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[Jedeye Sniv]

Batman - Snow
especially for the artwork

Dude, that's such a cool choice. I actually saved this arc from the bin when I recently cleared out all my rubbish LOTDK issues. That book had some terrible runs but this one was a total classic, the art and the tone were so strange and un-Batman but brilliant for it. Must dig it out once I've finished up re-reading Morrison's run.

Speaking of which -

Batman and Son

The Black Glove

Batman RIP

Batman and Robin Reborn

Batman Vs Robin

Batman must Die!

This is the single best Batman story ever told IMO, and I've been reading Batman for nearly 20 years. Just incredible, groundbreaking stuff. TBH it's almost ruined Batman comics for me, after this arc it's like what's the point? I've dropped most of the other Batbooks now because they're almost trivial in comparison.

 

[Dork Knight]

If you like Rebirth and your library has the rest, I would just read them in order and go that route. If you just want to dive into Blackest Night than yeah, go Sinestro Corp War (volumes 1 and 2), Rage of the Red Lanterns, Agent Orange, and then into Blackest Night. If they have Green Lantern: Blackest Night grab that as well.

Cool! Yeah, I know my library has Sinestro Corp Wars and Agent Orange...but I just checked and it seems like they don't have Rage of the Red Lanterns for some reason. Hmm. Oh well!

And I know they have Green Lantern: Blackest Night. Looking at the wikipedia page, it seems like there's multiple trades of Blackest Night. So confusing!

 

[Dork Knight]

Dude, that's such a cool choice. I actually saved this arc from the bin when I recently cleared out all my rubbish LOTDK issues. That book had some terrible runs but this one was a total classic, the art and the tone were so strange and un-Batman but brilliant for it. Must dig it out once I've finished up re-reading Morrison's run.

Speaking of which -

Batman and Son

The Black Glove

Batman RIP

Batman and Robin Reborn

Batman Vs Robin

Batman must Die!

This is the single best Batman story ever told IMO, and I've been reading Batman for nearly 20 years. Just incredible, groundbreaking stuff. TBH it's almost ruined Batman comics for me, after this arc it's like what's the point? I've dropped most of the other Batbooks now because they're almost trivial in comparison.

Thanks for these recommendations! I'm bummed that my library doesn't carry Batman and Son and Batman Must Die! They do carry the other ones, though, so I'll definitely check those out.

Is Batman Must Die! the story you think is the best? If so, I'll make sure to check it out.

 

[tim1138]

Cool! Yeah, I know my library has Sinestro Corp Wars and Agent Orange...but I just checked and it seems like they don't have Rage of the Red Lanterns for some reason. Hmm. Oh well!

And I know they have Green Lantern: Blackest Night. Looking at the wikipedia page, it seems like there's multiple trades of Blackest Night. So confusing!

Yeah there was the actual BN limited series and then it also went into different books like GL and GLC. There were also tie in limited series with Superman, Batman, the Flash, Wonder Woman, JSA, and the Titans--these are ancillary to the main story though and you read or not read them as you see fit.

You can get the crux of the story just through BN, but reading GL:BN and GLC:BN will in some of the holes in the story. If you can track down a copy of the Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps collection it's a fun read, but again not necessary to getting the main story.

It's a shame they don't have Rage of the Red Lanterns, but you can at least wiki the info. Of the preludes, Agent Orange is my favorite as it introduces my favorite character of the GL universe.

-edit-

Just for reference Batman Must Die won't be released in hardback until May.

 

[benjipwns]

The whole of Batman Cataclysm and No Man's Land encompasses 7 trades and really was one of the best "events" ever, those books were simply amazing

Those unfortunately don't actually contain all of it, there's some issues left out.

 

[Dork Knight]

Yeah there was the actual BN limited series and then it also went into different books like GL and GLC. There were also tie in limited series with Superman, Batman, the Flash, Wonder Woman, JSA, and the Titans--these are ancillary to the main story though and you read or not read them as you see fit.

You can get the crux of the story just through BN, but reading GL:BN and GLC:BN will in some of the holes in the story. If you can track down a copy of the Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps collection it's a fun read, but again not necessary to getting the main story.

It's a shame they don't have Rage of the Red Lanterns, but you can at least wiki the info. Of the preludes, Agent Orange is my favorite as it introduces my favorite character of the GL universe.

-edit-

Just for reference Batman Must Die won't be released in hardback until May.

Whoa! You serious? Haha! Following these big events is so hard. I think I'll just stick to the main books.

Yeah, it's really odd my library carries all the other Green Lantern books, but not Rage of the Red Lanterns. Oh well!

