Where the heck do I start?

[5aq1b]

Hi, my first post so take it easy :biggrin:

After a very very very long lay off from comic books (probably around 15 years!), i have now re-ignited my interest in them. I want to start reading the Batman comics but understand that the current issue is like #684, or thereabouts. now, what issue is the best place to start? I obviously don't want to start from #001 !

Is there any other recommended comic books which I should have a look at? I read a few of the Stephen King ones a few days ago, they were not bad. Green Lantern also looks ok, but not sure how good a read it is.

I have just got myself JLA Vol.4 so i'm fairly busy getting through them for the time being!

[Red_Knight]

Man, have you picked a great time to return to comics, and especially Batman! :biggrin: Both DC and Marvel are firing on all cylinders right now. It's great fun! Anyway, as far as Batman is concerned:

The Bat books (Batman and Detective Comics) currently run under the banner "Last Rites". They examine the way allies, villains, and Gotham City in general deal withe the recent disappearance of Batman. Since I'm not aware how much you already know about that, I won't risk spoiling things for you. If you want to find out what happened, check DC's 7-issue mini series Final Crisis, which concluded last week. If you just want to know and be done with it, highlight the following paragraph:

In FC#6, Bruce confronts cosmic villain Darkseid, who has pretty much enslaved Earth by this point. Bruce manages to get a major blow in, but is struck by Darkseid's Omega Beams in the process, which apparently burn him alive. The world now considers Batman dead. However, in FC #7, we find out that Bruce was actually sent back in time and is now stranded at the dawn of man.

In March, both Batman and Detective Comics will temporarily go on hiatus, while a 3-issue mini series titled Battle For The Cowl takes center stage. When that is done, there'll be a new Batman and a whole new status quo for the Batverse. (Obviously, Bruce will return sooner rather than later. But it looks to be a heck of a ride! :) ) Batman and Detective Comics will then start back up in June, along with several new Bat books. We don't know a whole lot about these titles, though.

To answer your original question, I'd say you are looking at an ideal jumping-on point in March with Battle For The Cowl. From then on out, just sample the books that are available and see what you like. Batman is generally considered the "main book", with Detective Comics a close second, but the new status quote might temporarily change that. At this point, we really don't know.

If you want to read up on Bruce's adventures prior to his "disappearance", you might want to check out Grant Morrison's recent run on Batman, which laid the groundwork for a lot of stuff that's going on right now. The whole run has already been collected across 3 trade paperbacks: "Batman And Son", "The Black Glove", and "Batman R.I.P." It's dense reading, but I love it.

Then, of course, there are classics like "Batman: Year One", "The Killing Joke" (The crippling of Barbara Gordon at the hands of the Joker), or "Hush" (an action-packed mystery that features guest appearances by pretty much every major ally and villain the the Batverse). All of those are collected in trade and easily available, too.

If you have any more questions, -- feel free!

[5aq1b]

Man, have you picked a great time to return to comics, and especially Batman! :biggrin: Both DC and Marvel are firing on all cylinders right now. It's great fun! Anyway, as far as Batman is concerned:

The Bat books (Batman and Detective Comics) currently run under the banner "Last Rites". They examine the way allies, villains, and Gotham City in general deal withe the recent disappearance of Batman. Since I'm not aware how much you already know about that, I won't risk spoiling things for you. If you want to find out what happened, check DC's 7-issue mini series Final Crisis, which concluded last week. If you just want to know and be done with it, highlight the following paragraph:

In FC#6, Bruce confronts cosmic villain Darkseid, who has pretty much enslaved Earth by this point. Bruce manages to get a major blow in, but is struck by Darkseid's Omega Beams in the process, which apparently burn him alive. The world now considers Batman dead. However, in FC #7, we find out that Bruce was actually sent back in time and is now stranded at the dawn of man.

In March, both Batman and Detective Comics will temporarily go on hiatus, while a 3-issue mini series titled Battle For The Cowl takes center stage. When that is done, there'll be a new Batman and a whole new status quo for the Batverse. (Obviously, Bruce will return sooner rather than later. But it looks to be a heck of a ride! :) ) Batman and Detective Comics will then start back up in June, along with several new Bat books. We don't know a whole lot about these titles, though.

To answer your original question, I'd say you are looking at an ideal jumping-on point in March with Battle For The Cowl. From then on out, just sample the books that are available and see what you like. Batman is generally considered the "main book", with Detective Comics a close second, but the new status quote might temporarily change that. At this point, we really don't know.

If you want to read up on Bruce's adventures prior to his "disappearance", you might want to check out Grant Morrison's recent run on Batman, which laid the groundwork for a lot of stuff that's going on right now. The whole run has already been collected across 3 trade paperbacks: "Batman And Son", "The Black Glove", and "Batman R.I.P." It's dense reading, but I love it.

Then, of course, there are classics like "Batman: Year One", "The Killing Joke" (The crippling of Barbara Gordon at the hands of the Joker), or "Hush" (an action-packed mystery that features guest appearances by pretty much every major ally and villain the the Batverse). All of those are collected in trade and easily available, too.

If you have any more questions, -- feel free!


Man thanks alot!! :smile:

I'll defintiely check out The Battle For The Cowl in March!

[Choppa]

Go here for TPB recommendations. It's right at the top of the forum

http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=35000

[bscheur]

Speaking as a Batman fan, you should make it a priority to pick up as much of geoff johns's run on green lantern and the coinciding green lantern corps prior to the upcoming "blackest night" as you can. Specifically "rebirth" and "sinestro corps war". There is something great going on with these books and I currently look foward to reading the current GL stories over the current batman titles. Enjoy.

[Seraku]

Face The Face

then read the Morrison/Dini trades in order or release

[5aq1b]

Face The Face

then read the Morrison/Dini trades in order or release

what are the titles of these?

So far i've only found THE RESURRECTION OF RA'S AL GHUL

[nepenthes]

Batman & Son
The Black Glove
RIP
..is the Morrison run

Detective
Death & the City
Heart of Hush
....is the Dini run, good but not spectacular

what older trades have you already read?