New Reader Guide: Batman

Welcome to the Austin Books & Comics New Reader Guide! We’re here to introduce some of our favorite books that you may not already know about, and maybe even help you find your next favorite comic series!

Easily one of the most popular superheroes of all time, as well as 1/3 of DC’s Trinity, Batman has endured as one of comic’s greatest icons for nearly 80 years. From the Dark Knight to the Caped Crusader, there have been various takes on the character that can appeal to everyone.

In this guide you’ll find the recent Batman ongoing series, as well as some of the more acclaimed miniseries, story arcs, and other series.

All titles are available at the store, and if not we will be happy to special order them for you!

Current Ongoing Series

Batman

The most recent series aims to get down to the basic ideas of the character: becoming a symbol to inspire hope among the civilians and fear among the criminals. After saving Gotham City from a massive catastrophe, Batman meets a new pair of heroes who aim to replace him as their cities sole protectors.

Writer: Tom King

Artist: David Finch

All-Star Batman

This new series features reimaginings of Batman’s most iconic villains. It opens with Batman and Two-Face cuffed together, with Two-Face forcing Batman to take him to a specific location outside Gotham City. The only catch: every bounty hunter, assassin, and even ordinary citizen is out to kill the Caped Crusader before they can reach their destination.

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: John Romita, Jr.

Detective Comics

A Batman team-up book, the new Detective Comics opens with Batman and Batwoman joining forces to train the young heroes of Gotham City, including Red Robin and Spoiler, to combat a new threat that has been terrorizing the city with precision attacks.

Writer: James Tynion IV

Artist: Eddy Barrow

Concluded Series (Pre-New 52)

Batman and Robin

Following the apparent death of Batman in the Final Crisis event, this run was unique in that rather than Bruce Wayne under the cowl, it featured Dick Grayson as Batman and Damian Wayne as Robin. This series was a reversal of the usual Batman and Robin dynamic in that it featured a more lighthearted Batman paired with a gritty, scowling Robin.

Writers: Grant Morrison, Paul Cornell, Peter Tomasi, Judd Winick

Artists: Frank Quitely, Philip Tan, Cameron Stewart, Andy Clarke, Frazer Irving, Scott McDaniel, Patrick Gleason, Guillem March

Number of Volumes: 4

Batman Incorporated

Following the return of Bruce Wayne, Batman Incorporated featured Batman branching out and establishing other Bat-themed heroes around the world. The series features numerous new global Bat heroes fighting against an international crime organization known as Leviathan.

Writer: Grant Morrison

Artists: Yanick Paquette, Scott Clark, Cameron Stewart, Chris Burnham

Number of Volumes: 3

Concluded Series (New 52)

Batman

Easily one of the best titles to come out of the New 52 relaunch of 2011. One of the most notable things about this series is how Scott Snyder introduces new characters and concepts in a very original and organic way. Namely, the Court of Owls, which are tied in to the long history of Gotham City, as well as many generations of the Wayne family. This series exemplified DC’s New 52 initiative of taking a character back to their early(ish) days and making their new series easy for new readers to get into.

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Greg Capullo

Number of volumes: 8

Detective Comics

The sister series to the New 52 Batman, Detective Comics starts with Batman investigating a new villain terrorizing Gotham City known as the Gotham Ripper. As Bruce Wayne, he romantically pursues a reporter who is covering the Gotham Ripper story, as well as trying to discover Batman’s secret identity.

Writer: Tony Daniel, John Layman, Francis Manapul, Brian Buccatello, Peter Tomasi

Artist: Tony Daniel, Ed Benes, Andy Clarke, Jason Fabok, Francis Manapul, Fernando Blanco, Marcio Takara

Number of Volumes: 8

Batman and Robin

The New 52 relaunch of Batman and Robin centers around Batman taking on his son Damian Wayne as the newest Robin. The two have to get used to each other, as one is the Dark Knight of Gotham City, while the other has been raised by the League of Assassins since childhood. As they adjust to their new setup, they run afoul of a figure from Bruce Wayne’s past known as NoBody, who is very displeased about Batman, Inc. exposing his secret war on crime.

Writer: Peter Tomasi

Artist: Patrick Gleason, Mick Gray

Number of Volumes: 7

Batman/Superman

It’s well-known that Batman and Superman are the best of friends. However, in the relaunched New 52 continuity, the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel barely know each other. This series depicts the early days of their partnership, and how they went from the heroes of their respective cities to the World’s Finest.

