Jump to content
DVDVR Message Board

Good Batman Archs


Newb82

Recommended Posts

Thinking about reading some BATMAN stuff again and was wondering if anyone has some suggestions for good stories.

I know I've read NO MAN'S LAND, A DEATH IN THE FAMILY, and the arch that introduced Bane. I own THE KILLING JOKE as well.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You had to know I'd take part in this!!!

 

Batman: Year One gets my vote as the best Batman story. Love it.

 

Batman: The Long Halloween is set in the early years of Batman's career.

 

The Dark Knight Returns sees an elderly Bruce Wayne return under the cape and cowl. The animated movie adpatation made me appreciate the book more and I already liked it to begin with.

 

Batman: The Black Mirror is easily Scott Snyder's best Batman story.

 

I'd certainly recommend Grant Morrison's long run on Batman. You will need to read it in the correct order which is:

 

Batman & Son, Batman: The Black Glove, Batman R.I.P., Batman and Robin: Batman Reborn, Batman and Robin: Batman vs. Robin, Batman: Time and the Batman, Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne, Batman and Robin: Batman Must Die, Batman, Incorporated (Vol. 1), Batman, Incorporated: Demon Star (The New 52) and Batman, Incorporated: Gotham's Most Wanted (The New 52).

 

Gotham Central is about the Gotham City’s Major Crime Unit detectives investigating crimes in Gotham City. Batman doesn't appear much but don't let that stop you.

 

Batman appears even less in Batwoman: Elegy and I'd recommend that as well.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Batman - Ten Night of The Beast is one of the most awesome over the top Batman stories you can ever read. Batman trying to stop a rogue KGB agent from killing Reagan? The body count for Gotham civilians was crazy. It might be the most awesomely bizarre thing Jim Starlin ever wrote (well, at least until The Cult). Plus, awesome Jim Aparo artwork!

 

James

Link to comment
Share on other sites

the Natural nailed it. some others that i like and/or are popular:

 

HUSH

 

Batman & the Monster Men

 

my personal favorite comic is Batman '66.  if you do the digital thing and liked the 60s show, it is pitch perfect.

 

 

Batman - Ten Night of The Beast is one of the most awesome over the top Batman stories you can ever read. Batman trying to stop a rogue KGB agent from killing Reagan? The body count for Gotham civilians was crazy. It might be the most awesomely bizarre thing Jim Starlin ever wrote (well, at least until The Cult). Plus, awesome Jim Aparo artwork!

 

James

Jim Starlin's run on Batman was fantastic. the Cult, KGBeast, death of Jason Todd (story may not be the greatest but still historical). just amazing stuff.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Natural went and listed off just about everything I would recommend, with a preference for Long Halloween.  HUSH was a good shout as well, as I loved it.

 

I know its recent, but the Court of Owls arc last year and the Year Zero stuff Snyder ran with waiting for Morrison to finish up Batman Inc was good.

 

I don't think there were really any *bad* Batman arcs.  Just weak ones (like Wargames).  

 

I do think I'm the only person in the world that didn't love Dark Knight Returns.  That doesn't mean I hated it, I juts didn't love it like others did.  I perfered Kingdom Come as the "Old Batman and Superman have an idological argument" story.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Pretty much everything Natural just said. Long Halloween is one of my personal favorites. 

 

Cheers (outta likes). The Long Halloween is one of my favourites as well.

 

 

Long Halloween is such a fun ride that you don't think about how little fucking sense the whole Holiday killer reveal is.  

 

If you like Batman in a group setting, Morrison's JLA is some pretty baller Batman as he totally ups the Batman as James Bond angle to make him work in a pretty wild context.  Batman versus the Martians sets a standard for 'powers are for suckas'.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you like THE LONG HALLOWEEN,  I would suggest DARK VICTORY, which is the continuation of TLH's story. It's almost as good as TLH.  I would also recommend CATWOMAN: WHEN IN ROME, which takes place between TLH and DV. It's not great, but it does connect a few dots related to Selina's story that originated in TLH.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The older I get, the less I like The Dark Knight Returns.

 

I liked it but as another poster already pointed out, Kingdom Come offers what I feel is a vastly superior take on the aging Batman and Superman. Killing Joke was aces, as was The Long Halloween. Oh, and a blast from the long past... The original Man-Bat stuff as drawn by the great Neal Adams.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not really an arch, but Strange Apparitions covers the Steve Englehart/Marshall Rogers from the late 70s. Along with Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams, I also enjoyed Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle's Batman. There was also a lot of good stuff in the Legends of the Dark Knight series that was a sort of experimental book outside of the regular continuity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not an arc but defintely track down Batman/Grendel.  The Batman/Hunter Rose (Grendel) dynamic of cat and mouse is amazing.  I am sure it helped Matt Wagner get all of the Batman mini series he would get later on  as well

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not an arc but defintely track down Batman/Grendel.  The Batman/Hunter Rose (Grendel) dynamic of cat and mouse is amazing.  I am sure it helped Matt Wagner get all of the Batman mini series he would get later on  as well

The first one is great. The second one, not as much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ten Nights of the Beast and The Black Mirror are great. 

 

I like City of Owls and Court of Owls.  Paul Dini is my favorite Batman storyteller not named Jeph Loeb so get your hands on Mad Love, Batman: Private Casebook, Hush Money, and Batman: Detective..

 

I have a soft spot for R'as Al Ghul, so I will always reccommend Tales of the Demon, Birth of The Demon, and Son of the Demon.

 

Though technically not a Batman only storyline, JLA Tower Of Babel is fucking sweet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

J.T. if you had to rank JLA Babel, Detective, and Private Casebook, how would that go? Thinking of possibly snagging a few on Comixology. Thanks!

 

1. Private Casebook

2. Detective

3. Tower of Babel

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think Bats defining JLA moment under Morrison was in New World Order when he pieces together what the Hyperclan are and then tricks 2 of them into fighting him. It pretty much set-up how he protrayed batman from that moment onward.

 

James

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...