And I'm glad to hear Batman Must Die isn't out yet. That means my library will definitely get it if they have the other ones. Stoked to read those.

Question: What's the name of the Batman series where we went through time after Final Crisis? Is that even out? Is it good/worth reading?

 

[tim1138]

Whoa! You serious? Haha! Following these big events is so hard. I think I'll just stick to the main books.

Yeah, it's really odd my library carries all the other Green Lantern books, but not Rage of the Red Lanterns. Oh well!

And I'm glad to hear Batman Must Die isn't out yet. That means my library will definitely get it if they have the other ones. Stoked to read those.

Question: What's the name of the Batman series where we went through time after Final Crisis? Is that even out? Is it good/worth reading?

Yeah whenever there's a big event there's always tons of tie ins. BN: Flash and BN: Wonder Woman were fun reads, but like I said, you don't need them to get the story.

Get the other Batman & Robin volumes, they are absolutely fantastic reads, and heck you wouldn't have problems finding the loose back issues that make up Batman Must Die if you decided to go that route.

Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne was an interesting read in the way that most Morrison stuff and comes out in collected form in early Feb I believe. If you're interested in what happened to Bruce after Final Crisis by all means give it a go--it will probably read better in one sitting anyway.

 

[Dork Knight]

Yeah whenever there's a big event there's always tons of tie ins. BN: Flash and BN: Wonder Woman were fun reads, but like I said, you don't need them to get the story.

Get the other Batman & Robin volumes, they are absolutely fantastic reads, and heck you wouldn't have problems finding the loose back issues that make up Batman Must Die if you decided to go that route.

Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne was an interesting read in the way that most Morrison stuff and comes out in collected form in early Feb I believe. If you're interested in what happened to Bruce after Final Crisis by all means give it a go--it will probably read better in one sitting anyway.

Since I'm kinda limited to what my library covers, I'm not too bothered just reading the main entry in Blackest Night. I don't follow comics closely enough to care about the 4,815,162,342 side stories anyway! :lol

Ah! It's called Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne. I totally wanna read that 'cause the promotional pictures were hilarious (my favorite being the private eye/gumshoe Batman). Glad to hear it's a fun read!

 

[beat]

Where's Year Two?

I kid, I kid. I love the art in Year Two, both McFarlane's Batman and Alan Davis' work (though it is jarring to have such different artists in the same four issue mini-series). But the writing was atrocious.

More seriously, the Neal Adams Batman has been collected into three books. He's one of the best Batman artists ever.

 

[tim1138]

Since I'm kinda limited to what my library covers, I'm not too bothered just reading the main entry in Blackest Night. I don't follow comics closely enough to care about the 4,815,162,342 side stories anyway! :lol

Ah! It's called Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne. I totally wanna read that 'cause the promotional pictures were hilarious (my favorite being the private eye/gumshoe Batman). Glad to hear it's a fun read!

The first volume of Brightest Day is also out--that's the follow up to Blackest Night this is still going on.

 

[Dork Knight]

The first volume of Brightest Day is also out--that's the follow up to Blackest Night this is still going on.

Sweet! My library has that. Thanks for the tip. I'll put it on my list.

 

[tim1138]

Sweet! My library has that. Thanks for the tip. I'll put it on my list.

No problem.

If you want any more suggestions or have any other questions feel free to shoot me a PM.

 

[Dork Knight]

Went to the library after work and picked up these.

I was going to also pick up Gotham Centrals, but I had so many books by that point, that I figure I'll pick it up after I return a few.

 

[tim1138]

Went to the library after work and picked up these.

I was going to also pick up Gotham Centrals, but I had so many books by that point, that I figure I'll pick it up after I return a few.

Excellent choice with Superman: Red Son, that is by far and away my favorite Superman story.

 

[Dork Knight]

Excellent choice with Superman: Red Son, that is by far and away my favorite Superman story.

Yeah -- I'm reading it right now. It's pretty good. I'm really stoked to finish All-Star Superman...I *loved* the first volume.

But my favorite Superman story BY FAR is this one:

Such a cool story. Highly recommended.

 

[Zabka]

Thanks for these recommendations! I'm bummed that my library doesn't carry Batman and Son and Batman Must Die! They do carry the other ones, though, so I'll definitely check those out.

Is Batman Must Die! the story you think is the best? If so, I'll make sure to check it out.

It's all one connected story. You should definitely figure out a way to get your hands on Batman & Son before reading the rest.

 

[Dork Knight]

It's all one connected story. You should definitely figure out a way to get your hands on Batman & Son before reading the rest.

