The Batman comics recommendation thread!

[Cain]

I pulled out a grip of books to read this past weekend

as you can see the majority where some titles from my Batman collection which I haven't peered through for a while. More importantly I realized the majority are by Alan Grant & Norm Breyfogle the Batman duo that defined my childhood. I cannot stress enough how worth the time their runs on BATMAN, 'tec and Shadow were. So I reiterate as usual to track those down however you can cause you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you don't.

 

[Drz]

Sadly theres like only 2 collected trades from them, right? Last Arkham & Anarky.

 

[Cobblepot]

Yup, those stories def. need reprinting!

 

[Two-Face]

Anyone read Joker? Is it good?

 

[Drz]

It's mostly positive but there was some disappointings among people. Some found Joker lacking any charm whatsoever. See Brian Azarello made the Joker so cruel and evil, that the jokes are only funny to him really. He skins a man naked on a strip club... You know? He stripped him. And whatnot. It's a very criminal story with an intriquing Batman subplot thats very deeply hidden to the story, it basicly deals with Joker taking back his turf while having a war againts Two-Face. Killer Croc, Riddler, Harley Quinn and Batman are part of the story too.

So yeah i'd recommend it, and once you read it... Use the search function for the Joker thread, and read Ace of Knaves' and Captainclowns' very insightful posts about it.

 

[BlazeDragon]

Batman: Hush

 

[Figs]

Batman: Hush

Speaking of Hush.

I was on Amazon.com looking for stuff to preorder and I noticed they had a book that is being released on February 8th, 2011 called Batman: Hush Unwrapped.

Has anyone heard of this or know if any single issues have come out already? They already have a tpb for both Hush 1 & 2 so it wouldn't be that I assume.

 

[Cobblepot]

I ahve no idea, my guess it's another Hush collection with a few extra's. I'd stick with the Absolute.

 

[Comics N' Toons]

i love Hush personally!

 

[Drz]

Allright i need some words of advice, can you guys recommend me:
Batman: Brotherhood of the Bat (Doug Moench)
Batman: Haunted Gotham (Dough Moench & Kelly Jones)
Batman: Demon (Alan Grant)
Batman & Demon: A Tragedy (Alan Grant)

any reviews/thoughts to share?

 

[returntovoid]

I pulled out a grip of books to read this past weekend

as you can see the majority where some titles from my Batman collection which I haven't peered through for a while. More importantly I realized the majority are by Alan Grant & Norm Breyfogle the Batman duo that defined my childhood. I cannot stress enough how worth the time their runs on BATMAN, 'tec and Shadow were. So I reiterate as usual to track those down however you can cause you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you don't.

What Alan Grant/Norm Breyfogle Batman stories would you consider highlights/essential and have classic villains???

 

[The Joker]

What Alan Grant/Norm Breyfogle Batman stories would you consider highlights/essential and have classic villains???

My personal favorite is Detective Comics #610 and 611, which feature The Penguin, who is presented in an extremely deadly manner.

 

[david icke]

Yeah, when I started buying Batman comics again in 89, the Grant/Breyfogyle team was just pure new fresh dynamite to read, the first story I read by them is probably still my favourite..Detective Comics 601-603, featuring the Demon, Etrigan.

I bought the back issues of the ones I missed, and of those I really enjoyed the two-part 'Ratcatcher' story, a somewhat daft villan, but I like that he is daft but also gives Batman a bit of run for his
money. (585-586)

edit: There was also a great issue that had a radio dj playing records along to Batman's expoits, the Rolling Stones' 'Street Fighting Man' was one, and Grant had the lyrics all match up to whatever he was doing, that was part of a 3 parter with Cadaver and a big mutated Acid Monster man.(587-589)

I always liked that one shot issue that is pictured above, Batman standing with the group of kids, issue 614 i think it is from looking at it, it has a very cool moment of Batman facing down a biker gang, and a good flashback to the young Bruce Wayne getting into a scrape.

The first two parter with Cornelius Stirk was a good one too(592-93), and that's the thing, they were good at coming up with their own villans who immediately felt like part of the Batman universe, Zsaz, Stirk, Anarchy(even though he was a 'V' take-off), Ratcatcher, Cadaver, sure there were more i can't recall right now, i never read the filmfreak one.
edit: and Scarface, how could i forget him.

Jeez, they were all good, I can't really think of a bum issue they ever did.

edit: the thing about those guys stories were that they were full of humour, they were still serious Batman stories, but there was always some little gag here and there, and the way the Etrigan story ends is hilarious. I can't say I ever got that from the Batman/Detective comics of Gerry Conway, doug Moench and co of the late 70s/early 80s, that combined with the sheer verve and uniqueness of NB's art was what made them feel so fresh to me.
NB should still be doing BM books.

 

[Doctor Who]

It's mostly positive but there was some disappointings among people. Some found Joker lacking any charm whatsoever. See Brian Azarello made the Joker so cruel and evil, that the jokes are only funny to him really. He skins a man naked on a strip club... You know? He stripped him. And whatnot. It's a very criminal story with an intriquing Batman subplot thats very deeply hidden to the story, it basicly deals with Joker taking back his turf while having a war againts Two-Face. Killer Croc, Riddler, Harley Quinn and Batman are part of the story too.

