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Never really got into Batman growing up, just read Year One and the Killing Joke last year. Playing Batman: Arkham City on my PS3 right now and getting way into it. I also see that Batman: The Animated Series was recently added to Canadian Netflix, so I'm going to delve into that soon (Rarely watched it as a kid).

What are some of the best Batman trades to pick up?

Year One and The Killing Joke are literally the only Batman comics I have EVER read.

• LOVED Year One.
• Thought the Killing Joke was overrated; I think I'd probably have liked it more if I were more familiar with the characters prior to reading it.

I suspect that The Dark Knight Returns and The Long Halloween are must-reads, but what else?

Mad Love is still one of my favorites. It's a one-shot explaining the origin of Harley Quinn in the style of the original animated series.

"Batman? Batman, you say?!" - Riddler, Batman Forever

Right, let's see what I can strum up. *cracks knuckles*

-The Dark Knight Returns is definitely good, but I'd argue a bit dated. Definitely Frank Miller's second best work (below Year One). It's basically what kicked off the idea of Batman being darker and edgier.

-Long Halloween is definitely a must-read. Most people I know have loved it. Really, anything Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale do together is gold. I should also recommend their other Batman stories, Haunted Knight (a Halloween-themed mini-series with Scarecrow and two one-shots) and Long Halloween's sequel, Dark Victory. It's not quite as good as LH, but it's still very good.

-Gotham Central. You liked Year One? Gotham Central. It's like a cop show you'd see on TV, only starring the cops from Gotham. Written by Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka, who never do bad stuff.

-Venom might be an odd choice, but I really like it. You know the venom stuff that Bane takes to make himself super strong? Venom is a pre-Bane story where Batman actually takes the stuff and becomes addicted to it. And speaking of Bane...

-Knightfall is certainly dated now and feels a little too 90s at times, but it's still very compelling. That's something I say about the Death & Return of Superman, which came out around the same time. Bane makes for a great foil for Batman by not only being as smart as him, but being just as capable in a fight as him. A few years ago, DC put out three massive trade paperbacks that collect in each volume Knightfall, Knightquest (with new Batman), and the finale, KnightsEnd. The only thing it's missing is the story of how Bruce's back miraculously healed. But believe me, you're not missing anything there as even the writer of that story has condemned it.

-Robin: Year One and Batgirl: Year One, both written by long-time Bat writer Chuck Dixon, are two really fun self-contained mini-series that really hold up to time. Though there are a few cutsey references to things going on in Nightwing at the time, which Dixon was also the writer of. DC recently re-collected these two into one volume.

-While I'm at it, I'll just throw in a recommendation for Chuck Dixon and Scott McDaniel's run on Nightwing. It's a lot of fun with some incredibly well paced and fantastically drawn action sequences.

-The only reason I recommend All Star Batman & Robin is to see just how far Frank Miller has fallen in comparison to his amazing work in the 80s. It's entertaining purely in a train wreck kind of way, but make no mistake, it is incredibly entertaining. While reading it, you won't be sure if Miller has gone nuts or is taking a piss out of fans for demanding he write the character again. The same could be said for Dark Knight Strikes Again, which is even worse and I wouldn't recommend it at all.

-I haven't read it myself, but heard a great deal of positive things about Paul Pope's Batman: Year 100.

-Also second Celt's recommendation of Mad Love.

So, how's that?

Scott Snyder started writing Batman with the new 52. It's top notch stuff.

Yeah, I've only read the first volume of his run and liked it. Didn't love it, but liked it.

Another one I should mention if Hush. Personally, I never liked it, but I know a good number of people that did enjoy it. It's written by Jeph Loeb, but I find Loeb without Sale just isn't as good. No idea why. Just seems like they both bring out the best in each other. Anyway, this is drawn by Jim Lee, who I'm not really a fan of. The story as a whole feels like Loeb trying to do a modern Long Halloween, but just feels more like a tour of Batman's greatest hits (including an issue with Ra's Al Ghul that is just a giant fan-wank to Ra's first appearances).

ThatNickGuy said:

Yeah, I've only read the first volume of his run and liked it. Didn't love it, but liked it.

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The first volume is more like a part one of the court of owls story, it's good, but you don't get the big payoff like you do in volume two.

His Zero Year (not yet traded) is knocking it out of the park.

ThatNickGuy said:

"Batman? Batman, you say?!" - Riddler, Batman Forever

Right, let's see what I can strum up. *cracks knuckles*

-The Dark Knight Returns is definitely good, but I'd argue a bit dated. Definitely Frank Miller's second best work (below Year One). It's basically what kicked off the idea of Batman being darker and edgier.

So, how's that?

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But not DKR2. That is a steaming pile of poo. What they do to Robin alone is face palm worthy.

fade said:

But not DKR2. That is a steaming pile of poo. What they do to Robin alone is face palm worthy.

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Which I mentioned near the end of that post.

fade said:

But not DKR2. That is a steaming pile of poo. What they do to Robin alone is face palm worthy.

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To be completely honest, the older I get, the more the underlying crazy of the author of Dark Knight Returns starts to show through, and makes me uncomfortable.

