he symbol of justice for Gotham
Rain spills from heavy clouds. Police cars patrol the ground while the sky is searched by blimps. Most people stay inside in this weather. Sane people. However, this is not most residents of Gotham. Crime runs rampant with crazed clowns, crocodiles, gangsters, and other ghouls terrorizing the innocent. However even among the darkest shadows, a hero uses the darkness to stop these criminals and protect the people of this city.
Batman is one of the most iconic superheroes of all time. His massive catalogue of gadgets and weapons to make up for a lack of overt superpowers makes for a unique dynamic for readers. Whether you’re new to the superhero genre, or you have always been interested in the Dark Knight since you were a kid but have yet to pick up a single comic, it is important to know where you can start in regards to reading the main continuity.
Places to Wander.
Avenues of Gotham
There are a lot of places where you can get started. In order to dive into the dark seedy city streets of Gotham, you need to go to different places to start finding different pieces of Batman media. Here is a small list of places to go and begin your journey;
- Libraries
Riddle me this. I am a deep vault of knowledge with many shelves. I have at least one in your local community and only cost money when you’re late. I hold the texts that hold the world and the classics of Shakespeare and Poe. What am I? That’s right! I am your local library, just a few blocks away. Having fun isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card. For windows of time, you can rent all kinds of books. Some libraries even rent out DVDs for your viewing pleasure.
- Comic Shops
Where else would you expect to find Batman comics but a comic shop? The Dark Knight can be found on the shelves of your local comic book shop alongside other DC and Marvel icons like Wonder Woman, Wolverine, Superman, and Speedball. While you’re there, you might even make a friend or two who shares the same interests as you do.
- Streaming
As we shall discuss soon, there are also plenty of non-comic materials to acquaint you with the Caped Crusader. By going onto streaming services like HBO Max and Amazon Prime, you can have access to some of the films and shows that you can watch. Admittedly, you best be wary of the ever shifting rules of streaming rights.
- Video Game Shops
There is a certain video game series that we will get into later, but you can buy some of the installments at a video game store like GameStop. While there, you may also find other games featuring the character and his extended mythos such as Injustice and DC vs. Mortal Kombat.
Materials
Now that you know where to start looking, we can start giving a brief recommended list of Batman materials that can get you started on your Batman journey. Chances are pretty good that more hardcore Batman fans will consider these entries to be rather iconic, so it only makes sense to start with those. Such as—
The Bat in the Spotlight. Image courtesy of DC.Com.
- Batman Year One:
Well, you can not get much more self explanatory than suggesting Batman Year One to a beginner Batman reader. Nonetheless, there is a lot more to this pick. As the name suggests, this comic takes place during Bruce Wayne’s first outings as Batman over the course of a single year.
The Killing Joke. Image courtesy of IMDB.
- Batman: The Killing Joke
The Joker. The most iconic villain in Batman’s rogues gallery if not all of comics. This is one of the most important comics for the character. Batman has to race against the clock and the clown prince of crime in order to save police Commissioner Gordon and his family. There is a film adaptation of this particular story, but reading the story itself is much preferred.
A Silver Age Classic; The Rainbow Batman. Image courtesy of 13th Dimension.
- The Classics:
Not exactly a singular comic, but you certainly can not go wrong reading really any of the golden or silver age comics. By diving straight into the wackier stories of the Caped Crusader, you’ll be much closer to Batman’s roots. You might find yourself reading the debut of iconic characters like Dick Grayson, Joker, and Penguin, or you can just as easily discover more obscure villains like Zodiac Master, The King of Crime, and The Eraser.
The Mystery of the Holiday Killer. Image courtesy of DC.
- The Long Halloween:
This installment of the Batman mythos is a very popular one. This story takes place during Batman’s early years as he joins forces with the Gotham Police Department in order to catch the elusive Holiday Serial Killer, a murderer who has been targeting specific targets on holidays. This comic’s dynamically drawn art will guide you down the journey of Batman investigating Gotham’s crime families while we also witness the origin of classic villains like Two Face.
Non Comic Materials:
Batman has gone beyond comic books. There are also multiple beloved adaptations of the symbol of hope within vengeance. TV shows and Video Games are all around just waiting for you to pick up and start up on that silver screen.
The Legendary BTAS with a familiar cover. Imagery courtesy of IMDB.
- Batman the Animated Series:
This series is an indisputable classic in Batman media. This show by Batman’s original creators Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Eric Radomski takes place in a somewhat nebulous era, mostly appearing to take place in the 1920’s/30’s with gangs and mobsters while occasionally using 90’s to futuristic technology. This show was very important to Batman’s history, creating more iconic versions of characters like Mr. Freeze, The Penguin, Farmer Brown, Joker, and more. As the show continued (and changed its name a couple times), we even saw characters steadily evolve across the episodes like Scarecrow and Two Face, making them even more iconic. All of this, and it also boasts some of the most iconic voice acting in the franchise with Mark Hamill as the Joker and the late Kevin Conroy as the titular Batman.
Batman the Beyonder. Image courtesy of IMDB.
- Batman Beyond:
This series takes place decades after the events of BTAS. Bruce Wayne is a retired old man, the Joker is dead, but the legacy of Batman can not die here. In this show, we follow a plucky young Terry McGiniss as he takes on the mantle of the new Batman. Watch as he cleans up after the legacies of villains like Bane and Joker while facing new villains like the super sonic Shriek, Spellbinder the IIllusionist, and Big Time the massive bruiser. All of this surrounded by flashing lights and flying cars.
If you were a fan of Batman’s dynamics with his young wards in the form of the Robins he has taught throughout the war, you will be an absolute fan of Terry’s shenanigans.
The Batman (when talking about this show, it is the law to sing its name). Image courtesy of IMDB.
- The Batman
2004’s The Batman was the first series after the run of the DC Animated Universe. Naturally the show had massive shoes to fill. The story starts at his third year as Batman and acts as a sort of mini crash course over his entire career as the Dark Knight. He starts off as a Gotham urban legend and ends with him as a founding member of the Justice League. This show also has unique versions of classic villains, putting unique spins on them to differentiate them from the original BTAS. Definitely a good series if you’re just getting started.
On a sort of side note, a popular fan theory is that this series takes place before, and in the same universe as Teen Titans. This is not exactly crucial to your enjoyment of the cartoon, but it does add a nice extra seasoning of fun.
The Arkham Collection. Image courtesy of Fame.
- The Arkham Game Series
Rocksteady’s crowning achievement as a gaming company is the Arkham series of games. These games are considered to be the definitive way to feel like Batman. Using grappling hooks, gliding with your cape, and setting up ambushes are a fraction of what you do in this series, all while facing iconic ….
That, and if you remember Kevin Conroy’s Batman and Mark Hamill’s Joker from the animated series, you will be happy to hear that the two reprise their roles among other well done performances.
I Am Batman:
Batman is an icon. Many have said that if there was a Mount Rushmore of important comic book characters, Superman, Spider-Man, and Batman would all be up there. While simply consuming fictional media may not seem all that important, something as simple as the stories we hear and the lessons we glean from them can truly change who you are. Batman is not the only hero in DC, but he is one of the most iconic.
