Morrison's BATMAN, INC

[nepenthes]

I am also told Batman: The Return is the true intro to Inc.

Wrong, that would be the trade Batman & Son, introducing Damian, the international Batmen and the key villains

[Clark_Kent]

Wrong, that would be the trade Batman & Son, introducing Damian, the international Batmen and the key villains

Wrong, that would be Detective Comics#27, 1939, introducing Batman, and the revelation that he is Bruce Wayne.

I kid, I kid...but technically, Batman: The Return IS the intro to Batman Inc; Batman & Son is the opening salvo to Morrison's entire saga (unless we go all the way back to Arkham Asylum & include all of his work with the character.) I know you know this, but the OP didn't ask about the whole run.

[Forever Knight]

I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and read the entire Morrison run from Batman & Son all the way to the end of Inc vol 2. Is there a correct reading list order?

[borntohula]

I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and read the entire Morrison run from Batman & Son all the way to the end of Inc vol 2. Is there a correct reading list order?

There are different opinions on the correct one. Some think it's best read together with both 52 and Final Crisis, others feel you need to have read every Batman to get it.

Also, how to properly read it. Especially the reading order on Time and Batman, Return of Bruce Wayne and Batman and Robin, reading all three books simultaneously, jumping between issues.

Personally, I stick with the Batman stories Morrison wrote from Batman and Son to INC, and also The Black Casebook (bunch of stories/covers Morrison says inspired his Batman.), since the story makes use very cool use of it in the story, more than just having been inspired by it.

These books, in this order.

Batman goes insane
The Black Casebook
Batman and son & Black Glove (usually collected together in one trade. Batman & Son Deluxe.)
Batman RIP

Batman goes cosmic
Time And The Batman
Return of Bruce Wayne

Batman goes gobal
Batman and Robin
Batman INC

One big weird, fun, somewhat confusing epic bat-god-man story.

[t hedge coke]

Batman goes insane
The Black Casebook
Batman and son & Black Glove (usually collected together in one trade. Batman & Son Deluxe.)
Batman RIP

Batman goes cosmic
Time And The Batman
Return of Bruce Wayne

Batman goes gobal
Batman and Robin
Batman INC

I can't quite agree to that, for a few reasons. One, no version, legit or fan-compiled of the Black Casebook is necessary or really a good start. Starting with comics that came out twenty to fifty years before the story you want to read is alright for an academic exercise, but it's not reading this story.

Two, Time and the Batman takes place somewhere between the last two arcs of Batman and Robin, even though the first story is a time travel story with segments in the far past and distant future, as the present-day is that dynamic duo in full swing, and the second story is narrated, via a recording, to Tim, during that rough time period.

I'd put Time and Return of Bruce Wayne before the last storyline of Batman and Robin, personally. That way, each storyline can be read as a solid piece, without jumping too far back and forth in the "main" timeline, and without interleaving issues of different comics, which is awkward enough to read, but with trades, unwieldy.

[borntohula]

I can't quite agree to that, for a few reasons. One, no version, legit or fan-compiled of the Black Casebook is necessary or really a good start. Starting with comics that came out twenty to fifty years before the story you want to read is alright for an academic exercise, but it's not reading this story.

I think they're good fun, and also adds to this scene among others.



But that's me. I get it why some could/would skip those.

Two, Time and the Batman takes place somewhere between the last two arcs of Batman and Robin, even though the first story is a time travel story with segments in the far past and distant future, as the present-day is that dynamic duo in full swing, and the second story is narrated, via a recording, to Tim, during that rough time period.

I'd put Time and Return of Bruce Wayne before the last storyline of Batman and Robin, personally. That way, each storyline can be read as a solid piece, without jumping too far back and forth in the "main" timeline, and without interleaving issues of different comics, which is awkward enough to read, but with trades, unwieldy.

I see what you mean. There are alot of interpretations how to properly read it.

Personally I read it in trades. As the chunks I listed.

I like the time travel stuff to come straight after RIP, as a second act. I read it as if the old goldies, Batman & son, Black glove and RIP took place in Batman's head while strapped to the machine in the evil factory. The handwritten notes is a narrative motif that carries over from RIP to Time and Batman. Darkseid from Time and Batman into Return of Bruce Wayne.

Then Batman and Robin & INC as one story, bridged by Batman: The return.

[t hedge coke]

I think they're good fun, and also adds to this scene among others.



But that's me. I get it why some could/would skip those.

