Jul 1, 1983 CE
First Appearance in The Brave and the Bold #200
Tatsu Yamashiro debuts as Katana in this issue, where she assists Batman and the Outsiders. #comics #DCU )
Chronological Storyline (44 Milestones)
Aug 1, 1983 CE
Joins the Outsiders in Batman and the Outsiders #1
Katana becomes a founding member of the Outsiders, a team formed by Batman to operate outside Justice League protocols. #comics #Outsiders )
1984 CE
Origin Story Revealed in Batman and the Outsiders #13
Tatsu's husband Maseo Yamashiro and his brother Takeo are seduced by the Yakuza; Takeo murders Maseo, and Tatsu kills Takeo with the Soultaker sword, trapping his soul. #origin #tragedy )
1985 CE
Soultaker Sword's Full Power Revealed
The magical properties of Katana's sword are explored, showing it can trap souls and communicate with them. #magic #soultaker )
1986 CE
Outsiders Disband in Outsiders #28
The original Outsiders team disbands after internal conflicts; Katana leaves with Halo and Geo-Force. #comics #Outsiders )
May 1, 1987 CE
Adventures of the Outsiders #39 - New Team
A new Outsiders team forms; Katana rejoins alongside new members like Looker. #comics #Outsiders )
1987 CE
Battle with the Yakuza Kingpin in Outsiders #10
Katana confronts the Yakuza leader who corrupted her husband, seeking closure. #Yakuza #revenge )
1988 CE
Death of Takeo's Soul in Soultaker Sword
In a story arc, Katana permanently destroys Takeo's trapped soul. #soultaker #magic )
Jul 1, 1989 CE
Appearance in Legends of the Dark Knight #1
Katana guest-stars in a Batman story, reinforcing her connection to Gotham. #Batman #comics )
1990 CE
Outsiders Series Relaunch as 'Outsiders' Vol. 2
A new series begins; Katana remains a core member. #Outsiders #comics )
1991 CE
Katana's Past Haunts Her in Outsiders #12
Flashbacks reveal more about her training and marriage. #characterdevelopment )
1992 CE
Outsiders #20 - The Soultaker's Curse
The sword's curse affects Katana's allies, leading her to seek mystical help. #magic #curse )
Feb 1, 1993 CE
Outsiders Team Up with Justice League
Katana fights alongside the Justice League in a crossover event. #JusticeLeague #crossover )
1994 CE
Outsiders #38 - Marriage Proposal from Geo-Force
Geo-Force proposes to Katana; she declines, choosing her mission. #romance #Outsiders )
Mar 1, 1995 CE
Outsiders Disbands Again in Outsiders #48
The team disbands; Katana goes solo. #comics )
1996 CE
Appearance in 'The Kingdom' Event
Katana appears in the Hypertime crossover event. #crossover #DCU )
Nov 1, 1997 CE
Joins Birds of Prey in Birds of Prey #1
Katana becomes a supporting character in the Birds of Prey series, working with Oracle and Black Canary. #BirdsOfPrey #comics )
1998 CE
Birds of Prey #8 - Katana vs. Lady Shiva
A martial arts duel between Katana and Lady Shiva highlights her skills. #martialarts #fight )
1999 CE
Appearance in 'JLA: Year One'
Katana is featured in a flashback to the Justice League's early days. #JLA #DCU )
Jan 1, 2000 CE
Outsiders Revival in 'Outsiders' Vol. 3 #1
A new Outsiders series launches; Katana is a founding member again. #Outsiders #comics )
2001 CE
Soultaker Sword's Crisis in Outsiders #25
The sword's trapped souls threaten to overwhelm Katana; she seeks help from Zatanna. #magic #Zatanna )
May 1, 2002 CE
Appearance in 'Batman: Gotham Knights' #30
Katana teams up with Batman in a Gotham story. #Batman #comics )
2003 CE
Outsiders #45 - Death of a Teammate
Katana mourns the death of a fellow Outsider, deepening her resolve. #tragedy #Outsiders )
Sep 1, 2004 CE
Joins Checkmate in Checkmate Vol. 2 #1
Katana becomes an agent of Checkmate, the metahuman intelligence agency. #Checkmate #spies )
2005 CE
Checkmate #6 - Mission in Tokyo
A mission in Japan forces Katana to confront her past. #Japan #Checkmate )
May 1, 2006 CE
Appearance in '52' Week 25
Katana appears in the '52' weekly series, part of the One Year Later event. #52 #DCU )
2007 CE
Outsiders #50 - Solo Arc Begins
Katana leaves the Outsiders for a solo mission in Japan. #Outsiders #solo )
Aug 1, 2008 CE
Katana Miniseries Announced
DC announces a 5-issue Katana solo miniseries. #solo #comics )
Jan 1, 2009 CE
Katana #1 (Miniseries) Released
The solo miniseries explores her origin and ties to the Soultaker sword. #miniseries #origin )
2010 CE
Appearance in 'Brightest Day' Event
Katana appears in the Brightest Day crossover. #BrightestDay #DCU )
Sep 1, 2011 CE
New 52 Relaunch: Katana in 'Batman and the Outsiders' Vol. 2
As part of DC's New 52, a new Outsiders series begins; Katana has a redesigned costume. #New52 #Outsiders )
May 1, 2012 CE
Katana #3 (New 52 Series) - Soultaker Lore Expanded
The New 52 series delves deeper into the sword's origin. #New52 #soultaker )
Oct 1, 2013 CE
Joins Suicide Squad in Suicide Squad Vol. 5 #1
Katana becomes a member of the Suicide Squad under Amanda Waller. #SuicideSquad #comics )
2014 CE
Suicide Squad #11 - Katana vs. Deadshot
A confrontation with Deadshot tests her loyalties. #SuicideSquad #fight )
Jun 1, 2015 CE
Appearance in 'Convergence: The Outsiders'
Katana features in the Convergence crossover event. #Convergence #DCU )
Aug 1, 2016 CE
DC Rebirth: Katana in 'Detective Comics' #934
Katana joins a new team in Detective Comics as part of DC Rebirth. #Rebirth #comics )
2017 CE
Detective Comics #950 - Soultaker Sword's Origin Revealed
The sword's connection to the mystical side of DC is explored. #soultaker #magic )
May 1, 2018 CE
Appearance in 'Justice League: No Justice'
Katana is part of the cosmic event. #JusticeLeague #event )
2019 CE
Outsiders Revival in 'Outsiders' Vol. 5 #1
Another Outsiders series launches; Katana is a key member. #Outsiders #comics )
Oct 1, 2020 CE
Featured in 'Dark Nights: Death Metal'
Katana appears in the Dark Nights: Death Metal event. #DeathMetal #DCU )
Jan 1, 2021 CE
Battle with the Yakuza in 'Batman: Urban Legends' #1
A story in Urban Legends focuses on Katana's past with the Yakuza. #Yakuza #UrbanLegends )
2022 CE
Appearance in 'DC vs. Vampires'
Katana is part of the DC vs. Vampires event. #DCvsVampires #crossover )
May 1, 2023 CE
New Ongoing Series: 'Katana' Vol. 3 Announced
A new solo series featuring Katana is announced. #newseries #solo )
Mar 1, 2024 CE
Katana #1 (Vol. 3) Released
A fresh start with a modern take on the character. #newseries #comics )