Help me choose what Batman Graphic Novels to read and in what order.

[Y2J850]

Ok so I am a comic book noob, I have watched Both Batman The animated series and Batman Beyond, and of course all of the Movies. I really don't know where to jump into with the amount of comics/story arcs out their to choose from. I do know from "top lists" that I do want to read
Batman Year Zero( I do hear this is the best starting point)
The Dark Knight returns
The Long halloween / Dark Victory
The Killing Joke
Arkham Asylum
The Dark Knight returns
Hush
A Death in the family
Blind Justice
Black and White
...I also am interested in any storys that have to do with the origins or deal largly with details about the Villians.
Any Ideas about the best order to read these, and if im missing any good storys etc.
thanks for the help!

[boredsilly]

I don't think it really matters in what order you read these in. Sure, they might have a chronological sense to them, but the stories you have listed stand well on their own. You just need to have a firm understanding of who Batman is, which you would have from the cartoons.

I would suggest reading Batman Year One first. And maybe Long Halloween and Dark Victory not too long after since they share some characters. Other than that, I say read the stuff in any order.

The Killing Joke is a great origin of the Joker, but also the prestige one shot The Man Who Laughs is a cool early Joker story.

[stingermck]

Batman: Lovers and Madmen, my new favorite Joker story
Strange Apparitions, classic 70's
Knightfall Trilogy
Under the Red Hood 1,2
Recent trades of Morrison, Dini stuff

I recently got the 5 trade set of Batman in the 40,50,60,70,80's and that is a great archive of stuff.

[boredsilly]

About Under the Red Hood, I would say to just read the whole Winnick run. That's actually my favorite "mainstream" (read: not one Shot or Frank Miller) version of the character. Easily the best I read of Bats in comic form in the 2000's (though I did miss all the Cataclysm fallout stuff).

[Dmacsg1]

This one is about an alternate Batman but Gotham By Gaslight is still one of my favorite Bat tales.

[Josh-da-man]

Of the "early" Batman stories, I would suggest:

Batman Year One (Miller/Mazzucelli)
Batman Long Halloween (Loeb/Sale)
Batman Dark Victory (Loeb/Sale)
Gothic (Morrison/Janson)
Batman and the Monster Men (Matt Wagner)
Batman and the Mad Monk (Matt Wagner)
Batman The Man Who Laughs (Brubaker/Mahnke)

I would also recommend both volumes of "Hush" by Loeb and Lee.

"Dark Knight Returns" by Miller
"Killing Joke" by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland

"Arkham Asylum" by Morrison and McKean can be a little esoteric; I'd really only recommend it to Grant Morrison fans.

[Josh-da-man]

This one is about an alternate Batman but Gotham By Gaslight is still one of my favorite Bat tales.

Oh yeah. Some really great Mignola art in that one.

While we're talking about Elseworlds books, the Batman/Dracula trilogy is great, too. DC recently released the whole thing in a single softcover.

[Giantrobo]

While we're talking about Elseworlds books, the Batman/Dracula trilogy is great, too. DC recently released the whole thing in a single softcover.

Yeah I don't buy many Trades but I bought this one. I remember when most of those came out but I never read them and it's nice to have them all in a Trade. But what made me go buy this was the fact that they featured this particular "Batman" and that particular Elseworld in a couple of the "Crisis" minis. It rekindled my interest in the Batman/Dracula stories.

[davidh777]

Also on the subject of Elseworlds, I like the Superman/Batman Generations trades

[fumanstan]

Of the Batman trades that i've read, i've enjoyed -

Batman: Year One
The Long Halloween
Dark Victory
Hush
The Killing Joke

And didn't care for -
Dark Knight Returns (yes, really)
All Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder
A Death in the Family

[cousindave]

Batman Year One
Batman Year Two
All Star Batman
Batman Tales of the Demon
Batman The Killing Joke
Batman Death in the Family
Batman Son of the Demon
Batman Long Halloween
Batman Dark Victory
Batman Haunted Knight
Catwoman When in Rome
JLA Tower of Babel
Batman Hush 1
Batman Hush 2
Batman & Son
Batman the Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul
Batman The Dark Knight Returns