Inquiring Minds/Let the Puzzlement Fit the Crime/Malled
Detective Comics 647-649
In Spoiler’s introduction, Batman and Robin find someone has beaten them to the punch. The punching of Cluemaster, that is.

Huntress/Spoiler: Blunt Trauma
Spoiler teams up with Huntress in the wake of the Cataclysm.

Pregnancy Arc
Robin 57-62
Robin 64-65
Stephanie finds herself pregnant by a boy who abandoned her.

Daddy’s Little Girl
Young Justice: Secret Origins 80 Page Giant
Stephanie tells her baby about her life.

Robin 80 Page Giant
Stephanie meets Dinah Lance.

Spoiled!
Batgirl 20
Spoiler teams up with Batgirl for the first time.

The Gun
Birds of Prey 39
Spoiler follows Black Canary around, desperate for training and companionship.

Switchback
Birds of Prey 40
Dinah brings Stephanie to the clock tower before kicking the criminals out of her home.

Untitled
Batgirl 26
Spoiler battles a warrior of the cult of Shiva in Batgirl’s place.

Untitled
Batgirl 28
Cassandra trains and bonds with Stephanie.

Testline
Batgirl 38
Stephanie convinces Cass to ignore Bruce’s orders to avoid her.

Robin 100-120
Stephanie appears in most of Jon Lewis’ run, in which both her past and present are developed and explored.

A Life More Ordinary
Robin 126
Stephanie becomes Robin.

…And Red All Over
Detective Comics 796
Batman and Robin track down Zsasz.

Sisterhood
Batgirl 53
Robin teams up with Batgirl when children are used in crime.

Return Arc
Robin 172-174
Stephanie returns to Gotham a year after Leslie fakes her death.

Robin/Spoiler Special
A series of stories about Stephanie’s new start.

Batgirl Rising
Batgirl 1-3
Stephanie becomes the third Batgirl.

Mark of Cain
Batman 567-Detective Comics 734
An introduction of tragedy and heroism.

Assembly
Legends of the Dark Knight 120
Cassandra accepts the cowl.

I Hold the Waterfront
Batman 569
Cassandra’s first mission as Batgirl, a struggle without and within.

Evacuation
Azrael: Agent of the Bat 60
Batgirl teams up with Azrael to foil the Joker’s plot.

Presents of Mind
Azrael: Agent of the Bat 61
Cassandra fight and dances with Azrael and relieves her first Christmas gift.

Batgirl 1-37
Kelley Puckett’s poignant run defines and develops Cassandra’s character.

Batgirl: Secret Files and Origins
Cassandra’s history is told through a mission of redemption.

Batgirl 34-58
Cassandra continues to grow as a hero, and proves herself when Gotham is thrown into turmoil. 

Justice League Elite
Cassandra is part of a team for the first time. 

Batgirl 58-73
Cassandra makes a new home for herself in Bludhaven, before striking out to find her past and forge her future.

The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!
Detective Comics 359
“Out of the super-star studded firmament of Gotham city, where Batman and Robin shine supreme as masked manhunters - bursts a brand new luminary - Batgirl!”

A Bullet for Gordon
Detective Comics 417 
Batgirl saves her father, both from dying himself and killing an innocent man.

The Unmasking of Batgirl
Detective Comics 422
After a disheartening case, Barbara reveals her identity to her father.

Candidate for Danger/Batgirl’s Last Case
Detective Comics 423-424.
“Distraught over her continuing failure to prevent crime as Batgirl, Babs Gordon…the commissioner’s daughter…is propelled into a Gotham-shaking decision!”

The Assasination of Batgirl/Vengeance Trail
Detective Comics 491-492
As Barbara Gordon, she becomes head of the social services department at the Human Research and Development Center. As Batgirl, she deals with an assassination attempt that shakes her dedication to crime-fighting.

Barbara Gordon, Murderess/The Tightening Web
Detective Comics 497-498
“A weary Batgirl turns herself homeward to thoughts of rest and sleep after a vigilant patrol over the sleeping city of Gotham… But as the Darnight Damsel speeds into action, she is unaware that before another night falls, an event will happen to jeopardize her very reputation, and brand her secret identity as…Barbara Gordon, Murderess.”

Batman Family
This series takes place while Barbara is a Congresswoman, with Dick as her assistant.  She appears in issues 1, 3-7, and 9-17.

Flawed Gems
Secret Origins 20
This is Barbara’s Post-Crisis origin story.

Suicide Squad
Barbara appears in the following issues:

23 Weird War Tales
24 Slings and Arrows
26 Stone Cold Dead
32 Steel Trap
33 Into the Angry Planet
38 Caging the Tiger
48 In Control
49 Out of Control
51 Fractured Image
54 The Dragon’s Hoard Part Two: Divine Wind
55 Dead Man’s Hand
56 Dragon’s Teeth
57 Dragon’s Blood
59  Legerdemain: Part 1: Forges in Motion
61 Legerdemain Part 3: Snafu
63 True Minds
64 Nasty as They Want to Be!
65 Run Through the Jungle!

