10-22-2009, 11:42 AM
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#1 |
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New Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 18
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NON essential Batman graphic novels (Or please help me I'm new) :)
Hi all!
This is my first visit to these forums and I really hope you guys will be able to help me because I'm sure you'll have the answers I need.  I've been reading Marvel (particularly Ultimate and Amazing Spider-Man) for many many years and I'm very clued up on Spidey's mythos. I now want to start with the Batman graphic novels. However, unlike Spider-man, I have absolutely no idea or clue about Batman's mythos. I've done a lot of research on the internet about which graphic novels to read and in which order. I've found a very comprehensive list (at least I hope it is) which lists the chronological order of the Batman stories. This list is by a guy called Batmite 76 (If that helps at all? Maybe there's a better list out there?) The only problem with this list is it is WAAYYY too many stories and therefore way too many graphic novels which I will need to buy. I don't have the cash to buy 80-100 graphic novels, not even close. I would like to start with Batman Year One and collect the grpahic novels up to Batman RIP and Whatever happened to the caped crusader. That's where I'll end my collection. (For now) So my question is this: Which Batman graphic novels are NON-essential? Which graphic novels can I really do without or which I don't need to buy to understand the whole story. In other words, which graphic novels add nothing to the overall Batman story and are never referenced again? I would like to have graphic novels which contain important events such as villain origins etc, but any graphic novel which is irrelevant I would obviously like to skip. I would greatly appreciate it if you guys can help me with suggestions of batman graphic novels which are NON essential and downright unnecesarry. Hope you guys can help and MANY MANY thanks! 
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10-22-2009, 11:54 AM
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#2 |
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Are You Ready For This?
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Southern California
Posts: 752
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This should help you out, its sticky'd for a reason! Haha
http://forums.comicbookresources.com...d.php?t=288160 |
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10-22-2009, 03:22 PM
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#3 |
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deep green
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,175
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if you don't mind Mulder I've answered this question in the above linked thread
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AGENTS OF ATLAS, Air, Batman & Robin, Daytripper, Detective Comics, Greek Street, Incredible Herc, Northlanders, Secret Six, Shade, Streets of Gotham, Sweet Tooth, UNKNOWN SOLDIER, The Unwritten |
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10-23-2009, 10:37 AM
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#4 |
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New Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 18
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Thanks guys! I've checked out the thread, but I have a long list of Grpahic novels which I need to whither down. So could you guys please check out this list I have compiled and let me know which of these graphic novels I can delete off the list? Any graphic novel which is not essential (or bad) or which doesn't add to the main continuity, I will take off the list but I need you guys to tell me which ones they are. Please?
Batman: Year One Batman: Shaman Batman: Snow Batman and the Monster Men Batman: Prey Batman: Gothic Batman and the Mad Monk Batman: The Man who Laughs Batman: Four of a Kind Batman: Terror Batman: Venom Batman: The Long Halloween Batman: Faces Batman: Year Two - Fear the Reaper Batman: Dark Victory Batman: Arkham Asylum Batman: The Killing Joke Batman: A Death in the Family Batman: Blind Justice Batman: Birth of the Demon Batman: Son of the Demon Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying Batman: Bride of the Demon Robin: A Hero Reborn Batman: Sword of Azrael Batman: Knightfall Part One - Broken Bat Batman: Knightfall Part Two - Who Rules the Night Batman: Knightfall Part Three - Knightsend Batman: Prodigal Batman: Contagion Batman: Legacy Batman: The Chalice Batman: Cataclysm Batman: No Man's Land - Volume 1 Batman: No Man's Land - Volume 2 Batman: No Man's Land - Volume 3 Batman: Harley Quinn Batman: No Man's Land - Volume 4 Batman: No Man's Land - Volume 5 Batman: Evolution - New Gotham Volume 1 Batman: Officer Down - New Gotham Volume 2 Bruce Wayne: Murderer? Bruce Wayne: Fugitive - Volume 1 Bruce Wayne: Fugitive - Volume 2 Bruce Wayne: Fugitive - Volume 3 Absolute Batman: Hush Batman: Broken City Batman: Death and the Maidens Batman: City of Crime Superman/Batman: Supergirl Batman: Hush Returns Batman: As the Crow Flies Batman: War Drums Batman: War Games Act One Batman: War Games Act Two Batman: War Games Act Three Identity Crisis Year One: Batman / Ra's al Ghul Batman: War Crimes Batman: Under the Hood - Volume 1 Countdown to Infinite Crisis: The OMAC Project Batman: Under the Hood - Volume 2 Infinite Crisis Batman: Face the Face Batman: Detective Batman and Son Batman: Death and The City Batman: The Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul Batman: Private Casebook Batman: The Black Glove Batman: Gotham Underground Batman: Heart of Hush Batman: R.I.P. Batman: Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader |
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10-23-2009, 12:37 PM
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#5 |
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New Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 18
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Anyone?