Frank Miller has more issues than Batman. (that works on multiple levels!)

Ravenpoe said:

To be completely honest, the older I get, the more the underlying crazy of the author of Dark Knight Returns starts to show through, and makes me uncomfortable.

Frank Miller has more issues than Batman. (that works on multiple levels!)

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Also, maybe it's just me, but I fucking hate the art in The Dark Knight Returns. The art is just... ugly. And combined with what I previously mentioned about it... everything is just ugly.

Now, the art in The Long Halloween... that's some good shit. I don't know what it is about Jeff Loeb and Tim Sale, but they bring out the best in each other.

Just stay far away from anything involving Loeb and not Sale... just... just stay far away.

That's so true.

I have an...unusual selection. I mean, read this if you want something fun, you know?

Batman vs. Predator. It's just so...I don't know. It's well written or as well written as such a cross over can be. The inking is superb and it takes the best of both characters and mashes it up.

I know. Weird pick but I love it all the same.

LittleSin said:

Batman vs. Predator. It's just so...I don't know. It's well written or as well written as such a cross over can be. The inking is superb and it takes the best of both characters and mashes it up.

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Seconded. Though, not so much BvP2, though the third story was pretty good. Or maybe I'm not remembering correctly. Anyway, the first BvP is good.

I liked Batman Cataclysm and Batman: No Man's Land.

Oh yeah, I would forgot about Batman vs. Predator. There are three mini-series of those, though the the other two aren't QUITE as good.

You could probably skip Cataclysm and jump right to No Man's Land. I'm not crazy about the former, honestly. It hasn't held up to time and the ending (and "villain") is really silly when they could've just focused on the earthquake disaster.

ThatNickGuy said:

-Knightfall is certainly dated now and feels a little too 90s at times, but it's still very compelling. That's something I say about the Death & Return of Superman, which came out around the same time. Bane makes for a great foil for Batman by not only being as smart as him, but being just as capable in a fight as him. A few years ago, DC put out three massive trade paperbacks that collect in each volume Knightfall, Knightquest (with new Batman), and the finale, KnightsEnd. The only thing it's missing is the story of how Bruce's back miraculously healed. But believe me, you're not missing anything there as even the writer of that story has condemned it.

Click to expand...

I've never read the Knightfall comics, but I have read the novelization, and I remember thinking, "Huh... I'm not sure that fits the rest of the novel very well."

LittleSin said:

Batman vs. Predator. .

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Celt Z said:

Mad Love is still one of my favorites. It's a one-shot explaining the origin of Harley Quinn in the style of the original animated series.

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That sounds pretty interesting, cause I know Harley Quinn was actually made up FOR the animated series and they were actually kind of iffy about the character at first. So I would like to see how they fit her into the standard universe. I don't remember if in the animated series they even gave her an origin. Like I said, I rarely watched it as a kid.

I remember one episode with Killer Croc, and one episode with Clayface, and they may have actually been the same episode. I think I saw more than that but I remember next to nothing. Apparently, my two siblings and I are the only generation Y who didn't watch this show regularly.

Speaking of the cartoons, if they also show up on Netflix be sure to give Justice League and Justice League Unlimited a shot (they're on US NF). A bit of a different flavor than Batman TAS, but he's still well-written in it and generally the stories are solid (plus you'll be introduced to characters you didn't even know you'd like in JLU, especially The Question).

As for books I'm not super familiar with DC, and most of what I'd recommend has been said already. I would say Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? was pretty interesting, it was written by Neil Gaiman. I remember enjoying it, but it might lose a little something without being pretty familiar with the character.

CynicismKills said:

Speaking of the cartoons, if they also show up on Netflix be sure to give Justice League and Justice League Unlimited a shot (they're on US NF). A bit of a different flavor than Batman TAS, but he's still well-written in it and generally the stories are solid (plus you'll be introduced to characters you didn't even know you'd like in JLU, especially The Question).

As for books I'm not super familiar with DC, and most of what I'd recommend has been said already. I would say Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? was pretty interesting, it was written by Neil Gaiman. I remember enjoying it, but it might lose a little something without being pretty familiar with the character.

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JLU is already on my Netflix list, I don't think Justice League is on Canadian Netflix though.

I'm gonna third the recommendation of Batman vs Predator.

Most of the mainstream stuff has been touched on, so I'll focus on some Elseworlds gems

Gotham by Gaslight

Batman and Dracula: Red Rain

Batman: The Doom that Came to Gotham (Mike Freakin' Mignola and Batman, yes please)

Batman: Holy Terror

checkeredhat said:

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That sounds pretty interesting, cause I know Harley Quinn was actually made up FOR the animated series and they were actually kind of iffy about the character at first. So I would like to see how they fit her into the standard universe. I don't remember if in the animated series they even gave her an origin. Like I said, I rarely watched it as a kid.

I remember one episode with Killer Croc, and one episode with Clayface, and they may have actually been the same episode. I think I saw more than that but I remember next to nothing. Apparently, my two siblings and I are the only generation Y who didn't watch this show regularly.

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The comic Mad Love is actually based on an episode of the animated series by the same name.

