How Do I Make Sense of the DC Universe?

[Ultra Magnotron]

I really want to get into DC Comics again. I used to read Batman when I was about 10 years old, back in the early 90's. Today I just read comic news and try to find a good entry point... and so far... its been a fruitless endeavor. What I mean is that I missed my chance to really hop on the New 52 bandwagon, so I was hoping this more recent semi-reboot, but not a reboot, would help and it just made it worse!! Now, if I understand correctly, instead of making continuity easy to understand they've pretty much just said "Everything we previously erased from history forever, is no longer erased. Everything happened!!" And I have to say that I'm not happy to hear that. I, as someone who really hasn't been paying attention for many years now, can't walk into this tangled mess of so many decades and come out understanding a character's history if EVERYTHING happened.

So... what is a newbie to do? I'd love to read Batman again, but... not if I can't figure out who the heck he is anymore.

[BohemiaDrinker]

I really want to get into DC Comics again. I used to read Batman when I was about 10 years old, back in the early 90's. Today I just read comic news and try to find a good entry point... and so far... its been a fruitless endeavor. What I mean is that I missed my chance to really hop on the New 52 bandwagon, so I was hoping this more recent semi-reboot, but not a reboot, would help and it just made it worse!! Now, if I understand correctly, instead of making continuity easy to understand they've pretty much just said "Everything we previously erased from history forever, is no longer erased. Everything happened!!" And I have to say that I'm not happy to hear that. I, as someone who really hasn't been paying attention for many years now, can't walk into this tangled mess of so many decades and come out understanding a character's history if EVERYTHING happened.

So... what is a newbie to do? I'd love to read Batman again, but... not if I can't figure out who the heck he is anymore.

What is it you want to understand? The general cosmology of the DCU (hard) or the stuff you need to know to read Batman? (Easy)

[Ascended]

Honestly, the best place to start might be wikipedia. Not all the entries are good, but the major characters all have fairly well made files that provide a great overview of their history, typically broken down by Age (Golden, Silver, modern, ect), continuity (this version or that, pre-Crisis or post-Crisis or what have you) and even major storylines. Go there if you want to get the gist of what a character is about. I believe there even used to be a wiki for the overall history of the DCU, broken down almost year-by-year in both real time and the comics' time frame.

From there, the easiest place to get started is the New52 reboot. Those issues are easy to find. Just about any hobby shop will have them in back issues, everything is collected in trades you can buy at nearly any bookstore (or Amazon), and if you're not adverse to digital reading download the Comixology app (or the DC app, if you're only interested in DC. It works the same). The app has sales on a regular basis and back issues are all collected, cheaper than cover price after a couple months, and you dont have to worry about missing an issue or storage space.

You're not going to find a perfectly smooth transition into the hobby. It just doesnt exist. But all you have to do is what the rest of us did when we started reading; jump in with both feet and read what looks promising. If nothing else it'll give you a toe-hold and you can start working outwards from there.

But really, just about any trade paperback with "Volume 1" and the New52 logo or printing date 2011 will get you started.

[WillieMorgan]

I'm not sure why you feel that you've 'missed the chance' to read the New52 run on Batman. In fact I'd highly recommend it. So would many on here. You don't need to be an expert on Batman to enjoy it.

If you pick up 'Volume 1: The Court Of Owls' then I'm sure you won't regret it.

[cranger]

I really want to get into DC Comics again. I used to read Batman when I was about 10 years old, back in the early 90's. Today I just read comic news and try to find a good entry point... and so far... its been a fruitless endeavor. What I mean is that I missed my chance to really hop on the New 52 bandwagon, so I was hoping this more recent semi-reboot, but not a reboot, would help and it just made it worse!! Now, if I understand correctly, instead of making continuity easy to understand they've pretty much just said "Everything we previously erased from history forever, is no longer erased. Everything happened!!" And I have to say that I'm not happy to hear that. I, as someone who really hasn't been paying attention for many years now, can't walk into this tangled mess of so many decades and come out understanding a character's history if EVERYTHING happened.

So... what is a newbie to do? I'd love to read Batman again, but... not if I can't figure out who the heck he is anymore.

Nothing changed about the bolded other than a story that was always a possibility (could have been told any number of ways) just finally referenced past continuity that won't affect anything anymore than characters from other Earth's or altering the past have always been able to. It has not changed any current character's history, just acknowledged the layers of their histories that have been shed off.

If that is what is bugging you just forget about it, everything else reads just fine as it always has.