Shit, really? Crap -- guess I should hunt my used book store for it. It's weird my library carries just about every Batman graphic novel, but not that one. Thanks for the tip, though!

 

[Zabka]

Here you go: http://sequentialanarchy.blogspot.com/2010/10/grant-morrisons-batman.html

Reading list for Grant Morrison's Batman. Learn it. Live it. Love it.

 

[Boonoo]

Yeah -- I'm reading it right now. It's pretty good. I'm really stoked to finish All-Star Superman...I *loved* the first volume.

But my favorite Superman story BY FAR is this one:

Such a cool story. Highly recommended.

He's also making a batman version. It sounds great.

 

[Nemesis121]

Check them out at the library! I just read All-Star Batman and Robin this week and am currently reading Superman: Red Son right now.

I had no idea our library system carries comics -- it's amazing! :lol

Some of them carry Manga too.....

 

[Dork Knight]

Here you go: http://sequentialanarchy.blogspot.com/2010/10/grant-morrisons-batman.html

Reading list for Grant Morrison's Batman. Learn it. Live it. Love it.

Thanks, man! Man...reading that is so daunting! There's just so much shit to read. And my library doesn't carry all that crap. I think I'm cool just reading bits and pieces.

Some of them carry Manga too.....

Yeah, my library has a TON of manga. Definitely cool, but I'm more into graphic novels.

 

[WascallyWabbit]

Yeah -- I'm reading it right now. It's pretty good. I'm really stoked to finish All-Star Superman...I *loved* the first volume.

But my favorite Superman story BY FAR is this one:

Such a cool story. Highly recommended.

I love this one too!!! I just found a trade at a half price books for ten bucks, it's usually like 35 on ebay cuz it's out of print

 

[aparisi2274]

which one is that?

I have to agree, it's an awesome read and the artwork is phenomenal

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

Thanks for these recommendations! I'm bummed that my library doesn't carry Batman and Son and Batman Must Die! They do carry the other ones, though, so I'll definitely check those out.

Is Batman Must Die! the story you think is the best? If so, I'll make sure to check it out.

This whole Grant Morrison run is one massive story, starting with Batman and Son where Damian is introduced and going right through to Batman must Die and the upcoming Return of Bruce Wayne trade. Honestly, it's my favourite run on Batman ever, stuff from the very first trade plays through the entire series and it really breaks Batman down to his purest essence. It gets a little crazy in places but each trade has some excellent stories in it.

The Black Glove especially has one of the best Batman stories ever told in it (the Batman of Many Nations with art by the incomparable JH Williams III). Batman and Robin Reborn is totally mindblowing if you don't know what's going to happen as well. Just try and stay spoiler-free and you'll have a wild time.

EDIT: WRT to that reading list, I'd say don't sweat it. The main trades have all you need in them. Final Crisis (while I love it to death, I think it's one of the most important and affecting comics I've ever read for it's thematic content) is just confusing if you want to follow just Batman's story and the salient points from it are all mentioned in the Batman trades. The background isn't really that important, the Black Glove and Damian and all the stuff in Morrison's run are mostly new concepts, just run with it and don't sweat the details.

 

[jmdajr]

wow..lots of options!

 

[Chairhome]

Just wanted to chime in about great library systems. Mine has free HOME delivery. . I've read most of the Fables books, Absolute Sandman, and a lot more. They've been good at keeping up with almost every Geoff Johns release, and most Grant Morrison. Libraries are awesome!

 

[Melchiah]

Just wanted to chime in about great library systems. Mine has free HOME delivery. . I've read most of the Fables books, Absolute Sandman, and a lot more. They've been good at keeping up with almost every Geoff Johns release, and most Grant Morrison. Libraries are awesome!

Where do you live?

 

[Dork Knight]

This whole Grant Morrison run is one massive story, starting with Batman and Son where Damian is introduced and going right through to Batman must Die and the upcoming Return of Bruce Wayne trade. Honestly, it's my favourite run on Batman ever, stuff from the very first trade plays through the entire series and it really breaks Batman down to his purest essence. It gets a little crazy in places but each trade has some excellent stories in it.

The Black Glove especially has one of the best Batman stories ever told in it (the Batman of Many Nations with art by the incomparable JH Williams III). Batman and Robin Reborn is totally mindblowing if you don't know what's going to happen as well. Just try and stay spoiler-free and you'll have a wild time.

