10 Batman Comics Anyone Can Jump Into (No Backstory Required)

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Batman has enjoyed an enduring popularity among the readership of DC Comics as the star of many critically acclaimed comic books, each of which tells different variations of the hero’s life story across multiple iterations of DC continuity. The character has changed drastically since his 1939 debut, as older elements of the character may fall out of style while newer aspects become defining parts of the character’s history.

Deciding where to start with when Batman comics can prove to be a daunting task, as the character’s continuity and history can vary. Though there is no truly wrong place to start reading Batman stories, some Batmancomics are more deeply tied to the character’s expansive history and lore than others are, requiring background knowledge and previous reading in order to fully get the most out of them. Others, however, can be read completely independently, without any backstory or prior knowledge.

10

Batman: Year One (1987)

Created by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli

Batman: Year One was written as a new take on Batman’s origin story and early career within the DC Universe after 1985’s continuity reboot. Frank Miller’s story, rather than making major changes to the history of the character, instead expanded upon what had already been established, imbuing the origin with his signature grit. Additionally, Year One tells the story of Jim Gordon’s first year as a cop in Gotham alongside Batman’s first year as a vigilante, using him as a point-of-view character and showing how he became allies with Batman.

Batman: Year One is often regarded as the definitive origin story for the Dark Knight, as its influence can be seen across many of the character’s adaptations over the years. Additionally, its purpose as a new take on Batman’s origin for a then-new continuity is perfect for new readers, as no prior background knowledge or history is required to fully understand and enjoy the story. Year One is not only one of the character’s most important stories, it’s also one of his most accessible.

9

Batman: The Long Halloween (1996)

Created by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale

Set early in Batman’s crime-fighting career, Batman: The Long Halloween follows the vigilante, as well as Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent, working together to bring down the criminal empire of Roman Falcone. But as the trio focus on this threat, they must also contend with a serial killer by the name of Holiday picking off members of the Falcone crime family, as well as Gotham’s growing coterie of costumed criminals. The story, taking place over the course of a year, depicts the fall of Gotham’s organized criminals and how Batman’s rogues take their places.

Batman: The Long Halloween is one of the most iconic stories in Batman’s continuity, showing the transition from Batman facing mobsters and other organized criminals to him facing supervillains such as the Joker, Penguin, and Scarecrow. The influence of The Long Halloween cannot be overstated, as elements of it appear in some of the most popular adaptations of the character. Being set early in Batman’s career makes the story accessible to new readers, as this story helps develop the history Batman has with many of his rogues in future stories.

8

Batman: Hush (2002)

Created by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee

Published as part of the ongoing Batman title at the time, Batman: Hush focuses on the then-modern incarnation of the character and a new enemy striking at him from the shadows. This new enemy, Hush, appears to know all of Batman’s secrets, using them against the Caped Crusader. Additionally, Batman reunites with Catwoman, rekindling his romance with her while the pair work together to solve the case. Throughout the story, Batman runs into his oldest friends and foes, slowly unraveling the identity of his newest foe.

Batman: Hush offers a modern interpretation of the character, seeing him already having a notable group of allies and family members, while Bruce also reflects on his history with each of them. The wide cast of characters helps give an overview of Batman’s history up to this point, showcasing most of the major players of both the Bat-Family and Batman’s rogues gallery. Hush’s focus on characters, and the way it explains the relevant history of those characters, make it an extremely accessible story to jump into.

7

Batman: The Man Who Laughs (2005)

Created by Ed Brubaker and Doug Mahnke

A one-shot set early in Batman’s career, Batman: The Man Who Laughs sees Batman and Gordon facing off with the Joker for the first time, as he brings a new element of chaos and criminality that neither man has seen before in Gotham. Both men are forced to work against the clock as they race to understand the machinations of a new kind of criminal. Meanwhile. Batman tries to trace back the origin of the Joker and questions if the Red Hood may have been the Joker once.

As a retelling of Batman’s first encounter with the Joker, Batman: The Man Who Laughs pushes Batman to his absolute limits, forcing him to face a criminal that he could never imagine. The story also lightly goes over an origin story for the Joker, giving enough evidence to make it believable but creating just enough doubt that one can’t be confident that he was once the Red Hood. The Joker is one of the most important enemies in Batman’s famous rogues gallery, and The Man Who Laughs is an essential version of their first fight.

6

Batman: The Court of Owls (2011)

Created by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo

Released as the Batman title’s inaugural story arc in the New 52 reboot, Batman: The Court of Owls is the start of a new continuity for Batman, but instead of seeing him at the start of his career, Bruce has already been well-established as a superhero. In the story, Batman finds himself investigating a secretive organization called the Court of Owls, which has been a part of Gotham since the founding of the city. The mystery sees Batman diving into the history of Gotham, as well as the history of his own family.

