so i just finished Batman Year one...

[cjam93]

That is all that I have read from the batman comics, I was thinking about gettin The Long Halloween, The Killing Joke, or Hush next. Which would you reccomend?

[David Walton]

That is all that I have read from the batman comics, I was thinking about gettin The Long Halloween, The Killing Joke, or Hush next. Which would you reccomend?

The Long Halloween is set soon after Year One, so that might be your best bet.

I wouldn't recommend Killing Joke for a Batman newbie just because I don't think it paints an accurate picture of Batman.

The Loeb work fits much more neatly with who Batman is.

[cjam93]

ok thanks, i deffiantly want to read the Killing Joke eventually but I had heard that it wasnt good for someone new to batman so I wasnt sure. thanks again

[Damiean Dark]

Remember to get Dark Victory after The Long Halloween its a continution of the story of the rising of the freaks over the mob and the introduction of Robin.

[cjam93]

ok ill do that thanks

[nepenthes]

I was thinking about gettin The Long Halloween, The Killing Joke, or Hush next. Which would you reccomend?

these are great books to continue with. When you're done, pick up The Dark Knight Returns


The Loeb work fits much more neatly with who Batman is.

There's no such thing. there's only your idea of who batman is. and not many people would find The Killing Joke that far out of character at all. I presume your talking about the final scene?

[Boy Constrictor]

Nah man, newbies should get to know how Batman is supposed to be written before reading good stories.

I think The Killing Joke is alright until the final scene, which is great.

And I think The Long Halloween is decent until the end, which leaves you asking wtf

[Mat001]

"Batman & The Monster Men" and "Batman & The Mad Monk" should be read before reading "Haunted Halloween", "The Long Halloween", "Dark Victory" and "Catwoman: When In Rome".

[Jorriss]

Unless you have a grip of money I'd read these stories in this order.

Batman: year one
The Long Halloween
Dark Victory
Robin The Gauntlet
Robin Year One
Nightwing Year one
A Death in the Family perhaps
Then I'd go off in different directions but probably Bruce Wayne Murderer part 1, then check wikipedia to see how it finished (since fugitive isn't as strong), and finish with Hush.

Killing Joke is really overrated, or maybe I just dislike it, but yeah I don't recommend it.

Barbara sucked as Batgirl and is basically irrelevant now so if you want to read Batgirl year one it's pretty good but not particularly important. Knightfall part one Broken Bat is good but the other parts aren't nearly a good. If you can get it cheap, A Lonely Place of Dying is a great story you should read, based on my list, after A Death in the Family.

[earl]

"Batman & The Monster Men" and "Batman & The Mad Monk" should be read before reading "Haunted Halloween", "The Long Halloween", "Dark Victory" and "Catwoman: When In Rome".

What he said. Matt Wagner also did a couple of other Batman stories, one called Faces starring Two-Face and a mini-series called Trinity which is a story about Superman, Batman & Wonder Woman working together for the first time. All of his Batman stories are ace.

Batman: The Man Who Laughs is also a pretty good Batman with Joker origin story. You get multiple choice on that one.

For real classic Batman, you eventually should read "Tales of the Demon" which is the classic early 70s Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams stories which introduced Ra's Al Ghul and the late 70s compilation of Steve Englehart & Marshall Rogers w/ Walt Simonson stories called Strange Apparitions. Those two collections are way better than some of the later big long story line stuff and hold up pretty well for 30+ year old comics.

[Babylon23]

"Batman & The Monster Men" and "Batman & The Mad Monk" should be read before reading "Haunted Halloween", "The Long Halloween", "Dark Victory" and "Catwoman: When In Rome".

couldn't agree more. 2 great stories set almost directly after Year One. I'd rank both over Long Halloween, which is not a great story IMO but features some increidble artwork. Dark Victory is a far better story.

As for Hush, I'd avoid it completely. A terrible story.

[yadadaimhollaing]

What's so special about catwoman when in rome?

[shaxper]

I know it's largely forgotten now, but I still think Batman: Year 3 is an important story. If there's a better retelling of how Dick became Batman, I'm not aware of it.

Also, Death in the Family, Lonely Place of Dying, Batman and Son, and Battle for the Cowl pretty much covers all of the most significant Robin history after Dick.

[David Walton]

There's no such thing. there's only your idea of who batman is. and not many people would find The Killing Joke that far out of character at all. I presume your talking about the final scene?

When there's nearly a hundred years of publishing history behind a character, I do find certain works more representative of the totality of his character than others.

Now that doesn't mean The Killing Joke is "wrong," and of course it all comes down to opinion--but I happen to feel strongly that Loeb's work incorporates more of what I find to be true to Batman than TKJ. But this could be overcompensation simply because TKJ was at one point passed off as representative of everything good about Batman. The pendulum seems to have shifted in the other direction, now, though--it probably needs more apologists than detractors.

My primary problem with TKJ is actually the Joker. Once Barbara's paralysis became canon, it seemed like every time the Joker showed up he was in a fruitless competition with himself to raise the body count. Which is okay short-term, I suppose, but long term I don't think it did the character any favors. He couldn't kill everyone close to Bruce or Jim Gordon...and that functioned as a constant distraction from the 'zaniness' that audiences find appealing in the Joker.

I know it's largely forgotten now, but I still think Batman: Year 3 is an important story. If there's a better retelling of how Dick became Batman, I'm not aware of it.

It is one of the best Batman and Dick Grayson stories of all time, and shame on DC for dropping the ball and not giving us a nice trade to celebrate Grayson's assumption of the mantle.

By the way, I should add Going Sane to the list of great Batman stories set in his early days.

[arp2008]

Remember to get Dark Victory after The Long Halloween its a continution of the story of the rising of the freaks over the mob and the introduction of Robin.Wow. I was actually becoming quite interested until I hit the bolded.

[Mat001]

couldn't agree more. 2 great stories set almost directly after Year One. I'd rank both over Long Halloween, which is not a great story IMO but features some increidble artwork. Dark Victory is a far better story.

As for Hush, I'd avoid it completely. A terrible story.

I mentioned the stories by Wagner since not only are they great stories, but they also loosely set up TLH and DV.

What's so special about catwoman when in rome?

It ties into "Dark Victory" as we see what Selina was doing while she gone off to Rome, regarding her relationship with Falcone.

[Armadillo]

Wow. I was actually becoming quite interested until I hit the bolded.
The Robin thing is taking really small part of the story, check this out, it's great.

[yadadaimhollaing]

I mentioned the stories by Wagner since not only are they great stories, but they also loosely set up TLH and DV.



It ties into "Dark Victory" as we see what Selina was doing while she gone off to Rome, regarding her relationship with Falcone.

perfect answer and thank you for the spoiler tag. i havent read dark victory yet. i guess after that ill decide if i want to read that trade

[NewMutant]

Batman: Year One
Batman: The Long Halloween
Batman: Dark Victory
Robin: Year One

Those are the 4 stories I would suggest to any new Batman reader. You get the history of the characters and basically pick up current stuff and understand.

The Killing Joke is up there but its not a older story as Barbra is grown-up(ish). It does have a Joker origin though.

Catwoman: When In Rome is a good spin off of Dark Victory but not needed.

[strong guy79]

If you hate Robin so much you might actually like Death In The Family then.