EDIT: WRT to that reading list, I'd say don't sweat it. The main trades have all you need in them. Final Crisis (while I love it to death, I think it's one of the most important and affecting comics I've ever read for it's thematic content) is just confusing if you want to follow just Batman's story and the salient points from it are all mentioned in the Batman trades. The background isn't really that important, the Black Glove and Damian and all the stuff in Morrison's run are mostly new concepts, just run with it and don't sweat the details.

Do you have a recommendation list for the Grant Morrison run? That site posted earlier lists a bunch of stuff, but it's hard to really tell what's essential to the main, overarching story.

For instance, it appears I should read Batman and Son and Batman: The Black Glove *before* reading Batman RIP...or does it really matter? I just checked out Batman RIP last night, too, so I'm not sure if I should hold off or just read it anyway. Ugh! So confusing!

That's why I like one-offs like Superman: Red Son -- don't need to read 50 other books before it to understand what's going on!

 

[tim1138]

Do you have a recommendation list for the Grant Morrison run? That site posted earlier lists a bunch of stuff, but it's hard to really tell what's essential to the main, overarching story.

For instance, it appears I should read Batman and Son and Batman: The Black Glove *before* reading Batman RIP...or does it really matter? I just checked out Batman RIP last night, too, so I'm not sure if I should hold off or just read it anyway. Ugh! So confusing!

That's why I like one-offs like Superman: Red Son -- don't need to read 50 other books before it to understand what's going on!

Yeah you definitely need to read Batman and Son before RIP. RIP directly goes into Final Crisis and then Battle for the Cowl, Batman and Robin and eventually the Return of Bruce of Wayne. Batman and Son for example was written in 2006 and introduces Damian, who is a key character now.

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

Do you have a recommendation list for the Grant Morrison run? That site posted earlier lists a bunch of stuff, but it's hard to really tell what's essential to the main, overarching story.

For instance, it appears I should read Batman and Son and Batman: The Black Glove *before* reading Batman RIP...or does it really matter? I just checked out Batman RIP last night, too, so I'm not sure if I should hold off or just read it anyway. Ugh! So confusing!

That's why I like one-offs like Superman: Red Son -- don't need to read 50 other books before it to understand what's going on!

Yeah man, that post of mine at the top of the page is in reading order. Batman and son, black glove, rip and then the three batman and Robin trades. They are a good time, trust me

Edit: yeah, definitely don't read rip yet, it won't make a lick of sense. DC are idiots for not numbering these trades, the whole thing Is one continuous story about batman vs the black glove. And it's incredible.

 

[Dork Knight]

Yeah you definitely need to read Batman and Son before RIP. RIP directly goes into Final Crisis and then Battle for the Cowl, Batman and Robin and eventually the Return of Bruce of Wayne. Batman and Son for example was written in 2006 and introduces Damian, who is a key character now.

Balls! Guess I gotta pick up Batman and Son ASAP then.

So I guess I should read in this order:

1) Batman and Son
2) Batman: RIP
3) Final Crisis (even though I'm sure I won't understand shit)
4) Batman and Robin (the 2 volumes mentioned earlier in the thread)
5) Return of Bruce Wayne

???

Yeah man, that post of mine at the top of the page is in reading order. Batman and son, black glove, rip and then the three batman and Robin trades. They are a good time, trust me

Oh, cool! My bad. My list is bat dung.

 

[tim1138]

Balls! Guess I gotta pick up Batman and Son ASAP then.

So I guess I should read in this order:

1) Batman and Son
2) Batman: RIP
3) Final Crisis (even though I'm sure I won't understand shit)
4) Batman and Robin (the 2 volumes mentioned earlier in the thread)
5) Return of Bruce Wayne

???



Oh, cool! My bad. My list is bat dung.

If all you want is Batman stuff you can skip Final Crisis with no worries--the outcome of it as it relates to Batman is picked up in the other Bat books. But otherwise you need to read them in order to fully grasp what's going on. And yeah it looks intimidating, but it is a really, *really* good read and pretty impressive to think Morrison started planting the seeds back in 2006 and it's still going on today.

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

Balls! Guess I gotta pick up Batman and Son ASAP then.

So I guess I should read in this order:

1) Batman and Son
2) Batman: RIP
3) Final Crisis (even though I'm sure I won't understand shit)
4) Batman and Robin (the 2 volumes mentioned earlier in the thread)
5) Return of Bruce Wayne

???



Oh, cool! My bad. My list is bat dung.

