Legends of the Dark Knight (original series)

[Clark_Kent]

I've never read much of LotDK (original series), outside of Gothic, Venom, and the tie-ins to other events. I was thinking of checking it out, but I had a couple questions:

1. What are the must-read arcs? Shaman gets passed around a lot, and Snow. What else should I jump into?

2. Are there any stories (single issues or arcs) that feature Dick Grayson Robin?

3. Bonus round question: are there any semi-modern Dick-as-Robin stories outside of LotDK? I have Robin Year One, Batgirl Year One, Nightwing Year One, and the Tales of the Demon trade where he gets captured. I also have the Second Chances tpb, which features a flashback to him being "fired". I don't want to go back to Golden or Silver Age, but it appears there aren't many modern Dick as Robin stories. Don't mention Fortunate Son...shudder...we don't speak of that.


Thanks everyone for your thoughts & opinions! Spoilers are welcome by the way.

[Chubistian]

I don't know if I have read a LotDK that features Dick Grayson, but the storylines that I've liked a lot are Prey, by Doug Moench and Paul Gulacy (they did a follow up years later, Terror, but it wasn't that good) and Faces by Matt Wagner

[Pohzee]

I remember getting an LotDK with Dick as Robin, I believe it was called Grimm. Don’t remember it well enough to recommend it.

Modern pre-Flashpoint Dick as Robin stories in addition to those listed above (I absolutely recommend these):
-Dark Victory (sorta)
-Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet
-Teen Titans: Year One
-Scarecrow: Year One

[Emanresu]

1) Besides the storylines you've mentioned, "must read" arcs are 'Prey' (# 11-15) and 'Going Sane' (# 65-68). Annual # 5 featuring ManBat is solid.

Technically, Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's three Halloween specials are all LOTDK books, as are 'The Long Halloween' and 'Dark Victory'. All of those are fantastic, and 'Dark Victory' also serves as a post-Crisis origin for Dick Grayson.

2) # 100 and 149-153 are pretty much it unless I'm mistaken.

3) Batman # 436-439, Robin Annual # 4, Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet, Robin # 10.

The Batman issues and Robin Annual are both possible post-Crisis origin stories for Dick. My favorite is 'Dark Victory'. The Gauntlet takes place after any origin story of your choosing. And Robin # 10 is a wacky tale with a time lost young Dick Grayson/Robin teaming up with Tim Drake.

[K7P5V]

Not too many would consider it a "must-read", but my personal favorite arc from LotDK (original series) would be Heat (LotDK #46-49) from Doug Moench & Russ Heath. It was one of the first stories I remember reading when I decided to return to DC Comics in 1993.

[Clark_Kent]

LH & DV are LotDK?? Wow lol I only ever owned those in trade, but I guess I never looked at the credits. Feel like a moron! Ok, so I do have those...

Great suggestions so far guys, thank you. Going to look for Prey & the Batman Chronicles Gauntlet issue today, and it looks like I need to track down Grimm & Going Sane.

Looking on comixology, Heat looks like it might be a fun Catwoman story, so thanks for that as well!

[thwhtGuardian]

LH & DV are LotDK?? Wow lol I only ever owned those in trade, but I guess I never looked at the credits. Feel like a moron! Ok, so I do have those...

Great suggestions so far guys, thank you. Going to look for Prey & the Batman Chronicles Gauntlet issue today, and it looks like I need to track down Grimm & Going Sane.

Looking on comixology, Heat looks like it might be a fun Catwoman story, so thanks for that as well!

They weren't put out as Legends of the Dark Knight, but the first few annuals centered around holidays and were done by Loeb and Sale were very well recieved which lead to the editors asking them to come up with a big event which lead to Long Halloween.

As for stories from the series worth reading my all time favorite Batman story was from LotDK, "Sanctum" (LotDK #54) by Mike Mignola; it's a fantastic horror story with Batman confronting his own mortality in the face of a Lovecraftian god.

After that I'd definitely say "Stories" (#94) is a must read, it's the inspiration of one of the best Batman TAS episodes of all time (appropriately titled "Legends of the Dark Knight") where a group of people trapped in an elevator during a terrorist attack recount stories where they supposedly met Batman...which feature art styles from the golden, silver, bronze and then current age.

"Sunset" (#41) is a great twist on an old Hollywood movie Sunset Boulevard...with a starlet turned vampire!

[Batknight]

Here are the stories I've read so far that I'd recommend: Prey, Shaman, Gothic, Venom, Blades, Masks, Hothouse, Faces, Going Sane, Blink, Don't Blink. I'm sure there are more, the series is a treasure trove of great Batman stories that nobody really talks about.

[Clark_Kent]

They weren't put out as Legends of the Dark Knight, but the first few annuals centered around holidays and were done by Loeb and Sale were very well recieved which lead to the editors asking them to come up with a big event which lead to Long Halloween.

As for stories from the series worth reading my all time favorite Batman story was from LotDK, "Sanctum" (LotDK #54) by Mike Mignola; it's a fantastic horror story with Batman confronting his own mortality in the face of a Lovecraftian god.

After that I'd definitely say "Stories" (#94) is a must read, it's the inspiration of one of the best Batman TAS episodes of all time (appropriately titled "Legends of the Dark Knight") where a group of people trapped in an elevator during a terrorist attack recount stories where they supposedly met Batman...which feature art styles from the golden, silver, bronze and then current age.

"Sunset" (#41) is a great twist on an old Hollywood movie Sunset Boulevard...with a starlet turned vampire!

Ah, ok, that makes more sense now (LH & DV).


The series is on the DCU app, so I'm heading over there now to check out Sanctum and Stories. Thank you for the recs!

[Clark_Kent]

Here are the stories I've read so far that I'd recommend: Prey, Shaman, Gothic, Venom, Blades, Masks, Hothouse, Faces, Going Sane, Blink, Don't Blink. I'm sure there are more, the series is a treasure trove of great Batman stories that nobody really talks about.

Yeah, the bolded is why I decided to ask around. I'm still enjoying current Batman stuff, but I've been itching lately for shorter stories set in the early days. I've tried going back to Golden and Silver Age stuff, and I love it for the history it represents, but I just can't get through stories from back then. Thank you for the recs!

[phonogram12]

Legends of the Dark Knight 50 (a reinterpretation of Batman and Joker's first meeting after his "origin" in Killing Joke written by Denny O'Neil), 54 (with Mike Mignola on art), 100 (a reinterpretation of Dick Grayson's origin also written by Denny O'Neil with art by Dave Taylor), the Matt Wagner Two-Face arc "Faces."

These are all some of the title's best stories.

[Emanresu]

ldk.jpg

Just sayin'

[GilGarciaJr]

Some of the first arcs are some of my favorites from when I first started buying more comics. "Shaman", Venom", Prey", and my personal fav "Gothic". Some of the later ones within the first 70-80 issues were also good reads. It helps that one of my early trades was "Batman: Dark Legends", which collected a few in that space, including issue #50.
I'm also giving a shout-out to the Bat-Mite issue drawn by "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" artist Kevin O'Neill.

[thwhtGuardian]

ldk.jpg

Just sayin'

It may say that but it was never published in the actual series.

[ChaosIncarnate]

Check out “Riddle me That”. It’s highly under rated, and actually the best Riddler story IMO. It gives him a very interesting rework that sets him up as a highly formidable enemy, and actually shows how he’s a match for Batman intellectually. Although I like Paul Dini’s reformed private eye take, I’m sad this revamp didn’t last long for Eddie.