If you could choose one Batman story to introduce someone to Batman comics...

If you folks liked LONG HALLOWEEN, check out BATMAN ANNUAL 14 which LOEB aped so bad!
 
I recently started to interest my neighbour into Batman (and comics in general), and after givingf it a lot of thought I decided to lend him some backissues of Grant and Breyfogle's run from Detective comics. These stories are short, light (and dark at the same time) and just utterly insane! This was the run that got me hooked back in the days.
 
A combination of BTAS and Batman Year One did it for me.

Made me a Bat-fan for life.
 
Batman: Noel.

It is a terrific intersection of Silver and Current Age comics, requires no prior threads, had terrific art, and is a lovefest to Dickens. It's one of my favorite graphic novels.
 
No Man's Land or Hush. Excluding the reveal for Hush, I enjoyed the way the rogues were interwoven into the plot. I came to each of these without any background in the comics and enjoyed both of them in terms of art and story. Looking at some of the other posts, I agree about TMWL; at the end I had a "so that's it?" reaction. Lee Bermejo's Joker comic is, to my mind, a better compliment to The Killing Joke when it comes to understanding the Joker.
 
Batman: Noel.

It is a terrific intersection of Silver and Current Age comics, requires no prior threads, had terrific art, and is a lovefest to Dickens. It's one of my favorite graphic novels.
I love that book. Lee Bermejo is on my top 5 of favourite artists. A true masterpiece but a little bit on the elseworlds side. Not a great starting book IMO.
 
If you folks liked LONG HALLOWEEN, check out BATMAN ANNUAL 14 which LOEB aped so bad!

And somehow managed to make an inferior version of as well.

Seriously, Long Halloween fans. I love it too, but it makes very little sense and Harvey's transformation to Two-Face is given incredibly little analysis or justification. Batman Annual 14 is probably the single best version of Two-Face's origin. It is astounding.
 
Way too many people recommending the Long Halloween, way too many.

- The Dark Knight Returns
- Year One
- Earth One
- Arkham Asylum
- Batman: Gothic
- Batman: Prey
- If you want to invest: Absolute Batman and Robin.
 
I would start with Legends of the Dark Knight in 1989, immediately following Year One - the first 20 issues.

In this order:

1. Batman: Year One
2. Shaman (LotDK Issues #1-5)
3. Gothic (LotDK Issues #6-10)
4. Prey (LotDK Issues #11-15)
5. Venom (LotDK Issues #16-20)

^ In my opinion, there has NEVER been a more amazing consecutive run of 20 straight issues in all of Batman's history.

And if you read Shaman right after Year One, it references things that make it take place immediately after. It's all one story. No BS, no continuity issues... It's perfect. It's flawless.

6. The Killing Joke

^ I would then pick The Killing Joke. Why?

- It's short (52 pages).
- It's sweet.
- It's dark.
- It's to-the-point.
- It's very accessible.
- It's everything I think a Batman story should be.
 
I would start with Legends of the Dark Knight in 1989, immediately following Year One - the first 20 issues.

In this order:

1. Batman: Year One
2. Shaman (LotDK Issues #1-5)
3. Gothic (LotDK Issues #6-10)
4. Prey (LotDK Issues #11-15)
5. Venom (LotDK Issues #16-20)

^ In my opinion, there has NEVER been a more amazing consecutive run of 20 straight issues in all of Batman's history.

And if you read Shaman right after Year One, it references things that make it take place immediately after. It's all one story. No BS, no continuity issues... It's perfect. It's flawless.

6. The Killing Joke

^ I would then pick The Killing Joke. Why?

- It's short (52 pages).
- It's sweet.
- It's dark.
- It's to-the-point.
- It's very accessible.
- It's everything I think a Batman story should be.

Really? Own both... read both, but never back to back. Hafta try that!
 
To be fair, I've never read Killing Joke or Man Who Laughs, but if the goal is to introduce someone to the character of Batman I wouldn't choose a story that (I assume) is focused on one of his villains.
I agree, for that I choose
250px-Batman_433.jpg

Many Deaths of Batman

It's a gem worth checking out for anyone interested in knowing about Batman's practical educational background
 
LoTDK - maks. A great two-parter about Batman being maybe a lunatic convinced of being a lunatic.
 
I would also recommenc Blind Justice. Bruce Wayne is really a character, it tells a lot about his training, it introduces Ducard as a major character, and there is a lot of character development.
 
Léo Ho Tep;27337915 said:
I would also recommenc Blind Justice. Bruce Wayne is really a character, it tells a lot about his training, it introduces Ducard as a major character, and there is a lot of character development.

that story made me realize that non-comic book writers sometimes write better comic books than actual comics writers.
 
that story made me realize that non-comic book writers sometimes write better comic books than actual comics writers.
Is that the one from Detective Comics 600?
It's funny that he wrote two movies and a story the reboot took a tiny bit from
 
it's the one indeed, with the bone crusher (AKA Bane pre Bane). It's a pity Sam Hamm never wrote more Batman stories, the dude really knows how to write an interesting story with great characterization. Also Gordon was awesome in this one.

I consider Blind Justice, The Many Deaths of Batman, The MAn Who falls and Shaman to be the ultimate Batman Origins to me.
 

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