Oh and seriously, don't bother with final crisis yet. All you need to know is at the end of the rip trade. FC is great for other reasons but was a confusing mess for people trying to follow batman only. When you finish rip just read a synopsis or come back to it later (since you'll want to get onto batman and robin reborn asap)

 

[Dork Knight]

Oh and seriously, don't bother with final crisis yet. All you need to know is at the end of the rip trade. FC is great for other reasons but was a confusing mess for people trying to follow batman only. When you finish rip just read a synopsis or come back to it later (since you'll want to get onto batman and robin reborn asap)

Okie dokie. Yeah, I've heard that Final Crisis is mad confusing if you didn't keep up with everything. I really don't mind passing on it, but I am curious since it was such a major event. I might read it someday when all the other stuff I want is checked out.

But, at the end of the day, I only really care about Batman and to a very lesser extent, Green Lantern. Though I do enjoy reading one-off Superman stories.

Finished Red Son today and it was pretty good. Not as good as Superman: Secret Identity or the first volume of All-Star Superman, but still a great "what if?" story.

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

Okie dokie. Yeah, I've heard that Final Crisis is mad confusing if you didn't keep up with everything. I really don't mind passing on it, but I am curious since it was such a major event. I might read it someday when all the other stuff I want is checked out.

But, at the end of the day, I only really care about Batman and to a very lesser extent, Green Lantern. Though I do enjoy reading one-off Superman stories.

Finished Red Son today and it was pretty good. Not as good as Superman: Secret Identity or the first volume of All-Star Superman, but still a great "what if?" story.

Yaah, I don't think Final Crisis is bad by any means and if you like comics you should probably read it. It gets a lot of flack from people though, it's a very polarising work. I think that it's one of the books that fully sums up Grant Morrison's worldview, especially at the time it was written. It's incredibly dark, the premise is basically "What if evil won?" and is inspired by the the kind of no-hope, no-future reality we're in at the moment, especially as the media paints it. He's basically taken existential despair and boiled it down to superpeople hitting each other really hard, and for that reason it works so well. Like, what is Darkseid if not the physical embodiment of pure platonic evil, more even than the christian devil or the greek and Roman gods of evil. He's pure blackness and sickness and he infects everything he touches like a mold. I always like it when Morrison tries to explain what are essentially Gods interacting with reality and people and how immense it is and I think in FC he perfectly nails that feeling of absolute despair, at least on a superhero level (that is kinda metaphorically talking about the real world but in the purer form of archetype that superhero comics work in).

I think that it almost works better with regards to its lofty themes than as a knockabout superhero event story though. That part can be muddled and confusing at times, especially without some of the ancillary material published elsewhere. But that said its themes and the feeling it gives are so immense that it's easy to forgive its more immediate shortcomings.

 

[tim1138]

Yaah, I don't think Final Crisis is bad by any means and if you like comics you should probably read it. It gets a lot of flack from people though, it's a very polarising work. I think that it's one of the books that fully sums up Grant Morrison's worldview, especially at the time it was written. It's incredibly dark, the premise is basically "What if evil won?" and is inspired by the the kind of no-hope, no-future reality we're in at the moment, especially as the media paints it. He's basically taken existential despair and boiled it down to superpeople hitting each other really hard, and for that reason it works so well. Like, what is Darkseid if not the physical embodiment of pure platonic evil, more even than the christian devil or the greek and Roman gods of evil. He's pure blackness and sickness and he infects everything he touches like a mold. I always like it when Morrison tries to explain what are essentially Gods interacting with reality and people and how immense it is and I think in FC he perfectly nails that feeling of absolute despair, at least on a superhero level (that is kinda metaphorically talking about the real world but in the purer form of archetype that superhero comics work in).

I think that it almost works better with regards to its lofty themes than as a knockabout superhero event story though. That part can be muddled and confusing at times, especially without some of the ancillary material published elsewhere. But that said its themes and the feeling it gives are so immense that it's easy to forgive its more immediate shortcomings.

Couldn't agree more on Final Crisis. Anyone who is a fan of the DCverse in general should definitely give it a read, but if you're just looking to see what happens to Batman, than come back to it at a later point. I've re-read FC five or six times now and each time I go back to it I pick up on something new that I missed in previous reads. For all its density and complexity it's probably my favorite "event" comic in a looong time.

Also, I dig the We3 avatar, good stuff.

 

[beat]

He's also making a batman version. It sounds great.

Yeah, I can't wait. Not only was Superman: Secret Identity great, but the Batman one is with another of my all-time favourite artists ever: John Paul Leon.

