Follow

    Batman

    Character » Batman appears in 23635 issues.

    Bruce Wayne, who witnessed the murder of his billionaire parents as a child, swore to avenge their deaths. He trained extensively to achieve mental and physical perfection, mastering martial arts, detective skills, and criminal psychology. Costumed as a bat to prey on the fears of criminals, and utilizing a high-tech arsenal, he became the legendary Batman.

    What are the Batman books needed to understand many of Batman's storylines?

    Avatar image for pr_1030
    PR_1030

    193

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    I'm trying to wrap my head around the Batman books needed to understand many of Batman's storylines. When I say " the Batman books needed to understand many of Batman's storylines", I mean something like this:

    In the late 80s, Superman Vol. 1 was retitled to Adventures of Superman, and Superman Vol. 2 was launched. So by the 90s, there were three monthly Superman titles (none on the same week), which were Superman, Action Comics and Adventures of Superman. To make four Superman titles per month (one per week), they added another monthly series, Superman: Man of Steel. However, there were still four weeks each year without a Superman issue, prompting DC to launch a quarterly series, entitled Superman: The Man of Tomorrow. Storylines would span across the four monthly Superman comics for years (not sure how involved the quarterly was). There was even a number on the cover of each issue to determine which part of the current story arc they were.

    So to restate my question: did Batman have an equivalent set of books, and if so, what were they?

    I have done some research, but I wasn't able to confirm some things. My guess is that the set of Batman books published in order to have one Batman issue each week was: Batman, Detective Comics, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight and Batman: Shadow of the Bat and Batman Chronicles. The first four were monthly titles and the last was quarterly.

    However, I do not believe that storylines spanned across these series. I think the story arcs spread through the Bat-family books: Nightwing, Robin, Azrael, etc. So I'd like to narrow my query to only Batman books. No Bat-family books.

    Thanks in advance.

    Avatar image for aahz
    Aahz

    1286

    Forum Posts

    62

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    If wee are speaking about 90s, the strolines usually didn't span over multiple titles, unless there was an mayor event like for example Knightfall. Big events really span over all Batman related titles (Batman, Detective Comics, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight and Batman: Shadow of the Bat, Robin, Catwoman, and later also Azrael, Nightwing, Batgirl and maybe Birds of Prey), even if not every series was part of the event for the full duration.

    For the events you can usually find lists of the issues and reading orders via Google.

    Avatar image for pr_1030
    PR_1030

    193

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    Avatar image for jb681131
    jb681131

    4252

    Forum Posts

    8660

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    #4  Edited By jb681131

    @pr_1030:Hello, I don't know much about Batman publications, but what I can tell you is that every title had it's purpouse and was meant to look at a different side of Batman :

    • Detective comics: Detective stories
    • Batman: Big major vilains
    • Legends of the Dark Knight: Solo stories when robin wasn't there yet (so in the early years of Batman's existance)
    • Shadow of the Bat: Stories center of the psyche of vilains
    • Chronicles: each issue had 4 stories, one centered on Batman, the others of his friends and foes

    But in addition to that you had mini-series (The long halloween for exemple), one-shots (The killing joke for exemple) and short lived titles (Batman Confidential or Streets of Gotham for exemple).

    As for the reading I would suggest to understand the Batman I would categories them (from what I Know) :

