You want to introduce someone to the wondrous world of Batman, but you can only choose 7 stories, arcs, books or trades to introduce to them. What do you choose?
You want to introduce someone to the wondrous world of Batman, but you can only choose 7 stories, arcs, books or trades to introduce to them. What do you choose?
I'd avoid a lot of the "classic" stuff that everyone recommends. DKR is a horrible first Batman story, for example. Killing Joke, too. I'd tend towards a nice cross section of very good stories that encompass the breadth of Batman stories rather than starting someone with the peak stuff - some broody Batman, some big fun stuff, team ups, etc.
I'd hand them Paul Dini's first trade from 'Tec (you could hand off the first three honestly). It wasn't the best run (although it was very good), but it was self-contained, not overly steeped in continuity, yet contained spot-on characterization and fun stories. The Long Halloween gives a good peak at all the villains (you could substitute Hush here if you prefer). Hmm, New Gotham v1 by Rucka is a good Ra's story and gets into the more weird side of Batman stuff. Tales of the Demon is a personal favorite. Brave and Bold by Mark Waid v1 and Batman/Superman: Public Enemies are good "Batman interacting w/other heroes" stories w/o Batman being a giant dick. Court of Owls to round it out, I think, although I could easily pick another 10 stories that fit my rubric for what to hand off to someone else.
Blue text denotes sarcasm
I'd just pick some my favorites and hope they like them too so I'd have someone irl to talk to about them. Origins are always self contained and easy lead ins, so Year One and Zero Year would be good, most newbies are Joker fans so The Killing Joke and The White Knight gives two stellar yet different takes on that front, Long Halloween is always a must in my opinion, and the animated movie versions of Under the Red Hood and Dark Knight Returns (animated Red Hood improves the story, and animated TDKR is probably more newbie freindly art-wise than the original book). Quite a few more I want to add to the list, but going off my favorites and easing someone new in, these are probably the best.
It's a bit more than 7 but those are must reads (in this order)
- Batman: Hush + Batman Heart of Hush + Streets of Gotham: Hush Money + Streets of Gotham: House of Hush
- Batman: Long Halloween + Batman: Dark Victory + Catwoman: When in Rome
- Batman: Year One + Batman: The Man Who Laughs + Batman and the Mad Monk + Batman and the Monster Men + Batman: Prey + Batman: Terror
- Batman: Strange Apparition + Batman: Dark Detective
- Arkham Asylum: A serious house on a serious earth + Arkham Asylum: Living Hell
- Robin: Year one + Batman: A death in the Familly + Batman: A Lonely Place Of Dying
- Batgirl: Year one + The Killing Joke
- Sword of Azrael + Batman: Knightfall (new omnibus)
- No Man's Land (new omnibus)
- New Gotham + Gotham Central + Bruce Wayne Murder + Bruce Wayne Fugitive
- Batman: Birth of The Demon + Batman: Son of The Demon + Batman & Son
- Batman Inc. + Batman Inc New52 + Batman & Robin New52
- Batman: Night of the Owls Saga + Batman: Death of The Family + Batman: Endgame
And a few elsword to read whenever:
- Tales of the Multiverse: Batman Vampire
- The Doom that Came to Gotham + Gotham by Gaslight
- Batman: Earth-one
- Batman: White Night
Last edited by jb681131; 08-14-2019 at 10:31 AM.
Year One
Death in the Family
Killing Joke
Lonely Place of Dying
The Knightfall Saga
No Mans Land
Hush
I'm not sure but I do love the detective comics #1000 and would recommend to anyone.
Here goes, in no particular order...
Year One
The Dark Knight Returns
Strange Apparitions
Hush
Tales of the Demon
Knightfall
Court of Owls
Golden Age Vol. 1
You'll get the most bang for your bucks
Year One
Zero Year
I think both origins are good, they have their pros and cons and they bring something different, so I think it's good to read them both for comparison
Man Who Laughs
The Killing Joke
Honestly Killing Joke stands so well because most people already have an idea of the characters featured here
Hush
Although there is some knowledge of the past that can mar the experience, most of the time it's summarized well in flashbacks and the main attraction is having these many characters show up in a recognizable form.
Born to Kill
Gives you a good journey about Damian's character development without having to read all of Morrison's saga
The Court of Owls
Again pretty easy introduction while also reinventing Gotham since most people already know what Gotham is, and what Gotham is the question that acts as the framing device
Bonus
Gotham Academy
This is just fun
I don't really recommend Li'l Gotham because there's a lot of Post Crisis joke that went over my head but as it is I guess it's fine
Detective Comics #526
Batman #400
A reprint, as much a faithful a "Facsimile Edition" as possible, like a Famous First Edition or a Millennium Edition, since the genuine original costs a king's ransom, of Batman (Volume 1) #1, as it all-in-one book, Batman's origin, Robin, Joker, and the Cat (Woman).
7 trades to introduce someone to the wonderful world of Batman...
#1 The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told...
Collects Detective Comics #31-32, 211, 235, 345, 404, 429, 437, 442, 457, 474, 482, and 500; Batman 1, 25, 47, 61, 156, 234, 250, and 312; Star Spangled Comics 124; Worlds Finest Comics 94; DC Special Series 15; and Brave and the Bold 197.
#2 The Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told
Collects Batman (1940-2011) #1, 4, 63, 73,-74, 110, 159, 163, 251, and 321, Detective Comics (1937-2011 1st Series) #168 and 475-476, World's Finest (1941-1986) #61 and 88, Brave and the Bold (1955-1983 1st Series DC) #111, Joker (1975) #3, Batman Kellogg's Special, and Batman newspaper strips featuring the Joker.
#3 Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams Vol. 3
Collects Batman (1940-2011) #232, 234, 237, 243-245 and 251
#4 Batman Year One
Collects Batman #404-407
continued...
-M
Comic fans get the comics their buying habits deserve.
"Opinion is the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding." -Plato
#5 Batman: A Celebration of 75 Years
Collects Detective Comics (1937-2011) #27, 83, 211, 216, 327, 359, 395, 442, 474, 574, 633, 711, 757 and 821, Batman (1940-2011) #1, 49, 181, 497, Batman (2011 2nd Series) #2, World's Finest (1941-1986) #94, DC Special Series (1977-1981) #21 and Batman Special (1984) #1.
#6 Batman Strange Apparitions
Collects Detective Comics #469-479.
#7 The Batman Adventures Vol. 1
Collects Batman Adventures #1-10
These seven volumes present a wide variety of Batman stories from various eras and give a look at the many different sides of the Batman, allowing the person being introduced to discover for themselves what about Batman appeals to them and then explore more from a particular era or vision of the Batman.
-M
Last edited by MRP; 08-14-2019 at 10:16 PM. Reason: typos
Comic fans get the comics their buying habits deserve.
"Opinion is the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding." -Plato