Today I am talking about one of my favorite superheroes of all time, Batman. My love of all things nerdy and comic book really began at a young age when I first stumbled upon Batman: The Animated Series, a show I still love to this day. For any who are unaware, I regularly contribute to the Dearly Debated podcast and this week we talked about Batman. But we mostly spoke about Batman on film and television, and I wanted to go into a little more depth about Batman in the comics. Batman has some great stories on the page but with over 80 years of stories and multiple retcons and reboots, sometimes people just don’t know where to start reading and can easily get overwhelmed. Not all Batman stories are required reading if you want to understand the character and his world. So I’m here with some essential Batman reads to help you get up to date on the caped crusader and his world and supporting cast. This list is given in suggested reading order and is designed to get you up to speed on the world of Batman by hitting the major moments in his history, introducing you to his supporting cast and highlighting some of my favorite stories along the way.
1. Batman: Year One
This is my favorite Batman origin story and, in my opinion,, Frank Miller’s greatest contribution to Batman. This is the parallel origin story of both Batman and Jim Gordon during their first year in Gotham City. The book has a very noir feel and the story pits Batman and Gordon against the corruption in Gotham city and the mobs that control it. Year One also introduces us to Alfred, Selina Kyle, Harvey Dent, and Carmine Falcone. The comic was a big influence on Nolan’s Batman trilogy, most notably, Batman Begins. There is also an excellent animated adaptation of year one that is definitely worth checking out. In my opinion there is no better place to start reading Batman comics.
If you would like to read it for yourself the you can pick up a digital copy right here or check it out on DC Universe.
2. Batman: The Man Who Laughs
Year One ends with a tease about the Joker arriving in Gotham City and The Man Who Laughs picks up right where Year One left off. This is a modernized retelling of Joker’s first appearance in Batman #1. The story shows us Batman and the Joker’s first meeting and continues to build up Batman and Gordon’s partnership.
If you would like to read it for yourself the you can pick up a digital copy right here or check it out on DC Universe.
3. Batman: The Long Halloween
The Long Halloween serves as a direct continuation of the stories from Year One. This is essentially Batman year two (there is a story called Batman Year Two which I highly recommend skipping). The story is centered around a well fashioned mystery, but also can serve as an introduction to a lot of Batman’s Rogues gallery. Poison Ivy, The Joker, Solomon Grundy, Scarecrow, The Riddler, Mad Hatter, and even Calendar Man all have roles to play here. We get to see Batman, Gordon, Catwoman, Carmine Falcone, and Harvey Dent continue to develop and we see Gotham itself begin to transition from a city run by organized crime to a city overrun with insane super criminals.
If you would like to read it for yourself the you can pick up a digital copy right here or check it out on DC Universe.
3. Batman: Dark Victory
Dark Victory is a direct sequel to The Long Halloween. Batman is shaken by the aftermath of the Holiday Killer’s reveal and isolates himself while Gordon deals with the fallout and new D.A. Janice Porter. We see the return of the former Commissioner Loeb from Year One along with Catwoman, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, Solomon Grundy, The Riddler, Two-Face, and Calendar Man. We are also introduced to the Penguin and Mr. Freeze. This is also my preferred introduction and origin of Dick Grayson’s Robin. This story completes the transition of Gotham’s underworld from organized crime to super crime and concludes the story started back in Year One.
If you would like to read it for yourself the you can pick up a digital copy right here or check it out on DC Universe.
5. Robin/Batgirl Year One
While these are technically two separate stories they are usually bundled and sold together. Robin Year One works well as a continuation from Dark Victory and is a fun story focused on Robin that showcases everyone’s reactions to Batman’s new young partner. The story is Narrated by Alfred. It also introduces Barbera Gordon and Killer Moth to set up Batgirl Year One. Batgirl Year One continues to flesh out Robin, Batman and Commissioner Gordon’s characters as we get to know Barbera. These stories show Batman growing from being a loner to a mentor and set up the Batman Family dynamic.
If you would like to read it for yourself the you can pick up a digital copy right here or check it out on DC Universe.
All the stories above are more modern and relevant takes on Batman’s early years and are a great place to get started reading about the heroes and rogues of Gotham. This is only part one of my crash course on Batman’s lore so be sure to check back in for more suggestions in the future. Did you enjoy these stories? What are your favorite Batman stories? Let me know in the comments below.
Comicexile.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.