Do i have to start reading from beginning ?

[STARKAST]

Do i have to start reading from begining of detective comics etc to get the story. I want to start reading from 1990 comics plus ? Will i miss big big things you know..... Thanx

[Jorriss]

There's really not many 'required' readings in terms of getting the story. For example, If you know why Bruce is Batman, you can feasibly skip Batman Year one no issues, but it's great so read it.

I'd say Read Batman RIP, Battle for the Cowl and Batman & Robin number 1. A Death in the family wouldn't hurt.

Since Dick Grayson is Batman now, I highly suggest Robin and Nightwing Year one.

Then I'd probably move onto 1986+ stories, year one, long halloween, dark victory, etc.

Continuity was changed in the 80's so you don't 'need' to be overtly concerned with with prethen.

[Vidocq]

God No, You just need to start from Detective 27, then after issue 38 you alternate Det and Batman, Or else you wouldn't get what the hell Batman Reborn is about.

:evilsmile: :evilsmile: :evilsmile: :evilsmile: :


Seriously though, Just read Grant Morrisons Batman Run and Paul Dini's Detective Run, All collected in Tpbs, This will update you to the current satus quo, you can catch up with stuff like No Mans Land and Hush Later,

[Kiryu]

Yeah, you really only need Batman 655-683, by Morrison. Alternatively available as Batman and Son, The Black Glove, and Batman RIP in collected editions. You can skip Battle for the Cowl entirely.

I'd read Dini's 'Tec run too, the final arc sets up the major storylines for Sirens and seemingly Street's Of.

[STARKAST]

I've just jumped to superman/batman and really enjoy it. Is this wise ? thanx

[KandouErik]

Just start reading from the new Grant Morrison's Batman and Robin #1. Excellent read - and all you need to know is that Batman is dead and Dick Grayson (original Robin) is Batman. Damian is just Batman's illegitimate child, who Grayson is taking care of.

There - done - that's all you need to know. Now go read and enjoy!

[Jorriss]

I've just jumped to superman/batman and really enjoy it. Is this wise ? thanx
It's really whatever you find fun, it won't make canon confusing or anything.

[STARKAST]

There has been batman & detective comics from like 1930s to now. Are you supposed to read both at the same time or can you read one comic book series from no.1 to now while not reading others ?thanx

[Will44]

The DC Universe has been through a number of reboots and restarts over the years.

Batman #1 came out almost 75 years ago. But Batman is still between the ages of 35-40. Nearly all of the stories that happened to him are no longer considered part of his history. Grant Morrison (the current writer on Batman) tried to bring them back in as part of Bruce Wayne's past, but they're basically hallucinations that never really happened.

The only time you need to read both Batman and Detective comics is when there's something called a cross-over happening. Otherwise the stories in one rarely effect or are even mentioned in the other.

The question is, what do you want to read? Do you want to just read Batman comics?

[CocktailXYZ]

Some stories cross over between the two titles, making it impossible to read one of 'Tec or Batman and get the full story. Not to mention that events in one title are meant to have taken place in the other.

In 1986, DC did a "reboot" of Batman, so if you're only concerned with stories from the "current" Batman's history, you could start at Batman #404 and 'Tec #571.

A fairly impressive continuity (although not yet up to date) can be found here: http://dcboards.warnerbros.com/web/thread.jspa?messageID=2005206703


Batman has a long history, but you can really just jump in anywhere you want. If a past event or character is referenced, you can always turn to Wikipedia or the fans for a quick rundown on what it was all about.

[Sn4tcH]

Wow! Someone actually read my post at the DC board...

But yeah, that's a pretty hardcore, but out of date list. I actually haven't heard from anyone else that were going to "help" in that thread so I'm sloooowly working on it on my own. Right now I'm doing a few things:

A.) Keeping up with curent continuity, and with all the Battle For the Cowl/Morrison/Crisis/RIP stuff is not fun.

B.) I stopped reading comics when the first issue of Broken City (the Batman arc that followed Hush) and restarted right around the Joker prose issue of Batman, so I have to catch up with the DCU from that point up till current

C.) Reading every single issue on that list and taking notes, seeing if I need to add or take things out. (I'm really against company crossovers, in continuity, but what about Batman/Punisher getting mentioned in Knightend? BAH!)

D.) Reading stuff like Confidential and Journey Into Knight and retroactively trying to figure out its space in continuity.

I like a lot of Elseworlds and Crossover stuff though, so I'm thinking about making a list of some type for those things... Anyway...

So, yeah. If you want to get hardcore into Batman continuity, you can see the dark places it may lead to. Trades are your friend.

[CocktailXYZ]

It's a tremendous task, which is why I'm always amazed when I browse through that 2000+ list of issues.

I've been working to catch up (left waaaaaay back in the Grant/Breyfogle era), and going by that list as my shopping guide. At the other end of the spectrum, I jumped in at Battle for the Cowl as a logical (at least to me) starting point for the new titles. I've just about finished filling in the entire back catalog, but it's a lot of reading ahead.

I'd agree at the company crossover titles feeling out of place and unnecessary. As distracting as it is to see Batman throw down with Predator, Spawn, and Judge Dredd, they really don't have a place in continuity.

[Captain Jim]

Nearly all of the stories that happened to him are no longer considered part of his history. Grant Morrison (the current writer on Batman) tried to bring them back in as part of Bruce Wayne's past, but they're basically hallucinations that never really happened.

I think you're wrong about this. Morrison has spoken at great length to the effect that he does consider all of the old stuff part of canon, albeit interpreted differently at times.

[STARKAST]

So is t Batman #404 and 'Tec #571 a kind of second beginning ? Is it a new start next to 1937.
If i were to start there will i understand the storyline of "batman involved comics" from1986 +. thanx thanx

[Jorriss]

So is t Batman #404 and 'Tec #571 a kind of second beginning ? Is it a new start next to 1937.
If i were to start there will i understand the storyline of "batman involved comics" from1986 +. thanx thanx
Well, every moment has different back story. You can pretty much just read whatever you want + wikipedia, and you'll be fine.

[Will44]

I think you're wrong about this. Morrison has spoken at great length to the effect that he does consider all of the old stuff part of canon, albeit interpreted differently at times.

I'm pretty sure that during RIP Dick Grayson says that Bruce came back from an isolation experiment, babbling about the undersea adventures and time travel. I'm pretty sure that was in reference to all the crazy 1950's and 1960's stories as hallucinations.

Also, Morrison is a little crazy.

[Hullababy]

I'm pretty sure that during RIP Dick Grayson says that Bruce came back from an isolation experiment, babbling about the undersea adventures and time travel. I'm pretty sure that was in reference to all the crazy 1950's and 1960's stories as hallucinations.

Also, Morrison is a little crazy.

Well I definitely consider post 70s Batman to be in continuity. As for the older goofier stuff, I think those stories still happened but not as they originally happened. Some were probably effects of drugs and some of the other events happened in a not so hokey way. But I dont think anyone needs to read these stories to get into Batman anyway regardless of whether they are in continuity or not. Batman and Robin seems to be the ideal point for new readers to jump in.

[Sn4tcH]

Even in the scenes where Bruce is having the flashbacks to the isolation chamber, it's drawn in a more modern way. I almost wish someone would do a "Man Who Laughs" rendition of the stuff of that era.