Reddit Reddit reviews Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (The New 52) (Batman (DC Comics Paperback))

We found 83 Reddit comments about Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (The New 52) (Batman (DC Comics Paperback)). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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83 Reddit comments about Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (The New 52) (Batman (DC Comics Paperback)):

u/Tigertemprr · 28 pointsr/DCcomics

> It’s so confusing, why shouldn’t I just be able to follow his story from beginning to present?

> (I’m using Batman as an example but really I’d like help understanding how to follow comics in general as they’re all laid out this way, with overlapping arcs and timelines and such)

This isn't entirely how comics work. In general, it's not the only way other mediums work either. The REQUIREMENT that everything follows a strict, traditional/conventional 3-act structure (beginning, middle, end) is self-imposed and not necessary for good story-telling. The "beginning" of comics happened decades ago and the "end" is nowhere in sight; comics are perpetually stuck in the "middle".

You're already used to non-traditional narrative structure; it's used very often in other mediums. Why does Star Wars get a pass but not superhero comics? Did you see how Darth Vader "became" Darth Vader before he was introduced for the first time? Do you refuse to watch/read/play anything that will potentially have a prequel and ruin your "sense" of chronology? Did Memento or even Pulp Fiction melt your mind? When you go watch Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay, there aren't going to be in-depth introductions for every character.

It's OK to embrace your preferences. Most people like following stories from beginning to end. Now that there is 70+ years of comic history to explore, third parties have attempted ordering it all in some subjective, complicated chronology. It's not really possible, though. How do you handle flashbacks, especially when they're embedded in another story? Do you have to change the chronology to per-panel precision? What about simultaneous story releases? Alternate universes/timelines that are fully/partially "canon" and/or merged/retconned later? Varieties of characterization by multiple writers/artists?

Most of what made these superheroes "cool" in the first place was very topical. What powers do they have? What does their costume look like? Their backstories and character growth/development were fleshed out over the coming decades, more specifically in the "modern" age of comics when the demographic started transitioning to include adults.

There's no "perfect" or "definitive" sequence of events that Batman's story occurred in. That severely limits creators from writing new stories for the character without requiring hard continuity reboots. If you start solidifying that Batman grew up in X, met character Y, fought character Z, in a strict order that can't be changed, then you can't write stories that occur in between those moments. If you plan out Batman's entire chronology to fit a realistic calendar where Bane broke his back on Wednesday and the Court of Owls revealed themselves on Friday, then you (1) will find it won't make sense (because that's not how comics are made) and (2) are stripping all of the "magic" of comics away. Keep in mind: 70+ year old shared universes are an unprecedented achievement of storytelling. No other medium has accomplished something of this scale for this long. You should expect to think of something unique like that a little differently than you might be used to.

I think it's easier to get into comics when you drop the "need" to read EVERYTHING, IN ORDER. You should just read self-contained stories and treat them like separate stories. Think of it like a jigsaw picture puzzle that you're solving one piece at a time. You won't see the big picture (continuity) until you manually piece random pieces of it together over time. You even start to develop your own "methodology" (head-canon, community discussion, etc.) of putting those pieces together (reading comics) in a way that makes sense to you personally. Comics should feel more like self-discovery/exploration than procedure/work.

This is (roughly) how I got into Batman and what I suggest to new readers:

u/HoboWithAGun · 19 pointsr/WritingPrompts

The best way to start, imo, is with graphic novels/collections.
Going into a store and buying individual issues is going to be overwhelming, as you experienced.

As a DC reader I can recommend some books for you:

Batman - Batman Vol.1: Court of Owls has the first few issues of New 52 Batman and it's fantastic.

Superman - All-Star Superman is a great book, and widely considered THE best Superman book.

u/watwait · 11 pointsr/DCcomics

>Hey huge marvel fan, (heathen, i know)

A lot of us read Marvel too you heathen!

Batman: Court of Owls, great place to start. Check the side bar or listen to these other lovely people too for more stuff.

u/INtheShadowplay · 9 pointsr/comicbooks

It's always a good time to begin reading DC Comics! Check out the Volume 1 TPB's of the characters you mentioned above. You'll be caught up before ya know it!

Wonder Woman Vol. 1

Batman, Vol. 1

Green Arrow, Vol. 1

As far as Batman goes, you're going to love Scott Snyder's run. It's next level. Picking up Justice League wouldn't hurt either. Don't miss out on great stories just because there's a big event coming up. DC has had some brilliant runs over the last few years and they're definitely worth reading regardless of Convergence.


EDIT: Just realized you're coming back to comics after only a year away rather than being completely new to the New 52. Definitely catch up, a lot of cool stuff has happened since you were away from these characters!

u/Mr_Smartie · 8 pointsr/DCcomics

In 2011, DC launched "The New 52", a reboot that reset every title back to #1, and condensed/erased many portions of the old continuity, in order to make the new books more accessible to new readers. Generally, you can start with "trades", which are volumes of issues (generally around 5-8) collected in a novel form. Vol. 1 of any series is usually a good place to start.
 

For Batman and Batman-related books, I recommend starting with the following:
Batman, Vol. 1: The Court of Owls
Batman and Robin, Vol. 1: Born to Kill
Nightwing, Vol. 1: Traps and Trapezes
Batman: The Black Mirror - This is actually just before The New 52, but I recommend this mainly because it's a very well-loved modern story that made Scott Snyder (the current Batman writer) famous. It's also fairly accessible to new readers.
 

For other characters, I would recommend:
Green Arrow, Vol. 4: The Kill Machine - The first three volumes are heavily disliked by fans. Vol. 4 is when the next writer (Jeff Lemire) takes over, and he establishes a different status quo and tone, making it easy for new readers to jump in.
The Flash, Vol. 1: Move Forward
Wonder Woman, Vol. 1: Blood
Earth 2, Vol. 1: The Gathering

u/Kallelinski · 7 pointsr/DCcomics
u/Fafnesbane · 7 pointsr/comicbooks

Warning! Long-as-shit recommendation post incoming!

Halo:

There are several ones published by Marvel, haven't read any but my friend, whose a big Halo fan liked Halo: Blood line by Fred Van Lente

Mass Effect:

These are all written by Mac Walters, the lead writer of Mass Effect 3

  • Mass effect: Redemption Liara tries to find Shepard body, set between the intro of ME2 and when Shepard wakes up in the Cerberus Lab.

  • Mass Effect: Evolution The origins of the Illusive Man, set during the first contact war.

  • Mass Effect: Invasion Aria defends Omega against husks and Cerberus, explains why she's on the citadel and sets the Stage for the Omega DLC

  • Mass Effect: Blasto: Eternity is Forever The most glorious of all comic books.

    Star Wars:

  • Star Wars by Brian Wood and Carlos D'Anda, set directly after Ep IV, the first TPB isn't out yet, go pick it up in floppies.

  • Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi set waay back in the time-line, before Star Wars: KOTOR and Old Republic, focuses on the discovery of the Sith species among other things.

  • Star Wars: Dark Empire and Empire's end set after the movies, features the return of a character, Don't want to spoil who it is. Sets the stage for Crimson Empire.

  • Star Wars: Crimson Empire I,II,III (there's a collected version with all three), Follows the last Imperial Guardsman(the dudes in red armor) on his quest to bring the traitors of the Empire to justice

  • Star Wars Legacy I, Star Wars: Legacy II just got started and it's been really good so far. Set 130 years after the movies, I follows Cade Skywalker and him coming to terms with his legacy. II follows Ania Solo, who's not force-sensitive, who has to deal with finding a lightsaber and being hunted by Imperial Knights(Imperial Jedi).

  • Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, set before the video game, follows Zayne Carrick after he's been accused of murdering his fellow Padawans. No worth reading after the main plot ends.

  • Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, starts with the founding of the Jeda'ii order and first contact with the Rakata's Infinite Empire and their Force Hounds, The Next arc will be the Force Wars(the first schism between the light and the Dark side)

    They have 25$ omnibii for most of the series they've made, except for the new Legacy, Star Wars by Brian Wood and Dawn of the Jedi.


    Lighthearted books:

  • Adventure Time by Ryan North with art by Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb.

  • Plants vs. Zombies: Lawnmageddon by Paul Tobin and Ron Chan a digital series on Dark Horse Digital, will be collected into a Hardcover eventually.


    Sci-Fi:

  • Saga by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples, two lover are hunted across the galaxy by bounty hunters and military police. It's also weeeeeeiiiiird and at times disgusting.

    There are also several Firefly/Serenity comics if that your thing, they are all good.


  • Spiderman

    The best place to start is the current Superior Spider-man, Which stars a slightly different Peter Parker


  • Batman:

  • Batman By Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, it's batman bringing justice to the superstitious and cowardly lot that is criminals, there really isn't more to it.

  • Batman Beyond it's a digital series on Comixology.com and other digital comics sites.

    Stuff with Vikings:

  • Northlanders by Brian wood.


    Other Recommendations:

  • Hellboy by Mike Mignola

  • B.P.R.D. by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, Scott Allie and various artists

  • Francesco Francavilla's The Black Beetle(HC isn't out yet added digital bundle link)

  • Mind MGMT by Matt Kindt

    Also Check out the sidebar's ''Where to Start reading'' section -------------->

    EDIT: cleaned up a bit.

    EDIT 2: Links, added links to digital version where I couldn't find floppies or HC/TPB that had come out yet. Reading Digital comics on a Tablet is recommended. Dark Horse has their own app, and Comixology has most publishers except Dark Horse and some smaller ones.
u/FlyByTieDye · 7 pointsr/batman

For Court of Owls, you only need New 52 Batman volume 1: Court of Owls, and New 52 Batman volume 2: City of Owls. There is a paperback that collects the tie ins (i.e. Nightwing, Robin, Redhood, Batgirl, etc fighting during this event) called Night of Owls, though it spoils a big reveal of City, so I would read it after City of Owls. In fact, the quality of each tie ins varies, with some being really poor in my opinion, so I probably wouldn't even bother with it, there are much better books out there you could be reading. Court and City are great though, and they make the start of Snyder's New 52 run, afterwards it leads perfectly into volume 3: Death of the Family, and then volume 4: Zero Year - Secret City and volume 5: Zero Year - Dark City, and so on. Snyder's run is really great, I recommend the whole thing!

u/alvaro106 · 6 pointsr/DCcomics

Start with Scott Snyder’s run on Batman which started in 2011. It is a very well regarded run and starts fresh off a reboot.Here

u/Vindowviper · 5 pointsr/graphicnovels

If you enjoyed Batman, I would highly recommend checking out the new Scott Snyder setup with the new 52 for Batman. Vol. 1 - Court of Owls and Vol. 2 - City of Owls is a fanatasic story arc that plays well with Batman (and I'm not a huge super hero comic fan).

After that it kinda went wierd, but still enjoyable.

Also would highly recommend Preacher (Careful with Preacher, as you WILL get addicted, and have to purchase all 9 volumes, but amazing story and well written with some adult humor/content btw).

Also Sandman, Y: The Last Man, and Saga all always good choices (Saga is being written as we speak, only volumes 1 through 3 are out, same author of Y : The Last Man. Fantastic mix of fantasy and sci-fi... again adult elements)

u/karlhungus32 · 4 pointsr/DCcomics

If you want to just read Batman, buy a trade paperback, starting at Volume 1 like this:

amazon

This collects issues 1-7 from the New 52 comic, all in one convenient package! I'm just a casual DC fan (im more of a Marvel guy), and what's nice about Batman is it can definitely be enjoyed without much knowledge of the DC Universe, like of such things as Pre-crisis thingabobs or Post- Convergence doohickeys.

Or if you would prefer to start with rebirth try this:

amazon

Both the New 52 and Rebirth Batman have been great. Have fun!

u/Danwarr · 4 pointsr/batman

The Recommended Reading side bar on this sub has some pretty good suggestions.

Additionally, when looking to purchase books make sure you are buying what is known as the trade paperback (this may or may not be an actual paperback book). These are collected editions of a comic series containing multiple issues in a single book format.

Here's an example.

u/LexFuckingLuthor · 4 pointsr/comicbooks

Both of the current Batman and TMNT series are pretty great and have easy starting points and I wholeheartedly recommend trying to get ahold of them.

Batman Vol 1: Court of Owls

TMNT Vol 1: Change is Constant

And you don't have to read either of these books to enjoy the Batman/TMNT you're gonna pick up, as long as you're familiar enough with the characters from the movies and tv shows, it should be a pretty fun read.

Check the sidebar for a lot more recommendations and just search around.

u/Tress33 · 4 pointsr/IAmA

I've been collecting the Batman comic for years. To be honest, I don't delve too much into the other comics options. There are so many titles out there that it can be really tough to keep up. However, by getting the main Batman comic each month I usually have a pretty good idea of what it going on. Not sure if you will be able to get Scott Snyder's run in issues but you can get collections online. For example:

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Vol-Court-Owls-New/dp/1401235425

DC reset the issues back to 1 (they actually kinda just did it again) and that link takes you to a collection of issues 1-7. Vol 2, 3, etc are easy to find as well and that can get you caught up on the "main" storyline.

u/in_Gambit_we_trust · 4 pointsr/comicbooks

As for Batman, I would recommend The Court of Owls and its sequel, The City of Owls





If you enjoyed Batman Year One, the writer behind the previously mentioned stories did his own take on the Batman origin called Zero Year that draws a lot of inspiration from Year One. It's also a two-parter. First is Secret City and it's followed by Dark City



If you want more stuff in a similar style to Year One, the same writer has probably the most famous Batman story of all time. It's called Dark Knight Returns


Finally, another essential Batman story would have to be The Long Halloween It has a sequel called Dark Victory and it has its moments but it's eerily similar to the first one and isn't nearly as good.



Personally, I would stray away from events. I'm sure some are alright but most of them just pale in comparison to what the rest of the industry has to offer.



If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

u/DaddyDaz · 4 pointsr/DCcomics

Start with THIS and THIS.

u/gamer4maker · 4 pointsr/DCcomics

Each of these books cost around $10 from amazon, all come highly recommended:

Flash: Volume 1

Batman: Volume 1 Volume 2. This was a year long arc and both volumes are one story. The current run in Detective comics, called Icarus, is fantastic, but it hasn't been collected yet.

Green Arrow: Volume 4. Don't read books 1-3. You'll thank me later.

Green Lantern carries on from the old series, which starts here

I would also recommend the Wonder Woman series (starts here) and the Aquaman series here (Aquaman rocks now, in case you haven't heard).

I hope you have lots of fun reading and collecting comics, it really is a great hobby.

u/centipededamascus · 3 pointsr/comicbooks

Sure! With Spider-Man, I would recommend starting his modern stories with the Big Time story arc, which is the beginning of writer Dan Slott's work on the character. You can just continue with Slott's work from there on for a good while.

With Batman, you can start reading pretty easily with the Court of Owls story arc, which is the beginning of Scott Snyder's still ongoing Batman series. Again, you can follow Snyder's work forward from there for a while.