I think it can add to the experience, but that assigning it as prep work or a prologue isn't the best way. If someone doesn't already recognize them, reading them after can add new light in both directions, but reading a stack of them before is too much like giving someone homework. "Read this Poe story before Sherlock Holmes because Holmes mentions it in a story." I wouldn't necessarily suggest someone read Gothic or Milligan's batwork first, either, or Miller's, and those all get major shoutouts of, perhaps, and even bigger nature than Rainbow Batman or Dreamland.

[borntohula]

I think it can add to the experience, but that assigning it as prep work or a prologue isn't the best way. If someone doesn't already recognize them, reading them after can add new light in both directions, but reading a stack of them before is too much like giving someone homework. "Read this Poe story before Sherlock Holmes because Holmes mentions it in a story." I wouldn't necessarily suggest someone read Gothic or Milligan's batwork first, either, or Miller's, and those all get major shoutouts of, perhaps, and even bigger nature than Rainbow Batman or Dreamland.

If I remember correctly, the black casebook is only 150pages long. Regardless if read or not, IMO it can be fun to know a thing or two about what influenced a story. But that's my opinion.

I'v for example only read a handfull golden age superman, but I know that they influenced GM's Action comics run. The working class stuff, jumping instead of flying and what not. Same with Morrison's X men, with supremacist-Magneto.

Oh well. Here then:

Batman goes insane
Batman and son & Black Glove (usually collected together in one trade. Batman & Son Deluxe.)
Batman RIP

Batman goes cosmic
Time And The Batman
Return of Bruce Wayne

Batman goes gobal
Batman and Robin
Batman INC

How I think one can read Morrison's Batman (sans the black casebook.)

[charliehustle415]

If I remember correctly, the black casebook is only 150pages long. Regardless if read or not, IMO it can be fun to know a thing or two about what influenced a story. But that's my opinion.

I'v for example only read a handfull golden age superman, but I know that they influenced GM's Action comics run. The working class stuff, jumping instead of flying and what not. Same with Morrison's X men, with supremacist-Magneto.

Oh well. Here then:

Batman goes insane
Batman and son & Black Glove (usually collected together in one trade. Batman & Son Deluxe.)
Batman RIP

Batman goes cosmic
Time And The Batman
Return of Bruce Wayne

Batman goes gobal
Batman and Robin
Batman INC

How I think one can read Morrison's Batman (sans the black casebook.)

Where's Final Crisis?

[borntohula]

Where's Final Crisis?

There are different opinions on the correct one. Some think it's best read together with both 52 and Final Crisis, others feel you need to have read every Batman to get it.

I really like Final Crisis, but when reading GM's Batman I rather read Time and the Batman.

I guess if someone would want to read it as well, it could be placed between RIP and Time and the Batman. Or before (sort of an intro to) Batman and Robin.

[charliehustle415]

I really like Final Crisis, but when reading GM's Batman I rather read Time and the Batman.

I guess if someone would want to read it as well, it could be placed between RIP and Time and the Batman. Or before (sort of an intro to) Batman and Robin.

But you miss all of the awesome Darkseid/Batman stuff, I think it's a very important piece to his Bat-Run

[JBatmanFan05]

I custom bound Morrison's run and indeed included Final Crisis (the edition tpb) after RIP and before B&R. Final Crisis is part of the Batman run simply because Morrison made it clear Late Rites (Batman #682-683) are part of Final Crisis. 701-702 aren't meant to read right after RIP IMHO, so you need to read of Batman's sanction right after RIP and only Final Crisis itself can deliver that.

And, as much as some won't want to jump between trades, I think B&R, Time and the Batman, and ROBW are meant to be read interleaved together like Chris Burnham had in his Morrison reading order. T hedge I know disagrees. But I think it's clear enough.

[t hedge coke]

And, as much as some won't want to jump between trades, I think B&R, Time and the Batman, and ROBW are meant to be read interleaved together like Chris Burnham had in his Morrison reading order. T hedge I know disagrees. But I think it's clear enough.

I agree that you can, and that some may find it easier to piece together clues and events that way.

And, that Morrison likes encouraging his readers to treat individual issues as issues and not chapters (Seven Soldiers' entire structure, ending The Invisibles on a first issue, etc).

[ChaoticScholar]

I liked Morrison's Bat, it took the best part of Adam West and James Bond camp and dark, and mixed it well with Morrison's quirks on the occult.

[borntohula]

But you miss all of the awesome Darkseid/Batman stuff, I think it's a very important piece to his Bat-Run

Been a while since I read Morrison's Bat-God-man, but if I remember correctly 682-683 in Batman RIP, 701-702 in Time and the Batman did the trick. Has everything from Batman getting abducted by Granny Goodness up to the "Gotcha."

With that said: I definitely think everyone should give Final Crisis a try, or as many tries as it takes till they appreciate it