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10-23-2009, 12:50 PM
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#6 | |
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New Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 97
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Quote:
You could probably cut War Drums/Games/Crimes as the most important pieces of it have been retconned already. The first three Dini trade paperpacks towards the end are pretty continuity free but are also very good episodic reads. Your call. Identity Crisis - OMAC Project - Infinite Crisis aren't really Batman stories but they do start and end the arc of his mistrust towards the Justice League. But I don't think that spills too much into the main Batman books so you could probably skip them. You could pick up Year One, Long Halloween and Dark Victory. Then jump to Hush (which is a good starting point for the current Batman era) and start forward from there, picking up the Pre-Hush stuff (Knightfall, NML, BWM/F) later. The Dark Knight Returns isn't in continuity but it's a great read and it influenced everything after it. |
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10-23-2009, 01:19 PM
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#7 |
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New Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 18
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Cool stuff! Many thanks for the suggestions! Any more are welcome!
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10-23-2009, 01:52 PM
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#8 |
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Member
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 789
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I would consider these ones to be non-essential and/or not very good (some of these are even out of print):
Batman: Shaman Batman: Snow Batman and the Monster Men Batman: Prey Batman: Gothic Batman and the Mad Monk Batman: Four of a Kind Batman: Terror Batman: Venom Batman: Faces Batman: Year Two - Fear the Reaper Batman: A Death in the Family Batman: Blind Justice Batman: Birth of the Demon Batman: Son of the Demon Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying Batman: Bride of the Demon Robin: A Hero Reborn Batman: Sword of Azrael Batman: Prodigal Batman: Contagion Batman: Legacy Batman: The Chalice Batman: Cataclysm Batman: Harley Quinn Batman: Evolution - New Gotham Volume 1 Batman: Officer Down - New Gotham Volume 2 Bruce Wayne: Murderer? Bruce Wayne: Fugitive - Volume 1 Bruce Wayne: Fugitive - Volume 2 Bruce Wayne: Fugitive - Volume 3 Batman: Hush Batman: City of Crime Batman: Hush Returns Batman: As the Crow Flies Batman: War Games Act One Batman: War Games Act Two Batman: War Games Act Three Identity Crisis Year One: Batman / Ra's al Ghul Batman: War Crimes Batman: Under the Hood - Volume 1 Countdown to Infinite Crisis: The OMAC Project Batman: Under the Hood - Volume 2 Infinite Crisis Batman: The Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul Batman: Gotham Underground I would recommend these ones to get you started: Batman: Year One Batman: The Man who Laughs Batman: The Long Halloween Batman: Dark Victory Batman: Arkham Asylum Batman: The Killing Joke Batman: Knightfall Part One - Broken Bat Batman: Knightfall Part Two - Who Rules the Night Batman: Knightfall Part Three - Knightsend Batman: No Man's Land - Volume 1 Batman: No Man's Land - Volume 2 Batman: No Man's Land - Volume 3 Batman: No Man's Land - Volume 4 Batman: No Man's Land - Volume 5 Batman: Evolution - New Gotham Volume 1 Batman: Officer Down - New Gotham Volume 2 Bruce Wayne: Murderer? Bruce Wayne: Fugitive - Volume 1 Bruce Wayne: Fugitive - Volume 2 Bruce Wayne: Fugitive - Volume 3 Batman: Broken City Batman: Death and the Maidens Batman: War Drums Batman: Face the Face Batman: Detective Batman and Son Batman: Death and The City Batman: Private Casebook Batman: The Black Glove Batman: Heart of Hush Batman: R.I.P. Batman: Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader Or, to be simpler, you could start with Year One, The Long Halloween, and Dark Victory and then jump right into Grant Morrison and Paul Dini's current runs, starting with Batman and Son and Batman: Detective.