[AlexanderLuthor]

Just pick up Vol. 1 Court of Owls and go from there. Detective, Legends and Batman and Robin have all just been just ok and honestly don't affect much. Scott Snyder makes Batman canon and it is all in his run on Batman

[BatfanReborn]

If you want to know about Batman in the New 52/DCyou, just read the 3 volumes of Zero Year for his origin (and the tie-in companion volume if you have an interest in any of the other heroes), Volume 1 of Batman/Superman 'Crossworlds' for his first meeting with Superman and Justice League Volume 1 'Origin' to see their formation.
After that, you could pick up the Zero Month Omnibus and the Villains Month Omnibus and the 2 Volumes of Secret Origins and you'll know as much about the past in this continuity as anyone else if you also get the first few volumes of Action comics for Superman's new origin.
Zero month issues specific to Batman can be found in the 2nd or 3rd Volumes of their respective titles if you don't want the omnibus:
http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Category:2012,_November

[Ultra Magnotron]

Nothing changed about the bolded other than a story that was always a possibility (could have been told any number of ways) just finally referenced past continuity that won't affect anything anymore than characters from other Earth's or altering the past have always been able to. It has not changed any current character's history, just acknowledged the layers of their histories that have been shed off.

If that is what is bugging you just forget about it, everything else reads just fine as it always has.

Hmm... Ok. It's just a scary thing to jump into a story that spans decades, where previously DC had tried to make all that not count... but yeah I guess just jumping in would be best.

[RobinFan4880]

Start with Batman #1 by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo.

What you need to know is that Bruce Wayne has been active as Batman for 6 years. He's had 3 Robins - Dick Grayson (first Robin, left Bruce to become a hero in his own right), Jason Todd (was killed by the Joker) and Damian Wayne (Bruce's son whose mother is Talia Al'Ghul). Bruce has had one other ward named Tim Drake who did not take the name Robin and instead opted for the moniker of Red Robin. Batman died a year before Batman #1 started. He was replaced by Dick Grayson. At the beginning of Batman #1, Bruce has come back to life and taken the mantle of the bat back.

That is all you need to know.

Everything else will be explained in the comics you will read.

In fact the only pre-New 52 book you possibly need to read is Batman Inc. vol. 1. That's it. Everything else is all New 52.

[GlennSimpson]

Hmm... Ok. It's just a scary thing to jump into a story that spans decades, where previously DC had tried to make all that not count... but yeah I guess just jumping in would be best.

Thing is, the story of the current versions of the characters doesn't go back that far. It's just that there were other versions before these. You can generally read about the current version without too much from before coming into play.

[BatmanJones]

I'm not sure why you feel that you've 'missed the chance' to read the New52 run on Batman. In fact I'd highly recommend it. So would many on here. You don't need to be an expert on Batman to enjoy it.

If you pick up 'Volume 1: The Court Of Owls' then I'm sure you won't regret it.

Exactly. Nothing's stopping you from jumping on at the major new jumping on point, the beginning of New 52, via trades. If you want to read Batman comics, you're in luck. The main title has been really great under Snyder/Capullo and you have so many great stories awaiting you.

I also highly recommend starting Justice League at the beginning and reading trades until you catch up.

Batman started strong and stayed strong. JL started slow but got better and better and the current run stands up against any of the greatest JL(A) runs.

[Godzilla2099]

Batman is pretty easy to keep up with. I personally recommend Zero Year. My favorite of the new 52 Stories

The only character in the Batverse that got the WTF reaction from me was Batgirl. Barbara is suddenly a teenager and her dad is running around in a CHAPPIE Suit. Doesn't recognize his own daughter and 'honors' Batman's Memory by trying to arrest vigilantes?

[SJNeal]

What I mean is that I missed my chance to really hop on the New 52 bandwagon,

I'd say you dodged a bullet!

[Doctor Know]

I've given up trying to make sense of both DC's and Marvel's universes. Too many crossovers, cosmic events, retcons, revamps/revisions/relaunches. It's too much, and continuity and canon are treated flippantly by both companies. It only matters when they say it does.

[t hedge coke]

The Multiversity diagram explains everything. (Well, with the notes in the back of the The Multiversity deluxe, it seems to.)

But, just to read any one story, or even five stories, no one should need to understand perfectly the whole hyper-cosmology. I mean, we don't worry about quasars and branes when we watch Rambo or Ella Enchanted even though they're out there in that world, somewhere, probably.