Batman Comics Recommendations

This is a pretty standard reading list for Batman. I can’t really say that I disagree with any of it.

I feel that most of Batman’s best stories can be read in isolation and don’t require nearly the mental gymnastics, nor back-issue or side story reading that many other DC characters do. The above list is pretty standard fare for a Bat-Book reading list, and I can’t really argue against any of it. I will, however, add to it:

Year One. This is a seminal story in Batman’s history, and I can’t recommend it enough. I’d also say watch the animated movie of it, as they did a great job with it.

Scott Snyder’s entire New 52 run is fantastic. It’s rare that a single writer can remain consistent for that long, but Snyder did it with aplomb and kicked it off with Court of Owls which is now a classic.

As much as I loathe Tom King with every fiber of my being, his War of Jokes and Riddles arc in DC Rebirth is actually quite good. You can skip the rest though.

James Tynion IV’s run has been superb thus far. So start with current era Batman #86 and just follow him (he’s presently at #98)

Other excellent Batman stories would be both James Tynion IV’s and Peter J. Tomasi’s runs on the current era (2016-present) Detective Comics book. Until Tynion took the reins from Tom King, Detective Comics was head-and-shoulders above the main Batman book. Seriously, it was superior is pretty much every way. These two guys know how to write a damn-good Batman story…

If you have a person spamming that many threads of a similar nature then that would be a HUGE indication that “COMICS” needs to be a main forum with appropriate sub-forums for each publisher. It’s nearly as bad as Greg and his six alts flooding the boards with their “What’s your favorite?” topics.

*treks off to suggestions board*

Do NOT read Tom King’s Wedding and City of Bane’s arcs.

DO read Batman Universe.

I know I’m coming in late here; there have been some great recommendations thus far, but I couldn’t resist butting in with a couple of my own suggestions:

The Many Deaths of the Batman: a tight, tense, three-part mystery written by John Byrne with art by Jim Aparo, centering on a killer whose victims are dressed as Batman.

Prey by Doug Moench, Paul Gulacy, and Terry Austin. Hugo Strange wages a two-front war against Batman, attacking him psychologically while also manipulating a deranged cop, turning him into a dangerous vigilante before setting him on a collision course with the Dark Knight.

The Cult: OK, so this one’s definitely not for everyone (Ya Boy Zack’s review was not kind), but if you like your Batman stories with a healthy dose of horror, you should give this series a try. Written by Jim Starlin with lavish, creepy art by Bernie Wrightson, this one is for fans of stories where Bats is pushed to his physical and mental limits.

For those of you looking for something more recent, I thought Court Of Owls was pretty good. It’s a mystery that pushes Batman to the edge and introduces some interesting new villains. I wasn’t into the follow-up, City Of Owls, or any of the subsequent Scott Snyder stuff that I read, though.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 3 months ago by R.G_Jackson.