I'd also encourage you to check out the Spider-Man and Batman reading recommendation sections in our sidebar.

u/[deleted] · 3 pointsr/comicbooks

Ok so I'm pretty new here with comics and I got a few questions

First, I heard the Court of Owls books are good. So do I just read this http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1401235425?pc_redir=1397560477&robot_redir=1

And this http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1401237789/ref=pd_aw_sims_1?pi=SL500_SY115

To get the full story?

Also for Nightwing is the new 52 good?

u/kyrie-eleison · 3 pointsr/comicbooks

Batman by Snyder & Capullo is generally the most acclaimed Bat-book at the moment.

u/CaptainMobius · 3 pointsr/DCcomics

Since you're interested in The Flash, I'd recommend starting with Flashpoint, the event which lead directly into the New 52.

After that, start with The Flash Vol 1: Flash Forward, Batman Vol 1: The Court of Owls, and Green Arrow Vol 4: The Kill Machine.

I'd also recommend Justice League, Wonder Woman, Action Comics, Superman/Wonder Woman, and Superman Unchained.

u/FuzzyCrack · 3 pointsr/DCcomics

Well, my current favorite ongoings are a couple of "experimental" books that have launched recently:

Grayson by Tim Seeley and Tom King is a fun 60s-James-Bond-meets-Archer-in-a-superhero world book. Dick Grayson (the former Robin/Nightwing/Batman) is believed to be dead, and goes undercover with a spy organization. The art is fantastic, and there's a great mix of humor, character development, and plot. Nightwing #30 provides some setup for the premise, but it differs in tone from the Grayson series.

Catwoman by Genevieve Valentine starts with #35 (don't read anything before, as that's from a different writer and has nothing to do with the current run). This new run has Selina Kyle attempting to unite various mob families to clean up the streets of Gotham. It's heavy on plot, and has plenty of mob politics, betrayals, conspiracies, etc. It's a very interesting read.

Other "experimental" books out of the Bat office include Gotham Academy, Gotham by Midnight, Batgirl (starting at #35), and Arkham Manor.

For some traditional superhero stuff, try Scott Snyder's Batman, starting with Vol. 1: The Court of Owls, and/or Peter J. Tomasi's Batman and Robin, starting with Vol. 1: Born to Kill. Snyder's Batman features Batman taking on supervillains in big epic story arcs. The latest jump-in point is #35. Tomasi's Batman and Robin is more character-driven, and focuses on the relationship between Batman and Robin, and the rest of the Bat family. The latest arc begins with a one-shot titled "Robin Rises: Omega", and continues with #33. Both are highly recommended.

Other recommended runs include Brian Azzarello's Wonder Woman (#1-35), Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul's Flash (#1-29), Jeff Lemire's Green Arrow (#17-34), and Geoff Johns' Aquaman (#1-25).

You can find collected volumes for most of the longer runs on Amazon. For individual issues, you can try your local comic book store, or buy digitally on Comixology. On Comixology, you can search for any individual issue, and preview the first 3 pages.

u/DementiaPrime · 3 pointsr/comicbooks

Comics tell stories in arcs so after a arc ends; they wait 6 months or so(depends on company and title) and then put those issues into a single book called a trade. So let's say you want to read Batman then this is the first trade for the current batman books and if you click more info in the description you will see it tells you it collects Batman 1-7. Then of course the second trade will be vol. 2 and start at issue 8.

u/vivvav · 3 pointsr/comicbooks

Hi!

For starters, we got a big ol' recommended reading list that should suit most of your needs. Most of these characters have also had some kind of reboot/relaunch in recent years, so looking around for anything with their name attached and "Volume 1" is a pretty good way to get started if you're so inclined. For example...

Batman (note that this story is about 12 issues, so you'd want volume 2 to go along with it)

Deadpool

Spider-Man

Thor

Black Panther hasn't had anything major recently, I don't think, but he has a new series starting soon. Also please note that except for Batman and Thor, I cannot personally attest to the quality of the comics I've linked. There's also some even more recent stuff, but it's not collected yet like these are.

u/MisterBigStuff · 3 pointsr/DCcomics

Since you mentioned Gotham, I'll go with Batman. Fortunately, the New 52 Batman series is really fucking good. Now there's a whole family of Batman books (Batman and Robin, Batman Eternal, Detective Comics, Batgirl, etc.), but you'll be fine with just Batman to start with. Here's the first trade on Amazon, and [here's the second, which concludes that story arc] (http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Vol-The-City-Owls/dp/1401237789/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1414103317&sr=8-3&keywords=court+of+owls).

Now, I'm a Green Arrow fanboy, so here's my copypasta for GA recommendations.
>[Green Arrow:The Longbow Hunters] (http://www.amazon.com/Green-Arrow-Longbow-Hunter-Graphic/dp/1401238629/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409974410&sr=1-1&keywords=green+arrow+longbow+hunters), [Green Arrow:Quiver] (http://www.amazon.com/Green-Arrow-Quiver-KEVIN-SMITH-ebook/dp/B00FKLSU6U/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409974439&sr=1-1&keywords=green+arrow+quiver) , Green Arrow:Year One, and New 52 [Green Arrow Volume 4:The Kill Machine] (http://www.amazon.com/Green-Arrow-Vol-Machine-Graphic/dp/1401246907/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409974510&sr=1-1&keywords=kill+machine).

The Kill Machine was incredible and recent, so I would pick that (and Volume 5, which just came out) up if you go with the Emerald Archer.

u/Bartiemus · 3 pointsr/DCcomics

For Batman The Flash and Justice Leauge you can start with The New 52 a soft Reboot DC did in 2011.

I would start with Batman Vol 1 The Court of Owls link


The Flash Vol 1 Move Forward Link

Justice Leauge Vol 1 Origin Link

As for other suggestions I would go with Supergirl Vol 1 Link

She is our current character of the month all these titles are new reader friendly and don't require any previous knowledge to jump into

u/2555555555 · 3 pointsr/DCcomics

I personally would start with the New 52. It's a great jumping on point for new readers. You can get trades (Issues in a collected format) that are basically the graphic novel you are looking for costing about $10 on amazon.

I would start with Vol 1 Batman, The Court of Owls. Flash is also great from Vol 1: Move Forward. I don't know too much about Green Lantern so I don't know where to start as there is a lot of material there. As for Justice League, start with Vol 1: Origin.

If you're looking to be caught up with the series, then you can jump on after any main story arc. There is a list somewhere here but I don't know where it is. Maybe someone could get that for me. Also I would recommend Green Arrow Vol 4: The Kill Machine based on your tastes. Green Arrow Vol 1-3 aren't very good, so I don't recommend those .

The links to all the trades above will be here:
http://ww.amazon.com/Batman-Vol-The-Court-Owls/dp/1401235425/
http://www.amazon.com/The-Flash-Vol-Move-Forward/dp/1401235549/
http://www.amazon.com/Justice-League-Vol-Origin-The/dp/1401237886/
http://www.amazon.com/Green-Arrow-Vol-Machine-Paperback/dp/1401246907/

Let me know if you have any other questions.

u/DJWolfmanJBeezy · 2 pointsr/DCcomics

You'll want to read trades (collections) to get caught up, not single issues.

I'll explain this as simple as I can.

The New 52 is a reboot (start over), it started in 2011. Everything else, DCYou and Rebirth are just marketing campaigns/ new directions (new story lines, new writers, ect). Some people call them jumping on points. Typically, when they rebrand they'll start with new #1s.