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DC: Batman & Robin, Detective Comics, Secret Six. Marvel: Captain America. Other: Air, Criminal, Ex Machina, Fables, Northlanders. |
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10-23-2009, 04:42 PM
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#9 | |
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deep green
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,175
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Quote:
It's hard to define which ones are "non-essential", and in the end it really doesn't matter. Alot of the best Batman stories occur in their own little bubble (Arkham Asylum, Year 100, Blind Justice, Strange Apparitions, alot of the LotDK) and alot of people would say these are far more than big event books like Death in the Family or Knightfall or whatever. When you begin reading you'll realise that - after you get a dozen or so classics out of the way - the only books left that are important are simply the ones you're interested in. but here's my essential list, if you really want to go that way Batman: Year One Batman and the Monster Men Batman: The Man who Laughs Batman: The Long Halloween Batman: Arkham Asylum Batman: Blind Justice Batman: Hush Batman: Under the Hood - Volume 2 Batman: Detective Batman and Son Batman: Death and The City Batman: Private Casebook Batman: The Black Glove Batman: Heart of Hush Batman: R.I.P. Batman: Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader
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AGENTS OF ATLAS, Air, Batman & Robin, Daytripper, Detective Comics, Greek Street, Incredible Herc, Northlanders, Secret Six, Shade, Streets of Gotham, Sweet Tooth, UNKNOWN SOLDIER, The Unwritten Last edited by nepenthes; 10-23-2009 at 04:48 PM. |
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10-23-2009, 05:17 PM
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#10 |
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A Lovely Astronaut
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,561
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Why does it matter if it's referenced again? You'll never see Batman/Joker: Switch referenced again, but it's an amazing story.
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They were strapping lads. Strapping lads sometimes experiment. - Pink Bat Maxine |
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10-23-2009, 05:27 PM
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#11 | |
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VF+ Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Scotchland
Posts: 77
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Quote:
Batman: Snow - Fantastic Seth Fisher art Batman and the Monster Men, Batman and the Mad Monk & Batman: Faces - Maybe it's just me, but I really like most of Matt Wagner's stuff. That kind of means I like the Batman/Grendel cross-overs too. Year 100 is excellent too. Starting from scratch must be pretty difficult due to the sheer amount of Batman stuff available. |
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10-24-2009, 11:42 AM
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#12 |
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New Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 18
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Thanks for all the help guys! Really appreciate it! I guess I'll jusy start with year one and work my way from there onto Man who laughs, Killing joke, Long halloween etc. I suppose it is very difficult to decide which is essential and which isn't, and I would also like to have a few books which are not really essential but are still excellent. Thanks for all the ideas! Let the Batman collection begin!
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10-24-2009, 04:31 PM
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#13 |
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A Lovely Astronaut
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,561
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ARGH NO!
Don't read The Killing Joke. It's so bad and argh, no.
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They were strapping lads. Strapping lads sometimes experiment. - Pink Bat Maxine |
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10-24-2009, 06:31 PM
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#14 |
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Mattress Tester
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,157
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No story is "essential" when you get down to it. Some may be influential, some may just have quality, and others just appeal some days, but none of them are essential to enjoying or understanding Batman.
Just pick something up that seems like it'll appeal to you and check it out. Try skimming a handful of pages in a chain bookstore that encourages browsing, or checking something out from your local library (if they don't stock comics, they can often request them from other library in their system). Two of the best comics' portrayals of Batman I've ever come across weren't Batman comics, they aren't going to heavily affect his current continuity or movie deals, they were just Planetary oneshots.
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http://www.futureearthstudios.com - Free downloadable lit and arts journal! FEM features Anne Waldman, Adrian Castro, Caroline Thompson and more! |
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10-24-2009, 09:56 PM
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#15 | |
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Continuity Is Life
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,139
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Quote:
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Batmite76 Batman Continuity Project - PM if you want to help! CBR Forum Thread DC Fourm Thread |
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