fumanstan

I read most of Battle for the Cowl and kind of dig it, but I was hoping to read as much of the material for the entire Batman arc if possible. What compilations do I need to read to get caught up? Is Batman RIP and Final Crisis enough, or do I need to go back further to understand what's going on with Wayne? And are the Companion books worth a purchase/read at all, or are those unnecessary?

I don't normally read single issues, so all my catching up kind of depends on the sets that come out. Any suggestions on how to approach this? Thanks!

kevin75

i think the whole thing started when morrison took over batman. IIRC, it was just one long setup to RIP. looking at my bookshelf, i can see that i have batman and son, the resurrection of ra's al ghul, and the black glove all by morrison.

Cathepsin

Read Batman and Son. Follow it up with the Black Glove. Then read Batman: RIP, then Final Crisis.

You might also consider picking up Batman: The Black Casebook, which reprints a bunch of classic stories from the fifties and sixties that inspired Batman: RIP and that Morrison references often in that story. Try reading the Black Casebook after Batman and Son.

I'd skip the Companion books, and the Resurrection of R'as al Ghul. Both are unnecessary.

fumanstan

Awesome, thanks! I'll see about picking up Batman and Son first.

fumanstan

Alright, well I picked up Batman and Son and The Black Glove over the weekend and already finished reading them. Not too bad, I enjoyed the Damien Wayne stuff.

Is it just Batman RIP and Final Crisis that I need to read next?