If your interested in Batman start with NEW 52 vol 1 Court of Owls. (One of the best comic stories ever). If you have a tablet, DC is currently having a New 52 Batman / Scott Snyder sale on Comixology (comic app). Some people prefer physical copies, others read digitally. If you like collecting physical is the way to go.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1401235425/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1525906569&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=batman+vol+1

I'd also recommend New 52 Justice League. It drives the universe and is a good place to start as well.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1401237886/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525906614&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=justice+league+vol+1

Once you read the back collections then you can start collecting singles every month.

That's a good place to start. Let me know if you are interested in any other characters. I can help you out.

You could start with Batman Rebirth Vol 1 but you'd miss one of the best Batman runs ever.

Good news the new JL starts next month and you could just start there at #1.






u/Bournetocutmeat · 2 pointsr/DCcomics

I went from Geoff John's Green lantern to stuff that's currently being done, or ended fairly recently, like Charles Soule Swamp Thing & Red Lanterns, Scott Snyder's New 52 Batman run, Azzarello's Wonder Woman run, Geoff Johns Aquaman.

If you want to continue talking, feel free to pm me.

u/hussm · 2 pointsr/comicbooks

Batman New 52 Vol 1 is a good place to start, if you enjoy it move on to Vol 2.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1401235425/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1459071743&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=batman+new+52

There are also other Batman stories which are great as well:

Batman Year One

The Dark Knight Returns

The Black Mirror

Dark Knight, Dark City

u/SpyderAnt · 2 pointsr/tesdcares

'All New X-Men' is excellent. Original X-Men time-travel to modern times (post Dark Phoenix and everything after) to create some of the best X-Men stuff since the 1970's. Just go with it and try not to get seduced into reading everything leading up to this. IE, just buy into a not so heroic Cyclops teamed up with former enemies.

Batman: the Scott Snyder New 52 run is right up there with the O'Neil/Adams run that re-defined The Batman. This time though, Batman and Detective Comics run independent of one-another. Stick with Batman http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401235425?keywords=batman&qid=1457586035&ref_=sr_1_5&s=books&sr=1-5 and go forward from there.

u/mogar01 · 2 pointsr/comicbooks

Introduction to Comics


How to Get Into Comic Books (13:40) | Patrick Willems

Consider your intent/commitment. Think about your favorite shows, movies, books, etc. Reading primarily for enjoyment or encyclopedic knowledge? Collecting? Have the time/resources to read 50 or 500 comics per character?

Don’t try to read everything at once. There’s too much. Forget about catching up, continuity, universes, etc. for now. Older comics can be an acquired taste for modern audiences, so they aren’t necessarily ideal starting points. Writers change often, characters get re-worked, and origins are re-told. Remember, there are many great characters, creators, publishers, etc. to explore.

Pick an interesting character/team and seek their most popular/acclaimed stories. Focus on self-contained, complete stories in one corner of the universe. There will be unexplained references/characters, just persevere or Wiki. Don’t let the tangled web of shared-universe comics overwhelm you. Think of it like solving a jigsaw puzzle one small piece at a time until you finally see the big picture.

Discover your preferences and let them guide you. Don’t get stuck preparing/over-analyzing, just start reading. Do you like/dislike old/new comics? Specific writers/genres? Cartoony/realistic art? Familiar/weird concepts? References/self-contained? All-ages/mature content? Follow these instincts. Didn’t understand a reference? Maybe read that next.

Acquire/Buy comics:

u/RaggedyDr · 2 pointsr/batman

As far as I know, and I hope I'm right because that's how I'm buying them, the graphic novels (Court of Owls, City of Owls, Death of the Family, and Zero-Year - Secret City) are mostly complete. There are three issues that come between Death of the Family and Zero Year - Secret City that are not included in either. To be honest, I don't know how much they contribute to any story arc because I have had some trouble finding them online. I'm waiting until I can get back home from college to try to find them in store. Amazon tells you which issues are included in each graphic novel in the description of the product.

Court of Owls

The City of Owls

Death of the Family

Zero Year - Secret City

Additionally, click here for the complete list of the issues published in the New 52 Batman so you know what is not included in the graphic novels. I hope this helps!

Edit: After looking at some other threads in this sub I found this site. You can buy a digital copy of each issue individually in case they are not included in the graphic novel volumes.

u/LittleHelperRobot · 2 pointsr/comicbooks

Non-mobile:

u/playhertwo · 2 pointsr/Wishlist

Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (The New 52) is a great graphic novel.

The New 52 is my new favorite. It's dark, really well written and a whole new twist on Batman. Even though they are a little dark, my daughter and I read these comics together. I love the Court of Owls. A secret society that kidnaps children and trains them to kill? Count me in.

u/Andrroid · 2 pointsr/batman

It appears they are doing that with New 52. The first runs have been collected via Batman Vol. 1: Court of Owls (Batman #1-7), Batman: Night of Owls, (Batman #8-9 + assorted Bat family titles) and Batman Vol. 2: City of Owls (Batman #8-12 + Annual #1).

Batman #13-17 will be collected in Batman Vol 3: Death of the Family and its accompanying stories in Joker: Death of the Family.

u/bongo1138 · 2 pointsr/creepy

I'd say a great starting place is the New 52. I know some old fans don't love it, but I think it's great.

If you've got an iPad (or something similar), this is only 7.99.

u/willambeau · 2 pointsr/batman

Definitely! My pleasure!

I would start with his New 52 Batman run (2011-2016) with artist Greg Capullo, Batman #1.

Here's a link from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Vol-Court-Comics-Paperback/dp/1401235425/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=new+52+batman&qid=1554919357&s=gateway&sr=8-3

The link is to the paperback edition because the first issue is worth a lot and hard to come by these days.

There are several reasons I recommend Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's run on Batman. First, and foremost, it's great writing--Scott put his heart and soul into the 52 issues; it's deeply personal to him, and much of the stories deal with his own fears and experiences via metaphor/plot to the Batman issues he wrote.

I can say more, but I think it's best you read his work to see if it's your cup of tea. Everyone has their own particular tastes, and it's all subjective, which is why I think it's best to first get your reaction before delving more into Scott Snyder's Batman run.

If you have any comments or questions regarding Snyder's run on Batman, I'm more than glad to reply. As you can tell, I'm a huge admirer of his work.

u/PowerRangersLOL · 2 pointsr/comicbooks
u/llikegiraffes · 2 pointsr/comicbooks

I second the above mentioned Saga and for $6 you can't go wrong. I also recommend Snyder's Batman

u/IrateGandhi · 2 pointsr/comicbooks


Sadly, I can't speak for DC Rebirth. I haven't read any of it. I can say that I loved the New52.

Batman list, in order of what I would read first.

  • Batman, Year One is a great story of Bruce's first year as the Batman. I loved seeing the way Batman evolved & the lessons he learned. I highly suggest this as your first read.

  • The Long Holloween was also a fantastic story. It reads a lot like a mystery novel. The ending is surprising and all around, this book is satisfying.

  • Batman New52 is a great storyline. It is a "reboot" aka a nice starting point for a series. If you love this story, read on with the New 52 & slowly get the "iconic" other stuff later.

  • The Dark Knight Returns is an interesting spin on things. Bruce is old and has hung up his mantle. But for reasons mentioned in the book, he dons the cape yet again. This, in my opinion, is a really great read after Year One & The Long Halloween. Those three just flow nicely IMO.

  • The Knightfall series (Vol1 Vol2 & Vol3) explain why Bane is one of the greatest villains Batman has ever had. If you're looking for a complete story arc, this is where you want to start.

