Trades over books?

[squeek2334]

I have just started really getting into the comic book Batman. I am starting at Batman: Year One and going from there based on the posts on this board. Should I even bother reading the indivdual comic books or should I just stick to the trades? Please help

[joe27]

Hard to say, but I think there are enough really good trades to keep you going for a while. That way, if you lose interest in a few months, you've at least enjoyed a few complete stories.

[nepenthes]

Most of the quality stuff is collected in trades. they'll do you fine until you've covered all the classics and anything else that looks interesting to you.

that said, the major titles are at a really good place right now. Morrison probably isn't the best for newer readers though so I'd suggest you pick up the first Detective Comics trade of Paul Dini's run, which is called Batman: Detective. If you like it (nd you will :smile: ) then get the next one, and then you'll be in a good spot to buy Detective every month. Comics are much more fun when you reading them monthly, that is true. The same goes for All-Star Batman, the first trade should be out in a couple of months, and these issues are only released whenever the hell DC feels like it, so it is much better to buy ASBR in singles.

[squeek2334]

What would be the next one to the Batman: Detective?

[Captain Jim]

What would be the next one to the Batman: Detective?

Batman: Death in the City.

But I'd recommend some of the classic trades before you get into these; they're much better. (See thread at top of the page.)

[squeek2334]

Again new to the comic world but is the Detective comics only batman? And do you know why they just don't have a Batman line by its self and not all these other title that are all crazy.

[Captain Jim]

Yes, Detective is only Batman and I'm not sure I understand the other question.

[squeek2334]

Yes, Detective is only Batman and I'm not sure I understand the other question.

Well what i mean is why didn't they just have one comic series for the past 60 years called Batman. Why did they split it all up with all the other titles and everything like that?

[dancj]

Well what i mean is why didn't they just have one comic series for the past 60 years called Batman. Why did they split it all up with all the other titles and everything like that?
It's historical. Batman made his debut in Detective Comics #27 (IIRC) which was at the time an anthology with various character. Over time, he took over the whole comic.

[Immortal]

Well what i mean is why didn't they just have one comic series for the past 60 years called Batman. Why did they split it all up with all the other titles and everything like that?

There are a lot of reasons they do that.
To name a few: miniseries, crossovers, spinoffs (charcters like Nightwing and Robin got their own series), change in continuity (pre/post Crisis on Infinite Earths, Infinite Crisis, Final Crisis), some stories take place in different universes, some writers want to write stories that take place in the past or the future (Jeph Loeb's Long Halloween or Miller's Dark Knight Returns), popular series usually get two or more titles with different writers on each, some titles end or get canceled and then later are brought back with different names, some titles focus on different aspects (Detective Comics focuses on mystery/crime, Batman focuses on the story/continuity.)

Definitely go with trades.
Individual issues, in the long run, will cost more, be harder to find, harder to keep in good condition, and in the case of a crossover you will miss issues vital to the story if your only reading one title.

[squeek2334]

There are a lot of reasons they do that.
To name a few: miniseries, crossovers, spinoffs (charcters like Nightwing and Robin got their own series), change in continuity (pre/post Crisis on Infinite Earths, Infinite Crisis, Final Crisis), some stories take place in different universes, some writers want to write stories that take place in the past or the future (Jeph Loeb's Long Halloween or Miller's Dark Knight Returns), popular series usually get two or more titles with different writers on each, some titles end or get canceled and then later are brought back with different names, some titles focus on different aspects (Detective Comics focuses on mystery/crime, Batman focuses on the story/continuity.)

Definitely go with trades.
Individual issues, in the long run, will cost more, be harder to find, harder to keep in good condition, and in the case of a crossover you will miss issues vital to the story if your only reading one title.


Cool Thanks. I was starting with trades. Im waiting on my Batman:Year One to show up and then im going to head onto Long Holloween after that. I have notcied thought that some of my favorite characters can only be found in the Detective serise ie. Riddler, Poisen Ivy. If im wrong then please let me know if they are in Trades but reading the other threads on the board it dosn't seem like it.

[Captain Jim]

Well what i mean is why didn't they just have one comic series for the past 60 years called Batman. Why did they split it all up with all the other titles and everything like that?

When Batman debuted in Detective Comics #27 (1939), it was a monthly anthology book, which was the norm back then. Few characters had a title all of their own, only those who were very, very popular. When a character did have his own title, it was typically published only quarterly (back in the 1940's). So there was a good reason to have both initially, it gave the character a lot more exposure.

Eventually Batman became a true monthly (12 issues/year), but probably not until the 1970's. But by then the character was so popular, he could carry two titles a month, which meant more money for the publisher (since comics that appear more frequently than monthly are very rare).