 

[Dork Knight]

Yaah, I don't think Final Crisis is bad by any means and if you like comics you should probably read it. It gets a lot of flack from people though, it's a very polarising work. I think that it's one of the books that fully sums up Grant Morrison's worldview, especially at the time it was written. It's incredibly dark, the premise is basically "What if evil won?" and is inspired by the the kind of no-hope, no-future reality we're in at the moment, especially as the media paints it. He's basically taken existential despair and boiled it down to superpeople hitting each other really hard, and for that reason it works so well. Like, what is Darkseid if not the physical embodiment of pure platonic evil, more even than the christian devil or the greek and Roman gods of evil. He's pure blackness and sickness and he infects everything he touches like a mold. I always like it when Morrison tries to explain what are essentially Gods interacting with reality and people and how immense it is and I think in FC he perfectly nails that feeling of absolute despair, at least on a superhero level (that is kinda metaphorically talking about the real world but in the purer form of archetype that superhero comics work in).

I think that it almost works better with regards to its lofty themes than as a knockabout superhero event story though. That part can be muddled and confusing at times, especially without some of the ancillary material published elsewhere. But that said its themes and the feeling it gives are so immense that it's easy to forgive its more immediate shortcomings.

Wow! Reading that makes me wanna check it out even more now. I actually dig stories where the villains get the upper hand, because heroes winning all the time gets kinda boring.

I'll definitely give that a read after I finish the massive Grant Morrison run. I might just try to read Batman and Son at a bookstore or something. I wanna get started ASAP!

Yeah, I can't wait. Not only was Superman: Secret Identity great, but the Batman one is with another of my all-time favourite artists ever: John Paul Leon.

If they're doing a Batman book in the same vein as Secret Identity, I'm *so* on board! Though I wonder how it will work, considering what made Secret Identity so cool was the fact that Superman was placed in a real work devoid of super villains and other fictional stuff. Not saying it can't happen with Batman, but I don't know if it will have the same charm that Secret Identity has.

 

[Melchiah]

Wohoo! Just got Brian Azzarello's Joker & Broken City, Knightfall (unfortunately they only had part three, Knightsend) and Cataclysm + the 10th book of Y: The Last Man series and Warren Ellis' Doktor Sleepless from the library. =)

 

[tralfazz]

Balls! Guess I gotta pick up Batman and Son ASAP then.

So I guess I should read in this order:

1) Batman and Son
2) Batman: RIP
3) Final Crisis (even though I'm sure I won't understand shit)
4) Batman and Robin (the 2 volumes mentioned earlier in the thread)
5) Return of Bruce Wayne

???



Oh, cool! My bad. My list is bat dung.

You need to add Batman: The Black Glove as #2, behind Batman and Son.

Just went through this whole run in January and it was amazing. Batman & Robin is just awesome and Damien is the sh*t! Enjoy it. You may want to look at Long Shadows and Life After Death also as they flesh out Dick as Batman a little more but they are not necessary for the main arc. I think they fall in place after Battle for the Cowl.

 

[Boonoo]

If they're doing a Batman book in the same vein as Secret Identity, I'm *so* on board! Though I wonder how it will work, considering what made Secret Identity so cool was the fact that Superman was placed in a real work devoid of super villains and other fictional stuff. Not saying it can't happen with Batman, but I don't know if it will have the same charm that Secret Identity has.

I imagine that rather than any supervillian type stuff there will be a focus on street crime and whatnot. I liked that in S:SI most of his super heroing was saving people from everyday disasters; I could see Batman going in the same vein with muggers and rapists and whatnot.

Here's a quick interview with Busiek. I like this bit at the end he says.

I don't want to say too much, because it's going to be awhile before it comes out. But I will say that in Superman: Secret Identity, Clark Kent is somebody who is heartily sick of Superman. He discovers that he has the powers, and it brings up questions about his place in the world and who he is in secret inside.

So he's somebody who didn't like Superman, but in becoming Superman, he learns about himself.

Bruce Wainwright, however, loves Batman. But becoming Batman is not a happy process. So where Clark goes from dislike to a sort of acceptance and wonder, Bruce goes from love to horror.

So I won't say more about it than that, this far away from the book coming out. But yeah, given the two of them, you'd rather be Clark than Bruce.

 

[Dork Knight]

Wohoo! Just got Brian Azzarello's Joker & Broken City, Knightfall (unfortunately they only had part three, Knightsend) and Cataclysm + the 10th book of Y: The Last Man series and Warren Ellis' Doktor Sleepless from the library. =)

Nice! I read Joker back when it came out and thought it was merely OK. The art is beautiful, but the story was kinda meh. But, then again, Joker is my favorite comic book character of all time, so my bar is pretty high when it comes to stories about him.

And I'm bummed my library doesn't cover Knightfall -- I really want to read it. Guess it's too old! Haha.