    Staples for Batman

  • The Killing Joke is an iconic storyline that I would put on a must read list for Batman.

  • Hush is also a very great mystery story.

  • A Death in the Family is a pivotal story for the Bruce Wayne Batman.

  • Arkham Asylum is a really cool & unique story about Batman going into Arkham Asylum after it is taken over (sounds a lot like the first batman game of the recent trilogy). It is a really cool perspective & you should read it at some point.

    Flash list (I don't know as much about the Flash)

  • The Flash: Rebirth is a really great place to start. The world is established but this is a nice way to jump into the comics.

  • Flash New52 is where I would go after reading Rebirth. They flow nicely. I would read Vol 2 & Vol3.

  • Flashpoint, as you know if you watch the CW series, is a big moment for Barry. It's a similar story but done in a very different way. Reading this will feel fresh, even if you know the tv show.

    Batman/Flash related things

  • Catwoman New52 is amazing. I'm not sure if you're a huge Catwoman fan or if you hate her (seems most Batman fans go one of those directions) but if you are, her series is one of my favorite New52.

  • Justice League New52 was pretty cool.
u/CrazedPackRat · 2 pointsr/DCcomics
u/Pyromaniac605 · 2 pointsr/comicbooks

FYI I think your confusion about there being so many volume 2s is that there's two different uses of the word "volume". This is something that confused the hell out of me at first.

Volume refers to the books that collect several issues, like the multiples you would be seeing. But volume also refers to a run of a series, starting from issue #1 through to whenever the series ends, or restarts from a new #1. (Or in same cases, reverts back to previous numbering)

For example, Batman Vol 1: The Court of Owls is the first trade of Batman vol 2.

u/Kevward · 2 pointsr/batman

Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (The New 52) by Scott Snyder
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1401235425/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_3.R1tb1D82ST8

u/crash__bandicoot · 2 pointsr/batman

Trust me, this is how I wish people would have told me how to start.

To an outsider, comic books are difficult to delve into. There's so many series and you don't know how they fit into the overall timeline and you know you can't just jump into the middle. I get it :P

Let me go a step further and help you out. I'm going to link the "trade paperbacks" of each of these story arcs I listed. These are thicker books that combine the issues together, so you don't have to track down each issue individually.

  • Court of Owls Volume One (Batman #1-#7)

  • City of Owls Volume Two (Batman #8-#12)

    Then with the Death of the Family storyline, you can go of it two ways.

    You can stick to only Batman's involvement. So you'd collect these comics:

  • Detective Comics #1
  • Death of The Family (Batman #13-#17)

    Or you could get really deep into Joker.

    DC released a book that not only collected Detective Comics #1 and Batman #13-#17, but collected Joker's appearances in Nightwing, Robin, Suicide Squad, Batgirl and the rest of the whole damn family.

    The book puts all the comics in reading order and trust me, Joker is much more maniacal in the total story than the small amount of Batman comics. The things he does to Harley...Nightwing...ROBIN?! So good. But you wouldn't know unless you read it.

    So I recommend this. It's not for everyone, but it's a comprehensive tale that deserves to be read in entirety.

  • The Joker: Death of the Family

    It's probably more-so a companion piece to the Death of the Family (Batman #13-#17) book, so if you consider going this route then I would still recommend reading the Batman-only arc first.

    Hope I helped more than confused!
u/The_New_34 · 2 pointsr/DCcomics

You're just in time. DC just started "Rebirth," which is a great jumping on point for new readers.

If you like Batman, I can recommend reading Batman #1 (Rebirth). It is the current series, so you will be up-to-date with what is happening now. While you're reading that, you can also pick up Scott Snyder's run with Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls. This series came out in 2011 and ran until May 2016. It will provide more background for the character, since most of the continuity has carried over into Rebirth

u/Theseus23 · 2 pointsr/comicbooks

It's so odd that if you buy comics on amazon FOR comixology, it's cheaper than buying it ON comixolgy.

For me, digi is awesome because I don't have to remember to pack it (if I'm traveling between friends houses it is just a log in away) and for certain crossovers/story arcs, it is easier to flip back and forth (you said you are reading new 52 batman. the night of owls crossover and the death in the family you need to flip back and forth between series in the middle of TPBs, online would make this infinitely easier).

also with your phone or ipad, you can jsut download the comics, so that way you don't need wifi later (you can also easily delete them from your storage) and you can use the amazon kindle app once it's downloaded w/out wifi.

However, I love the feeling of actual print, and I like to support my LCS. With print I enjoy holding it, and just overall feel...more real? I guess when I read it, rather than on an ipad or a computer. Though still Digi tends to be ridiculously cheaper than in print TPB in store.

I've found digi TPB on amazon ~10. print tpb on amazon 12~, digi on comixology 12~ and in store print, 16~.

for reference [Batman new 52 vol 1] (https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Vol-Court-Owls-New/dp/1401235425/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467687559&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=batman+cout+of+owls) 8 digi, 10 print but closer to 15 in store.

I recently bought [justice league new 52 vol 1] (https://www.amazon.com/Justice-League-Vol-Origin-New/dp/1401237886/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467687640&sr=8-1&keywords=justice+league+vol+1) for 10$ on amazon in print, and the label still says 17$. So LCS up charge alot.

All in all, I enjoy getting print in certain issues like GL and Justice League just because I enjoy the artwork SO much. I also like having big story arcs in print because it feels satisfying to just know i collected those big issues (Blackest night, Brightest Day, infinity gauntlet (marvel)]
However the artwork on digi tends to be great as well, Teen titans for example looks awesome. I'm not really sure I have anything to compare (as in the exact issue), but it seems to be just as fine.

Overall, digi almost always cheaper, always have on you, (you can download ahead of time) can delete later for room, can flip between easier, some artwork might not be as good. also never have to worry about damage.
Print, something satisfying about feeling it in your hands, sometimes makes it seems more real than on a computer.

u/seanwalsh747 · 2 pointsr/DCcomics

On Amazon they cost about £10, I can't remember how much they cost in Waterstones, I think it's about £13.99. For Flash you should pick up volumes 1-4, make sure you get the new volumes as there were two volumes before New 52 called Dastardly Death of the Rogues and Road to Flashpoint, and you will probably be lost if you read them. Flash changes writer after Volume 4 and it gets awful. Batman is pretty good from Volumes 1-10, however you could skip 4-6 if you're on a budget, 4-5 are a retelling of Batmans origin and 6 is just filler issues that hadnt been collected in trades.
If you go on Amazon and look at other sellers for the item you will be able to get it New slightly cheaper, Amazon sells Flash for £12.99 but other sellers sell them for about £5+P&P

The Flash Volume 1: Move Forward TP (The New 52) (Flash (DC Comics Numbered)) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401235549/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_v6zqxbMES0BZ6

Flash Volume 2: Rogue's Revolution TP (The New 52) (Flash (DC Comics Numbered)) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401242731/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_C7zqxbQHD6MBP

The Flash Volume 3: Gorilla Warfare TP (The New 52) (Flash (DC Comics Numbered)) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401247121/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_37zqxb4NHS2WD

The Flash Volume 4: Reverse TP (The New 52) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401249493/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_n8zqxbP6DZFPG

Batman Volume 1: The Court of Owls TP (The New 52) (Batman (DC Comics Paperback)) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401235425/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_k-zqxbJTPZ80Y

Batman Volume 2: The City of Owls TP (The New 52) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401237789/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_R-zqxbBWZTXE3

Batman Volume 3: Death of the Family TP (The New 52) (Batman (DC Comics Paperback)) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401246028/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_f.zqxbEBF0Z98

Batman TP Vol 7 Endgame https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401261167/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_O.zqxbM7Z5RSZ

Batman Volume 8 has only just come out so it will be more expensive and Volumes 9-10 will be out later this year

u/bornfromash · 2 pointsr/DCcomics

These are two great 'new 52' GN's.

u/Hyperrrbeam · 2 pointsr/batman

Get the volumes to catch up and then either buy the ones not released in volumes yet digitally or try to find them on ebay to catch up.

