The Inevitable "Where do I start with Batman?" Q&A

[son of booyah]

Please post your own answer to this very common forum question below!

This most often comes up after people see the movies/TV shows, and want to get into comics. My suggestion would be, after watching The Dark Knight (imo the best movie in the Nolan trilogy) and maybe even Batman: The Animated Series from the 90s (extremely well regarded even today), to read The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller. It and Year One (also by Miller) are pretty much regarded as the best Batman comics ever, but I feel that Year One is more niche and for fans. DKR got me into Batman comics, for sure.

There's no enforcing this, but as much as this thread can be about YOUR individual answer and NOT nit-picking other people's opinions, the better.

[ispacehead]

Hey Boo...Congratulations on being your own son...or whatever....

Can't go wrong with Miller's Y1 or TDKR. Great places to get a feel for Batman comics.

If somebody asked me this question right now, I'd recommend Eternal.

I think if you want to fully enjoy the Batman Comic book experience, you have to be tuned in to the current books, waiting with baited breath for the next issue to drop alongside the rest of us nutjobs.

The serial nature of the medium has always been a BIG portion of the enjoyment I get from reading these books.

While it is fun to read collected volumes, you lose one of the best parts of the experience. The anticipation.

I say pick a current book and jump on. Grab a classic collected volume here and there to catch up on some of the stuff you've missed over the years.

[son of booyah]

Hey Boo...Congratulations on being your own son...or whatever....

Thanks, it was rather...difficult.

I think if you want to fully enjoy the Batman Comic book experience, you have to be tuned in to the current books, waiting with baited breath for the next issue to drop alongside the rest of us nutjobs.

This is so true. I was only really on the monthly train for DotF and even though that story was what it was that was a whole lot of fun. Guess I should start picking up Eternal. Dammit...

[jump]

IMO Long Halloween, it shows off the rogues one by one and unlike Hush it's early days but I'd ask what type of stories they prefer before suggesting anything.

[PyroSikTh]

I hated Dark Knight Returns so I'd never suggest that.

It was the Nolan movies that turned my Batman collecting up to 11, as I collected up things that inspired the movies. Year One, Long Halloween, The Killing Joke, No Man's Land, Knightfall. Those are the places I started.

I'd also recommend a new reader start with Court/City of Owls for more modern takes, and carry on through Death of the Family and Zero Year. It's a good a place to start as any.

[exile001]

Year One, Killing Joke, Prey, Strange Apperitions, Knightfall saga (Knightfall, Knightquest, Knightsend). That's pretty much how I started and they all stand up. Okay, Knightquest and Knightsend not so much, but it's still a fun read.

I'd add The Long Halloween, No Man's Land and Gotham Central. I'm sure there's more that isn't coming to me right now.

Anyone getting in now should start with Snyder's current run on Batman. It is just great Batman.

[jump]

Year One, Killing Joke, Prey, Strange Apperitions, Knightfall saga (Knightfall, Knightquest, Knightsend). That's pretty much how I started and they all stand up. Okay, Knightquest and Knightsend not so much, but it's still a fun read.

I'd add The Long Halloween, No Man's Land and Gotham Central. I'm sure there's more that isn't coming to me right now.

Anyone getting in now should start with Snyder's current run on Batman. It is just great Batman.

IMO things like Gotham Central I wouldn't recommend to newbie readers, if they have just started than they are probably gonna want to read about Batman and things like No Mans Land & Knightfall so dense it can put people off.

[MajorHoy]

Please post your own answer to this very common forum question below!

This most often comes up after people see the movies/TV shows, and want to get into comics. My suggestion would be, after watching The Dark Knight (imo the best movie in the Nolan trilogy) and maybe even Batman: The Animated Series from the 90s (extremely well regarded even today), to read The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller. It and Year One (also by Miller) are pretty much regarded as the best Batman comics ever, but I feel that Year One is more niche and for fans. DKR got me into Batman comics, for sure.

There's no enforcing this, but as much as this thread can be about YOUR individual answer and NOT nit-picking other people's opinions, the better.

It may also depend on if people want to read more on the current Batman mythos that's being published, or if they're interested in stuff that may-or-may-not apply to current comic book stories.

While I haven't read it yet (I'm waiting for the tpb collections), I'm assuming Zero Year is the best starting point for people who may wish to become regular comic book readers.

Otherwise, it depends on how far back they want to go. Do they want to limit themselves to post-CoIE stuff, or see how it all began:

[ispacehead]

Thanks, it was rather...difficult.

Keep workin at it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0lXUtZF2SY

Guess I should start picking up Eternal. Dammit...

Yup. You probably should.

It's off to a good start.

[son of booyah]

IMO things like Gotham Central I wouldn't recommend to newbie readers, if they have just started than they are probably gonna want to read about Batman and things like No Mans Land & Knightfall so dense it can put people off.

I agree with this. Suggestions for new readers are a different beast than favorite books.

Chronicles is a good read, but I don't think I could handle more than Vol. 1 haha

[MajorHoy]

Back in the day, this would have been a great way to go:





Of course, that was from 35 years ago.

[kineticnrgie]

Hi guys.

I'm new to the Forum and to Batman comics.

I may have read a couple, but I never continued reading it.

I really want to read it thoroughly now, but I don't know where to start.
After doing some digging around, I see that a lot of people suggest that someone that is starting should read Year One, The Dark Knight Returns, Dark Moon Rising, Hush, The Long Halloween, The Man Who Laughs.

What do you guys suggest? I see a lot of people giving a lot of different advice. I suppose each person has had a different experience reading it, but what books are a must for a Batman newbie and how should I progress from that 'intro'?

Cheers guys.

[Nygma]

Yeah that initial advice is good. Start with the classics like Year One and Long Halloween (add the Killing Joke to that list, and my personal favourite Black Mirror). See how you go with those kinds of books and it'll give you an idea how much you'll enjoy reading comics. Dark Moon Rising I don't know myself, but the others there along with the two I added make up a pretty diverse range of reading and styles, so you should start to learn what you like and dislike in comics.

From there, it might be worth reading through the New 52 collected volumes of Batman, and see if you want to follow the current Batman run (Synder/Cappulo) or just stick with older stories.

[titansupes]

There's the perfectthread for all new Batman readers on the old forum... Is that being carried over to here? Would be a damn shame to lose it.

[kineticnrgie]

Yeah that initial advice is good. Start with the classics like Year One and Long Halloween (add the Killing Joke to that list, and my personal favourite Black Mirror). See how you go with those kinds of books and it'll give you an idea how much you'll enjoy reading comics. Dark Moon Rising I don't know myself, but the others there along with the two I added make up a pretty diverse range of reading and styles, so you should start to learn what you like and dislike in comics.

From there, it might be worth reading through the New 52 collected volumes of Batman, and see if you want to follow the current Batman run (Synder/Cappulo) or just stick with older stories.

Thank you so much for the advice. It really shows how different people are, because everyone seems to suggest different things.

I checked in dcwikia and it's very similiar to your list.
Any thoughts regarding the timeline? Is it better if I read it in the correct chronological order?

There's the perfectthread for all new Batman readers on the old forum... Is that being carried over to here? Would be a damn shame to lose it.

Ohhh that would be great! I did look around the forum, but couldn't find any thread regarding this, so I had to create a new one.