowledgeable mutuals will point it out.

Clear as mud? But seriously, I hoped this cleared things up for you and please do not hesitate to ask follow up questions! If this list is overwhelming, I would say, Nightwing, Birds of Prey, Batgirl, and Cry for Blood (though as a Helena fan, I really do think you should read Cry for Blood) are less essential to the building Gotham plot that leads up to Murder/Fugitive, but I really do think you should read Gotham Knights. There's some really fun comics in this era, I hope you enjoy!