Vol. 1 (Issues 1-7)

Vol. 2 (Issue 8-12)

I hope I was somewhat of a help.

u/acidfro420 · 2 pointsr/comicbooks

If you like Batman, and would like to start reading the current ongoing series, start with Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls. It contains issues #1-#7. The series began in 2011 and it's on #30 right now, so it wont take long to catch up.

-edit-
Right now, there are only 3 volumes out.

u/untitledthegreat · 2 pointsr/DCcomics

Here are the subreddit's favorite New 52 comics and the wiki with plenty of recommended reading. If you want something dark and serious, New 52 Batman is pretty great as is Batman: The Black Mirror.

u/CircuitBreakerD · 2 pointsr/batman

Batman: Year One |1987| #404-407 | Miller

Batman: the Long Halloween |1996-1997| #1-13 | Loeb

Batman: Dark Victory |1999-2000| #0-13 | Loeb

Batman: Hush |2002-2003| #609-619 | Loeb

Batman |2011-2016| #1-52 | Snyder

u/EARTH-FOREVER · 1 pointr/suggestmeabook
  • Deadpool (2012): really well done, goofy superhero comic.
  • [Ms. Marvel (2014)] (http://amzn.com/078519021X): It's about a 16 year old Pakistani Muslim girl and a giant superhero fangirl who ends up becoming a hero herself.
  • [Batman (2013)] (http://amzn.com/1401235425): It's batman. Amazing art and the first few volumes are especially good.
  • [Star Wars: Shattered Empire] (http://amzn.com/0785197818): If you're a Star Wars fan definitely check this out. It takes place directly after the events of Return of the Jedi.
u/LilithCathcart · 1 pointr/comicbooks

I'm gonna recommend you look into the first volume of the new Batman, The Court Of Owls. That will get your Batman fix taken care of. Consider Moon Knight for more surreal crime stories featuring a superhero. If you like retro crime, consider The Fade Out. It's all about Hollywood back in the day. Very noir. Two bonus recommendations not based on your interests just because I like them: Saga which is awesome space fantasy and consider going to your local comic shop and picking up the first couple issues of The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl cause its hilarious. One last tip: you can get trade paperbacks and omnibuses and hardcovers for damn near half price on www.instocktrades.com with free shipping on orders over 50 dollars if you live in the U.S. Only downside is shipping is a little slow.

u/GamerSDG · 1 pointr/DCcomics

There volumes that DC sells. Like this one. I am new to reading comics and these are how I trying to get caught up.

u/Diredoe · 1 pointr/funny

Honestly, if you've never read any comics before, I'd recommend you start with one of Marvel's Ultimates series, or DC's New 52. A lot of fans pan them, but they're a great launching point. I liked just a couple suggestions, feel free to look around and find something that piques your interest. Pick a character that you know a bit about and like, and follow their line.

If you really like Deadpool, a good start is the Cable and Deadpool series. It really forms a lot of modern Deadpool's... Deadpoolness, and the two characters play off each other wonderfully.

u/_AlphaZulu_ · 1 pointr/DCcomics

Hello and I'm glad to see you're showing interest in comics. Let me be the first to say that I'm not some seasoned veteran with limitless knowledge of the "ins" and "outs" regarding to comics. The first time I picked up a DC Comic and read it was a 2 years ago, I picked up Batman Under The Red Hood. Why? I had seen the animated movie and LOVED it. I wanted to see what the graphic novel had to offer. At the time I didn't have access to comics and that was the only DC Comic I read. A year ago, I was on vacation in NYC and I picked up Justice League Vol. 1 Origins. Why? I was browsing through the store for something to jump out at me. I had no idea who Geoff Johns or Jim Lee was. At the time I didn't care, I just wanted to pick up a book, read it, and enjoy it. When I picked up Justice League Vol. 1, I was like "OH SHIIIIIIII", I felt like I had been transported into another reality. Reading about Green Lantern meeting Batman for the first time, it was great.

Then this past year I went to my first Comic Con. DC was pushing a lot of comics and they had all these artists and writers and panels, but I had no idea who these people were or why they were important. I remember sitting there at the Batman panel and they showed a slide of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, as they were describing the story behind and what Bruce was going through, I was thinking, "I need to read this."
After NYCC was over I went to my local comic book store and picked up TDKR, and fucking LOVED it. It's not New 52. It's not new, it's older. But here's the thing. It's fucking awesome. Go buy it and read it and you'll see.


I'm just going to cut this short and say, there isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to read comics. Just go to the store, and see what jumps out at you. I mean, who cares if you happen to like the current Batgirl, while I may hate it. You are paying for the comic and if you enjoy it, why does it matter if it's "right" or "wrong"?

If you're lost, I'm sure you can find some help from everyone on here, the staff at your local comic store, can surely help if you just take the mindset of, "Hey I'm new can you at least point in me in some sort of direction for starting out?"
That's all I have to say about that. Good luck and hope you enjoy your time in comics (whether it be DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, etc)

If I had to supply a "here's a good place to start list", I'd say start with the following.

-Batman [Court of Owls] (http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Vol-Court-Owls-New/dp/1401235425/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422342173&sr=8-1&keywords=batman+court+of+owls)

-Batgirl [Darkest Reflection] (http://www.amazon.com/Batgirl-Vol-Darkest-Reflection-New/dp/1401238149/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422342206&sr=8-1&keywords=batgirl+vol+1)

-The Flash [Move Forward] (http://www.amazon.com/Flash-Vol-Move-Forward-New/dp/1401235549/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422342234&sr=8-1&keywords=flash+move+forward)
This isn't New 52 but it's still good [The Dark Knight Returns] (http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knight-Returns-Frank-Miller/dp/1563893428/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422342259&sr=8-1&keywords=frank+miller+the+dark+knight+returns&pebp=1422342259313&peasin=1563893428)

u/BiDo_Boss · 1 pointr/DCcomics

Now, as for which character to start with, I'd advise you to start with Batman comics. His comics are very accessible, and he has tons of fantastic stories. Of course, with Batman stories, rarely do you need any pre-reading. Some stories have some required reading and/or are sequels to a previous story, though.

The de facto first trade to get is Batman: Year One by Frank Miller. The first major Batman story chronologically, but more importantly, it's a fantastic story overall.

Another great story is the KnightSaga. You mentioned you were interested in Bane. Well, this is as interesting as Bane gets. It's a trilogy of storylines, consisting of Batman: Knightfall, Vol. 1, Batman: Knightfall, Vol. 2: Knightquest, and finally Batman: Knightfall, Vol. 3: KnightsEnd. The Knightfall Saga does not require any pre-reading, by the way.

Now, another way to go, is that you can just forget about everything pre-new52 (post-Crisis) and just jump into Batman Vol. 2, which is the New 52 relaunch of the Batman title. I wouldn't recommend completely dismissing every Batman story that isn't 52, though. Because even though his new 52 stories have been consistently superb, you'd be missing out on a lot of good shit. If you do feel overwhelmed, though, and just want to jump into the relaunch so you can catch up and then read it monthly, start with Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (The New 52). It's one of the best Batman stories of all time, by the way, so regardless of whether or not you wanna put off post-Crisis stories, read Court of Owls, which is the first 5 New 52 Batman trades currently out.