    • To understant Batman's early years:
      1. Batman: Year one
      2. Bamtan: Shaman
      3. Batman: Gothic
      4. Batman & the monster men
      5. Batman & the mad monk
      6. Batman: Prey
      7. Batman: Venom
      8. Batman: Collected Legends of the Dark Knight
      9. Batman: Monsters
      10. Batman: Dark Legends
      11. Batman: Blink & Don't Blink
      12. Batman: Terror
      13. Batman: Snow
      14. ...
    • To understand Alfred Pennyworth
      1. Batman: Gotham Knight #7
      2. Batman: Year one
      3. Robin: Year one / Bagirl: Year one / Batman: A lonely place of dying
      4. (Batman: Knightfall)
      5. Batman: Knightquest - the search
      6. Batman: No man's land
      7. The resurection of Ra's al Ghul
      8. Batman: Heart of hush
      9. Batman Incorporated books
    • To understant the Joker
      1. Batman: Year one
      2. Batman: The killing Joke
      3. Batman: Lovers and madmen
      4. Batman: The man who laughs
      5. Batman: A Death in the familly
      6. Arkham Asylum: A serious house on a serious earth
      7. The joker's last laught
      8. Superman: Emperor Joker
      9. ...
    • To understand Robin 1/Nightwing (Dick Grayson)
      1. Robin: Year one
      2. Batman: Year three
      3. Batman: The long Halloween
      4. Nightwing: Year one
    • To understand Robin 2/Red Hood (Jason Todd)
      1. The killing Joke
      2. Batman: A death in the familly
      3. (Batman: Hush)
      4. Batman: Under the hood
      5. Nightwing: Brother in blood
      6. Red hood: The lost days
    • To understand Batgirl/Oracle (Barbara gordon)
      1. Batgirl: Year one
      2. Batman: The killing joke
      3. Batman: Sword of Azrael
      4. Birds of Prey books
    • To understand Two-face (Harvey Dent)
      1. Batman: Year one
      2. Batman: The long Halloween
      3. Batman: Dark victory
      4. Batman Annual #14
      5. Batman: Faces
      6. ...
    • To understand Robin 3/Red Robin (Tim Drake)
      1. Batman: A death in the familly
      2. Batman: A lonely place of dying
      3. Robin books
      4. Identity crisis
      5. Batman R.I.P
      6. Red Robin books
    • To understand Gotham
      1. Batman: Gates of Gotham
      2. Batman: Cataclysm
      3. Batman: Aftershock
      4. Batman: No man's land
      5. Batman: New Gotham
      6. Batman: Court of Owls
      7. ...
    • To understand The Penguin (Oswald Coblepod)
      1. Penguin: Triumphant
      2. Secret origin splecial #1
      3. Penguin: Pain & Prejudice
      4. Batman: Strange apparition
      5. Batman: No man's land
      6. Gotham underground
      7. Joker's Asylum: Penguin
      8. ...
    • To understand Arkam Asylum
      1. Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth
      2. Batman: Knightfall
      3. Batman: The Last Arkham
      4. Arkham Asylum: Living Hell
      5. The Joker's Asylum
    • To understand James Gordon (Jim Gordon)
      1. Batman: Year one
      2. Batman: Gordon of Gotham
      3. Batman: The long Halloween
      4. Batman: Dark Victory
      5. Batman: Turning point
      6. Batman: The killing joke
      7. Batman: No man's land
      8. Batman: Officer down
      9. Batman: Gordon's law
      10. Gotham Central
      11. ...
    • To understand the Riddler (Edward Nigman)
      1. The Riddler: Questions Multiply the Mystery
      2. Batman: Run, Riddler, Run
      3. Batman: Dark knight, Dark city
      4. Batman: Hush
      5. Gotham: Underground
      6. Paul Dini's Dectective comics run
      7. ...
    • To understand Ra's Hal Gul
      1. Batman: Birth of the Demon (collected)
      2. Batman: Resurection of Ra's Al Ghul
      3. Year one: Batman/Ra's Al Ghul
      4. Batman: Contagion
      5. JLA: Tower of Babel
      6. ...
    • To understand Bane:
      1. Batman: Vengeance of Bane
      2. Batman: Knightfall
      3. Batman: Vengeance of Bane II
      4. Batman: Bane of the demon
      5. Batman: No man's land
      6. Batman: Gotham Knights - Tabula Rasa
      7. Batman: Gotham Knights - Veritas Liberat
      8. Secret six vol.3 books
    • To understand Hush
      1. Batman: Hush
      2. Batman: Hush returns
      3. Batman: Heart of Husth
      4. Batman: Hush money
      5. Batman: House of Hush
    • To understand poison Ivy (Pamela Isley)
      1. Secret Origins #36
      2. Poison Ivy: Year one
      3. Batman: Hush
      4. Gotham city sirens books
      5. Joker's Asylum: Poison Ivy
      6. Batman: Poison Ivy
      7. Batman/Poison Ivy: Cast shadow
    • To understand Harley Quinn (Harleen Quinzel)
      1. Batman adventures: Mad Love
      2. Countdown to final crisis
      3. Batman: Harley Quinn
      4. Harley Quinn: Prelude and Knock-knock jokes
      5. Gotham city sirens books
      6. Joker's asylum II : Harley Quinn
    • To understand Mr. Freeze
      1. Batman: Mr. Freeze
      2. ...
    • To understand Batman/Catwoman relationship
      1. ...
      2. Batman: Hush
      3. Batman: Heart of Hush
      4. Batman: Hush Money + House of Hush
    • To understand Batman/Zatana relationship
      1. ...
      2. Batman: Private Casebook
    • To understand Batman/Talia relationship
      1. Batman: Birth of the Demon (collected)
      2. Batman: Hush
      3. Batman: Batman & Son
      4. Batman: R.I.P
      5. Batman Incorporated: Demon start + Gotham's most wanted
    • To understand Robin 4 (Damian Wayne)
      1. Batman: Birth of the Demon (collected)
      2. Batman: Batman & Son
      3. Batman: The black casebook
      4. Batman: Batle for the cowl
      5. Batman and Robin: Batman reborn + Batman vs. Robin + Batman and Robin must die! + Dark knight vs. White knight
      6. Batman Incorporated
      7. Batman and Robin New 52
    • To understand Killer Croc (Waylon Jones)
      1. Batman: Killer Croc/Swamp Thing (Batman #521-522)
      2. Arkham Asylum: Living hell
      3. Batman: Knightfall
      4. Batman: Golden dawn
      5. Batman and Robin 23.4
    • To imagine what Bruce Wayne will become
      1. The Dark Knight Returns
      2. The Dark Knight Strikes Again
      3. The Dark Knight III
    • To understand Batman and the Justice League
      1. Legend
      2. Identity Crisis
      3. JLA: Tower of Babel
      4. Final Crisis
    • To understant the Scarecrow (Jonathan Crane)
      1. Batman annual #19
      2. Batman: The long Halloween
      3. Batman: Dark Victory
      4. Robin: Reborn
      5. Batman: Knightfall
      6. Batman: Hush
      7. Batman: As Crow Flies
      8. Detective comics #820
      9. Batman, the dark knight: Cycle of violance
    • To understand Clayface (Basyle Carlo)
      1. Joker Asylum: Clayface
      2. Batman, the dark knight: Clay
      3. ...