You need to add Batman: The Black Glove as #2, behind Batman and Son.

Just went through this whole run in January and it was amazing. Batman & Robin is just awesome and Damien is the sh*t! Enjoy it. You may want to look at Long Shadows and Life After Death also as they flesh out Dick as Batman a little more but they are not necessary for the main arc. I think they fall in place after Battle for the Cowl.

Yep yep! I ended up reading Batman and Son, Black Glove, RIP, and Battle for the Cowl. About to start Batman & Robin! Can't wait, since I looooove Frank Quitely's art (I just finished reading All-Star Superman, too!). So far, this Grant Morrison story arch is pretty good, although it's pretty damn confusing some of the time. I felt like the Black Mask reveal and conclusion was rather weak considering how awesome the buildup was. Oh well! Hopefully Batman & Robin will change my mind!

Oh, and thanks for the Long Shadows/Life After Death recommendations. My library carries both, so I'll request 'em both.

BTW: Does Damien get better in Batman & Robin? Because currently, he's just a spoiled little snot. Haha.

I imagine that rather than any supervillian type stuff there will be a focus on street crime and whatnot. I liked that in S:SI most of his super heroing was saving people from everyday disasters; I could see Batman going in the same vein with muggers and rapists and whatnot.

Here's a quick interview with Busiek. I like this bit at the end he says.

OK, after reading that, I'm sold (not that I wasn't sold already!).

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

Nice! I read Joker back when it came out and thought it was merely OK. The art is beautiful, but the story was kinda meh. But, then again, Joker is my favorite comic book character of all time, so my bar is pretty high when it comes to stories about him.

And I'm bummed my library doesn't cover Knightfall -- I really want to read it. Guess it's too old! Haha.



Yep yep! I ended up reading Batman and Son, Black Glove, RIP, and Battle for the Cowl. About to start Batman & Robin! Can't wait, since I looooove Frank Quitely's art (I just finished reading All-Star Superman, too!). So far, this Grant Morrison story arch is pretty good, although it's pretty damn confusing some of the time. I felt like the Black Mask reveal and conclusion was rather weak considering how awesome the buildup was. Oh well! Hopefully Batman & Robin will change my mind!

Oh, and thanks for the Long Shadows/Life After Death recommendations. My library carries both, so I'll request 'em both.

BTW: Does Damien get better in Batman & Robin? Because currently, he's just a spoiled little snot. Haha.



OK, after reading that, I'm sold (not that I wasn't sold already!).

Black Mask or Black Glove? I can't remember what happened in Battle for the Cowl

Spoiler

piece of shit cash-in miniseries...

but you might mean Black Glove. If so hold onto your hat, becuase you are literally only halfway through the story!

I'm currently re-reading the same story and it's funny how much clearer it is on the second read. In B&R they literally say exactly what's going on with Doctor Hurt a few times and yet it's not until the second read that it's really apparent or that it makes total sense.

Also, bear in mind that Batman and Robin Must Die was released at the exact same time as Return of Bruce Wayne and they were kinda intended to be read concurrently, switching off issues. There are references to the Miagani in B&R that make very little sense until later in the run of RoBW.

As for Damian, I loved him from his first real issue ("I want a laptop!!" lol) but he really grows in B&R. His relationship with Dick is just note perfect, and I love the way he calls Alfred 'Pennyworth'. Make sure you post when you've finished, would be cool to have an in depth spoiler talk

 

[Dork Knight]

Black Mask or Black Glove? I can't remember what happened in Battle for the Cowl

Spoiler

piece of shit cash-in miniseries...

but you might mean Black Glove. If so hold onto your hat, becuase you are literally only halfway through the story!

I'm currently re-reading the same story and it's funny how much clearer it is on the second read. In B&R they literally say exactly what's going on with Doctor Hurt a few times and yet it's not until the second read that it's really apparent or that it makes total sense.

Also, bear in mind that Batman and Robin Must Die was released at the exact same time as Return of Bruce Wayne and they were kinda intended to be read concurrently, switching off issues. There are references to the Miagani in B&R that make very little sense until later in the run of RoBW.

As for Damian, I loved him from his first real issue ("I want a laptop!!" lol) but he really grows in B&R. His relationship with Dick is just note perfect, and I love the way he calls Alfred 'Pennyworth'. Make sure you post when you've finished, would be cool to have an in depth spoiler talk

Oops! Yeah, I meant Black *Glove,* not Mask (I got them confused because I finished Battle for the Cowl this morning). Though, now that I think about it, they never really revealed who Black Mask is in Battle for the Cowl (unless I'm too dumb and missed it).

