Where to Start Collecting Batman?

[TripleB]

I've been 'out of comics' for a couple years now and am looking to start collecting again...with Batman being one of the titles I plan to collect. Actually I'm currently re-reading "A Death in the Family" story arc from the 420s issues.

What would be a good issue (within the last 2 or 3) to start with?

I picked up 678 today just because it was the latest one and in perfect condition but noticed it was part of a story arc.

Thanks for any advice.

TripleB

[nepenthes]

Just get the Batman & Son tpb which is the beginning of Grant Morrisons current run. It's awesome. Alternatively you can get the Batman: Detective tpb which is the beginning of Paul Dini's run on Detective. Both are top quality although personally I'd recomend the Batman title first. Also if you've never read Under the Hood that might be cool as well, coming off Death in the Family, it's from around 2005. I think if you start 'within the last three issues' of either Detective or Batman right now, you'll be missing out of some great stuff and the books won't make much sense anyway.

[shaxper]

Definitely read "Under the Hood" if you just finished "Death in the Family".

The most important thing to understand about a character like Batman is that there isn't much continuity to follow because readers and editors alike always want to see things return to normal in the long run. I'd also recommend picking up Batman: Detective and Batman & Son only because they're the beginnings of two widely acclaimed writing tenures that are still going. I happen to dislike most of what Morisson has done (preferring Dini's work in Detective Comics), but enough people out there feel differently to make both worth consulting.

[LukeRed5]

Get the graphic novel "Batman" The Man Who Laughs". A great book! Also get Arkham Asylum: Living Hell.

[JayC]

Batman: Year One

[Captain Jim]

The guy didn't say he wanted to read trades, he said he wanted to know what issue would be good to start collecting the series.

I think the best place would be at the beginning of "One Year Later" which was designed to be a jump-on point. If you decide to begin here, you really need to get Batman AND Detective, as the story goes back and forth between both titles. Begin with Batman 651 and Detective 817. (Alternatively, this story is collected in the trade, Face the Face.)

If you don't want to go quite that far back, you could begin with the current writers' start in both books. That would be Grant Morrison in Batman (655) and Paul Dini in Detective (821).

Alternatively, you could pick up the first two Dini trades (Detective & Death in the City)--these would take you through Detective 834. And/or you could pick up the first Morrison trade (Batman & Son), which takes you through Batman 666. Batman: the Black Glove HC is on sale Sept. 3 and continues through 675.

[nepenthes]

how long is a softcover tpyically avaialbe after the HC is released? I'm talking about Black Glove when should we expect that.

[Captain Jim]

It varies, but I probably not for six months anyway. Though given the timing here, I suppose it's possible they might try to squeeze one out right before Christmas.