Best Batman Comics for New Readers, Current Titles, Top Trades and Recent Events

[Goldgeller]

Dark Knight Returns, Batman Year One, and Arkham Asylum: A serious house on Serious Earth are all must read comics, regardless as to whether one particularly likes Batman or not.

One thing I'd suggest is actually Grant Morrison and Mark Millar's JLA runs, since they have some excellent Batman writing. Gotham Central is a great Batman book without the Batman in it! It's a crime noir tale set in Gotham, using Batman villains, and it's excellent.

[Rake]

Just ordered Batman: Year One via amazon see how i get on with that then pick up all the other suggestions.

Also going to look at the new 52 trades and get upto date and sub to those possibly

thanks again for the answers much appreciated

[OptimaX]

Just ordered Batman: Year One via amazon see how i get on with that then pick up all the other suggestions.

Also going to look at the new 52 trades and get upto date and sub to those possibly

thanks again for the answers much appreciated

Let us know how you got on!

[MartinNL]

Luckily there's a pretty straight forward answer on where to start reading Batman books, which are the best books (as polled among CBR members) etc. There's sticky thread at the top of the Batman forum that you'll probably find very informative. You did good on getting the Year One book for starters. Here's the link to the sticky thread http://forums.comicbookresources.com...-Recent-Events

[Haytil]

This is a "looking for this comic" type question.

I remember, as a kid in the '90s, having a Batman book that took place in the far future. A dystopian type future. From what I remember, there wasn't actually a whole lot of Batman in it. I mostly remember some citizens, hiding from their oppressors or something, talking about Batman and what he meant and if there was still a Batman. They were thinking of him as a savior type figure. I remember these people got a quick glimpse of Batman. He was flying in an Iron Man type Batsuit. They were higher up then him, though, so you saw him from above. I think there was a scene later that maybe implied this could be the original Batman, somehow preserved. But, I also seem to remember that it wasn't Bruce Wayne, so it might have just been the characters, and not the reader, that didn't know if he was the original. I also seem to remember there being a black girl who might have been Robin, or a Robin type character. Some kind of ally. She had short hair? Maybe it was told from her perspective? Maybe I'm making that part up? I'm not sure.

Really, I'm just curious to find out where I remember this from. I obviously don't remember a lot, so certain details might be wrong. If anyone knows anything similar, though, I appreciate it.

I believe you're thinking of "Legend," one of the short stories in "Batman Black and White," issue number 2. This is also collected in the first "Batman Black and White" trade.

You may be confusing your memory of the Robin character with your memories of "Dark Knight Returns," however.

[evildead78]

To all involved in the collation of the lists and information in this thread...THANK YOU! Just...thank you!

[jplat]

I couldn't agree more. This list is fantastic and I plan I using it immediately.

That said, I just finished reading the first 11 issues of Batman from the New 52 relaunch. In a word all I can is Awesome! Snyder and Co. did an awesome job. The Court of Owls storyline is fantastic. I can't wait for issue 12 to come out on Wednesday.

[SediarSago]

I was hopping on the Morrison epic and had a few questions. First, I know the conception of Daiman is shown in Son of the Demon. Does it show up anywhere in Morrison's run, or do I have to get that book to know what happened? others questions are about Batman and Robin.

1. Does Battle for the Cowl essential to see the transformation of Nightwing into Batman?

2. I heard the second arc is about Jason Todd. Which stories should I read to get the back history on it?

3. Do the stories after issue 16 have any relevance to Morrison's epic.

4. Question 2 and my Son of the demon question reminded me. Are their any story arcs earlier in Batman's years that are continued during Morrison's run. I'm trying to get the full scope of his run and if there are stories that involve backstory not shown during the run, I want to pick it up.

PS. I would really know, but form research, I consider Ressurrection of Ra's al Ghul part of the Morrison Epic. Also, I've read The killing Joke, Tower of Babel and Hush, so if any of the storylines that take place before Morrisons run, but are important to it, are recapped in those, I could just give them a good reread.

[Disco Pyg]

1) Nah, not really.

2) Under the Red Hood, if you really want to. It's not essential though.

3) No.

4) You could pick up the Black Casebook trade, which collects some older Batman stories that Morrison uses for inspiration in his run.

[Mr. Holmes]

Dark Knight, Dark City from Milligan's 90s Detective run plays into the last Batman and Robin arc and Return of Bruce Wayne. DC needs to collect it.

[MartinNL]

2. I heard the second arc is about Jason Todd. Which stories should I read to get the back history on it?

You might also want to check out A Death In The Family, in which Jason is killed of quite brutally by the Joker. It might put the dialogue in his whole (not) coming back in (Hush and) Under The Red Hood in better context. However like Disco Pyg said, not essential for reading Morrison's run.

Dark Knight, Dark City from Milligan's 90s Detective run plays into the last Batman and Robin arc and Return of Bruce Wayne. DC needs to collect it.

DC did release it last year as a DC Comics Presents title. Shouldn't be too hard to come by I guess on eBay or your LCS and it's a great story!

[Rake]

Let us know how you got on!

just a quick update if anyone interested

broke my comic/graphic novel duck just finished year:one and.... I enjoyed it alot it was pretty short and was to the point didnt enjoyed the fact it was from Gordon's POV mostly and the action scenes drew me in, The Long Halloween has just landed through the letter box so going to crack on with that this evening I think

[Gray Dickson]

This is a fantastic thread. Thanks so much for posting this. Really helpful even for the initiated!

[Venomous Mask]

I just read the graphic novel for Court of the Owls. Damn, that was disturbing shit.

[Parari]

Wow, thanks for this thread. It really helped me.

I'm also not sure if this is right place but I'm looking for a Batman stories told from police's ( particulary Jim Gordon) or normal citizen's perspective. I've just ended Gotham Central and it was soo good, so something similar?