Reading Batman 1-703

[BreezyBigDaddy]

Well i found out that i can read batman 1-713 on the dc website, so if i read every issue will i know all there is in batman, like stuff like the death of Bruce Wayne, and all the robins, etc.
Is this a good idea or what
im a comic newbie lol

[Munkiman]

First of all, I checked Comixology and DC doesn't have every issue of Batman available to be read digitally. It does start at #1 and end at #713, but it skips a lot in between.

You could read every issue available there, but A) it's sure as hell not for free and B) you'd go crazy! If you want to get into Batman without spending several hundred bucks, check out this thread for good, new reader friendly suggestions. There's no exact place where you have to start reading Batman, many of the best stories stand on their own and require no prior knowledge of the character's long, long history.

I hope that helps. Welcome to comics! It's a fun place to be.

[ticklefist]

Well i found out that i can read batman 1-713 on the dc website, so if i read every issue will i know all there is in batman, like stuff like the death of Bruce Wayne, and all the robins, etc.
Is this a good idea or what
im a comic newbie lol

Heh, nope. You'll just get full on potatoes before you get to the steak. My advice is to read 404-407 or have some understanding of Batman's Year One concept then read whatever grabs you. Chronology be damned.

[BreezyBigDaddy]

Heh, nope. You'll just get full on potatoes before you get to the steak. My advice is to read 404-407 or have some understanding of Batman's Year One concept then read whatever grabs you. Chronology be damned.

Lol ur probally right, but im going on a month long vaction with my parents so i need something to pass the time
so ill read Year one then just read the rest of Batman

[BreezyBigDaddy]

Heh, nope. You'll just get full on potatoes before you get to the steak. My advice is to read 404-407 or have some understanding of Batman's Year One concept then read whatever grabs you. Chronology be damned.

umm so u mean if i read Year One i can basically read any issue after that?

For example can i go from year one straight onto Batman Inc

[scnjedi]

Batman Inc is the latest part of a huge storyline by Grant Morrison. I'm not sure what the exact numbers are, but I'm pretty sure it started around #663.

[Blue Blazes]

im of the belief that you should just jump in, preferentially at the start of an arc. All you need to know about batman inc is that bruce wayne came out publicly stating hes been funding batman (note: did NOT admit to being batman, just funding his gadgets, etc) and is now starting a worldwide crime fighting in the form of other "batmen".

Year one is not necessary, but its a good modern retelling of his origin, definitely worth getting and reading. much of the new batman movies are based around some of the content found there.

here is a list of the most up to date reading list by Grant morrison who has been writing the character for the last 5+ years. it list individual issues or trade paper back titles.

Batman & Son (hc, 200 pages, 2007, ISBN 1-4012-1240-9; tpb, 2008, ISBN 1-4012-1241-7) collects:
"Batman and Son" (with Andy Kubert, in Batman #655-658, 2006)
"The Clown at Midnight" (with John van Fleet, in Batman #663, 2007)
"Three Ghosts of Batman" (with Andy Kubert, in Batman #664-665, 2007)
"Numbers of the Beast" (with Andy Kubert, in Batman #666, 2007)
The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul (hc, 256 pages, 2008, ISBN 1-4012-1785-0; tpb, 2009, ISBN 1-4012-2032-0) includes:
"Prelude" (with Tony Daniel, in Batman #670, 2007)
"Part 4" (with Tony Daniel, in Batman #671, 2007)
The Black Glove (hc, 176 pages, 2008, ISBN 1-4012-1909-8; tpb, 2009, ISBN 1-4012-1945-4) collects:
"The Island of Mister Mayhew" (with J. H. Williams III, in Batman #667-669, 2007)
"Space Medicine" (with Tony Daniel, in Batman #672, 2008)
"Joe Chill in Hell" (with Tony Daniel, in Batman #673, 2008)
"Batman Dies at Dawn" (with Tony Daniel, in Batman #674, 2008)
"The Fiend with Nine Eyes" (with Ryan Benjamin, in Batman #675, 2008)
Batman R.I.P. (hc, 192 pages, 2009, ISBN 1-4012-2090-8; tpb, 2010, ISBN 1-4012-2576-4) collects:
"Batman R.I.P." (with Tony Daniel, in Batman #676-681, 2008)
"Last Rites" (with Lee Garbett, in Batman #682-683, 2008)
Time and the Batman (hc, 128 pages, 2011, ISBN 1-4012-2989-1) collects:
"Time and the Batman" (with Tony Daniel, Frank Quitely, Scott Kolins, Andy Kubert and David Finch, in Batman #700, 2010)
"Batman R.I.P.: Missing Chapter" (with Tony Daniel, in Batman #701-702, 2010)

Batman and Robin:

Batman Reborn (hc, 168 pages, 2010, ISBN 1-4012-2566-7; tpb, 2011, ISBN 1-4012-2987-5) collects:
"Batman Reborn" (with Frank Quitely, in Batman and Robin #1-3, 2009)
"Revenge of the Red Hood" (with Philip Tan, in Batman and Robin #4-6, 2009-2010)
Batman vs. Robin (hc, 168 pages, 2010, ISBN 1-4012-2833-X; tpb, 2011, ISBN 1-4012-3271-X) collects:
"Blackest Knight" (with Cameron Stewart, in Batman and Robin #7-9, 2010)
"Batman vs. Robin" (with Andy Clarke and Dustin Nguyen, in Batman and Robin #10-12, 2010)
Batman and Robin Must Die! (hc, 168 pages, 2011, ISBN 1-4012-3091-1) collects:
"Batman and Robin Must Die!" (with Frazer Irving, in Batman and Robin #13-15, 2010)
"Black Mass" (with Cameron Stewart, Frazer Irving and Chris Burnham, in Batman and Robin #16, 2010)
Batman: The Return (with David Finch, one-shot, 2010)

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1-6 (with Chris Sprouse, Frazer Irving, Yanick Paquette, Georges Jeanty, Ryan Sook and Lee Garbett, 2010) collected as Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne (hc, 224 pages, 2011, ISBN 1-4012-2968-9)
Batman, Inc.:

Volume 1 (hc, 256 pages, 2011, ISBN 1-4012-3212-4) collects:
"Mr. Unknown is Dead" (with Yanick Paquette, in Batman, Inc. #1-2, 2011)
"Scorpio Tango" (with Yanick Paquette and Chris Burnham, in Batman, Inc. #3-5, 2011)
"Nyktomorph" (with Chris Burnham, in Batman, Inc. #6, 2011)
"Medicine Soldiers" (with Chris Burnham, in Batman, Inc. #7, 2011)
Batman: Leviathan #1-12 (with Chris Burnham, 2012-2013)

[Blue_Beetle]

Um... Detective Comics?

[Dark-Flux]

Yeah you wouldnt get all the story anyway.
Theres also Detective Comics, Legends of the Dark Knight, Shadow of the Bat, Batman and Robin, Batman Chronicles, Gotham Kights etc etc etc....

Read Year One, then see that posted thread for recs.

[MajorHoy]

For a historical perspective on the evolution of the character Batman, reading stuff from the late 1930's/1940's is a great way to start.

To understand the current Batman universe, it's probably not a good move. Batman has been changed so many times over the more than seventy years, with parts of his past being kept / then changed / then sort-of restored, it would make very little sense to apply it to the current Bat-books (except to compare & contrast).

[theJOKER.]

If you really are going to read them all, it's going to take a hell of a while. Just pick up some good trades; Year One is a good start, & the Long Halloween ( the best Batman story I've read) is an excellent followup. This thread will no doubt help, it helped me; Click it!

Good luck!