how to become up to date

[monster]

i've read a good amount of the essentials parts of the batman series and now i'm looking to get caught up on what's being written today. the trouble is, i don't know where to begin. i don't want to just jump in and start assuming things. i love going through the entire arc.

the only current book i'm reading is all star batman and i'm at #6.

i hear things about action comics and batman confidential and all these others that sound recent. i'm scared to click on threads because i hate when things get spoiled so i'm pretty ignorant to the stories. i just want to know what's recent (and half-way good, that's all i need) and where it starts.

[bscheur]

I have said in prior threads, if you want to get caught up through whats going on in Batman R.I.P. - start at Morrison's run around 660 or so (someone can tell you specifically i am sure... or wikipedia will help). Gives you a good lead up to RIP.

I haven't read much of Detective comics in recent years, but picked it up for the Heart of Hush story line. It seems to be self contained and i am enjoying that. Only goes back 4 issues or so.

[Don't pee in the (Dead)pool]

Read batman issues #655-679, or get the Batman & son trade and the Black Glove Hardcover which leads upto #676 which is the start of RIP.

[nepenthes]

it would take you weeks and hundreds of dollars to get completely 'up to date'. I wouldn't worry about it so much, there's an enoumous amount of stuff to cover and it varies wildly in quality, content and style, better just dive in somewhere see what you begin to like and then go your own way. Even though the stories do fit into some kind of timeline it's not necerssary to understand it ALL for what you're reading in front of you at that moment - usually there's only a few aspects of continuity apparent in any given story at hand.

There's two main books, Batman and Detective
Batman - start with Batman and Son tpb, followed by the Black Glove, which will have you ready for RIP when that's traded next year. you don't need to know much to start to fresh on Morrisons run, wikipedia and forums will fill in your blanks. i'd start buying the monthlies after RIP is complete as apparantly it will all be a new beginning of sorts then
Detective - Paul Dini's run starts with a trade title simply Detective, followed by Death in the City. that's all released in trade so far, you can continue with monthlies with little gap from there