So yeah i'd recommend it, and once you read it... Use the search function for the Joker thread, and read Ace of Knaves' and Captainclowns' very insightful posts about it.

I thought it was a very interesting take. It lacks in some points, but overall one of the better Elseworld stories Batman has to offer; the story's uniquely cool and the artwork alone is worth the buy.

 

[Cain]

What Alan Grant/Norm Breyfogle Batman stories would you consider highlights/essential and have classic villains???

The Return of Scarface (Batman #475 & 476 + 'tec #642) is great. The Obeah Man arc from 'tec #618 - 621 is essential as far as Tim Drake goes. The excellent Tulpa arc with the Demon from 'tec #601 - 603 as mentioned is also a fantastic read. The Mud Pack arc from 'tec #604 - 607 is often considered the greatest Clayface story ever told.

The Catwoman 2 parter from Batman #460 - 461 has always been a fave of mine too. I'd recommend those but my most favorite ones are actually one shots by them like 'tec #613 a powerful tale that was the first time I realized as a youngin that even Batman could fail to save the day sometimes.

Or Batman #459 which largely focuses on a date between Gordon & Essen back when their relationship was being developed post-Year One. TBH though you really can't go wrong with anything by Grant & Breyfogle at all I'd say pick up any issue you can find and you're guaranteed to be satisfied.

I always liked that one shot issue that is pictured above, Batman standing with the group of kids, issue 614 i think it is from looking at it, it has a very cool moment of Batman facing down a biker gang, and a good flashback to the young Bruce Wayne getting into a scrape.

Yep that's the one, I agree with you about the villain thing by the way. Grant's creations always fit Gotham very organically I'd say Morrison, Moench & Rucka were the only other modern Batman writers that I also feel that way about.

 

[ALP]

Currently reading and picking up Denny O'Neal's whole Ra's Al Ghul run from Detective Comics and Batman. I have Tales of the Demon but many in between are missing.

 

[returntovoid]

What Norm Breyfogle Batman comic has The Joker in it???

 

[david icke]

What Norm Breyfogle Batman comic has The Joker in it???

The Joker one is Detective Comics 617 - and yes, it's a good one.

other issues that feature classic villans from the rogue's gallery is...

Detective Comics 612 - Catwoman and Catman

Batman 471 - a good Killer Croc one

Batman - 460, 461 - Catwoman

Batman 455, 456, 457 - The Scarecrow

Detective comics - 604-607 - Clayfaces

all good issues, get your ass to e-bay!

 

[ALP]

Jeez...you people are really good with numbers. I personally couldn't remember the numbers of the comics for the life of me. I've gotten most of the Ra's stories now. Couple more to go. Next I am trying collecting all Batman comics from the 70s in either tpb or in single shots which can be difficult...but first I think I'll take a break from Batman and head to X-Men or Spider-Man.

Oh and someone recommend me a couple of the best Batman elsewhere tales. Preferrably ones quite gothic.

 

[david icke]

Jeez...you people are really good with numbers. I personally couldn't remember the numbers of the comics for the life of me. I've gotten most of the Ra's stories now. Couple more to go. Next I am trying collecting all Batman comics from the 70s in either tpb or in single shots which can be difficult...but first I think I'll take a break from Batman and head to X-Men or Spider-Man.

Oh and someone recommend me a couple of the best Batman elsewhere tales. Preferrably ones quite gothic.

I'm terrible with numbers, I had just happened to have pulled out my Grant/Breyfogyle comics from my box after this conversation last week, so had them handy for a looksee.

As for Batman elseworld's tales, it's not particularly gothic, but more along the lines of being in the style of the Neal Adams/Irv Norvick Ras Al Ghul stories of the 70s, there is a great one in the Detective comics Annual of 1991, and no i do not recall the actual number of it, hold on and i will go up the stairs for a quick look.......................ok, it's Detective Comics Annual no4. Really fantastic tale of a possible future of Batman in the DKR mould, by Louise Simonson and Tom Grindberg.

 

[ALP]

Thanks, apperciate it!

And I've never thought about it before...but is Arkham Asylum an Elsewhere tale?

 

[returntovoid]

Jeez...you people are really good with numbers. I personally couldn't remember the numbers of the comics for the life of me. I've gotten most of the Ra's stories now. Couple more to go. Next I am trying collecting all Batman comics from the 70s in either tpb or in single shots which can be difficult...but first I think I'll take a break from Batman and head to X-Men or Spider-Man.

Go to the website DC Database to know numbers of each issue and there is synopsis for most issues but not all.

Also, I only get TPB's where I live not single shots but I usually download torrents for the single shots.

 

[Comics N' Toons]

Question... Can someone give me a list of all TPB of Batman with 70's stories? An example might be Strange Apparitions... Anymore?

 

[Doctor Who]

Well from one comic-goer to another, I find that some of the better Batman stories that I believe every collector and viewer should have consists:

The Killing Joke
Batman Year One
Arkham Asylum (Serious House On Serious Earth)
Long Halloween & Dark Victory
Death in the Family
Gotham By Gaslight
Tales of the Demon and Son of the Demon
Mad Love
Strange Apparitions
Hush
Venom
Gotham Central
The Man Who Laughs
Nine Lives
Under the Hood

And several others I should come back to look over.

 

[Nepenthes]

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