In need of the noobish guide to Grant Morisson's Batman

[darkknightjon]

There are two things I have come to understand during my short tenure with Batman comic books. 1. is that Grant Morisson's Batman series is held in the highest regard by many, and that 2. I need to read them.

One further thing I know is that the arcs have been handily released into trades. Well, I'm pretty sure that's the case :)

What I want to know is: where do I start? And, where do I go from there? I have no idea about the chronology, if I can skip any or if skipping one would confuse the story in the next trade/do I need to read all of them? Obviously I'd like to read them all, but I'm at university and so I'm limited for time and money.

Thanks for reading this far :)

[Jeff Brady]

There are two things I have come to understand during my short tenure with Batman comic books. 1. is that Grant Morisson's Batman series is held in the highest regard by many, and that 2. I need to read them.

One further thing I know is that the arcs have been handily released into trades. Well, I'm pretty sure that's the case :)

What I want to know is: where do I start? And, where do I go from there? I have no idea about the chronology, if I can skip any or if skipping one would confuse the story in the next trade/do I need to read all of them? Obviously I'd like to read them all, but I'm at university and so I'm limited for time and money.

Thanks for reading this far :)

Sticky thread, second from the top.

[thwhtGuardian]

This is all you need:

The Grant Morrison Batman Epic


Catching up to Batman Incorporated, 2006 to 2012

Batman Incorporated #1 relaunching May is the start of a final death match between Batman Inc and the global super crime organisation Leviathan. And although it says #1 on cover, events in this series are actually the culmination of a six year epic begun by writer Grant Morrison in the pages of the Batman title waaay back in 2006. To start at the *very* beginning, you will need to pick up Batman & Son and go from there...

Batman & Son / The Black Glove / Batman R.I.P. / Batman Reborn / Batman VS Robin / Time & the Batman / The Return of Bruce Wayne / Batman Must Die / Batman Incorporated Vol.1

Why you should bother

This storyline is kind of a big deal. In a densely woven multi-part saga Batman and his world have been rocked, twisted, broken down and built anew, to spectacular results.

Massive in scope, impact and ambition, the Morrison run is regarded by many as arguably the most definitive, imaginative, and refreshing Batman stories of modern times. Highly controversial throughout its publication, some may disagree with this view of course but they will no doubt tell you it's nevertheless an important groundbreaking entry.

As the driving force of Batman universe for the last half decade, major events events originating from this run include: the introduction of Damian Wayne, the death and return of Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson acting as the new Batman and the rise of a new global initiative in Bruce Wayne's war against crime.

One of the most acclaimed achievements of the run is in celebrating and unifying the various conflicting portrayals in Batman media - whether in TV, cartoon, film or across the many eras and styles of comic publication. The run features stories in the style of the weird and wacky 1960's to the globetrotting James Brond-inspired thrillers of the 70's, the grim 'n gritty street noir of the 80's, the blockbuster action crossovers of the 90's and everything in between.

The run is also widely credited for reversing the legacy of Frank Millers relentlessly bleak 1986 The Dark Knight Returns, a milestone publishing event which had the unintended effect of plunging Batman comics into a style of broody, angst driven "bat-jerk" storytelling that by mid the 2000's had long become weary and stale. The Morrison run immediately aimed to restore fun, humanity and a glorious sense of the absurd back into Batman while retaining the best of all the eras that came before.

The whole thing is currently collected in nine trades with the final chapter beginning May in Batman Incorporated Vol.2 #1

The story so far...

While each trade contains smaller arcs that CAN be read on their own, most of the significance of the over-aching story will be missed without reading (and re-reading!) from beginning to end..




Batman & Son / The Black Glove / Batman R.I.P. collecting the Batman series 2006 -2009
Three trades lead-up to the first major climax of the run in Batman R.I.P. Featuring the introduction of Damian Wayne; ninja Man-Bats; Damian as Batman in an apocalyptic future; the introduction of Doctor Hurt and the Black Glove: the Batmen-of-Many-Nations: heroin Bruce and his imaginary friend Batmite; the Batman of Zur En Arrh; a new incarnation of the Joker and the figurative end of Bruce Wayne's career as Batman. Batman & Son VS The Black Glove available June will collect the two earlier editions in one volume

A crossover that occurs in the middle of this chapter is The Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul - it shares themes, characters and two issues by Grant Morrison yet is generally considered a diversion to the main story and not as essential.



Batman Reborn / Batman VS Robin collecting the Batman & Robin series 2009 - 2010
Bruce Wayne is mourned by friends and allies after falling in battle against the evil New God Darkseid. A new era begins as his legacy is taken up by the very first Robin, Dick Grayson and the obnoxious boy assassin Damian Wayne. Together they form a strange and refreshing incarnation of the Dynamic Duo as they struggle in their new roles, unraveling the mystery of Bruce's disappearance and defending Gotham City from a startling wave of bizarre new villains. Featuring Professor Pyg and the Circus Strange, Jason Todd and the assassin Flamingo, British Crime Bible cultists and a resurrected zombie Bruce Wayne, Talia Al Ghul and Deathstroke the Terminator.

Batman Reborn is a good midway jump-on point that can be started fresh on its own without too much prior knowledge - even if reading the earlier three collections is definitely ideal.



Time and the Batman / The Return of Bruce Wayne / Batman Must Die! collecting Batman; Return of Bruce Wayne; Batman & Robin series and Batman: The Return one-shot 2010

At this stage separate developing subplots begin to converge. Time and the Batman follows directly from the ending of R.I.P. portraying Bruce's recovery from Doctor Hurts ambush, his last mission with the JLA and the myth-making confrontation with Darkseid. The arc is a recap of critical events first told Grant Morrison's DC Universe event mini Final Crisis - the scenes containing Batman in Final Crisis are very brief and excerpted here in entirety.

The Return of Bruce Wayne picks up after Batmans banishment into pre-histroy in the pages of Time and the Batman, following an amnesiac Bruce Wayne time jumping across various periods in Gotham's past. In each era he must protect the its inhabitants while attempting to make sense of strange surroundings and rediscover his former self.

Batman Must Die is second major high-point of the run. The secret shame of the Wayne family is finally revealed, Dick Grayson shot in the head and Damian left alone with the Joker and a crowbar in a locked cell. Doctor Hurt, Professor Pyg and a drug crazed Jim Gordon run riot in the streets before the surprise arrival of Bruce Wayne throws everything in a completely unexpected direction....

Batman Incorporated / Leviathan Strikes collecting Batman Incorporated 1-10, 2011
After dark times and strange journeys Bruce Wayne has realised not only is he a changed man, but that the fight against crime demands a whole new method. A global defense network of Batman-inspired operatives are recruited to prevent a nightmare future that only Bruce knows, and thanks to DC you can read an 8-page recap of the entire Batman Incorporated series - just a small teaser of the weird and beautiful craziness contained in this arc.


And finally...



Batman Incorporated Vol.2 #1 beginning May

"This is the story of a man and a woman fighting over the heart and soul of their child. Unfortunately for the world, the man is BATMAN, the woman is TALIA AL GHUL, and the child is DAMIAN"

Be ready! Featuring a goat.

[darkknightjon]

Got it, thanks for your patience guys :)