Writer: Greg Pak

Artists: Jae Lee, Ben Oliver, Brett Booth, Jonathan Glapion, Ardian Syaf, Vicente Cifuentes

Number of Volumes: 5

Limited Series, Collections, and Graphic Novels

Batman ’66

A throwback to the 1966 TV series, Batman ’66 is a different take on the Caped Crusader, dialing up the camp and style to deliver a goofy but exceedingly clever and entertaining series. Full of BIFFs, POWs, and every Bat-device under the sun, this is a series Bat-fans of all ages can enjoy.

Writers: Jeff Parker, Mike W. Barr, Harlan Ellison, Jeff Parker, Len Wein, Ray Fawkes, Gabe Soria

Artists: Richard Case, Jonathan Case, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Michael Avon Oeming, Ruben Procopio, Jon Bogdanove, Brent Schoonover, Ty Templeton

Number of volumes: 5

Arkham Asylum

On April Fool’s Day, the inmates of Arkham Asylum take over, demanding Batman in exchange for the hostages. Batman accepts, and has to endure a gauntlet of traps, torture, and other insanities from the nightmares of his greatest villains, including Poison Ivy, Two-Face, Joker, and others.

Writer: Grant Morrison

Artist: Dave McKean

Arkham City

The prequel to the acclaimed video game of the same name, Arkham City sets up the game by revealing more of Hugo Strange and Mayor Sharp’s motivations for building the walled-off prison city.

Writer: Paul Dini

Artist: Adam Archer, Carlos D’Anda, Derek Fridolfs, Ben Herrera, Ted Naifeh, Dustin Nguyen, Roger Robinson

The Dark Knight Returns

One of the greatest Batman stories, The Dark Knight Returns features an older, grizzled Batman returning to action in Gotham after a decade. With a new, ultraviolent breed of criminal running rampant along with some familiar but even more dangerous foes, Batman is pushed to his limit to protect Gotham City.

Writer/Artist: Frank Miller

A Death in the Family

One of the most well-known Batman stories because the ending was decided by a fan vote, A Death in the Family featured the second Robin (Jason Todd) acting against Batman’s warnings about the Joker and paying the ultimate price. Following this, Batman sets out to avenge his fallen ward.

Writers: George Perez, Jim Starlin, Marv Wolfman

Artists: Jim Aparo, Tom Grummett

Hush

Batman sets out to discover the identity of Hush, a mysterious new foe who has been using the Dark Knight’s enemies – and allies – against him to cause chaos.

Writer: Jeph Loeb

Artist: Jim Lee

The Killing Joke

Another one of Batman’s best-known stories, The Killing Joke is an origin story for the Joker, and centers around the premise that even the best of us can be driven completely insane if pushed hard enough. It features the Joker torturing Jim Gordon in all manner of ways including kidnapping and hurting his daughter (and Batgirl) Barbara while giving us glimpses at the events that drove the Joker over the edge.

Writer: Alan Moore

Artist: Brian Bolland

The Long Halloween

Depicting Batman’s early days, The Long Halloween features a villain that only kills people on holidays. Batman must work with police lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent to stop this new foe known as Holiday. Not only does this story keep the reader guessing, it also ties into the origin of Harvey Dent as the villainous Two-Face.

Writer: Jeph Loeb

Artist: Tim Sale

Dark Victory

The sequel to The Long Halloween, Dark Victory depicts Gotham City’s criminal underworld transforming from traditional organized crime to the powered supervillainy of Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, and the Joker. In addition to that, the serial killer known as Holiday seems to have reappeared and is wreaking havoc once again.

Writer: Jeph Loeb

Artist: Tim Sale

Earth One

Part of DC’s line of Earth One original graphic novels, Batman: Earth One features a young, vulnerable, angry Bruce Wayne setting out to avenge his parents’ deaths while combating the corrupt Gotham City police that let his parents’ killers go free.

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Gary Frank

Year One

Another one of the greatest Batman stories, Year One depicts Bruce Wayne’s first year under the cowl fighting crime in Gotham City.

Writer: Frank Miller

Artist: David Mazzucchelli

Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader

Written as the “last” Batman story, Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? depicts Batman’s allies and enemies coming together to eulogize the Dark Knight, each with a different version of how he died. Despite the wildly varying versions of Batman’s death, they all contain one central idea: Batman never, ever stops fighting.

Writer: Neil Gaiman

Artist: Andy Kubert

Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Ninja Turtles villain Shredder and his Foot Clan ninjas travels to Gotham City via dimensional warp, with sights set on conquest. The Dark Knight must team up with the Heroes in a Half Shell to fight the combined forces of their greatest foes.

Writer: James Tynion IV

Artist: Freddie E. Williams II

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