Other Batman/Batfamily recommendations:

  • Batman: The Killing Joke is the notorious masterpiece by Alan Moore. Even if Moore don't like the story (he wrote it as a favour to Bolland), it contains all of Moore's intuitions and considerations about superheroes which appear in Watchmen too. The plot take place in two separate windows of time: a half is the present of Dick Giordano's run just before "Death in the Family", the other half is a reinterpretation of the classic Detective Comics #168. Considered by most as the ultimate Joker's origin story, it's both pure Batman and pure Moore. Read it if you liked Watchmen, as The Killing Joke is one of those comics that contribute to define the psychology and the peculiarities of the characters, hero and villain.

  • Batman: The Man Who Laughs by Ed Brubaker is one of the shortest and least-known among these. It's a rewrite in a modern style of the classic Batman #1 which contains the first appearance of the Joker, but it's made to be perfectly integrated in a continuity made of Year One and The Killing Joke. It presents classic Brubaker's narration style and it's very dark

  • Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb is one of the longest and most articulated story of these. It takes place in the year between The Man Who Laughs (the end of Year One) and the birth of Two Faces, includes a great part of classic Batman cast and marks the connections between the criminal clans who worked in Gotham before Batman like Falcone from Year One and Maroni from Two-Face origin story. The story is a declaration of love to the character of Batman, it could be arranged between the original first stories since it lasts for a whole year and jumps from an event to another.

  • Batman: Dark Victory by Jeph Loeb is the direct sequel of The Long Halloween, involving the same cast and taking place after those events until Robin's inclusion in the dynamic duo. The story basically retcons Robin's origin postponing it after those of most villans (e.g. Robin appears in Detective Comics #38, Two-Face in issue #66), but explores in a good way the psyche of a man who takes a young man alongside him and his battle against crime, a really controversial topic debated since Jason Todd's death.

  • Catwoman: When in Rome by Jeph Loeb does not contains much Batman. It's the third one of the Loeb trilogy about Batman's early years and it is said to suffer from some holes in the plot, but it fulfills some open questions like the relationship between Selina Kyle and Falcone suggested by Miller in Year One and Catwoman's absence during Dark Victory.

    ---
    You also asked for Vixen recs. I'd really recommend getting Vixen: Return of the Lion, which is a 2008 mini-series, written by G Willow Wilson. She is a brilliant writer, I think this mini-series will peak your interest. It doesn't require pre-reading as well.

    ---
    Sorry for the late reply. Hope this helped :)
u/Smark_Henry · 1 pointr/comicbooks

At this point, their Rebirth event, starting late May, would be a perfect starting point for buying individual issues.

For trades to tide you over until then, I recommend Justice League: Origin followed by Batman: the Court of Owls.

u/kylesleeps · 1 pointr/comicbooks

Saga - If you like stuff like Star Wars you'll love this.

Deadly Class - This is probably my favorite book being put out right now.

Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis - I'm currently rereading this run and it is even better than I remember. One of the definitive runs for one of the best characters the big 2 have produced.

The Walking Dead - I don't know about you, but I love zombies and this probably the best zombie story I have ever read.

Batman: Black Mirror - This actually has Dick Greyson as Batman instead of Bruce Wayne, but it is a great read.

Batman Court of the Owl - This is where you want to start if you want to read New 52 Batman Snyder, who also wrote Black Mirror, has had a great run on the series.

Annihilation - Starts a truly epic run of stories on the cosmic side of the Marvel universe. Unfortunately the physical copies are stupidly expensive, but if you don't mind reading digitally you should check it out.

This is just off the top of my head and I'm sure others, with more knowledge, can help more. Are there any characters or geners you particularly enjoy?

u/Zeak_The_Plumber · 1 pointr/PS4

I'm going to give you a set of recommendations... All of which can be had for $15 or less.

This is hands down, one of the best Batman stories I've ever read. It can be had for $11 on Amazon.

You won't need to know anything going into it. It's a little different from The Animated Series (as it's a bit dark), but the storytelling and pacing are just as good - if not better - than The Animated Series. You will think like Batman by the end of this book, putting clues together and trying to see the big picture. Probably the first book that comes to my mind when I think about Batman's detective abilities.

And if you like that, you can pick up vol. 2. (should be on the Amazon page aswell). This is actually the beginnings of the current Batman run taking place right now in the comics. So if you get into it, you're already halfway there to catching up on Batman (there's only 5 volumes out).

If you DON'T want to get into the whole serialized comics and you just want good, self-contained stories (they're called "One Shots" in the comic world) then these would be good stories:

The Killing Joke - probably considered the most famous Batman one-shot of all time. It took more than 4 years to deliver these beautiful, jaw dropping 64 pages. It tells the classic story of Batman and the Joker... Some say it's the best Batman and Joker story ever written. OP's note: this was the comic that got me into comics.

Batman: The Long Halloween - covers Batman's early days working with Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent and meeting some of his most recognizable foes. This will feel very similar to your Animated Series days.

Batman: Year One - considered THE origin story of Batman for many, many, many years. This was Frank Miller at the peak of his abilities, writing Batman in a way that did not feel very cartoony at all. This book will feel the most different from The Animated Series. I put it in here because while it is much different from what you're looking for, it really shows you how even Batman made a few mistakes during his early days and it gives you a good idea of his first year on the job.

u/Mediocre_Ear · 1 pointr/DCcomics

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Vol-Court-Comics-Paperback/dp/1401235425 this is the start of batman new 52 if thats what your asking

u/kaptain_carbon · 1 pointr/Metal

I am going to actually say you should not read Watchmen, which is usually high on people's list until you read more superhero stuff. the characters in that are superheroes cast in gritty realism.

Art / Graphic Novels

Maus -- very popular, very discussed, very good

Sandman -- Once you get over how 80's gothic this is, it is a superb story...for all 10 volumes.

TransMetropolitan -- Cyberpunk Hunter S Thompson

Fables -- Hands down one of the best series in terms of scope and planning.

Manga

Akira -- This will take you week to finish the whole series.

Pluto -- Though an actual knowledge of Astroboy would be wonderful for this, this manga is so good i was shocked at how sobering a manga could be.

Superhero

Batman -- I am going to break rank and say that Frank Miller's Batman miniseries The Dark Knight Returns isn't the best place to start atleast for Batman. It is a good read along with the Knightfall trilogy) but it is dense and famous becasue of when it was released. I am recommending Scott Snyder's new 52 Batman story arc Court of the Owls which is a two part arc edning with City of the Owls. This will also set you into current Batman. there are things that have happened before, the fight is against a new villian rather than an old one with tons of backstory. It is also drawn with style and grace and the whole thing is entertaining.

Green Lantern -- Rebirth -- This is completely one sided because I love Green Lantern and space shit. This is the beginning of the Geoff Johns run which will spill out into a huge decade long narrative culminating at The Blackest Night.



