Batman Comics FAQ: Best for New Readers, Current Titles, Top Trades & Recent Events

[soyster89]

What an amazing forum and thread - exactly what I was scouring the internet for! nepenthes and the rest of the contributors, thank you for this information!

I'm a comic throwback that first started collecting in the early 90's, but took a hiatus when times got tough back in 2006. Now that things have settled down and my kids (7 and 3) are starting to get into "super heroes" (as they put it), I've started collecting/reading again.

I've been wondering where to re-start, and this thread has answered nearly every question I had. The new 52, Bat-World, how they tie in, where Eternal lies, the "jump ahead" in issues 35, etc. Just an amazing thread.

I've started back in by hitching on to the Grayson and Arkham Manor series, both with issue #1. I'm thoroughly enjoying both thus far! I've also started buying Batman, Catwoman, and Detective Comics each month and have #35 and 36 for each title now. Is it worth going back and getting any/all issues 1-34 for each of those titles? I'm willing to throw down the money if doing so will be entertaining and helps tie current state of issue #36 together better.

Thanks again everyone!

[nepenthes]

i read a Tomasi interview where he said that Damian would come back different, with powers or whatever. Do we know anything about that yet? Sorry, i dropped the book the minute i realised they're just milking those forced cameos for what they're worth. "OOOH dont miss next month when batman will randomly team up with this hero/villain." It was as if they were randomly drawing names out of a ballot.

Nothing further about the powers atm, apart from the cover where's he's apparently bulletproof. Something like 666 Damian trading his soul for invulnerability maybe? Either way I'd be surprised if it's permanent.

Also fwiw I thought the Frankenstein , Aquaman and Wonder Woman cameos each are fairly solid relevance to both plot and theme. It was where Tomasi went further and included the whole JLA in Robin Rises that he began to lose me, particularly with Shazam, Cyborg, Captain Cold...give me a break. Would've preferred he stuck with Arthur Diana Frank. All badarses.

What an amazing forum and thread - exactly what I was scouring the internet for! nepenthes and the rest of the contributors, thank you for this information!

I'm a comic throwback that first started collecting in the early 90's, but took a hiatus when times got tough back in 2006. Now that things have settled down and my kids (7 and 3) are starting to get into "super heroes" (as they put it), I've started collecting/reading again.

I've been wondering where to re-start, and this thread has answered nearly every question I had. The new 52, Bat-World, how they tie in, where Eternal lies, the "jump ahead" in issues 35, etc. Just an amazing thread.

I've started back in by hitching on to the Grayson and Arkham Manor series, both with issue #1. I'm thoroughly enjoying both thus far! I've also started buying Batman, Catwoman, and Detective Comics each month and have #35 and 36 for each title now. Is it worth going back and getting any/all issues 1-34 for each of those titles? I'm willing to throw down the money if doing so will be entertaining and helps tie current state of issue #36 together better.

Thanks again everyone!

Glad it was helpful and welcome to the board

In regards to catching up on back issues

Batman you'll probably want to grab Volumes 1-5 eventually, they've been wildly popular and "main event" books since 2011. Personally I'm that huge on Court of Owls (Volumes 1-2) or Death of the Family (Vol 3) (new fans love them but to many older readers they feel derivative) however they are key stories of the current era and do feed into Endgame. Zero Year (Vol 4-5) is the highlight to date in my view.

Detective Comics kicked off with a run from Tony Daniel (Vol 1-2) that's widely seen as some of the worst out of the New 52 Batman line. Things improved when John Layman came on (3-5) in a run very reminiscent of TAS and 90's era, heavily involving Penguin, The Wrath, Poison Ivy and Scarecrow - very decent overall but left little impression on the line afterwards. The current team will see their first trade Vol.6: Icarus released next May, they also begin a new arc next month - have been fairly well received so far.

Catwoman was in a very sorry place for it's entire New 52 existence, right up to current run that kicked off brilliantly in #35. Looks like the earlier stuff will thankfully be ignored anyway, so don't bother.

After Batman you'd want to check pout either Eternal or the Morrison run, both will keep you busy and are fairly major stories. The Morrison run especially is a crazy beast of a thing.

[soyster89]

Hey everyone, sorry if this has been asked already, but can anyone say what time each of the Batman comics are taking place in? I'm assuming Batman, Batgirl, and Catwoman are taking place at about the same time, but what about Batman and Robin and Detective Comics? I'm also assuming Arkham Manor is at the same time as Batman, Batgirl, etc?

[wjmiii]

I read a single a few years back 2009-2012 timeframe. It was a Batman story about how around the same time every year, the government w I uld sand an agent to attack Batman and find out who he is. During the fight the agent punches Batman in the chest, Batman kinda laughs and defeats the agent. At the end the agent tells his SO he is ready to move on to his next assignment. His SO promptly shoots him in the head. Anybody else remember this one or which comic it was in?

[Diggy]

Hey everyone, sorry if this has been asked already, but can anyone say what time each of the Batman comics are taking place in? I'm assuming Batman, Batgirl, and Catwoman are taking place at about the same time, but what about Batman and Robin and Detective Comics? I'm also assuming Arkham Manor is at the same time as Batman, Batgirl, etc?

Eh don't think about it too much cause it'll drive you crazy after a while, but Batgirl, Catwoman, Grayson, etc. are all probably in "the present." The most recent detective arcs could be set at any time after the death of Damian, and Batman & Robin is set a bit into "the future" since it has the League with Lex and without Superman and Damian will likely be coming back at the end of the arc. Batman is set sometime after the end of Eternal but before B&R I'd assume. Haven't been reading Arkham Manor so I'm not sure bout that.