Bowielee said:

The comic Mad Love is actually based on an episode of the animated series by the same name.

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Vice versa.

I don't know if it is in trades, but Batman The Cult was good mostly for the art. Berni "fucking" Wrightson working in prestige format, beautiful stuff.

Covar said:

Vice versa.

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You're right, I got them reversed.

Should be aware the Red Rain is interesting, but dated. The art is pretty bad. There's some Liefield-level anatomy and a "Noooo!" that puts Vader to shame. Still, it's worth a read.

I love Kelley Jones' art style.

I can't seem to find them at the moment, but the trades I have of Under the Red Hood and I think it's called War Crimes are pretty decent stories as well. Red Hood being a new face in town, and the other dealing with Black Mask.

I'm with @Bowie. I love Kelly Jones' art. It's twisted and grotesque in all the right ways, which fits perfectly with the horror setting for Red Rain. And why he's one of the top notch artists on Neil Gaiman's Sandman.

As far as Under the Red Hood, I would agree if it wasn't for two major notches against it: the explanation for "Red Hood's" resurrection and the ending, both of which were tied into the big DC event at the time, Infinite Crisis. If the story was able to be told self-contained, it would've been a great recommendation for anyone (which is why the movie adaptation turned out MUCH better). Otherwise, it really pulls down what could've been a great story.

ThatNickGuy said:

As far as Under the Red Hood, I would agree if it wasn't for two major notches against it: the explanation for "Red Hood's" resurrection and the ending, both of which were tied into the big DC event at the time, Infinite Crisis. If the story was able to be told self-contained, it would've been a great recommendation for anyone (which is why the movie adaptation turned out MUCH better). Otherwise, it really pulls down what could've been a great story.

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Ah yeah, I forgot about that.

Do what Nick said, watch the movie instead.

Edit: never mind. Not in an arguing mood today. To each their own.

You're gonna want to go in this order;

Julie Newmar
Michelle Pfeiffer
Yvonne Craig
Lee Merriweather
Anne Hathaway
Caesar Romero
Eartha Kitt

How did Ceasar Romero get on the list of Catwomen?

It's to cleanse the pallet before finishing with Kitt who only appears alongside Yvonne.

I like Kelley Jones too for some reason, but Fade's not wrong in the Liefeldian anatomy comparison. He does some Captain America's enormous boobs level stuff.

Why is Batman's head so small?

I don't know, from Jones it seems stylistic, whereas with Liefield it seems just incopetent. Then again, I love stylized artwork, such as Larry Strohman's run on X-factor.

Why is Batman's only leg coming out of his ribs instead of his hip?[DOUBLEPOST=1400706950,1400706827][/DOUBLEPOST]You would think that the large comics houses could afford two models on full time payroll...

At least some of those posing dolls from Ikea.

How is his right arm going THROUGH his cape? Did he switch over to a Batvest?

Yeah, and on top of that, the same character looks different every single time s/he's drawn. You have to rely on context to keep track of who's who. E.g. Tanya from the vampire trilogy. Or even the prostitute on the opening page. I also like to play Guess Which Face Was Photoreffed.

Here's some more fun Jones anatomy. Don't think I'm hating on this guy. He's lucky to have this job, which I'll never have. But regardless, I can't agree this is all stylizing:

Balls for knees:


Good thing he found that extra arm on the ground... Makes a handy club...



Or maybe he just bears down really hard and grows them out of his hips. Those are some impressively long upper arms.


BATMAN has TINY HANDS. Tiny JAZZ hands.


Joker also has extra long upper arms, and the left one has a few extra joints.


Oh come on.
[DOUBLEPOST=1400730470,1400730213][/DOUBLEPOST]Also, Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader is definitely seconded.

fade said:

Yeah, and on top of that, the same character looks different every single time s/he's drawn. You have to rely on context to keep track of who's who. E.g. Tanya from the vampire trilogy. Or even the prostitute on the opening page. I also like to play Guess Which Face Was Photoreffed.

Here's some more fun Jones anatomy. Don't think I'm hating on this guy. He's lucky to have this job, which I'll never have. But regardless, I can't agree this is all stylizing:

Balls for knees:
View attachment 14889

Good thing he found that extra arm on the ground... Makes a handy club...

View attachment 14891

Or maybe he just bears down really hard and grows them out of his hips. Those are some impressively long upper arms.
View attachment 14893

BATMAN has TINY HANDS. Tiny JAZZ hands.
View attachment 14894

Joker also has extra long upper arms, and the left one has a few extra joints.
View attachment 14896

Oh come on.
View attachment 14897[DOUBLEPOST=1400730470,1400730213][/DOUBLEPOST]Also, Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader is definitely seconded.

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Ok, terrible, terrible anatomy aside... those all look really cool. I dig it.

I don't mind the lack of anatomical correctness here because it's a unique, twisted art style that suits the story. Rob Liefeld, on the other hand, is just a terrible artist.

So these showed up on imgur.

https://imgur.com/a/62W6S?gallery
https://imgur.com/a/2H450?gallery
https://imgur.com/a/eNCHx?gallery

I haven't been through them all yet, but there have to be more than a few gems in there.

--Patrick