Entertainment
10 Essential Batman Comics for Beginners
When it comes to deciding where to start, comic books aren’t always the most intuitive. There are plenty of great stories out there, but finding them (especially older issues not always readily available) is a bit of a challenge. Still, for some heroes it’s a bit easier than others, and if you’re looking to get into Batman comics for the very first time, there are a handful of books you ought to consider.
The Dark Knight has been around for the better part of a century, so there’s no shortage of material to choose from. Still, just as is the case with so many live-action and animated adaptations out there, finding the iteration of the Caped Crusader that best suits you can be a challenge. So, for those not as intimately familiar with Batman’s comic book history, here are the books we suggest picking up first.
Detective Comics #27 (1939)
The original tale by creators Bill Finger and Bob Kane, Detective Comics #27 introduced Batman to the masses with “The Case of the Chemical Syndicate.” Detective Comics didn’t start out as a primarily Batman (or even superhero) book. Rather, Batman (styled as “Bat-Man” here) was just the headliner of this particular issue, but the bat-brand stuck. As The Dark Knight investigates the death of a chemical manufacturer, he finds himself on to an organized crime operation that only he can stop.
Detective Comics #27 is arguably one of the most important single issues in comic book history. Not only did it issue the first appearance of the Caped Crusader, but it (like Action Comics #1 before it) changed the direction of the entire industry. Batman was a hit for the company, and it wasn’t long before the character became one of the biggest sellers in the medium.
Year One (1987)
While Batman’s origin would first be told in Detective Comics #33, several months after the character’s initial appearance, the most popular iteration of it would come from the duo of Frank Miller and Dave Mazzucchelli in the four-part tale Batman: Year One. First released in Batman #404-407, Year One has become the definitive rendition of Batman’s early days in the cape and cowl. Told through the lens of Lt. Jim Gordon (not yet commissioner), we see The Dark Knight slowly devour the organized crime ring in Gotham City, much to the chagrin of some corrupt GCPD officers.
Year One would later be turned into one of the best (albeit animated) Batman movies out there, and served as the basis for plenty of other adaptations over the years. Miller’s gritty style perfectly embodied the character, and crafted an air of mistique around his shadowy figure. Years later, DC would revamp Batman’s origin with the extended tale Batman: Zero Year, and though it’s good on its own merits, Year One is undoubtedly one of the greatest graphic novels ever made.
Detective Comics #38 (1940)
It wasn’t long into Batman’s comic book run that Bill Finger and Bob Kane decided that the Caped Crusader was a bit darker than they had intended. So, in Detective Comics #38, Robin was first introduced to the world. The Boy Wonder became Batman’s official sidekick, and this version — Dick Grayson, the original and best version of Robin — stuck by The Dark Knight’s side into the 1980s. Without this issue, Batman may not have become the cultural icon he became.
“Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder” isn’t just an important origin story for Robin that shoehorns in a sidekick, it became the template for all comic book sidekicks in the future. Robin was a gamechanger not just for Batman but for comics as a whole, and the character was an instant hit with younger audiences who imagined themselves fighting crime alongside their favorite masked hero.
Batman #1 (1940)
Another Bill Finger and Bob Kane special, the very first issue of Batman was a momentous occasion, not just because it was the Dynamic Duo’s first solo book, but because it introduced some of their most notable supporting cast members into the DC Universe. Batman #1 chronicles not only the first appearance of the Joker, but also Catwoman (going by “the Cat”). Not only that, but it once more retells the origin of “how Batman came to be” to get newcomers up to speed with this inaugural issue.
Batman #1 pits Batman and Robin against Joker, Catwoman, and the returning foil Dr. Hugo Strange (who appeared first back in Detective Comics), solidifying the look, feel, and tone of Batman moving forward. Old comics may not be your thing, but this issue is a masterwork, full of some of the most important stories in Batman lore, even all these years later. It may not hold a candle to some live-action Batman movies, but it’s the foundation on which many of them stand.
The Man Who Laughs (2005)
If you’re looking for something a bit more modern, writer Ed Brubaker and artist Doug Mahnke retold the Joker’s first tussle with The Dark Knight in a modern context (and sans Robin) with Batman: The Man Who Laughs. Taking the same basic plot from Batman #1, Brubaker re-imagines it in a clever way that throws Batman into the murderous arms of the Clown Prince of Crime. While maybe not the most memorable Joker story, this recounting of their first battle is top-notch.