    Much more could be listed about:

    • Azrael
    • Lady Shyva
    • His relationship with Superman
    • His relationship with Wonder Woman
    • The mad hatter (Jarvis Tech)
    • Black Mask
    • The society of secret vilains
    • Gotham's Gansters
    • The ventriloquist / Scarface
    • Proffessor Pig
    • Hugo Strange
    • Man-bat (Dr. Kirk Langstrom)
    • Batgirl II (Stephanie Brown)
    • Batwoman (Kate Kane)
    • Katana
    • The outsiders
    • Blackgate penitensiary
    • GCPD
    • Harvey Bullock
    • Renee Montoya
    • Wayne Tech / Wayne Enterprise
    • The Batcave
    • The Batmobile
    • Secondary villains
    • ...
    Avatar image for nathaniel_christopher
    Nathaniel_Christopher

    3301

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    @jb681131 Just shut this entire thread down lol well done sir.

    Avatar image for pr_1030
    PR_1030

    193

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    @jb681131 said:

    @pr_1030:Hello, I don't know much about Batman publications

    Pffft yeah right!

    That list. Oh my freaking goodness sake. You went far and beyond man. That is completely mindblowing. I'm starting to think that you copy pasted all of this haha. You tackled almost everything there is about Batman! Thanks so much for this list!

    Avatar image for jb681131
    jb681131

    4252

    Forum Posts

    8660

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    @pr_1030 said:
    @jb681131 said:

    @pr_1030:Hello, I don't know much about Batman publications

    Pffft yeah right!

    That list. Oh my freaking goodness sake. You went far and beyond man. That is completely mindblowing. I'm starting to think that you copy pasted all of this haha. You tackled almost everything there is about Batman! Thanks so much for this list!

    Thank you :) And you might also notice that in each suggestions they are in reading order. Some of my suggestion come from this site, others from dc.wikia and others from my readings and knowledge of Batman of course.

    Avatar image for lxlgiftedlxl
    lxlGiftedlxl

    2443

    Forum Posts

    938

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    #8  Edited By lxlGiftedlxl

    @jb681131: Good job on that list man. Imma go check a lot of those books out.

    Avatar image for jb681131
    jb681131

    4252

    Forum Posts

    8660

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    @jb681131: Good job on that list man. Imma go check a lot of those books out.

    Your welcome and have fun

    Avatar image for lxlgiftedlxl
    lxlGiftedlxl

    2443

    Forum Posts

    938

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    @jb681131: Thanks again and also how many volumes are there to No Mans Land?