Prometheus Unbound/Synchronicity/Seven Soldiers of Probabiliyu
Reality is breaking down. Oracle has to help the League put it back together - and, in the process, make a horrible choice.

JLA 17-19

World War Three
While Oracle aids the JLA in a world crisis, she’s faced with a dire temptation.

JLA 36-40

Oracle Year One: Born of Hope
Batman Chronicles 5
The origins of Oracle. 

Batman: Cataclysm
In this arc, Barbara rallies and organises the police force in the wake of a devastating earthquake. She’s in these issues:
Shadow of the Bat 73
Batman 553
Shadow of the Bat 74
Nightwing 20
Detective Comics 721
Robin 53

Batman: No Man’s Land
Barbara is the controller and chronicler throughout No Man’s Land. She’s most prominent in:
No Man’s Land 1
Shadow of the Bat 83
Batman 563
Batman 565
Detective Comics 732
Legends of the Dark Knight 119
Shadow of the Bat 87
Azrael: Agent of the Bat 54
Azrael: Agent of the Bat 55
Batman 567
Detective Comics 734
Legends of the Dark Knight 120
Nightwing 38
Nightwing 39
No Man’s Land Secret Files
Shadow of the Bat 93
Azrael: Agent of the Bat 60
Batman 573
Detective Comics 740
Legends of the Dark Knight 126
Batman 574
Detective Comics 741
Azrael: Agent of the Bat 61
Shadow of the Bat 94

Batgirl
Barbara mentors her successor. She appears in 1-5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 17, 21 - 27, 29, 30, 33, 35-37, 39-42, 45-55, 57, 67, and 70.

Batgirl Secret Files and Origins
Barbara narrates the story of her successor.

Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey
Oracle recruits Black Canary.

Birds of Prey: Wolves
Barbara and Dinah confront conflict that helps develop their partnership.

Birds of Prey: Manhunt
In this miniseries, Dinah teams up with Catwoman and Huntress. Oracle is not amused.

Birds of Prey: Black Canary/Batgirl
Barbara’s mind is invaded, and she has to fight for her secrets and her freedom.

Birds of Prey
Barbara leads her own team of operatives.

Notable arcs include:

The Hunt for Oracle
Nightwing 45
Birds of Prey 20 
Nightwing 46
Birds of Prey 21
Barbara and some of her closest allies are forced to protect her identity. It’s finally revealed to Dinah.

Between Dark and Dawn
Birds of Prey 69-73
Oracle battles Brainiac. 

A New Morning’s Resolution
Birds of Prey 85
Barbara battles the virus he left behind

Batgirl
Cassandra passes their symbol on to Stephanie Brown.

Point of New Origin
Batgirl 1-3
Barbara accepts Stephanie Brown as the third Batgirl, becoming her mentor.

The Flood
Batgirl 9-12
Oracle, Batgirl and Proxy face the Calculator.

Thus far into compiling, we have:

Barbara Gordon

Batgirl:

Batgirl: Year One

I’ll add Secret Origins’ Flawed Gems; people can decide which reinterpretation of her origin they prefer.

Any pre-Crisis recommendations? Besides The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl. I like The Assassination of Batgirl for this, because it showcases a lot about Barbara and her relationships, as well as her Congresswoman arc.

Oracle:

Oracle Year One: Born of Hope

Suicide Squad 48-49

The Hunt for Oracle

Birds of Prey’s Brainiac arc

I’d also add the first ever Birds of Prey special.

Batgirl v3: first four issues.

I’d like to include some No Man’s Land issues; I’m thinking the arc in Cataclysm when she organises and mobilises the police force, the first NML issue, and the issues where she almost shoots Black Mask and sees Helena as Batgirl. Any other suggestions?

Cassandra Cain

Her appearances in NML; Mark of Cain, I Hold the Waterfront, etc.

Batgirl - Pucket’s run.

I’d say Gabrych’s first and last issues, as well as Cass’s spar with Onyx.

Any Justice League Elite?

Stephanie Brown

Spoiler:

Her first appearance in Detective Comics

Her pregnancy arc in Robin

Her appearances in Batgirl

Her appearances in Birds of Prey

Robin - Lewis’ run

Robin - Stephanie’s return arc.

Robin/Spoiler Special

Robin:

Her appearance in Batgirl

War Drums

I’d add Detective Comics 796.

Batgirl:

Batgirl Rising

Eventually I hope to streamline this list, providing issue numbers and summaries. Please keep your suggestions coming!

Hey there, followers! I want your opinions. I’ll share my own later.

What would you could consider essential reading for Barbara, Cassandra, and Stephanie?