[Dr. Hurt]

Nothing further about the powers atm, apart from the cover where's he's apparently bulletproof. Something like 666 Damian trading his soul for invulnerability maybe? Either way I'd be surprised if it's permanent.

Also fwiw I thought the Frankenstein , Aquaman and Wonder Woman cameos each are fairly solid relevance to both plot and theme. It was where Tomasi went further and included the whole JLA in Robin Rises that he began to lose me, particularly with Shazam, Cyborg, Captain Cold...give me a break. Would've preferred he stuck with Arthur Diana Frank. All badarses.

Thanks a lot Nepenthes!

[Detox]

I have about $30 to spend on comics today so what a some good bat stories to pick up and I was considering The Long Halloween but I have heard I need to read year one first! Is this true and what do you guys recommend?

I actually just finished The Long Halloween, and I really enjoyed it. I've also read Year One and Dark Knight Returns and there is no need to read them first.

[Gotstarun]

I've been immersed in reading the complete Morrison Batman run and am now to the last volumes, Batman Inc. I want to make sure I have this right before I proceed to make sure I'm reading these volumes right. There seems to be Batman Inc. only in a deluxe edition which is pre new 52, then there are 2 volumes of the New 52 Batman Inc. My thought is that I read the deluxe edition vol 1 first and then the two New 52 ones. This sound right?

[nepenthes]

I've been immersed in reading the complete Morrison Batman run and am now to the last volumes, Batman Inc. I want to make sure I have this right before I proceed to make sure I'm reading these volumes right. There seems to be Batman Inc. only in a deluxe edition which is pre new 52, then there are 2 volumes of the New 52 Batman Inc. My thought is that I read the deluxe edition vol 1 first and then the two New 52 ones. This sound right?

That sounds right. To be clear it goes

Batman Incorporated Vol.1
Batman Incorporated (New 52) Vol.1: Demon Star
Batman Incorporated (New 52) Vol.2: gothams Most Wanted

Further reading here

[cwcooper810]

That sounds right. To be clear it goes

Batman Incorporated Vol.1
Batman Incorporated (New 52) Vol.1: Demon Star
Batman Incorporated (New 52) Vol.2: gothams Most Wanted

Further reading here

Nepenthes, I was curious to see the spreadsheet with the votes but it won't let me pm you. Is there gonna be another round of voting with the new year approaching?

[nepenthes]

Nepenthes, I was curious to see the spreadsheet with the votes but it won't let me pm you. Is there gonna be another round of voting with the new year approaching?

PM's are activated when you reach 5 posts, but no worries I'll email to you. Am thinking to do the next year around Feb March 2015 - hope you can help!

[Xerophthalmia]

I love the Batman movies and the Arkham PS3 games, but I haven't read anything before. I actually just started reading comics for the first time in my life. I've read 300 which I love and yesterday I got halfway through Batman: Hush, which I also like. Scott Snyder's Batman comics is the next thing for me but I'm not sure in which order (I'm getting the trade paperbacks). Do I read The Court of Owls > The City of Owls > Death in the Family, in that order? And what about" The Night of the Owls"? Isn't that mostly crossover stuff? Should I read that too?

It's a bit confusing when starting from square one. I'm aware of Frank Miller's Batman comics and others that might be good to read before venturing out on the newer comics, but right now I just want to read what appeals to me the most. Grant Morrisons Batman comics also seems interesting, but that can wait for now.

Thanks in advance! :-)

[Billy Batson]

The Black Mirror, though that stars Dick Grayson, the first Robin, as the Batman, while Bruce Wayne was away.
After that jump off.
But yes, you've got the reading order of the collections correct and no, you don't have to read The Night of the Owls.

[borntohula]

Miller, Morrison and Snyder's Batman stories are basically their own thing. No need to try to place them in some continuity, even if Morrison has a cool way of doing so.

I think Miller's Batman Year one should be read together with The long halloween and Dark Victory (who acts like "year two" and also served as inspiration for Nolan's Batman films) and then Dark Knight Returns (can be read as the last great batman story). Sort of a "classic" run.

Then there's Grant Morrison's insane Batman epic. Batman & Son, Batman RIP, Time and the Batman, Return of Bruce Wayne, Batman and Robin (vol1-3) Batman incorporated (vol.1, and then n52 vol.1-2 Demonstar and Gothams most wanted.). It's basically nuts, but epic. Uses more or less every batman-story there is into it's continuity. Batman becomes a Batgod-monk in it. It has everything from batcow to time travel, so beware. Can also be read as a one last great batman story (similar to DKReturns).

And Snyder's. I haven't read much of it, but from I hear it's rather good. A reboot of the batman story, with both new stuff and alot of homage to the old. Lots of horror elements. Reading order: Court of owls, City of owls, Death of the family, Zero Year: Secret city, Zero Year: Dark city, Graveyard shift (out next year) and beyond that there's Endgame also sometime next year.

Happy reading. I'd also recommend Brian Azzarello's Batman. Either Joker (very depraved but interesting take on joker) or the batman stuff he's done with Eduardo Risso (collected in b/w as Batman Noir. Has a great pulp feel to it, and NO ROBIN!). And also Alan Moore's Killing Joke, also a grim but good Joker-story!

[Xerophthalmia]

The Black Mirror, though that stars Dick Grayson, the first Robin, as the Batman, while Bruce Wayne was away.
After that jump off.
But yes, you've got the reading order of the collections correct and no, you don't have to read The Night of the Owls.

Okay, so I should begin with The Black Mirror? Cool, thanks. Even though I don't have to read The Night of the Owls, is it worth reading? I mean, does it add anything to the series as a whole?