I'm stoked to hear that the Black Glove ordeal is continued in Batman & Robin (the impression I got after RIP was that it was pretty much over). Before I start that first book, however, I'm going to read Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader. I loved the Alan Moore Superman version, so I have high hopes the Batman take is just as good.

And I kinda figured Damian would get better in B&R, considering he played a fairly minor role back before Bruce "died." But I still think he's an annoying little brat -- haha!

Oh, and I totally plan to update this thread once I get through the whole arch. It's pretty cool to be somewhat caught up with current Batman continuity. Looking forward to eventually getting to Batman Inc!

 

[Zabka]

If you enjoy the Grant Morrison Batman trades and All-Star Superman, you might enjoy reading his Seven Soldiers of Victory series. 30 issues covering the entire lifespan of the DCU.

It starts with Seven Soldiers #0, breaks out into 7 4-issue miniseries, then ends with Seven Soldiers #1. It's collected in four trade paperbacks that are presented in the comics' release order.

The seeds of Final Crisis were planted in the Mister Miracle mini-series. And the seeds of Seven Soldiers were actually planted in the first few issues of JLA: Confidential. It's pretty amazing how much freedom GM's been given with the DC universe. It's always great going back to his older comics and finding connections to things being released today.

ETA: There's an upcoming TPB containing Batman #700 - 703 named "Time and the Batman". It doesn't need to be read in order with the other GM comics. Batman #700 is a mystery covering 3 different generations of Batman (and beyond) and #701-702 is a lost days of RIP / Final Crisis that fills in some gaps in the story.

 

[Lonestar]

Oops! Yeah, I meant Black *Glove,* not Mask (I got them confused because I finished Battle for the Cowl this morning). Though, now that I think about it, they never really revealed who Black Mask is in Battle for the Cowl (unless I'm too dumb and missed it).

I'm stoked to hear that the Black Glove ordeal is continued in Batman & Robin (the impression I got after RIP was that it was pretty much over). Before I start that first book, however, I'm going to read Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader. I loved the Alan Moore Superman version, so I have high hopes the Batman take is just as good.

And I kinda figured Damian would get better in B&R, considering he played a fairly minor role back before Bruce "died." But I still think he's an annoying little brat -- haha!

Oh, and I totally plan to update this thread once I get through the whole arch. It's pretty cool to be somewhat caught up with current Batman continuity. Looking forward to eventually getting to Batman Inc!

I read somewhere, that it is now known who Black Mask is. But can't remember when it became known.

 

[Dork Knight]

If you enjoy the Grant Morrison Batman trades and All-Star Superman, you might enjoy reading his Seven Soldiers of Victory series. 30 issues covering the entire lifespan of the DCU.

It starts with Seven Soldiers #0, breaks out into 7 4-issue miniseries, then ends with Seven Soldiers #1. It's collected in four trade paperbacks that are presented in the comics' release order.

The seeds of Final Crisis were planted in the Mister Miracle mini-series. And the seeds of Seven Soldiers were actually planted in the first few issues of JLA: Confidential. It's pretty amazing how much freedom GM's been given with the DC universe. It's always great going back to his older comics and finding connections to things being released today.

ETA: There's an upcoming TPB containing Batman #700 - 703 named "Time and the Batman". It doesn't need to be read in order with the other GM comics. Batman #700 is a mystery covering 3 different generations of Batman (and beyond) and #701-702 is a lost days of RIP / Final Crisis that fills in some gaps in the story.

Interesting. Is Seven Soldiers worth reading? My library carries it, so I'll definitely check it out if it's a good read (especially since I'm burning through all the quality Batman books really quickly).

I'll definitely check out Time and The Batman, too (if my library carries it, that is!). I love me any and all Batman, so I'll pretty much read anything involving him.

I read somewhere, that it is now known who Black Mask is. But can't remember when it became known.

Ah! Then I'm not stupid. Well, I am stupid. Just not as stupid as I thought.

 

[Ponn]

I read somewhere, that it is now known who Black Mask is. But can't remember when it became known.

Read that mini series Batman Arkham, came out about a year ago I think.

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

I don't know why this is the forgotten masterpiece but it's PAUL FREAKING POPE DOING BATMAN. It's freaking amazing, it absolutely belongs in the canon.

 

[Timo]

I don't know why this is the forgotten masterpiece but it's PAUL FREAKING POPE DOING BATMAN. It's freaking amazing, it absolutely belongs in the canon.

Good to see the last post was the most successful. He also did short Batman story in his Solo issue for DC, check it out.