As a part of the New 52, Batman: The Court of Owls was made to be a jumping-on point for new readers. The story quickly establishes Batman, his allies, and his enemies, before diving into a new story and new enemies. Though much of the story focuses on Gotham’s history, it requires no background reading to fully enjoy, and its status as a modern classic makes it a very alluring place to start with the Caped Crusader.

5

Batman and Robin: Born to Kill (2011)

Created by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason

A part of the New 52, Batman and Robin: Born to Kill sees Bruce Wayne and his son, Damian, working together for the first time as Batman and Robin after Damian had previously worked with Dick Grayson. The pair struggle to understand one another due to their differing upbringings and perspectives, which leads to difficulties in working alongside one another on the field. As Bruce and Damian are struggling to learn how to be both Batman and Robin as well as father and son, a ghost from Bruce’s past returns to his present and threatens to destroy his bond with Damian forever.

Similarly to Court of Owls, Batman and Robin: Born to Kill was written to be a jumping-on point for both characters at the start of the New 52. As a result, the storyline isn’t especially heavy on elements that require background context. And while this isn’t Damian’s first appearance nor his first outing as Robin, it is the beginning of working with his father long-term, and his arc alongside Bruce’s in Born to Kill perfectly establishes who both of these characters are, while also providing a clear path forward for the duo.

4

The Bat-Man: First Knight (2024)

Created by Dan Jurgens and Mike Perkins

Published as an out-of-continuity story in DC’s Black Label imprint, The Bat-Man: First Knight brings the character back to his golden age roots, setting the story in 1939 against the looming backdrop of World War II. Here, Batman is early in his career as a crime fighter, investigating a series of gruesome murders that seem to point to the dead as the culprits. Batman is forced to solve the mystery while also responding to a world that is growing more chaotic and violent around him by the day.

By remixing elements from Batman’s golden age stories, The Bat-Man: First Knight feels evocative of that era without also being a straight retelling of those stories. Additionally, the use of modern sensibilities and aspects of the character, such as Batman’s distaste for guns, helps the story feel in-line with what readers have come to expect from the character without feeling completely familiar. The story’s place outside of continuity, as well as the way it homages Batman’s early history, make it an easy jumping on point for new readers.

3

Absolute Batman (2024)

Created by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta

As part of DC’s Absolute Universe, Absolute Batman firmly stands on its own outside the main continuity while also radically reinventing the character. In this universe, Bruce Wayne never grew up with the wealth nor the resources that his mainstream counterpart enjoyed, instead having grown up in Crime Alley alongside his rogues. As this version of Gotham faces more violent and savage threats, Bruce becomes Batman, facing off against new and different versions of his greatest foes.

Absolute Batman is a massive reinvention of the character, standing on its own as a new take on the icon without any baggage from any prior continuities. As a result, Absolute Batman is a perfect book to read without backstory, as it reimagines the character from the ground up. And because Absolute Batman takes so many big swings with the character, everything feels fresh and different, making it an excellent series to jump right into.

2

Batman and Robin: Year One (2024)

Created by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee

Once again set early in Batman’s career, Batman and Robin: Year One focuses on the days after Bruce Wayne first takes in Dick Grayson as his ward and sidekick, presenting the origin of the Dynamic Duo. But in taking on this responsibility, Batman has to learn how to be a mentor and a father to Dick Grayson’s Robin. But as Batman tries to teach Robin, a new mob war in Gotham starts to brew, and the Dynamic Duo must stop it before it’s too late.

The partnership between Batman and Robin is one of the most essential aspects of Batman lore, and Batman and Robin: Year One is the perfect telling of the origin of that partnership. The series establishes the history of this dynamic while also showing how they came to work together. This series, due to its focus on Bruce and Dick as characters and how they work with one another, as well as the growing pains that come with their partnership, serves as a great jumping-on point.

1

Batman: Dark Patterns (2024)

Created by Dan Watters and Hayden Sherman

Batman: Dark Patterns goes back to Batman’s early career as a vigilante and sees him tackling new, macabre crimes in Gotham City. The series focuses on four different cases that Batman has solved, with each arc given three issues. All the while, Batman is trying to save a city that fights back against his attempts to save it from devouring itself. Additionally, the series features a moodier, more atmospheric tone, emphasizing Gotham as a place of horror.

Batman: Dark Patterns is completely standalone, untethered to the current continuity of Batman comics. Additionally, Dark Patterns has a smaller scope than many other Batman-starringstories, focusing on isolated cases that don’t have any strong connection to one another, as opposed to grand conspiracies or world-ending threats. With its more grounded, isolated tone, as well as its emphasis on Batman’s detective work early in his mission, Dark Patterns makes for a very accessible Batman series.

“}]] Some of Batman’s best comics require no backstory.  Read More