----------

As for other superheroes here are reading lists for DC and Marvel. It is really up to you what you find interesting. If you are into X-men, this podcast is really fun to get caught up with everything that has happened since the 70's. It is also hosted by a very knowledgeable husband and wife team.

u/Jordanob · 1 pointr/DCcomics

Hey man, Sounds like you are interested in Batman and Superman. You said you were interested in recent comics so there are two i would recommend:

  1. Batman New 52! Vol. 1 Court of Owls.
    DC reset their entire universe in 2011 and begun new story arcs that are easier for people like yourself to start reading comics. This book was actually the first trade i ever bought so it has a special place in my heart and i'm sure you'll love it. It is a trade paperback which collects issues 1-7 i'n pretty sure.
    http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Vol-The-Court-Owls/dp/1401235425/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1393927430&sr=8-2&keywords=court+of+owls

  2. Superman: Red Son.
    A fairly recent comic, this one is set in Soviet Russia and explores what would happen if Superman landed with Russians as opposed to the Kents. Really great Superman story and pretty easy to get the gist of if you know the origin of Superman.

    http://www.amazon.com/Superman-Red-Son-Mark-Millar/dp/1401201911/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393927413&sr=8-1&keywords=superman+red+son
u/daviblight · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon
  1. Never been gifted.

  2. Over $10
    Over $25
    Over $50
    Over $100

  3. Fargling - The act of accidentally laughing from making a fart, that in turn makes you fart because of your abrupt laughing; looping in to a blaze of embarrassment. Most likely to happen in public places with superiors or role models near by.
u/Shutty · 1 pointr/DCcomics

A trade is a collection of comics into one Hardcover or Softcover book. They are useful for just grabbing one book that collects a good portion or even a full story arc from multiple comics. Example this collects issues 1-7 of the Batman series in one big book.

u/samsterk911 · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

I 100% recommended the Court of Owls Series. it is absolutely amazing! If you like DC you might of read it already, but if not it is my favorite and I you need to read it.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1401235425/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_o7aytb05QZPK5

Id like this off of amazon :)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/140120659X/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_Z-aytb0G2PK2H

u/Karmakerosene · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Graphic novel enthusiast here. Seriously, I love 'em. I don't read books, but graphic novels? Count me in. Here are my top three recommendations:

Watchmen. You may have heard of it. It's my personal favorite. It's about a team of disbanded masked vigilantes in the sixties. There are a lot of flashbacks, a lot of brutality, and it's quite obscure.

The Umbrella Academy. It's also about a team of disbanded heroes. Except they're adopted siblings, all the same age, have kick-ass powers, and kind of all hate each other. It's dark and brooding. Very obscure.

Batman: The Court of Owls. My favorite Batman series. It's part of The New 52, if you've heard of that. It's very dark. Lots of blood. A much darker side of Batman than in the movies. It really catches interest and the art is GORGEOUS.

I would really like Beasts of Burden. I've read bits and pieces of it and adore it. It's very creepy. About a ragtag team of paranormal investigators who are- get this- animals. Cute and creepy! Right up my alley, all right. I'd also suggest this one to you, although I obviously can't say much about it. (Oh, and P.S.: Get it for me used if you'd like. Used books are great.)

u/Verbind · 1 pointr/randomactsofamazon

Woah. Did not see this. Sort of late comment.

Okay. I am a huge comic book fan. I am not sure what you would be in to, but my strong point is superheros so I will recommend you some.


Batman Vol. 1 of the New 52 series (DC's remake on 52 comic series) is a great one, mostly because the story line is pretty amazing and batman is one of the most popular series.

Another good starter is Nightwing Vol. 1. This story follows Dick Grayson, a former robin who is now a solo hero (nightwing.) Batman Vol. 1 and Nightwing Vol. 1 are sort of tied together so if you get this, although it would be optional and you would still understand the storyline, I highly recommend you also get Batman.

Other batman issues I recommend picking up are the new 52 issues 21-29 (Zero Year) and also batman #30 (Zero Year - Ravage City) I picked up #30 yesterday and it was superb. One of my favorite issues ever. I was also recently recommended Batman Death of the Family, which is inbetween the Court of Owls (1-12) and Zero Year (21-29)

Other than that, you could try starting on another New 52, such as the Flash, Aquaman, Batman & Robin, Action Comics, Detective Comics, or Green Arrow, just to name a few.


Have fun :)



Edit: Just noticed you like dark and intense storylines, which makes this even better because thats basically all batman is (lol).


Edit 2: I would also recommend looking into some comic book subreddits, such as /r/comicbooks /r/batman /r/marvel /r/DCcomics

Edit 3: Saw this below, but The Walking Dead would be great if you like zombies, although it would be quite hard to catch up to.

Edit 4 (SO MANY EDITS): If you would like to know some other NEW 52s, I have some on my wishlist here (shameless plug)

u/Vicboy129 · 1 pointr/NoStupidQuestions

I started a couple of years ago and Ill just tell you what I did and what I found usefull
(apologize for lenght, didnt know i could write this much)

Now is a good time to start spiderman if you are willing to read some back story first. [Superior Spiderman] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Superior_Spider-Man)
Is a pretty interesting take on the character and I went into it knowing only what I read from that link. Basically Doc Oc puts his mind in Spidermans body and vise versa just before he dies (after his body is wrecked from years of fighting) and Octavius vows to be a better spiderman than Peter Parker (but with a little twist in his methods). Its also good because it ended recently and the new Amazing Spiderman starts off right after and its still early enough where you can catch up and read them as they come out in a short amount of time. If you watched the recent movies, or the TV shows (from the 90s at least, dunno bout the new ones) then you will know whats going on, and if you dont, a simple google of an event will usually catch you up in seconds.

I seriously reccoment some of DC Comic's Veritgo lines. These are basically not usually superhero themed and it (started off at least) as a darker more mature set of stories. My personal favorite: Y-The Last Man. In the comic, everything with a Y-chromosome (so basically all male mammals) dies off in an instant and the world is left to be run by women exceept for one guy named Yorrick and his monkey ampersand. The writting is consistently funny and its a really cool world idea they have going. A lot of these Vertigo series ended a while back and dont require any previous reading to get into them as they are usually self contained stories. A google search or browsing in a comic shop can show you some variety (side note: google if you are curious about something you see! lots of reviews and stuff out there)

If you wanna get into DC, they pretty much reset their universe in 2012 (calling it the New 52). I also really recommend the New 52 Batman run since it starts off with a new villain so you wont be left behind there ( at least with Batman, not the other batman titles like Batman Inc, Detective Comics, and Batman and Robin - though that last one is pretty great!) You can pick up the last 2 years of comics in volume form so you dont have to buy a bunch of the issues individually at once.

I didnt grow up with comic book shops so I bought most of mine online and didnt have employees at these shops to ask about but now that I do, they can often suggest stuff they are reading!

TL DR here are some thing I read and enjoyed:
1. New 52 Batman series (new and still going!)
2. the recent Amazing Spiderman (its a great time to hop on, just google anything you dont understand and you will notice you will stop doing it soon!)
3.. Y-The Last Man (funny and easy to follow)
4. Fables (same guy that wrote Y)
5. Justice League New 52 (easy to follow since it starts at their origin as a team)
6. Scott Pilgrim vs The World (funny with lots of pop culture)
7. American Vampire (reeeeally good vampire comic book that makes recent vampire shows/movies look like shit)

u/IAMADeinonychusAMA · -2 pointsr/batman

21 I believe is the start of the run titled Zero Year, so they are the same thing. I'd start with 1 so you're not jumping into it in the middle. Here are some links for you.


1-6

7-12

supplemental material for the above

13-17

supplemental material for 13-17

The supplemental material isn't required to get what's going on (I'm not really worrying about it, I've only read 1-12 to this point and am waiting for 13-17 to come out in one volume), but it does help give you a greater understanding of the full story, from what I've heard.

edit: not sure why ppl are downvoting? If there's any inaccuracy in this please comment by all means.