The Man Who Laughs does what only the best Batman writers can do by pulling from Batman’s storied past and reworking it into the present. This standalone book only scratches the surface of the rivalry between these two DC Comics icons. Sure, there may be plenty of Batman villains more interesting than the Joker, but this story reminds you just how much of a thorn he has always been in The Dark Knight’s side.
The Long Halloween (1996)
With Batman: The Long Halloween, writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale crafted something that they likely had no idea would so frequently influence Batman media. In this tale, Batman works alongside Jim Gordon and D.A. Harvey Dent as they continue to bring down Gotham’s organized crime outfit, all while new costumed maniacs begin roaming the street. So, when the Holiday Killer begins making waves across Gotham, the Caped Crusader goes on a manhunt to uncover the one responsible before it’s too late.
Not only is this detective story what partially inspired The Dark Knight (easily among Batman’s greatest live-action outings), but it was later adapted into animation in a feature that Letterboxd considers one of the most impressive DC animated movies. It’s well-adored by casual and die-hard fans alike, and is often a go-to for newcomers. If you loved The Long Halloween, the story continues with Haunted Knight and Dark Victory, the latter of which also brings Robin into the fold.
The Killing Joke (1988)
No list of essential Batman books, for beginners or otherwise, would be complete without The Killing Joke. Alan Moore and artist Brian Bolland crafted this deranged and complicated tale as a deconstruction of Batman and the Joker’s symbiotic relationship. Though intended to take place outside of continuity (with an open-ended conclusion that implies Batman may have even killed the Joker), The Killing Joke proved so influential that it became part of the mainstream DCU. It’s also the Joker at his most demented and depraved.
The Killing Joke would later be adapted into a pretty sub-par animated movie (one way too disturbing for kids), so it’s best to stick with the graphic novel here. That’s another thing: This is a particularly bleak Batman story, one that (like Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns) would come to change the way the character was interpreted going forward. While most of the Batman books on this list could still be enjoyed by younger audiences (with parental discretion, of course), this is one for mature readers only.
Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth (1989)
One of the best Batman graphic novels ever made, writer Grant Morrison and artist Dave McKean broke new creative ground with Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth. In many respects, this is the closest that Batman comics have ever come to a straight-up horror movie. There is some truly haunting content in these pages that give the Caped Crusader (and the reader) further insight into the Joker, Two-Face, and even Arkham itself.
Despite the title, this one is not at all related to the video game Batman: Arkham Asylum or any of its sequels. Rather, this standalone comic book is a psychological thriller that puts the reader into the mind of those who stick around for a long term in the titular institution. Another mature read, this one is best enjoyed by those who can really unpack the material Morrison delivers here.
Batman & Robin: Year One (2024)
For those who loved those early adventures of the Dynamic Duo explored in the previously mentioned Bat-books, then Batman & Robin: Year One by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee may be the comic series for you. This run is exactly what it sounds like, a caped adventure that follows Batman and Robin through their initial year as crime-fighting partners, exploring the dynamic between Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson with genuine care. All 12 issues exist in a single collected edition, so this should be pretty easy to track down.
For those who want more of Batman and Robin’s early years, Waid and Samnee reunited for Batman & Robin: Year One — Dynamic Duos earlier this year, continuing the saga in a new limited series. Why all the emphasis on Batman and Robin, you might ask? Simply because Batman is grounded and challenged by Robin in ways he couldn’t be with anyone else at his side. No matter which of your favorite Robins stands with the Caped Crusader, the Boy Wonder has more than earned his place in the Batmobile.
Mad Love and Other Stories (2011)
Okay, maybe calling this an “essential” Batman comic is a bit of a stretch, but considering that Batman: The Animated Series made possibly the greatest contributions to the Batman mythos outside the comics themselves, these stories by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm deserve high praise. “Mad Love” is the most famous, of course, which is a Harley Quinn-centric tale that explores her problematic relationship with the Joker and proves Batman’s resourcefulness in real time.
Other tales in this collection include “Jolly Ol’ St. Nicholas” (which, like “Mad Love,” was later adapted for The New Batman Adventures), the Ra’s al Ghul tale “Demons,” the noir-style Two-Face tale “Two of a Kind,” and the entirety of Batman Adventures Annual #1. For those who adore Batman: The Animated Series and just love simple one-and-done Batman adventures, Mad Love and Other Stories is a collected edition you simply must add to your reading list.
The Batman
- Release Date
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March 4, 2022
- Runtime
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176 minutes
- Director
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Matt Reeves
- Writers
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Matt Reeves, Peter Craig, Bob Kane, Bill Finger
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