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Hi. This is a thread for all questions, advice or opinions on Batman trade collections or monthly series'. If you've never read a Batman comic in your life; or if maybe you've read a few and are wondering where to go next; if you're interested in picking up the monthly comics or just looking for general recommendations, begin here. And with that...
The best Batman comics for new readers...
^ this is them!
Pretty much every fan here was introduced to the character through movies and TV; then one day we picked up a comic book and fell into a deeper, richer, crazier Gotham City with a history stretching back to 1939. Interested? I think you are. But what the hell am I supposed to read first?
Fortunately there is a standard answer to this question - ask around and you'll see the same handful of comics invariably referred to as the classics, the bedrock of the lore, best primers on the continuity or simply just essential reading when it comes to Batman on the page. The appeal of these particular stories to new readers is one thing we can pretty much all agree on.
Year One The classic origin of Batman and industry-wide landmark event by Frank Miller (Sin City, 300). The stylistic basis for the Batman Begins film (1986)
The Dark Knight Returns Frank Millers' dark, dense and revolutionary epic featuring an older Bruce Wayne in a nightmare future setting, redefined the Batman concept and the comic book medium in general. Highly influential to both The Dark Knight Rises and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (1986)
The Killing Joke The iconic Joker story from Alan Moore (Watchmen, V for Vendetta). Highly influential to The Dark Knight film (note that recent editions feature very different colours - for originals look for a cover as pictured above and not the 2008 Deluxe Edition with the white type) (1988)
Hush A hugely popular and best-selling "summer blockbuster" style book featuring a wide variety of villains, Batfamily and recaps of classic lore; an excellent introduction to the wider modern Batman universe; big, dumb and fun (2003)
Batman & Son: New Edition First chapter of the recent and groundbreaking epic from Grant Morrison (New X-Men, All Star Superman), introducing the fourth Robin Damian Wayne along with Batman Incorporated, SPYRAL and many other concepts to the current lore (note that previous editions are titled The Black Glove: Deluxe Edition - it's the exact same book) (2006)
Zero Year: Secret City First in a two-part saga reimagining the origin of Batman and his early development in a modern day setting. Bold, innovative and contemporary, the latest arc from the current fan favorite and best selling creative team (2013)
Do I need to read them in order?
Not at all; each of the above is a self contained story that does not ANY require earlier reading. While they do take place at various stages in Batman's fictional timeline, the chronology is at best a loose framework for interpreting and ordering separate stories, and not an actual reading order requirement. Generally speaking, it's best not to worry about reading order at all.
Singles & Trades
There are two basic formats for reading comics. Singles are the thin 24 page "floppies" published once a month in print or online - many fans prefer reading this format simply because it's more exciting following a story in real time, anticipating the next events and waiting for a new issue.
Trades are a catch-all term for a variety of "thicker" formats, short for trade paperback and often confused with a Graphic Novel. A trade collects a sequence of single issues; for instance Batman 404-407, originally published in 1986 is now available in trade as Batman: Year One. A graphic novel is a self contained original story that was never released in singles, for example The Killing Joke was first published in 1988 as 46 page standalone "one-shot". Trades are perfect for discovering past story lines and classic lore, or for getting up to speed with current events.