TheBatmantakes us back to his early years.
Here are the comics that are worth reading in chronological order.
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The popularity of superheroes is almost impossible to quantify.
Would one weigh box-office receipts against online searches?
How about video games and licensed clothing?
Do eBay listings count?
There is one place where theres a clear winner: Comic books, where Batman is the undisputed king.
(The gap was even larger when it came to graphic novels: 12,696 to 3,532.)
The massive number of Batman stories poses a challenge for anyone looking for a toehold into that world.
The four-issue miniseries was dense and brutal, overtly political and ultraviolent.
The antagonists were corrupt cops, crooked politicians, and the mob, not purple-haired clowns or clay monsters.
Some people learned new languages or wrote novels during COVID; I made spreadsheets.
At press time, my Modern Era Batman timeline/chronology has mushroomed to more than 400 pages.
The selections here focus on the first five years of the Modern Era, covering Batmans formative pre-Robin period.
YEARONE
.Batman: Year One
.
(Hell turn 26 onFebruary 19.)
Selina Kyle dons the Catwoman suit for the first time in June of this year.
So which version is the real one?
Say.. Mustnt forget Ive got a girl named Julie.
Oh well.. She still had lovely eyes!
Prey opens with Stranges obsession with Batman in full bloom … but is very clearly set during Batmansfirstyear.
(Both stories also seem to show Bruce unveiling the Batmobile for Alfred for the first time.)
The easiest solution is to slot Monster Men first and ignore the niggling details that would put it later.
When Bruce destroys the whole thing during one of his rageful tantrums, Alfreds droll response is, Sir.
That was expensive.)
Reeves uses a similar compact inThe Batmanas a key plot point.
(Although that could be said for most of the stories listed here.
The update is superior in almost every way.
Here, Stranges attempt to enlist the Scarecrow in his efforts to trap Batman backfires.
Also featured: hot-and-heavy Batman-Catwoman action.
Freeker then drains his victims bodies of blood so, natch, he can soak in it.
Then he has to battle a creature called the Soul Eater.
Batman, exhausted, frustrated, and coming down with a cold, figures he could use the help.
But wait: Is the Cavalier actually a criminal?
But also kind of not.
One of the all-time greatBatman: Legends of the Dark Knightstories.
Batman travels to Hong Kong to crack a case, which places him in the crosshairs of organized crime.
The art by Wong, arguably the most famous Hong Kong manga artist ever, is resplendent.
Hamptons eerily beautiful watercolors are completely sui generis.
It closes out Batmans career as a solo crimefighter: Dick Grayson first appears inDark VictoryNo.
9 and debuts as Robin in No.
In the end, Batman protects Callie from the monster but not from falling down in the street.
For parents, itll spark all the feels.
(Thats why the company had another company-wide reboot in 2016;that one went much better.)
Dark Knight, Dark City is one of the first stories in which he was truly terrifying.
(At one point, the Riddler forces Batman to slit the throat of an unbaptized child.)
Grant Morrison borrowed heavily from this remarkable tale when crafting his Batman mythos.
All of the above.
Did Thomass sense of duty lead to his murder?
(Spoiler: probably not.)
(In September, DC will release a $50 20th-anniversary edition.)
(I told you the multiverse was comically complicated.)
In2015and2021, Johns, Frank, and crew released two more volumes; all three are well worth reading.
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