    Avatar image for aahz
    Aahz

    1286

    Forum Posts

    62

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    @jb681131 said:

    • To understand Robin 2/Red Hood (Jason Todd)
      1. The killing Joke
      2. Batman: A death in the familly
      3. (Batman: Hush)
      4. Batman: Under the hood
      5. Nightwing: Brother in blood
      6. Red hood: The lost days

    In Jasons case I would go for.

    1. Batman: Second Chances
    2. (Nightwing Year One)
    3. Batman: The Cult
    4. Batman: A death in the Familly
    5. Red Hood: The lost Days
    6. Batman: Under the Hood
    7. Green Arrow: road to Jerchicho

    Avatar image for payneintheass
    PayneInTheAss

    15202

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    Avatar image for jb681131
    jb681131

    4252

    Forum Posts

    8660

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    @aahz said:
    @jb681131 said:
    • To understand Robin 2/Red Hood (Jason Todd)
      1. The killing Joke
      2. Batman: A death in the familly
      3. (Batman: Hush)
      4. Batman: Under the hood
      5. Nightwing: Brother in blood
      6. Red hood: The lost days

    In Jasons case I would go for.

    1. Batman: Second Chances
    2. (Nightwing Year One)
    3. Batman: The Cult
    4. Batman: A death in the Familly
    5. Red Hood: The lost Days
    6. Batman: Under the Hood
    7. Green Arrow: road to Jerchicho

    Or a combined list would also work ;)

    Avatar image for jb681131
    jb681131

    4252

    Forum Posts

    8660

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    @jb681131: Thanks again and also how many volumes are there to No Mans Land?

    Volume numbers can differ between softcover and hardcover editions. You have to know that to read the complete arc, you can also read Cataclysm, Aftershock , Road to No Man's Land, before No Man's Land, and New Gotham after. Looking at the DC website, here are the volumes :

    1. Catclysm (new edition): http://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/batman-cataclysm-new-edition
    2. The road to no man's land 1: http://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/batman-the-road-to-no-man%E2%80%99s-land-vol-1
    3. The road to no man's land 2: http://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/batman-the-road-to-no-man%E2%80%99s-land-vol-2
    4. No man's land 1 (new edition): http://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/batman-no-mans-land-new-edition-vol-1
    5. No man's land 2 (new edition): http://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/batman-no-mans-land-vol-2-new-edition
    6. No man's land 3 (new edition): http://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/batman-no-man%E2%80%99s-land-vol-3-new-edition
    7. No man's land 4 (new edition): http://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/batman-no-man%E2%80%99s-land-vol-4-new-edition
    8. Evolution (New Gotham 1): http://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/batman-evolution
    9. Officer down (New Gotham 2): http://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/batman-officer-down

    To get the Aftershock storyline you'll need to read Cataclysm new edition and Road to no man's land. But a sold out tpb also exists.

    No man's land old edition is in 5 volumes.

    Avatar image for lxlgiftedlxl
    lxlGiftedlxl

    2443

    Forum Posts

    938

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    @jb681131: ok I just got the new editions of Cataclysm, Road to nomans land and nomans land vol 1-4.

    Is that everything for that story arc. Sorry to bug just trying to make sure I have everything for no mans land.

    Avatar image for jb681131
    jb681131

    4252

    Forum Posts

    8660

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    @lxlgiftedlxl: well no. As I wrote in my previous post, to get the epilogue you must read the New Gotham storyline published in Batman:Evolution then Batman:Officer down.

    Avatar image for lxlgiftedlxl
    lxlGiftedlxl

    2443

    Forum Posts

    938

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    Avatar image for replicant0658
    Replicant0658

    121

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    Avatar image for jb681131
    jb681131

    4252

    Forum Posts

    8660

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    Avatar image for mr___death
    Mr___death

    273

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    #20  Edited By Mr___death

    1. Year one

    2. Long Halloween

    3. Dark victory

    4. Killing joke

    This edit will also create new pages on Comic Vine for:

    Beware, you are proposing to add brand new pages to the wiki along with your edits. Make sure this is what you intended. This will likely increase the time it takes for your changes to go live.

    Comment and Save

    Until you earn 1000 points all your submissions need to be vetted by other Comic Vine users. This process takes no more than a few hours and we'll send you an email once approved.